So Obadiah went to meet Ahab and told him, and Ahab went to meet Elijah. When he saw Elijah, he said to him, “Is that you, you troubler of Israel?”
“I have not made trouble for Israel,” Elijah replied. “But you and your father’s family have. You have abandoned the LORD’s commands and have followed the Baals. - 1 Kings 18:16-18 NIV
It is so easy to dismiss God's true prophets, especially when they are prophesying doom and reminding the people of their sins. No one wants to hear bad news. We always want to believe that everything is going to be alright, that our sins are ok, that we can continue on as before. We want prophets like those of Ahab who always told him what he wanted to hear. We don't want prophets like Elijah, who hear the word of the true God. Those who prophesy God's doom are always considered the kooks, the outsiders, the ones who don't know what they are talking about.
The prophets are not the problem. The problem is and has always been sin; separation from God. God gave his people ten, only ten, commandments which Jesus said could be further condensed down to only two: love the Lord God with all your heart and your neighbor as yourself. If Israel could not keep those few commandments, how could they be expected to listen to the word of God spoken by the true prophet?
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