Most are familiar with the prophets of God who penned the pages of the Old Testament. We recognize the names, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel, as well as many of the “minor prophets” such as Hosea, Joel, and Amos. However, we may not be as familiar with God’s “nonliterary” prophets. Some of their names were Enoch, Nathan, and Agabus.

There was another nonliterary prophet by the name of Micaiah. In his class, “The Preacher and His Work,” brother Winkler shared a lesson he titled, “Lord, Give Us More Preachers Like Micaiah.” We read about Micaiah in 1 Kings 22 and 2 Chronicles 18. He was summoned by the kings of Israel and Judah to answer the question as to whether or not they should go to battle against the king of Syria. Over the next few weeks we will share some of the main points from brother Winkler’s sermon on Micaiah.

The first lesson brother Winkler shared regarding Micaiah is found in 1 Kings 22:14. The text reads: 1 Kings 22:14 “And Micaiah said, As the LORD liveth, what the LORD saith unto me, that will I speak.” The king’s messenger attempted to get Micaiah to prophesy falsely. He wanted him to be like the other false prophets and say only what the king wanted to hear. Micaiah was not really up for that. His message came from God, and that was the message he intended to deliver.

For God’s preacher, there must always be harmony between the “what” and the “that.” Micaiah understood this. “What” the Lord said, “that” was what he was going to speak. This concept is clearly enunciated when God commanded Jonah: “Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee” (Jonah 3:2). The preaching Jonah was to do was the preaching God bid him to do. The principle is again seen in the book of Haggai when the text says, “Then spake Haggai the LORD’S messenger in the LORD’S message unto the people…” (1:13).

Paul instructed Timothy, “And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also” (2 Timothy 2:2). Timothy (as well as those taught by him) was to preach the words he heard from Paul. The question is, “Where did Paul get his words?” He wrote regarding the Christians in Thessalonica, “For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God…” (1 Thessalonians 2:13).

As a preacher of the Gospel, always make sure you have harmony with your “what” and your “that.” Always lovingly preach the word of God and not the word of man. It is that exclusive word of God’s grace that builds up and gives life (cf. Acts 20:32).