Day 180 Crowded thinking & integrity

Micaiah Prophesies Against Ahab 1 kings 22:1-53

Listening to or being part of "the in" crowd does not guarantee integrity or hearing correctly from God.

I wonder if these were the same "400 prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel's table." mentioned in 1 kings 18. (Elijah slaughtered the 450 prophets of Baal verse 40) Isn't it interesting that Ahabs 400 hundred prophets rallied around him to give him counsel he wanted to hear. What was the point of having them if he knew they would only spout back his own desires?

Lets look at these three people and see what distinguishes them from the crowd:
Elijah had a knowledge of a living God and that he served Him.
God gave Elijah his daily bread and water in the midst of a famine.
Elijah obeyed God.
Elijah interacted with real people in dire straits and had the reputation of being a man of God and being truthful.
He defied and put to shame and death the Baal and his prophets.
He was human and so got exhausted physically, emotionally and spiritually after hearing that Jezbeel was after him.

1 kings 17:1 Now Elijah the Tishbite, from Tishbe ^[a] in Gilead, said to Ahab, "As the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word."² Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah: ³ "Leave here, turn eastward and hide in the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan. ⁴ You will drink from the brook, and I have directed the ravens to supply you with food there." ⁵ So he did what the LORD had told him. He went to the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan, and stayed there. ⁶ The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook.

²⁴ Then the woman said to Elijah, "Now I know that you are a man of God and that the word of the LORD from your mouth is the truth."

³ Elijah was afraid ^[a] and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, ⁴ while he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness. He came to a broom bush, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. "I have had enough, LORD," he said. "Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors." ⁵ Then he lay down under the tree and fell asleep.

Elisha son of Shaphat:
He had a herd of oxen harnessed to 12 yokes. I can't imagine the type of equipment he was plowing with to need that amount of power. He must have had muscles on his muscles and "worth his weight in gold".

¹⁹ So Elijah went from there and found Elisha son of Shaphat. He was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen, and he himself was driving the twelfth pair. Elijah went up to him and threw his cloak around him.

Elisha is not heard about for a while until 2 kings. He stays with Elijah and knows he will succeed him. He does not have to hurry but pay attention to Elijah's movements.

Micaiah son of Imlah
Was the lone voice before kings, a very precarious position to have. He appears to have been well suited to the contrary nature of his office as prophet.

Today's perception of a prophet.
When we see real live prophets in the old testament, they are not the most congenial people to have around, and we somehow like to shape today's "prophets" to give only positive and encouraging messages. I wonder if the church would recognize an old testament style prophet? Would Jesus ask his church the question "whom did you come out to the desert to see?" when speaking of John the baptist. What do we want God to say to us? Could we handle the answer?