TROUBLE IN ISRAEL

Can you imagine the changes that would occur in our world if all preachers, priests and rabbis were to imitate the powerful preaching of the great prophets of the Old Testament and of the faithful preachers of the New? If preachers like Joel Osteen and Robert Schuller would use their time to preach the whole counsel of God instead of promoting pop psychology, they could make a real difference in the moral and spiritual atmosphere of our nation and of the world. If the evangelists on Trinity Broadcasting Network and on the Inspiration channel would preach the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth instead of entertaining their audiences and reporting on fraudulent miracles, they could help to spread genuine New Testament Christianity. How many modern preachers, including those we see on television, hear on radio and in our pulpits, have the courage of men like Elijah, Elisha, Nathan, Micaiah, John the Baptist and the apostle Paul?

I shall focus our thoughts today on the prophet Elijah. Two of the most abominable people in the ancient nation of Israel were Ahab and Jezebel. God instructed Elijah to go and show himself to Ahab. Obadiah was the governor of Ahab's house. When Obadiah met Elijah, the prophet urged him to go to Ahab and report that Elijah was present. "So Obadiah went to meet Ahab, and told him (that Elijah was present): and Ahab went to meet the prophet. And it came to pass, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said unto him, Are you he who troubles Israel?" Elijah responded: "I have not troubled Israel; but you, and your father's house, in that you have forsaken the commandments of the Lord, and you have followed Baalim" (1 Kings 18:1, 8, 16-18). The English Standard Version renders verse 17: "When Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab said to him, Is it you, you troubler of Israel?" Our lesson today will be based on the topic: "Troubler in Israel."

It is my judgment that no one—neither preacher nor priest nor rabbi—wants to be called a trouble maker. Tragically, many of us are so determined not to be called a trouble maker that we religiously avoid all controversial topics. If a community is filled with all kinds of evil, we preach on every topic imaginable, except the ones we ought to be addressing. Let us say by way of illustration that a community has many young people who are sexually immoral or involved in illicit drugs. Instead of addressing the problems in our community, we preach on love or some other topic that will not condemn any kind of immoral behavior. I remember reading about one preacher who confessed that he did not preach against cohabitation. He said there were so many young people in his congregation who were living together without being married that he did not want to drive them away from the church. Obviously, no preacher wants to hurt the feelings of the people who come to hear him preach. But is a man being faithful to his responsibilities when he fails to tell people of their sins? And cohabiting is a sin.

Why would King Ahab call God's faithful prophet a troubler in Israel? If you have studied the life of Ahab, you know the answer to my question. In the context of the expression, "troubler in Israel," we learn one of the reasons Ahab was upset by the prophet Elijah. The divine record says that Ahab "did evil in the sight of the Lord above all who were before him. And it came to pass, as if it had been a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jereboam the son of Nebat, that he took to wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Zidonians, and went and served Baal, and worshipped him" (1 Kings 16:30-31). Elijah told Ahab: "As the Lord God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to the word of the Lord" (1 Kings 17:1).

I must ask you: How many preachers today would have the courage to challenge King Ahab and his infamous wife Jezebel? God warned Elijah to hide himself from the king and his wicked wife so they would not kill him. God knew Ahab and Jezebel would murder Elijah if they had the opportunity. But the prophet did not shrink from doing his duty. He knew God would hold him accountable if he failed to speak as God revealed his will to the prophet. He also knew the nation would suffer if he did deliver God's message in God's words to Ahab and Jezebel. Did that make Elijah a "troubler in Israel?" From Ahab's viewpoint, there is no doubt about it. But from God's viewpoint, Elijah was simply doing his duty.

The king of Syria had conquered Ramoth Gilead. Ahab wanted to take the city from the Syrians, but knew he did not have an army adequate to the task. He appealed to Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, to join with him in re-taking Ramoth Gilead. The king of Judah asked Ahab to entreat to the Lord to ascertain if their mission would be successful. Ahab gathered four hundred court prophets and asked about the possibility of taking the city. The prophets assured Ahab: "Go up; for the Lord will deliver it into the hands of the king." Jehoshaphat must have had some doubts about the word of Ahab's prophets. He asked Ahab: "Is there not here a prophet of the Lord besides, that we may inquire of him?" Ahab replied: "There is yet one man, Micaiah, the son of Imlah, by whom we may inquire of the Lord: but I hate him; for he does not prophesy good concerning me, but evil" (1 Kings 22:3-8).

Did Ahab think Micaiah was a troubler in Israel? If he did not, why did he tell Jehoshaphat, "I hate him?" Micaiah told King Ahab: "I saw all Israel scattered upon the hills, as sheep that have no shepherd: and the Lord said, They have no master: let them return every man to his house in peace." Ahab said to Jehoshaphat: "Did I not tell you that he would prophesy no good concerning me, but evil" (1 Kings 22:17-18)? To make a long story short: Ahab marched against the Syrians, but lost his life in the battle. Was Micaiah a troubler in Israel? Ahab surely thought so, but the prophet was simply following the instructions of the Lord. If only we had preachers like Elijah and Micaiah today!

Do you remember what our Lord said about John the Baptist? "Verily, I say unto you, Among them who are born of women there has not arisen a greater prophet than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he" (Mt. 11:11). What a wonderful testimony from the Son of God! There are many reasons why Christ would compliment John. When the Pharisees and Sadducees came to the baptism of John, the great preacher told them: "O generation of vipers, who has warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bring forth therefore fruit worthy of repentance: and think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. And now the axe is laid to the root of the trees: therefore every tree that brings not forth fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire" (Mt. 3:7-10). Was John a trouble maker? He was for the Pharisees and for the Sadducees.

What if you were given the opportunity and the responsibility of telling a king or a president or a prime minister that he was guilty of adultery, especially if you knew that king would not hesitate to put you to death? "At that time Herod the tetrarch heard of the fame of Jesus, and said to his servants, This is John the Baptist; he is risen from the dead; and therefore mighty works do show forth themselves in him. For Herod had laid hold on John, and bound him, and put him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife. For John said unto him, It is not lawful for you to have her" (Mt. 14:1-4).

If you had been living in the days of John the Baptist, would you have thought of him as a trouble maker? The fact is: he was a trouble maker for the people who were violating the laws of God. Of course, in the United States of America, we would never behead a man for preaching against our sins. But we would ostracize him, get him fired from his pulpit, if we are able, and keep him from preaching at any other place. Do you honestly believe that could happen? I knew a preacher who resigned because the elders of the church objected to his discussion of beverage alcohol. They did not fire him, but there was no doubt in his mind they would have fired him had he not resigned. Did the elders of that church think that preacher was trouble maker?

The apostle Paul preached the gospel in the isle of Paphos. While he was there he met a sorcerer, a false prophet, named Bar-jesus. The sorcerer (or more correctly, a magician) was with Sergius Paulus, the deputy of the country and a prudent man. Sergius Paulus wanted to hear the word of God from Paul and Barnabas. "But Elymas the sorcerer (for so is his name by interpretation) withstood them, seeking to turn away the deputy from the faith" (Acts 13:6-8). The apostle Paul was a very loving man, but he could not endure the actions of the sorcerer. "Then Saul, (who also is called Paul,) filled with the Holy Spirit, set his eyes on him, and said, O full of all subtilty, you child of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord? And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you shall be blind, not seeing the sun for a season" (Acts 13:9-11).

There are other prophets and preachers who were almost certainly thought to be trouble makers. But I must ask you some questions about the behavior of some of America's leaders. Where were the preachers when Richard Nixon betrayed the American people in the Watergate episode? I do not remember hearing any prominent evangelical preachers exposing the president for his unlawful and immoral behavior. I suspect some of the religious leaders believed President Nixon was guilty of serious breaches of the law, but I do not remember hearing them condemn such conduct.

When President Bill Clinton engaged in sleazy behavior with a White House intern, what did the preachers say about him? Was there even one prominent preacher who stood up against the president's immorality? President Clinton chose Tony Compolo and Jesse Jackson as his counselors. I have serious questions about Tony Compolo. And Jesse Jackson was involved in an affair with a young woman who produced a baby by him. The media called the baby a "love child." It was not a child of love, but of lust. Was Jesse Jackson in a position to tell President Clinton: "You have sinned against God, against your family and against the American people? You have betrayed the trust the American people have placed in you." Such a rebuke would have probably made no difference in Bill Clinton's behavior, but it would have sent a message our young people need to hear.

Where are the preachers who should be opposing our government's endorsement of crime? But has our government actually endorsed crime? The answer is an unequivocal YES! And what crime have they endorsed? Our president and the Senate of the United States are seeking to make illegal immigrants—all of whom are criminals—citizens of our country. They are deliberately avoiding the word "amnesty," but they are deceiving themselves and the American people. It is amnesty pure and simple. If we are going to make illegal immigrants full citizens of our nation, why not offer the same favor to other criminals? Should we not oppose discrimination? If we are going to overlook the crimes of one group, should we not overlook the crimes of all groups?

In view of the plans of some radicals to kill as many soldiers as possible at Fort Dix, New Jersey, how can a government that is pledged to protect its citizens, allow illegal immigrants to keep pouring into this country and to give amnesty to the ones who are already here? Apparently, three of the men involved in the Fort Dix plot were illegal aliens who probably came into this nation through Mexico. Have President Bush and the Congress of the United States forgotten 9/11? Do they not know that the people who are determined to kill us are not going to charter a plane in the Middle East and fly into New York or Washington or Atlanta? Many of the radicals who are anti-Israel and anti-America will try to cross our northern and southern borders illegally and will succeed. In fact, there is clear evidence that many of them have succeeded already.

What is your reaction to those churches, parachurch groups and American cities, like San Francisco, that are offering sanctuary to criminals? Will they also harbor thieves, murderers and bank robbers? Have the American people reached the point that we have no respect for the law? Did not the apostle Peter admonish Christians: "Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme: or unto governors, as unto them who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them who do well. For so is the will of God, that with well doing you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men" (1 Pet. 2:13-15)? While the apostle Peter specifically had Christians in mind, should not all responsible men respect the law and obey it? Christians cannot endorse criminals.

But supporting illegal aliens is not the only way our nation sanctions criminal behavior. The Reader's Digest (June, 2007) published an article with the title, "Pension Plan for Cons," written by Michael Crowley, a senior editor of The New Republic. Did you know that Congressmen who have been convicted of crimes still get their tax-funded retirement? For example, Andy "Duke" Cunningham, a really slimy congressman from California, used his office to get large contracts for his supporters. In turn, one of his henchmen gave him antique furniture, Persian rugs, a Roll-Royce and purchased Cunningham's house for hundreds of thousands of dollars above the market price. Cunningham pleaded guilty to corruption charges. He is currently serving eight years in prison. He is also receiving $64,000 each year while he sits in a federal penitentiary (p. 37).

Dan Rostenkowski served as the chairman of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee of the United States House of Representatives. He was convicted of a number of corruption charges. He pleaded guilty to mail fraud and served fifteen months in prison. Would you like to know what the federal government pays this crook? Our taxes—yours and mine—pay Rostenkowski approximately $126,000 each year. Ohio Representative James Traficant was convicted of taking bribes and kickbacks. He is drawing $40,000 per year (pp. 38-39).

All of my life I have heard parents, preachers and others say: "Crime does not pay." They must not have known about the public officials who have stolen from their constituents and then have retired with generous checks from the government. It is extremely difficult to try to convince our children and young people that crime does not pay when many criminals rake in millions of dollars and are then given only a slap on the wrist. No convicted public official should be allowed to receive one penny from the government. In addition, he ought to reimburse the government for every dime he has taken illegally. In fact, he ought to have to repay at least $10 for every dollar he has taken. That might deter some public criminals, that is, if our court system would enforce the law.

One of the great tragedies in our nation is the lack of respect for our laws. Many people hunt and fish out of season or they exceed the bag limit on deer or other animals. How do I know that? I owned some sporting goods stores in the 1960s and 1970s. I remember one customer who killed eight deer on a hunt in South Georgia. The bag limit was one. He took one deer home with him and left the others to rot in
the field. —

Have you noticed how few people on our highways pay any attention to the speed limits? Just a few days ago I drove from Greenville, South Carolina, to Atlanta, Georgia, to Chattanooga, Tennessee, to my home in Fayetteville, Tennessee. I had hundreds of cars and trucks to pass me as if I were sitting still. If you are driving the speed limit, some people get on your back bumper and blow their horns so you will move over. As a nation, we are lawbreakers. If my Molly were still living, she would probably tell you that the reason I learned to fly was because I liked to go faster than the speed limit. But we must honor our nation's laws—all of the nation's laws, even those we may not particularly like. And why would a Christian have a fuzz-buster in his automobile?

I may be prejudiced, but I believe we have the greatest nation on the face of the earth. The United States has provided more freedom and more opportunities than any other nation in the history of the world. But can we continue to be a great nation when many governmental officials disregard the laws of our land and when so many prominent Americans trample under foot our laws?

Does my lesson today make me a trouble maker?

Winford Claiborne

The International Gospel Hour

P.O. Box 118

Fayetteville, TN 37334

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