Day 152: 2 Kings 9-11, 2 Chronicles 22:10- 23:21

I guess the prophets of God have always been ridiculed. Actually, I have a hard time completely understanding how the people felt about the prophets. On the one hand they held them a bit in awe because of the power they seemed to have to do the miraculous but somehow that didn't convince people to believe them completely...to really respect them.

Here's an example: Elisha sent one of his men to anoint Jehu as king and give him instructions from God...but to do so privately and then run away. When Jehu had finished his private session with the prophet we read this:

When Jehu went out to his fellow officers, one of them asked him, “Is everything all right? Why did this maniac come to you?” (2 Kings 9:11)

The prophet is called a "maniac". But then in the very next verse...

Jehu said, “Here is what he told me: ‘This is what the LORD says: I anoint you king over Israel.’”
     They quickly took their cloaks and spread them under him on the bare steps. Then they blew the trumpet and shouted, “Jehu is king!” (2 Kings 9:12-13)

When they heard the message they responded accordingly...they believed him and took his word as truth.

How can you think someone is a maniac and trust what he says at the same time?

I suppose, now that I think about it, the prophets were either reviled or respected depending on how the people felt about their message. I'm thinking back to when Ahab says that he hates Elijah because he never says anything good about him. Never mind that there wasn't anything good to say...that he was speaking truth...Ahab didn't like it. That was all that mattered. But when a prophet speaks a positive word of prophecy to someone...like when he anoints Jehu king...then they like him.

I suppose things really aren't that much different today.