The Levels of Denial
Subject: Why does stubborn denial, and even more subtle denial, of God’s will in our lives fail?
Object: Because denial is an affront to God and God’s truth, and God is not coerced, no matter how minor the issue seems to us.
Exegetical Idea: Denial of God’s truth, does not change God and has serious consequences for us.
Homiletical Idea: Acceptance of God’s truth when revealed to us, and a willingness to be corrected when confronted with denial in our lives, is the only way to grow spiritually, and to be blessed by God.
Introduction:
Many of you know that I work as an engineer and I spend a lot of time on my computer at work designing machines with a computer-aided-design program (CAD). Several years ago I was working on one drawing for several days, and for some reason had not gotten around to ‘saving’ my drawing for quite some time. And many of you know what can happen when you forget to save your work! Of course, while I was working on this drawing, I got that dreaded error message: “file corrupt, press OK to continue.” Press OK?? But it’s not OK! How can I lose all this hard work? I can still see my drawing on my computer screen – there must be a way to save it! It was definitely NOT OK! I was in denial and I knew that once I pressed OK, the program would crash and all my work would be lost!
Today we are going to look at two cases of denial in our text – one case was a case of stubborn denial and the other was a more subtle case.
Please turn with me to: 2 Chronicles 18:1 through 19:3:
1. Jehoshaphat was the king of the southern, divided, kingdom of Judah. He followed the example of David and led the people of Judah after God and even sent officials to teach from the law of the Lord in the cities of Judah. Chapter 17 also records that God was pleased with him because he did not seek the Baals, sought and obeyed God, and because he did not act as (wicked) Israel did. As a result, Judah prospered and they enjoyed God’s protection and favor. Even the Philistines and other nations paid him tribute! They were God’s people and He was their God. All was going great.
2. Vs 1-3: We see in these verses that Jehoshaphat did what great Kings do, they dabble in world politics. After being wined & dined by the wicked King Ahab of the northern kingdom of Israel, Jehoshaphat agreed to join forces against Ramoth-Gilead (a city taken from Israel by the Syrians). King Ahab wants to recapture this once Israelite city from the Syrians to expand his kingdom. Seems like a logical choice to expand his influence – from a human perspective, but Ahab was not acting on God’s direction or for God’s purposes. We all make logical choices in our lives, choices for our families and for ourselves – but are these choices in-line with God’s will for me? Am I willing (and wanting) for God to use my choices for His influence in the lives of others, or are my choices just for my benefit? Or my families’ benefit?
3. Vs 4-5: In our text we see that Jehoshaphat, almost as an after-thought, asks King Ahab to seek God’s opinion through the prophets. Of course, being a wicked king, almost all of his prophets are not men of God, but rather just tell the king what he wants to hear. And they do that in this case as well. What happens when we want to follow God, but ‘common sense’ (or our own desire) seems to indicate another direction? What kind of counselors do we seek? Jehoshaphat has already agreed to go with Ahab into battle, but is now seeking God’s direction – Isn’t this a little late?? Do we choose a subtle denial and press on – submitting our ideas to God for His approval, or do we turn around and get back into God’s will and plan?
4. Vs 6-11: Jehoshaphat still wants to hear from God, and asks for a true prophet of God. Ahab knows that God is not with him and his plans and routinely avoids God’s will by ignoring and oppressing God’s only prophet in the northern kingdom of Israel. Ahab surrounds himself with false prophets who tell him what he wants to hear. In fact, Ahab so encourages false prophecy, that these prophets will say just about anything to please the king! His is a not-so-subtle denial, he has decided what the truth is based on what he wants it to be – he’s the king right? But is truth something we can change and reshape, or is it fixed? Is truth determined by men or by God?? How often do I try to change truth? Or at least soften it a little? Is truth my friend, or an enemy to run from? Will it ultimately help me or only bring me down? How hard will I work to not have to admit when I am wrong?
5. Vs 12-14: God’s prophet Micaiah was even instructed by the messenger what to say God’s will was! As if putting words in the mouth of the prophet would actually change God’s mind! Micaiah’s name, me·kaw·yeh·hoo, means: ‘who is like God.’ And he was not to be swayed, he knew that he had to speak what God told him to say. Do you know any one like this today, a faithful friend who will not replace hard truths with easy living? Someone who you can’t hide from, who knows who you really are? Are you listening to what they are saying? I know a few, and I value them like GOLD. When they speak truth to me, no matter how hard or convicting it is to me, I know I can bank on what they say – not because it is pleasant and easy to hear (it often isn’t), but because it is true and right and not subject to change later. You see, hiding from truth only gets more and more complicated. Living in truth is freeing – no more ‘waiting for the other shoe to fall.’
6. Vs 15-22: Micaiah starts in mock-agreement with the other prophets telling Ahab that he would win in battle. Ahab, in amazing demonstration of denial, threatens the prophet and demands the truth – knowing that his plans are not God’s. Micaiah tells him the truth that he will not win, but will die – and that God is enticing him to go up in battle and be killed! One would think that at this point, a major rethinking, if not repentance, would be in order! But once we start down the road of denial, we can often justify more and more denial to support what we want. If we could only see how silly this looks to others and to God!
7. Vs. 23-27: Ahab thinks that he can blackmail God by locking up God’s prophet until he gets back safely from battle! But even when mocked and threatened, God’s prophet knows the source of real truth and real power and that real safety is only found in real truth – God’s truth. Micaiah says: “hear all you peoples.”
A. Can we hear the truth, God’s truth, or would we rather not know? God knows when we are sticking our heads in the sand, and He will not be coerced to conform to our ‘good intentions.’ In short, denial does not work! Or do we think that if we can silence or discredit God’s messenger we can erase the truth?
B. When we are confronted with sin in our lives there is a remarkable urge that comes up in each of us. Do you know what I am talking about? It’s that urge we get when someone says “you did this. . . ” Can you hear it? What is that response that wells in your gut? You know, the one that says, “maybe, but YOU did this to me.” We not only want to shoot the messenger, but we must discredit him too – otherwise I have to admit he may have been right! Churches have divided over this kind of denial and blame shifting. Can we not play the blame game and love as brothers and sisters, and can we accept criticism as from a brother or sister? What about that? Is humble pie edible? Is it good for us? WILL I EAT IT when in comes???
C. Sadly, the alternative to eating humble pie, is to eat nothing – As kids we want to steer what Mom serves to what we want to eat, but a loving parent gives us what we need, not what we want. And if you grew up in my family, you would know that you ate what was put on the table or you went hungry! Or you sat there with a poached egg until it got cold and soggy and tasted even worse. Likewise, if we refuse the lesson God is teaching us, we stagnate spiritually, we get stuck, and we don’t get anywhere in our spiritual life. And when we do accept it, it is even harder to swallow. Worse, we start to make denial a way of life and we fall away from God.
8. Vs. 28-34: But Ahab, of course, tries to thwart God anyway, and comes up with his own plan to fool God who has decreed death and defeat! As if the will of almighty God can be thwarted! This is denial par excelance!
A. Ahab, of course, dies for his stubborn denial. Could he have taken another approach to the prophecy? Yes, he could have repented. Our God is merciful and we see many examples of this in scripture. Would there be consequences for him? Yes. But he would be living in the truth and God would be honored. God will not be mocked indefinitely with a life of rebellion.
B. Jehoshaphat even goes along with this denial because of his earlier promises, at risk of his own life! Even though Jehoshaphat knows better, he feels it is too late to pull-out now and justifies his own foolish actions. Isn’t it amazing the predicaments we can get into with our denial! Think about it, Jehoshaphat has let himself be talked into going into battle dressed up as a target for the Syrians, while the real king of Israel is disguised! How foolish! Jehoshaphat cries out to God and God rescues him at the last minute. Even subtle denial can have disastrous consequences! But Jehoshaphat repented. How far will you go before you turn to God and accept his truth for you, how far will I go? I pray not far at all. I pray we would all learn how to listen to God, eat humble pie and follow Him.
C. In chapter 19, verses 1-3, Another of God’s prophets, Jehu, comes to Jehoshaphat and confronts him with his foolish denial of God’s truth by helping the wicked king Ahab and proclaims God’s displeasure to Him (wrath). Jehoshaphat, repents and leads the people back to God.
9. What about us?
A. When we make plans do we ask God for His guidance? Do we pray about the big decisions and the little? The house to buy, the job to take, the way to spend our vacation, the person to invite over for dinner? Do we study His word to see what His will is? Do we submit ourselves to Godly counsel? Or do we choose denial and live by ‘common sense?’ God wants to be involved in our lives and He does send messengers in His word and through others.
B. Has God sent you a messenger? A pastor, a friend, asking you to examine yourself in some matter? Gordon MacDonald, tells the story of friend’s word of rebuke to him. They were in Japan and as they were walking Gordon said something unkind and sarcastic about a mutual friend. His friend got right in his face and said to him: “Gordon, a man who says he loves God would not speak that way about a friend.” Gordon says this rebuke “hurt like a knife,” but also that it has helped him to hold his tongue when he is tempted to say unkind words. HE LISTENED, he did not choose denial. Or is our denial stubborn like Ahab’s (shoot the messenger and charge ahead anyway)?
C. Or do we struggle along with a more subtle denial? Do we ignore God for a while and stagnate spiritually until we are willing, like Jehoshaphat, to be corrected? We all struggle with denial, but God is not fooled and we will not grow past this point if we adopt a stubborn denial. Many are stuck, or arrested, in their spiritual growth by a truth denied. What about me and you? Is there a truth in your life that God has revealed, and you have avoided Him? Do I need to submit to my heavenly father over some issue? Correct a wrong I have been living with? How long will it be before we let go, and let God rebuild us according to His plans for us?
D. Like my software program, we are ‘stuck’ until we agree with the message and ‘press OK.’ Only then can we move forward and allow God to rebuild us and grow us beyond where we are. In the case of my software, after I gave up (and started to drive home), I realized that there was a solution. I went back to my office, and opened a new, uncorrupted drawing file and then I merged the old, corrupted, drawing file into the new, pure drawing – and all my work was recovered! Likewise, when we let go of our own, corrupted, way of living and allow God to insert us into His life and His plan for us, we get ‘unstuck’ and we can grow ‘in Him.’ This is what it means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ.
10. Benediction: James 4: 13-17: “Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.”