Loyalty and Obedience to God

Readings:
II Chronicles 18
Acts 24:1-16

Focus:
II Chronicles 18:13: "'As the Lord lives,' said Micaiah, 'I shall say only what my God tells me to say.'"

The prophet Micaiah has been summoned to prophesy before King Ahab of Israel, one of the most wicked kings that ever reigned over that nation. All the other so-called prophets are giving Ahab the answer he wants to hear, and Micaiah has been warned to give the same answer. And at first he does, speaking on his own behalf.

But when he is asked directly what it is that God tells him to say, Micaiah does not hesitate to announce it, although he knows that this will not be good for him. And indeed, since God's message does not please Ahab or the other prophets, the result for Micaiah is that he is struck by another prophet, and then thrown into prison and put on bread and water.

Yet, knowing this could happen, Micaiah says beforehand that he will say what God tells him to say, and that is what he does.

Micaiah's loyalty and obedience is to God before anyone else. That is the kind of loyalty and obedience that I want as well.