"Then it happened, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said to him, 'Is that you, O troubler of Israel?'"(1 Kings 18:17)

It had been a dry three and a half years. Israel hadn't seen a rain cloud since Elijah had said, "there shall not be dew nor rain these years, except at my word"(1 Kings 17:1). Such a drought would have been calamitous to a nation like Israel, dependent on crops and vegetation for livelihood. People were struggling to make a living or even to eat (1 Kings 17:12). So when this troublemaker who stopped the rain finally surfaces, King Ahab should set him straight, right? "Then it happened, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said to him, 'Is that you, O troubler of Israel?"(1 Kgs 18:17). But how does this scoundrel who is oppressing Israel respond? "I have not troubled Israel, but you and your father's house have, in that you have forsaken the commandments of the Lord and have followed the Baals"(1 Kgs 18:18). There is more to the story! Elijah's prayer for drought was not to oppress God's people, but to bring calamity on them for their sin! Therefore, it was not Elijah who had troubled Israel, but the sinners!

The kingdom of Israel, under the leadership of Ahab, had departed wholesale from the commandments of God, and Elijah had the courage to pray that God would bring disaster on them. God had told His people that if they disobey, "your heavens which are over your head shall be bronze, and the earth which is under you shall be iron. The Lord will change the rain of your land to powder and dust"(Deut 28:23-24). Elijah asked God to fulfill this by not bringing rain on the land because of disobedience. Who, then, is Israel's real troubler?

This incident is notable because in religious matters people often follow Ahab's lead. When others uncover their sin, they quickly turn and attack the person doing the uncovering. Consider the Pharisees, who heard an excellent argument for faith in Jesus from the mouth of a formerly blind man (John 9:30-33). What is their response? "They answered and said to him, 'You were completely born in sins, and are you teaching us?"(Jn 9:34). Unable to defeat his arguments, they quickly turn on him. What are his qualifications? What school had he been to? How many years had he studied the law? These questions simply clouded the fact that he was right, and they had no answer for him. Similar things are said almost any time someone is unwilling to hear God's truth. "Who are you to teach me?" "You think you're the only one going to heaven!" "You can't judge me!" "You believe your way, I'll believe mine!" "Quit bothering me about that!" At the end of the day, though, scriptural arguments are still scriptural, no matter what names have been called or excuses have been made. Rather than attacking one we are reasoning with and calling them the "troubler of Israel", why not take an honest look in the Bible and see what's right?

However, this practice should not surprise us. Jesus also warned that "everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed"(John 3:20). We should expect truth to hit a nerve-it is its nature. Contrary to common perceptions, Jesus' ministry was full of bitter vitriol directed at Him and His followers, from His home synagogue to the cross (Luke 4:28-29, Mt 27:41-44). They told Jesus that He had a demon (John 8:48, 52), was insane (John 10:20), and was blaspheming (John 10:33). Did their accusations make them right? Was it Jesus who was troubling Israel? No wonder Jesus told us "If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you"(John 15:18).

Many times when the Lord's body is divided, both sides point fingers at one another and call each other "troubler of Israel". Who is right? Peter rightly prophesied that there used to be false prophets, "even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies"(2 Pet 2:1). Take note that this teaching happens "secretly" ("privily", King James), a word that indicates coming in through the back door. When this teaching appears in a local church, what must be done? "Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching"(2 Tim 4:2). However, those who stand up against these errors, innovations, and evil desires are often the ones labeled "troublers of Israel"! How crafty Satan is! We must remember that the one wishing to depart from God's word-the one who has secretly brought in evil things-is the one who has troubled God's people! If Christ's church is divided, they are the ones who have divided it!

Isaiah prophesied long ago, "Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil"(Isaiah 5:20). Ahab did it long ago in calling Elijah evil for doing God's will. Today many call God's people "judgmental" and "sinful" when we try to stand up against sin. Who is truly doing the wrong? Who is troubling Israel? Satan's devices have not changed, and he still has great success in labeling evil as good.

Let us, then, be aware of this great temptation. Let us look honestly at God's word rather than discounting it and attacking the messenger. Let us "not marvel" when "the world hates you"(1 John 3:13). Let us never hesitate to call sin what it is and remind our world of what God thinks of it. Let us remember who the true "troublers of Israel" are and be certain never to be them!___Jacob Hudgins