Original Entry: May 29, 2008
McMinnville, OR
Read all
of 1Kings 22:1-40
But Jehoshaphat also said to the king of Israel,
"First seek the counsel of the LORD."
1 Kings
22:5
Bucks and
ducks are my game of choice.
When big
game hunting season is over I put down the backpack and long rifle to pick up
the decoy bad and shotgun. Duck hunters
are a funny breed; each having his own theory for how things should work. At
the time of this entry I own about 6 dozen decoys that I like to set up in a
“V” formation running from the blind outward.
Since I believe in the ole cliché that “birds of a feather flock
together” I place the mallard decoys together, closer to the blind, then the
teal and widgeons and finally the pintails in the bigger water. This way I have the ducks on the water just
like I would generally see them in the air, separated by species.
Birds of a
feather flock together.
Men are a
lot like ducks. They seek affirmation
about their manhood and will often seek out like minded people for support. Men
are attracted to those men that they are either the most similar to or trying
to be like in some way. We will seek the advice of men who we believe will tell
us what we need to hear. That is, if we are seeking the right things!
Jehoshaphat
and Ahab appear on the surface to be seekers of truth but all Ahab really
wanted was affirmation he was doing right and not the truth at all. Ahab knew his 400 prophets were not speaking
the truth (7), but when confronted
with the truth in (13-23) he chose
to ignore it seeking other men to affirm his plan. It was a plan that went
against God’s truth and ultimately lead to disaster and Ahab’s death from a “random” (34) arrow.
A man is often
like Ahab.
He has an
agenda but when he seeks advice what he is really after is affirmation and not
the truth at all. If he really wants to
get his ducks in a row he should first, seek of God’s truth. Then he must be
willing to accept what it says good or bad.
He must be obedient to the truth even if, especially if, it hurts.
