Writing creative radio production reminds me of the old Dick Van Dyke Show of the 1960’s, where Rob, Buddy, and Sally would sit around the office and come up with wacky skits for the Alan Brady Show. Back in the late ‘90s, I was a producer at American Family Radio, and our team wanted to set a high bar on quality. So, before anything we wrote as individuals would go on the air, it had to pass by someone outside of the radio department who would give us a critical opinion on how effective the writing was. I hated that part.
The pride in my heart had already convinced me that my writing was clever, and the message was clear and effective. So, who do you think I sought out for a critical review? None other than our receptionist, Deanna. Deanna is known by everyone as one of the most kind and gentle people around. After all, how could I go wrong by asking the nicest person in the building what she thought of my creative output? Her response was always a delight to my ears. “Oh, I love it!” she would often say.
She was a natural encourager, and I was all too willing to receive her “critique.” I also knew that even if she didn’t like it, she wouldn’t want to hurt my feelings. To say the least, that was a very insincere way to seek the truth.
We’re all tempted to be insincere seekers. On the one hand, we say we want to know God’s will, but on the other, we’re determined to get what we want. Sadly, finding people to tell us what we want to hear is easy. Israel’s King Ahab is a classic example.
We’re told, “Surely there was no one like Ahab who sold himself to do evil in the sight of the LORD, because Jezebel his wife incited him” (1 Kings 21:25). In 1 Kings 22 we see Israel at peace with Syria when Ahab began to covet Ramoth Gilead, under Syrian control. (Coveting property was nothing new for this king. You can read about Naboth’s vineyard in 1 Kings 21 for more on that.)
But being the schemer he was, he enlisted the help of Judah’s King Jehoshaphat, who came down to Samaria for a visit. To his credit, Jehoshaphat asked Ahab to inquire for the Word of the Lord. So, Ahab brought in 400 of his own prophets to tell him exactly what he wanted to hear. “Go up, for the Lord will deliver it into the hand of the King!” they shouted. Perceptively, Jehoshaphat knew that these prophets on the royal payroll had no incentive to disagree with the king. In fact, these were loyal Baal worshippers and Jehoshaphat knew it.
Ahab reluctantly agreed to summon Micaiah, the one prophet of God who always spoke the truth. “I hate him, because he never prophesies good concerning me, but evil,” he told Jehoshaphat. Ahab’s messengers found Micaiah and pleaded with him to give the king a positive message. Micaiah responded, “As the LORD lives, whatever the LORD says to me, that will I speak.” So, Micaiah appeared before the kings all dressed in their royal garb, surrounded by the 400 false prophets. Everyone’s eyes were on Macaiah, and you could have almost heard a pin drop when Ahab asked, “Shall we go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or shall we refrain?”. Surprisingly, Micaiah told him exactly what he wanted to hear! “Go and prosper, for the LORD will deliver it into the hand of the king.”
Wait a minute! What about telling the truth about God’s impending judgment on Ahab? Wasn’t he supposed to speak nothing but the truth? It’s obvious here that God doesn’t regard those who claim to want divine revelation but have no intention of obeying it. This is what insincere seeking is all about.
When Ahab finally pressed Micaiah to tell him the truth, the prophet responded with a shocking vision. God would use a lying spirit in the mouth of those 400 prophets to deceive Ahab, causing him to be killed at the hands of the Syrians. Predictably, King Ahab imprisoned Micaiah and went into battle. But just as the prophet of God foretold, disaster fell. A random Syrian shot an arrow that just so happened to find its mark between the plates of Ahab’s armor, and the king bled to death. In God’s stunning providence, Ahab was killed, and His prophet was vindicated.
Why would God use deceiving spirits to carry out His judgment on Ahab? The Bible often gives us glimpses of God’s character that test our faith and stretch our theological systems. However, right alongside the lying voices of the 400 prophets was the solitary voice of truth in Micaiah. God told Ahab he was being lied to, but it didn’t matter. Ahab chose lies over truth, and it cost him his life.
How often have we half-heartedly listened to the voice of God and preferred the lying voice of Satan, saying, “Go and prosper! God is with you!”? Countless Christians have pursued ungodly relationships, wasted thousands of dollars on foolish dreams, and given in to unethical decisions, all the time knowing that God was in none of those things. But they persisted. And disaster fell.
Spiritual curiosity and humble seeking are not the same thing. There were religious dabblers in Jesus’ day, and all they received were truths concealed in parables. They loved hearing about the things of God as long as it didn’t require submission and faith in Jesus. Speaking through the prophet Isaiah, God said, “But to this one I will look, to him who is humble and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at My word.” (Isaiah 66:2). The Spirit of God speaking through the Apostle James reminds us, “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves” (James 1:22).
The temptation to be an insincere seeker won’t go away anytime soon. We can always expect the full-throated endorsement of the world to follow our desires and reject the still, small voice of God. But God’s Word is life-giving and trustworthy. And those who seek Him diligently and sincerely will experience His fullest blessings.
