If I rejected to hit somebody based on moral principle, what's wrong with that?
Keep in mind that many prophets and righteous men have desired to see and hear what we see and hear this day. (Matthew 13:17). So, you are trying to inhabit what was going on in the Old while in the context of the new.
In short though, it would be based off of your own principle, and not of God's direction. Prophets were sent and they were the voice of God; if one existed in those times there must be reverence in one's heart over that.
One must look at the tree (which is man) and make it good or bad. Is it a good tree? Then make it good, for a good tree cannot produce bad fruit and neither can a bad tree produce good fruit. This is the word given to judge a prophet and a false one,
you will know them by their fruit. If a man be a prophet, then this man is sent by God.
Look to what he said, "you did not obey God's voice". This direction came from God and the man knew it but chose his own way. Therefore, the prophet judged the man. He went to another one, and this one struck him and wounded him. The prophet then went out to speak to Ahab, so in effect, if no one struck him, he could not go out. Would have someone recognized him before he was able to tell Ahab the message and intervened to stop him? Perhaps, even to kill the prophet? There is a reason why God gave that word to the prophet and in truth, we don't know because God's will was performed and it obviously subverted what lied ahead. The first man did not understand, but the second man certainly had fear to not follow of the first.
Hope this helps. There has to be something in you seeking this question though, to understand this. His word doesn't return void. I think the question you should ask is if God were to send you a prophet, and you knew in your heart he was a prophet, would you do something contrary to your own will or be obedient to God's direction? The righteous shall live by faith, and when He returns, will He find faith? Let it be so.
