Standing Out

It is so interesting that a thing that stands out does so because it is different than the other things it is placed with. When a person stands out, he or she is displays something different than the others. There is something that distinguishes that person from the mass. It could be their character, it could be their physical appearance, it could be their fame, their money, their status, etc. Regardless, most people that stand out are easily identifiable. The surprising fact is that often times, people that stand out do not even seek to stand out, the attribute or the distinguishing quality that makes them stand out simply outshines. I’d like to look at a good example of someone who stood out without putting on a show while at the same time using that person’s story to illustrate the biblical way of standing out.

The story takes place in the times where Israel (the nation) was a divided kingdom: Israel to the north and Judah to the south. Israel had a succession of bad kings, that is, kings whose hearts were very far away from the Lord their God. Many of those kings followed the example of Jeroboam, first king of the northern kingdom of Israel who worshipped and sacrificed to foreign gods and caused the people of Israel to pervert their ways. As a matter of fact, Jeroboam is used many times as a bad reference of how not to act before the Lord. In the kingdom of Judah on the other hand, you had kings who were doing what was right in the eyes of the Lord. It was not always the case, but if we were to keep a track record then Judah’s good kings surpassed Israel’s. In our context, Ahab was king of the northern kingdom, Israel and Jehoshaphat was king of the southern kingdom, Judah. Ahab was a bad king who did everything the Lord detests while Jehoshaphat was pleasing to the Lord. In fact, Jehoshaphat has a section dedicated to the reform he did in Judah in order to draw the people of Judah back to the Lord, destroying idols places of worship and ensuring priesthood was re-established and affirmed in Judah. This is not something that was common in Israel anymore because Ahab had desecrated the sacerdotal duties. He instituted priests however he wanted, they were no longer Levites as the Lord had commanded, they were instituted at his own will. There are many other detestable things that Ahab did so you will do well to go read about him from 1 kings 16 to 22.

Syria and Israel (the northern kingdom) were at peace for three years but in the third year, Ahab wanted to take back the land of Ramoth-Gilead from the Syrians as it belonged to Israel. Ahab then asked Jehoshaphat to ally with him in battle against the Syrians to take the land that belonged to them. Jehoshaphat agrees but on the condition that the Lord be first inquired before they set out to go in battle. Ahab then proceeds to call all the prophets of Israel, about four hundred to inquire the word of the Lord. Why the need for so many prophets when one would do just fine is puzzling. Now remember, these are prophets that Ahab himself instituted and none of them served the God of Israel. Ahab then asks the question to know whether or not he should go up against the king of Syria to conquer Ramoth-Gilead and the answer is a resounding “yes”. Surprisingly, four hundred yeses did not satisfy Jehoshaphat because he asked if there was no prophet of the Lord from whom they could inquire of the Lord. There is clearly a difference between a prophet and a prophet of the Lord. Ahab then responds that there is indeed one but that he dislikes him because that prophet of the Lord never has anything positive to say concerning Ahab. Despite him and at the request of Jehoshaphat, Ahab summons Micaiah the prophet of the Lord.

Micaiah is the only prophet of the Lord in Israel it seems at that time. One wonders how he managed to continue to serve his Lord in a land that was completely opposed to God. Many prophets like Micaiah who continued to serve the Lord actually left Israel and went to Judah because the fear of the Lord was still in Judah and they probably didn’t face persecution there. Micaiah, by simply being obedient and faithful stood out. He seemed to only say things that were contrary to the popular beliefs. As a matter of fact, his reputation preceded him before the people to the point where the messenger who summoned him warned him to make sure he prophesied in the same lines as the other prophets had done. But, Micaiah, true to himself responded “As the LORD lives, what the LORD says to me, that I will speak”. Talk about not being conformed to the ways of the world! Although Micaiah was not liked by the king, he did not stop worshipping his God and prophesying, he did not stop telling the truth and living according to the word of the Lord. In fact, the kings’ dislike of Micaiah had no impact on the person of Micaiah, his worth, his ability to speak, his character, really, it had no effect on him. We should seek to imitate Micaiah because we are too focused on what our peers, authorities, friends, families and the rest think of us when it has no bearing on who we are at the end. Back to the story, when Micaiah came to the king, the king inquired of the Lord regarding his conquest plan, at first, Micaiah responds like the other prophets, however, it is so unlike him that even the king knows Micaiah is simply pulling his leg. The king then asks the question again, and Micaiah, as expected told Ahab what he did not want to hear, that is, the Lord was not going to give Ramoth-Gilead into his hands and that he would actually perish if he went in battle against Syria because the Lord had already planned to judge him for his many sins. Furthermore, Micaiah goes to great lengths to explain what the Lord has set to do and how he has allowed a lying spirit in the mouth of the prophets in order to entice Ahab to go in battle and then be killed. One would think after such a warning, Ahab would listen and not go into battle, but he does the very opposite and listens to his four hundred prophets. Well, Ahab eventually goes into battle and dies as the Lord had revealed and his death is a judgement for all the sins he committed and made Israel commit.

This story struck me simply because of the fidelity of Micaiah to his God. He stood out not because he was trying to be different but simply because he obeyed the Lord and proclaimed the very words of God. So, as followers of Christ, we too must do the same. Whether you are a preacher, a teacher, an evangelist, an apologist, a witness, a parent, a friend, a professional, etc. know that you are first and foremost the Lord’s and it is to him that your allegiance belongs. So, stick to His words, do not make light of His words, do not dilute His words but simply speak the truth. Doing that, will make you different, it is in obedience that we shine.