That Will I Speak

When you are given the opportunity to speak to a person or a group about something from the Bible that you’re pretty sure they don’t want to hear, the temptation is to go along with the crowd.  You can be tempted to avoid saying something true that the folks might find offensive.

In 2 Chr 18, a messenger went to Micaiah in v.12 and warned him to “be like one of theirs, and speak thou good”.  He was applying pressure to Micaiah to speak like the other prophets.  You might feel pressured to impress or get along with a group you’re talking to.  Particularly, if you want to be accepted by the group.  But you won’t be able to tell them the truth if this is your concern.

Micaiah replied in v.13, “even what my God saith, that will I speak”.  He wasn’t concerned about saying what the messenger wanted him to say.  He was only concerned about telling them what God said.  If the Lord gives you a word, then speak it.  And don’t try to make it so palatable that they won’t even know what the Lord said.  Tell the truth, plainly.

Now, in v.14, Micaiah said what the crowd said, but his tone must have been sarcastic.  Because in v.15, the king knew he wasn’t telling the truth.  The king got mad.  As a child of God, to speak like the world to get along with the world is even abhorrent to the people who are in the world.  If you have the reputation of being a Bible-believer, they’re going to think you’re not telling the truth if you’re going along with them.

What Micaiah said in v.16 was the truth.  It was not savory, but it was true.  And sure enough the king didn’t like it, v.17.  When people hear the truth, they often don’t like it, at first.  But a negative reaction is an indication that you got through to them.

Also, what Micaiah said in v.18-22 about the lying spirit in the prophets was the truth.  And they didn’t like it, v.23.  Zedekiah, who was one of those prophets with the lying spirit, thought he had the Spirit of the Lord.  Zedekiah didn’t have the Spirit of the Lord but acted like he did.  And he implied that Micaiah didn’t have the Spirit.

I gave a fellow a book on Israel once, and warned him that the preacher who wrote the book stated the truth very directly.  The fellow gave the book back to me after reading the first chapter and said, “I’m not sure that man is even saved”.  He thought this because the author was so direct and unapologetic about the truth, just like Micaiah was.

Preachers who are making up stuff to preach oppose Bible-believers who tell the truth.  You can’t let that stop you if God wants you to speak up.

Look what Micaiah said in v.27.  If what the Lord has given you to say is in the Bible or Biblical, you can be bold about it.  Prov 28:1, “the righteous are bold as a lion”.  You should be bold.  You don’t have to be mean or rude.  And you don’t want to be arrogant.  Just tell the truth, “that will I speak”.

And make sure when you speak that what you’re saying is from the Lord.  It will line up with the word of God or it will be from the word of God, if it’s from God.  It’s better to not say anything, in these situations, if you’re not sure what you’re going to say is from the Lord.

Tell yourself, “The truth, that will I speak”.