1 Kings 22:8 · World English Bible
The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “There is yet one man by whom we may inquire of Yahweh, Micaiah the son of Imlah; but I hate him, for he does not prophesy good concerning me, but evil.” Jehoshaphat said, “Don’t let the king say so.”
When a person only wants good news, their search for truth becomes a search for agreement and still feels like inquiry. Deciding in advance which answer counts turns an inquiry into a collection run, and the collection sets the state, and the state authorizes the campaign, and the campaign meets a reality that was never asked for its opinion.
From the Self-Help reading below.
The same verse, read by one tradition.
SELF-HELP
When a person only wants good news, their search for truth becomes a search for agreement and still feels like inquiry.
Deciding in advance which answer counts turns an inquiry into a collection run, and the collection sets the state, and the state authorizes the campaign, and the campaign meets a reality that was never asked for its opinion.
Being able to name exactly why one man's word from Yahweh is hated means the criterion is conscious, and a conscious criterion has to be fed, which is why four hundred agreeable voices become necessary. Screening for favorable words changes nothing about what waits at Ramoth Gilead; it deletes the single warning that would have arrived in time to be useful.
Self-Help lens
Who have I stopped asking, and what did they say the last time I did?
If you want to learn, you have to be willing to look foolish for a moment. Someone who needs to be right has already closed the only door knowledge comes through.
To know that you do not know is the healthy place to stand. To be sure you already know is the sickness.
Treat the person who shows you your fault as someone showing you buried treasure. The pain of hearing it is small next to the cost of not hearing it.
Free · No account needed
Lensightful opens every verse of the Bible through the traditions you choose. Save readings, ask a follow-up question, and get one verse a day.
Get Lensightful on the App Store
Self-Help