False prophets and politicians

At first glance there isn’t much that seems to connect the experience of political life in America in the 21st century to the ancient Israelites as depicted in the Old Testament. Differences abound, from the level of technological development, to the size of the population, to the relationship between church and state. One area where we have something to learn from the experiences of the kings of Judah and Israel, however, is in the role of the prophets in the social and political order.

Reading through the accounts in the books of Kings and Chronicles, one thing that becomes clear is that good prophets are rare. Prophets are, among other things, a group of people in ancient Israel who are called to a very difficult job. They have to deliver bad news and do so in a way that makes a difference. As much as they may want to, they cannot sugarcoat messages of God’s judgment. Time and again the true prophet admits that he must say what God wants him to say: nothing more, nothing less.

False prophets, by contrast, abound. These are the court prophets, the ones who fulfill a favored role within the royal household. The kings cultivate these prophets as advisors and counselors. And all the incentives are there for these prophets to tell the kings what they want to hear. Whereas true prophets can be called by God from anywhere and have tough things to say, the court prophets become a kind of political class, and instead of speaking out against injustice and in favor of true righteousness, they tailor their messages to the interests of earthly power.

Consider the account of the alliance between Ahab and Jehoshaphat as recounted in 2 Chronicles 18. Ahab, the king of Israel, wants Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, to join him in a military campaign to take Ramoth-gilead, across the Jordan. Jehoshaphat is willing, but wants to consult prophets for guidance from the Lord first. Ahab gathers 400 prophets together, and they advise him to attack Ramoth-gilead, “for God will give it into the hand of the king.” Jehoshaphat knows that these prophets have a strong motivation to tell Ahab what he wants to hear, so he hesitates: “Is there not here another prophet of the LORD of whom we may inquire?” There is one, says Ahab, “Micaiah the son of Imlah; but I hate him, for he never prophesies good concerning me, but always evil.” The story continues as Micaiah is called before the kings, and eventually gives them the truth: “The LORD has declared disaster concerning you.”

The court prophets are incensed, and one of them even strikes Micaiah. The kings are indeed deceived by the false prophets, and go up to fight against Ramoth-gilead. The consequences are, as Micaiah predicted, disastrous. The kings of Judah and Israel are defeated, and despite an attempt at subterfuge Ahab is slain. Jehoshaphat, who had originally wanted to inquire of a true prophet, survives and seeks some reforms.

In our democratic republic, the dynamic between political leaders, prophets, and the people is quite different. But just as the Bible warns us to not “put your trust in princes” (Psalm 146:3), we also should not trust politicians who act like false prophets and simply tell the sovereign people what they want to hear. The incentives are the same for politicians today as they were for the false prophets in ancient Israel: Tell the political powers—whether kings or voters—things that are pleasing and affirm everything they think about the world and get rewarded.

We live in an age where most politicians tell their constituents things that those constituents want to hear—and this is usually not what we need to hear. This happens across the political spectrum, and it leads not only to an unhealthy politics but to a decadent and corrupt society. We put our trust in politicians, who make empty promises and will say or do almost anything to get elected.

The former prime minister of Luxembourg, Jean-Claude Juncker, once remarked, “We all know what to do, but we don’t know how to get re-elected once we have done it.” Instead of seeking out politicians who act like false prophets and only tell us things that we already believe are true, we should be searching for true political prophets, statesmen who are committed to reality and the truth, no matter the political costs.

The Apostle Paul predicted, “For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions” (2 Timothy 4:3). Just as we are to beware false prophets in the church, we need to watch out for false politicians in the world, who only tell us things that are designed to appeal to our desires and get them elected. Otherwise we’ll be courting the same kinds of disasters experienced by kings of the past who relied on their own false prophets.