“… and Ahab went to meet Elijah. When he saw Elijah, he said to him, ‘Is that you, you troubler of Israel?’” 1 Kings 18:16b-17
In Sunday School, we’ve been talking about the role of prophets, not only as foretellers of prophecy, but also as “forth tellers.” They told the entire truth with no sugar-coating. Elijah was a forth-tellers.
Considering Ahab’s greeting in the verse above, Elijah had every reason to be afraid of telling the truth. Jezebel had put a price on the prophets of God and he was one of God’s top prophets. But instead of cowering when Jezebel’s king called him a troublemaker, he threw the greeting back in his face.
“It’s not I who has caused trouble in Israel …”
What followed was an epic duel between Elijah and the prophets of Baal – murderers of children and special pets to the queen. The Baal prophets’ flamboyant-but-failed appeal to their god didn’t shake Elijah. Instead, he taunted the false prophets. He even poured water on God’s altar to prove there were no tricks. Then he prayed, asking God to show His power. The answer was immediate, annihilating the offering, the stones of the altar and the water that ran off into the trench.
At last, the spell was broken; the children of Israel remembered Who they served. When the last of the false prophets died, God broke the seven-year drought and brought rain to His parched land.
Yet instead of giving Elijah a medal, Ahab ran home to tell his wife the bad news: her special darlings were dead and the nation she once ruled with the fist of her stone idol had abandoned her. So furious Jezebel put a price on the prophet’s head.
It was only then that Elijah became afraid. Even though God eventually made sure that Ahab and Jezebel paid the price for leading His nation away, the danger of Elijah’s message could have cost him his life.
Telling the truth doesn’t win friends or guarantee success in your career. In fact, it usually promises the opposite. But we’re still commanded to do it.
Are you a forth-teller? What has it cost you to tell the truth? How has it blessed you?
This content is exclusively for the blessing of Mesu’s BFFs. Please enjoy but don’t share on social media — unless it’s on our private Facebook page.
Comments 7
Wow, very thought provoking! Truth hurts ~ doesn’t it? It does sometimes and why do we think otherwise?
Thanks so much, Debbie! 🙂
You’re so right! I wonder why we’re surprised when that happens? Maybe we think we’re already in Heaven? But, oh! How wonderful it will be when we get there, in that glorious Truth!
Thanks so much for the comment!
This posting of Mesu’s reminds me of how the Lord God comunicated with his people by all these prophets throughout the Bible. Even the ones who didn’t want to be a prophet, Jonah. It seems people on this earth drift away so often , there is a need to have the forth-tellers among us, but the greatest is God Son, Jesus and His holy Word to keep us in comunication with God thru His Son the Greatest Fore-Teller of All. I love this group,Mesu, and her helpers. You are all great BFF’s
Author
Actually, this post was from our sweet coordinator, Angie! And what powerful words! I agree with you, Barb. Whether we’re willing forth-tellers or reluctant ones (like Jonah), God can and does use us for His good purposes. I believe God definitely put this group together, and I’m so thankful for each one of you!
Thanks, Angie, for this GREAT devotional!
Thank you both so much!
Barbara – Our Lord does have a way of keeping us in line, whether we’re the ones who need to tell the Truth or the ones who need to hear it (or both). 🙂
Mesu – I’m blushing! 🙂 And I’m so glad that He put the group together, too. I’m constantly amazed at how He works!
I love this story – the confrontation between one man and the forces of evil – in a king, a religious organization, and the general populous. He thought he stood alone, but there were actually “underground” believers. But Elijah was in-your-face! To Ahab he said, “It’s not me, who has troubled Israel, but you and your family.” To the people he said, “How long will you waver between two positions–if Yahweh is God, worship him! If Baal is God, worship him!” Then he put his faith on the line, in front of everyone. What a guy, and what a God!
Wow, Angie, great post. I work in lending and I’m painfully truthful. It doesn’t always make my clients happy:( Sometimes we just don’t want to hear the truth. But, I don’t have to hide out from my clients and I sleep well at night. God didn’t put me in a position of responsibility and one that requires trust and honesty to have me betray His trust in me. The right thing isn’t always the easy thing.