If you listened to the way the prophet told it, the ruler of his people was a poor excuse for a king! This friction between the old testament prophets and Israel's kings is one of the sub themes in the Jewish scriptures. Their world views clashed. For the prophet life was about living so as to please God. For the king, while pleasing God wasn't low on his priority list it didn't compare with making sure that the nation lived in prosperity and peace.
The prophet Elijah and the king Ahab often crossed swords. Elijah felt the king had committed too many moral blunders and should abdicate. On the other hand archaeology shows that Ahab had economic and architectural skill. I have seen Ahab's palace at Meggido. The feats of building and engineering are to be admired. Ahab was also a politically astute man. His use of favors by marriage and by alliances brought a time of military security to the region. He was married to a politically ambitious woman. His queen was very active in shaping the future of the nation. They were a dynamic couple. Its no wonder they were popular. Nor were they hard hearted. This was a king who when cornered with his deeds could repent in sackcloth & meekness.
You'd think that Elijah could be satisfied with all this prosperity. Instead he prayed for a judgement by God upon the nation. It came in the form of a 3 year drought. At the height of this drought the friction between Ahab & Elijah boiled into confrontation. The king called him the "troubler of Israel" Elijah flung the accusation right back adding that its immoral leadership that was troubling the nation. That's the essence of conflict between prophetic & governmental forces. A struggle between moralists & pragmatists is nothing new.
This struggle has not ceased. Today it is the job of the president to bring about law & order, economic prosperity and peace with enemies. It is the vocation of the prophets to call the nation back to moral purity. On President's Day , amidst all the current struggles within our nation we hear Elijah's challenging cry: "How long will you limp along with two divergent opinions.. If the Lord is God - serve Him!" Equality before the law is a national treasure in the United States, but how shall one stand if a nation that throws off the yolk of submission to God's directives? He asks us to turn from selfishness to the love-inspired ways of moral excellence.
Are you part of the problem? Are you limping too? Make a bold decision today! Throw in your lot with the prophets - praise rulers who stand for righteousness and pray for those who waver. What can one person do? You as that one can make a big difference to the circle in which you move. Choose holiness!