High Price of Leadership

1 Kings 22:14 But Micaiah said, “As surely as the Lord lives, I can tell him only what the Lord tells me.” 

Leadership has its advantages! But there is also a great price attached to leadership. When a leader stops leading or starts leading down the wrong path, the consequences are grave. People need godly leadership. And when there is godly leadership it is the responsibility of the people to follow faithfully.

But when leadership fails due to rebellion, look out, trouble is coming. We have just such an account in our passage today. And oh what a story.

In our story the king of Israel is in utter rebellion against the LORD. He even flaunts it in his own life. He knows what the LORD wants, and yet he chooses to ignore the messenger prophet that is sent. All his usual collection of “Yes” men prophets tell him to go to battle and be successful. But on the advice of the king of Judah, who has been called in to help in the battle, they call in Micaiah to give them the straight word. And Micaiah always gives it straight.

So the two kings gather to hear what Micaiah has to say. The king of Israel already knows that the answer from the LORD will not be good. All his prophets keep telling him that he will be successful in battle, but he knows they are lying. What a horrible place to be as a leader when you advisors lie to you! But the king is getting what he deserves. His rebellion against the LORD is coming to fruition.

So Micaiah, who always passes along the LORD’s message faithfully, tells the king of his coming demise. And it won’t be pretty. And the kings anger flares.

It is a horrible when leaders go bad. Ahab, Israel’s king, is evil and his evil gets directed toward Micaiah. Ahab tells his commanders to lock Micaiah up and don’t let him out “until I return.” It is that phrase that becomes the focal point of judgment. That phrase becomes the light that will shine on behalf of the LORD when Micaiah’s word comes true.

Micaiah says to everyone there, “If you ever return safely, the LORD has not spoken through me.” Now the challenge is on! Who will be right? Ahab already knows that Micaiah’s words come true. He knows already that his death is imminent. And yet he enters that battle thinking a disguise will protect him.

But the LORD is not fooled by disguise. The LORD uses a arrow fired in the heat of battle to take out the king. Imagine that, an arrow pierced his side and he died that day.

Almost 700 years later another side was pierced. That side was pierced to prove death had occurred. That pierced side followed a torturous death.

But for Jesus that pierced side wasn’t the end of the story. And we celebrate that today, Resurrection Sunday. Ahab was buried and he stayed in the tomb. Jesus was buried, but he came out victorious over death, hell and the grave.

He is Alive!