1 Kings 22:1-40: Deaf to God
WE EACH HAVE our own methods of tuning out God. For example, singing an entire hymn without a single word registering in the mind; meticulously compiling a things-to-do list during the sermon; accidentally leaving a Bible at church and not missing it for days; feeling no compunction about a pattern of daily prayer long since abandoned and hardly remembered. There are many paths by which we can become deaf to God. Ahab's life (and death) warns us against such a route.
Warming Up to God
What do you do that sometimes makes you "deaf" to God?
Read 1 Kings 22:1-40. »
Discovering the Word
- What was Ahab's proposal (vv. 1-4)?
- How did the two kings view the project differently (vv. 4-8)?
- What was hard about Micaiah's job (vv. 9-16)?
- Look again at Micaiah's statements in verses 17-23. Why do you think that Ahab was easy prey for the lying prophets?
- What did it cost Micaiah to speak God's truth?
- During the course of his life, Ahab had many opportunities for hearing truths from God. In view of this, what do you see as the difference between hearing and receiving God's Word?
Applying the Word
- Why do you sometimes hesitate to talk about what you know to be God's truth?
- What precautions could you take to keep from acquiring Ahab's kind of deafness?
Responding in Prayer
Ask God to give you ears to hear his truth (Mt 13:16).
For Further Study
Know the Truth: A Handbook of Christian Belief by Bruce Milne