Lesson 282: "Do they tell you what you want to hear?"
Every time I read 1 Kings 22:8 I laugh. Don’t you just love it when the men of the Bible speak so honestly and still find grace from the Lord? Ahab was one of the most wicked kings in the history of the Scriptures. He hated the prophets because they would not tell him what he wanted to hear. He kicked stones and pouted because a man would not sell him his property. He allowed his evil wife, Jezebel, to use his signature to have this man killed and thus acquired this property for his own. There was never a man like Ahab, who sold himself to do evil in the eyes of the Lord, urged on by Jezebel. He behaved in the vilest manner. I do not laugh at evil! I do not laugh at the killing of a neighbor for his land! I do not laugh because Ahab was spineless and his wife was hateful and conniving! I laugh that our Lord is bigger than all of this and when the prophet, Elijah told Ahab that he would be destroyed because of all his sins, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and fasted. He humbled himself before the Lord and God said he would not bring disaster in his day. I laugh in praise to God and in thankfulness that I too, have sinned and I too have repented and humbled myself before God and I too have felt the heavy Hand of justice lift and I was forgiven.
You may think that no one could possibly sin as badly as Ahab and Jezebel but you would be wrong in your thinking. God is no respecter of persons and He considers one sin as bad as the next. We are warned severely to not tolerate that woman Jezebel and if we commit adultery (spiritual adultery/loving the evil world above God) we will suffer intensely unless we repent (Rev. 2:20-22). Although her flesh is dead, her spirit lives and she will live in you if she is allowed to enter. When someone does not tell you what you want to hear, the spirit of Jezebel will come and whisper that if you “kill” (or remove this person from your presence) then you can have things your way. When you hear a sermon that you do not like then she will assure you there are those who will please you with their sermons. Paul has a message for you about this: “For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear” (2 Tim. 4:3-5).
The Pharisees were always challenging Jesus because He never said what they wanted to hear. “Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say! You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desire! He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me! The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God” (John 8:43-47). Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ spoke these words, not just to the Pharisees and teachers of Bible times but He is speaking them to us. May He have mercy on us if we choose the way of the Pharisees! David says that these who hear only what they want to hear have stopped their ears like a cobra who will not heed the tune of the charmer, however skillful the enchanter may be (Ps. 58:4-5).
Jezebel was almost totally responsible for corrupting an entire nation and this principality has come full force against our nation and our faith. However, there is hope! She will not dwell with anyone unless she can control and dominate the relationship. Control is what she seeks and you allow her this control through insecurity, jealousy or vanity due to the desire to dominate others or due to the fact that others are not doing what you want. More than ever before we are seeking to “be pleased” instead of pleasing and the mind with its openness to the world’s satanic flood of filth and rebellion is opening up a powerful stronghold for the devil. Jezebel is subtle and at times more cunning than Satan and will speak through others to you about you. You will find yourself in church and your thoughts will stray; your mind will stray and soon your eyes will follow. You are searching for someone to “tell you what you desire to hear”, not only in the songs and the sermon but in your personal appearance.
How do we stop pouting, wanting our way, pushing others aside, plugging our ears? Well, we stop eating at Jezebel’s table (1 Kings 18:19) and we can (must) become an Elijah. He came under spiritual (which is what all the above amounts to) and Jezebel in a fit of anger put the fear of “demonic power” in his heart. There is one thing we do not want to copy about the great prophet and that is to fall prey to fear and discouragement and lose the battle. We cannot be successful in the spiritual warfare if we are not victorious in the battlefield of our minds. There is only one realm of final victory against the enemy (including those who tickle our ears) and that is Christ-likeness. “Build yourselves up in the most holy faith” (Jude 20); “Do not imitate what is evil but what is good” (3 John 11); “If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not take him into your house or welcome him” (2 John 10); “Test the spirits” (1 John 4:1) and “Above all else, guard your hearts” (Pro. 4:23)!
Do they tell you what you want to hear? “Even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned” (Gal. 1:8). If you are not sure of what you are hearing, compare it with the Scriptures and if it does not line up then change your messenger. The Holy Spirit will guide you to the truth (John 16:13); listen to Him!
prayers from Texas