Micaiah

400 to 1! How about those odds?! One prophet in the Old Testament named Micaiah prophesied to King Ahab and King Jehoshophat about not going up to fight a battle in Ramoth-Gilead! He said it wasn't what God wanted. King Ahab's 400 prophets prophesied to go. Micaiah had been warned ahead of time about their prophesies and he was even told by their messenger that he should go along with what they said!

II Chronicles 18:12-13And the messenger that went to call Micaiah spake to him, saying, Behold, the words of the prophets declare good to the king with one assent; let thy word therefore, I pray thee, be like one of their's, and speak thou good.13And Micaiah said, As the LORD liveth, even what my God saith, that will I speak.

But Micaiah despite the heavy odds stayed true to the truth. The truth prevailed and Ahab lost his life when he didn't listen to the truth.

So what good are 400 prophets if they don't speak for God? I imagine those 400 prophets (of Baal) had a few perks, and a soft cushy life as they cozied up to their ruler to stay in the groove (or is it rut!)? Ahab didn't even want Micaiah around! Micaiah could have been Ahab's lifesaver, but he didn't listen and made it very plain that he didn't like him.

Rough life for Micaiah?: prison, open resentment toward him, a slap in the face, 400 smug wimps crawling with lying spirits looking at him like he had two heads? Actually I'm sure Micaiah was a very blessed man because he heard from God. He had a lot better things to do than hang out with the prophets of Baal. Anyone who chooses to believe God can absolutely count on getting blessed despite the darkness all around!

Jehoshaphat was deceived in that he thought this was a 'good work' thing to do. His life was spared when he cried out to God and he went back to Jerusalem and learned some good lessons about making bad alliances. You can see the lesson learned in II Chronicles 19 when he set up judges in Jerusalem and told them:

6And said to the judges, Take heed what ye do: for ye judge not for man, but for the LORD, who is with you in the judgment.7Wherefore now let the fear (respect and awe) of the LORD be upon you; take heed and do it: for there is no iniquity (Nope. None!)with the LORD our God, nor respect of persons, nor taking of gifts. 

Good advice and it applies today! We have the spirit of God in Christ in us. We don't have to be deceived about what is good and what is bad. We certainly don't have to worry about our standing in God's eyes. We just have to believe it.