1 Kings 22:13-17: a reflection

13The messenger who went to call Micaiah spoke to him, saying, “See now, the prophets declare good to the king with one mouth. Please let your word be like the word of one of them, and speak good.” 14Micaiah said, “As the LORD lives, what the LORD says to me, that I will speak.” 15When he had come to the king, the king said to him, “Micaiah, shall we go to Ramoth Gilead to battle, or shall we forbear?” He answered him, “Go up and prosper; and the LORD will deliver it into the hand of the king.” 16The king said to him, “How many times do I have to adjure you that you speak to me nothing but the truth in the LORD’s name?” 17He said, “I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains, as sheep that have no shepherd. The LORD said, ‘These have no master. Let them each return to his house in peace.’”

The prophet Micaiah is summoned to prophesy about a coming battle, and on the way the messenger pressures him: the other prophets are all promising the king success; let your word agree with theirs, and speak good. But Micaiah refuses to bend to the pressure. As the LORD lives, he says, what the LORD says to me, that I will speak. And when the king demands the truth, Micaiah gives the unwelcome word God had given him, that the battle would end in disaster, rather than the flattering word everyone wanted to hear.

Notice Micaiah's resolve: to speak the truth God gave him, whatever the pressure to say otherwise. He was pressed to conform, to make his word agree with the flattering prophets, to tell the king what he wanted to hear. But Micaiah would not; he would speak only what God gave him to speak, even though it was unwelcome, even against the pressure of the crowd and the king. The truth, not the popular or flattering word, was what he was bound to speak; and he spoke it, whatever the cost.

That resolve to speak the truth under pressure is worth taking to heart, for we too can be pressured to say what pleases rather than what is true. There can be pressure to conform our words to what others want to hear, to flatter, to go along with the crowd, to soften or bend the truth to please; and it can be costly to speak the unwelcome truth. But Micaiah spoke what God gave him, not what the pressure demanded. When you are pressured to say what pleases rather than what is true, do not bend, as Micaiah did not bend to the pressure to flatter the king; speak the truth, even when it is unwelcome, rather than conforming to what others want to hear. Hold to the truth under pressure, as Micaiah held to what the LORD gave him to speak, rather than softening or bending it to please the crowd; for faithfulness may require speaking an unwelcome truth against the pressure to flatter, as Micaiah spoke God's true word against a chorus that promised only what the king wished to hear.

Lord, the prophet Micaiah was summoned to prophesy about a coming battle, and on the way the messenger pressured him: the other prophets are all promising the king success; let your word agree with theirs, and speak good. But Micaiah refused to bend. As the LORD lives, he said, what the LORD says to me, that I will speak. And when the king demanded the truth, Micaiah gave the unwelcome word you had given him, rather than the flattering word everyone wanted to hear. Show me Micaiah's resolve: to speak the truth you gave him, whatever the pressure to say otherwise. He was pressed to conform, to make his word agree with the flattering prophets. But he would not; he would speak only what you gave him, even though it was unwelcome. The truth, not the popular word, was what he was bound to speak; and he spoke it. Take that resolve to my heart, for I too can be pressured to say what pleases rather than what is true. There can be pressure to conform my words to what others want to hear, to flatter, to go along with the crowd, to bend the truth to please; and it can be costly to speak the unwelcome truth. But Micaiah spoke what you gave him. When I am pressured to say what pleases rather than what is true, keep me from bending; help me speak the truth, even when it is unwelcome. Help me hold to the truth under pressure, Lord, as Micaiah held to what you gave him, rather than softening it to please the crowd.