Tuesday, January 8, 2008

Micaiah's Vision

We sometimes forget that it is God who determines who will rule a country. In America, we question how this is possible. We got to vote. We cast our vote. Our votes are counted. Both the saints and the heathens vote, but the Bible tells us that it is God who puts men in power. How can this be?


Do you remember Micaiah? He was a prophet, but he was such a minor prophet that he didn’t get a book in the Bible. He is mentioned in two places I Kings 22 and II Chronicles 18, but these passages describe one incident. Israel and Judah were going to war, so the kings called four hundred prophets before them to tell them how they would do in battle. The prophets told them what they wanted to hear, that they would go to battle and be victorious, but Jehoshaphat king of Judah didn’t trust them and asked for a prophet of the Lord to be called. So in comes Micaiah. He tells Jehoshaphat to go and prosper, but he tells Ahab that he will die. Then he tells the vision that he saw. The Lord had the host of heaven gather around him and he asked them who would go and persuade Ahab to go into battle and die. Several made suggestions, but a spirit came before the Lord and said that he would be a lying spirit in the mouth of all Ahab’s prophets. The Lord said that this spirit would succeed. Ahab must have thought Micaiah was telling the truth because he disguised himself when he went into battle. The enemy looked for him, but they didn’t find him, but an arrow just happened to strike him and Ahab died.


Can’t you just imagine that when election time comes around or even now as people begin to make their decision, Satan gathers his angels around him and asked them “How can we get our man (or woman) elected?” Some of them come to him and say, “I’ll go and tell people that they really don’t need to worry about character.” Perhaps God has a reason to allow Satan’s plan to success and he allows the plan to work, but at other times it might be that God calls his host around him and asks, “Who will go and convince them to vote for my servant?” Perhaps an angel who has duties with the weather say, “I will cause it to rain in some areas of the country.” Another will say, “I will show people the evil that the opponent has done.” A spirit may come and say, “I will be a spirit of patriotism among the saints and they will go vote.” Then the Lord will speak and say, “Go and do as you say. You will have success.”


Then when election day comes, we will all go on about our business, oblivious to the spiritual warfare that is going on around us. We may look at the weather and think “I really don’t have to go vote.” We may see a flag flying in the wind and think, “I am so glad that I live in a country where I can take part in the political process.” Perhaps we can see God at work in the choices people make.