In which God will lie to us sometimes – really – (pt 4)

One of the blessings of blogging now is that I write words and you guys read them. I so appreciate that – immeasurably. Thank you.

I also know that if I have a blog I read and I go there – and nothing new is there – I feel a little sad. This is hard, researching and blogging two posts a day. But it’s pure love sharing what I learn with you. So I’m back from Blissdom. I have the Blissdom flu. You know the bit – tired, wheezy, coughy, nose runny, fever, blech…

But I want to dig right back in for you all. I heart you guys.

So where did we leave off? Ahab messed up, straddled the fence of faith, “asked” for God’s direction, was misled – YES – mislead by God.

I know – it once surprised me too.

And a thing for me to remember is that one voice. – that one voice that rang true in the story. I think God will always leave us that one whisper to follow. No matter how loud and trumpety the 400 voices get – if I stay close to Our Lord – I’ll hear that whisper.

Ahab was far away – and even he still heard the whisper. But I know how hard it is to hear what I don’t want to hear. I know about closing my ears. It’s easy to be judgy about Ahab. But although he was a real person – in these verses he’s just a reflection of me.

Me of litle faith.

Ahab got the wrong message – which was the message intended. Then he charged out, disguised himself as the “good” king in the story. then he hung back to stay out of the fray.

Then got killed by a “random” arrow in the chest. Go figure.

And he should have listened to the whisper instead of the cacophony. Right?

Right.

But this is just one isolated point of scripture. We need corroborating stuff somewhere else in the Bible. Cherry picking passages leads to all sorts of bad stuff – from misinformation to heresy.

Not a big fan of either.

So I looked for another. Not really expecting to find one – but I did.

Ezekeil 14:1-13

When certain elders of Israel came and sat down before me, the word of the LORD came to me: Son of man, these men have the memory of their idols fresh in their hearts, and they keep the occasion of their sin before them. Why should I allow myself to be consulted by them? Therefore speak with them, and say to them: Thus says the Lord GOD: If anyone of the house of Israel, holding the memory of his idols in his heart and keeping the occasion of his sin before him, has recourse to a prophet, I, the LORD, will be his answer in person because of his many idols. Thus would I bring back to their senses the house of Israel, who have become estranged from me through all their idols. Therefore say to the house of Israel: Thus says the Lord GOD: Return and be converted from your idols; turn yourselves away from all your abominations. For if anyone of the house of Israel or any alien resident in Israel is estranged from me, and holds the memory of his idols in his heart and keeps the occasion of his sin before him, yet asks a prophet to consult me for him, I, the LORD, will be his answer in person. I will turn against that man, and make of him an example and a byword. I will cut him off from the midst of my people. Thus you shall know that I am the LORD. As for the prophet, if he is beguiled into speaking a word, I, the LORD, shall have beguiled that prophet; I will stretch out my hand against him and root him out of my people Israel. Each shall receive punishment for his sin, the inquirer and the prophet shall be punished alike, so that the house of Israel may no longer stray from me and may no longer be defiled by all their sins. Thus they shall be my people, and I will be their God, says the Lord GOD. Thus the word of the LORD came to me.

Eeek – tomorrow we dig in.

Bring goggles,

and gloves,

and a raincoat.

I know I’m gonna get splashed.

You might too.

God Bless.