Key Verse:
1 Kings 22:14 NASB
14 But Micaiah said, “As the Lord lives, whatever the Lord says to me, I shall speak it.”
The emphasis of this quarter has been “Prophets Faithful to God’s Covenant”. The lesson this week is the first lesson of Unit 3: Courageous Prophets of Change. The lesson covers an episode in Scripture involving the prophet, Micaiah, who, in his role as one of God’s heralds to King Ahab, one of Israel’s more evil and rebellious kings. Today’s study of Micaiah is a study of his strength of character and conviction, characteristics Christians must demonstrate when faced with an untenable situation.
How did we get here?
1 Kings 20:43 NASB
42 And the prophet said to him, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Since you have let go from your hand the man I had designated for destruction, your [aa]life shall be forfeited in place of his [ab]life, and your people in place of his people.’”
Prior to the episode covered in 1 Kings, Chapter Twenty-two (today’s lesson), God had delivered the Ben-Hadad of Aramea into Israel’s hands-on two previous occasions. Both excursions are covered in 1 Kings, Chapter Twenty. It must be noted, that on both occasions, Israel was greatly outnumbered on the battlefield. However, God led Israel to victory in order to show himself greater than the Ben-Hadad, which is a title, not a name, in the same vein as the title of Pharoah of Egypt. After the second victory, Ahab was to execute the Ben-Hadad, thus completely vanquishing the rule and ruler of Aramea forever. Ahab failed to do so. Instead, he spared the life of Hadadezer, the Ben-Hadad, and entered into covenant with him. Because of this disobedience, Ahab would incur God’s wrath and judgment.
Prelude
1 Kings 22:4a NASB
4 So he (Ahab) said to Jehoshaphat, “Will you go to battle with me at Ramoth-Gilead?”
After two previous victories against the Ben-Hadad of Aramea, Ahab sought, in a third campaign to utterly vanquish the current ruler of Aramea, Hadadezer. In the verse above, he requests the aid of Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah. This joint effort may have served multiple purposes, to recapture territory east of the Jordan, land that had formerly belonged to the tribe of Gad. Recapturing the land would have been desirable, both to Israel and Judah for three different reasons: it would open a trade route to Phonecia, it would have returned Ramoth-Gilead, a levitical City of Refuge to Israeli control, it would have returned a beneficial financial resource, the Balm of Gilead, to Israel. The trees from which this healing balm was taken grew only in Gilead, as they had been transplanted there by King Solomon, who received the original plants as a gift from the Queen of Sheba. For all of the reasons given above, Jehoshaphat may have deemed Ahab’s invitation an attractive one.
1 Kings 22:7 NASB
7 But Jehoshaphat said, “Is there no longer a prophet of the Lord here, that we may inquire of him?”
However, as was his custom, Jehoshaphat desired the Lord’s direction before taking on such an endeavor. In response, Ahab trotted out four hundred prophets of Ba’al who put on an elaborate performance before the two kings, assuring them of an overwhelming victory against the Aramean horde.
That wasn’t good enough for Jehoshaphat. Was there not a true prophet of God that they could query? This question highlights the vast difference between these two men, Ahab and Jehoshaphat. As we’ve discussed before, Ahab sought to erase the very thought of the God of Israel from the life and culture of Israel and replace the worship of God with the worship of Ba’al. Ancient Rabbinical writings record that Ahab actually wrote on every door in Samaria, “Ahab hath abjured (renounced) the Living God of Israel”. Such was the depth of Ahab’s apostasy.
2 Chronicles 17:3-4 NASB
3 And the Lord was with Jehoshaphat because he [a]followed the example of his father David’s earlier days and did not seek the Baals, 4 but sought the God of his father, [b]followed His commandments, and did not act as Israel did.
Conversely, Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah followed the example of his ancestor, David, in that he followed after God wholeheartedly. It would have been inconceivable for Jehoshaphat to enter into armed conflict without a word from the Lord. Jehoshaphat is to be applauded for his ability to discern that the false prophets of Ba’al offered no hope. He insisted on hearing from a true ‘man of God’.
The Lesson:
1 Kings 22:15 NASB
15 When he came to the king, the king said to him, “Micaiah, should we go to battle against Ramoth-Gilead, or should we refrain?” And he said, “Go up and succeed, for the Lord will hand it over to the king!”
Theologians surmise that the unnamed prophet mentioned above in 1 Kings 20:43 is actually the prophet, Micaiah. If so, there was good reason for the contention between him and Ahab. However, Micaiah had been advised, no, warned not to disagree with the false prophecies of Ahab’s false prophets of Ba’al in their predictions of victory. His response:
1 Kings 22:14 NASB
14 But Micaiah said, “As the Lord lives, whatever the Lord says to me, I shall speak it.”
Thus, Micaiah was bound, by God, to speak only as God directed him. That was the root of the contention between him and Ahab. His response in verse fifteen was laced with sarcasm and contempt; contempt for Ahab and contempt for Ahab’s false prophets, which were literally an affront and an insult to Micaiah and to God.
1 Kings 22:16 NASB
16 Then the king said to him, “How many times must I make you swear that you will tell me nothing but the truth in the name of the Lord?”
Ahab recognizes Micaiah’s response for what it is, a sarcastic retort meant to openly insult Ahab in the eyes and hearing of his false religious prophets and the distinguished guests of his court, including Jehoshaphat. He commands Micaiah to drop the pretense and to speak sincerely.
1 Kings 22:17 NASB
17 So he said,
“I saw all Israel
Scattered on the mountains,
Like sheep that have no shepherd.
And the Lord said,
‘These people have no master.
Each of them is to return to his house in peace.’”
What happens next is somewhat surreal. Micaiah ‘sees’ a vision of Israel from God’s heavenly perspective; as sheep scattered over the mountains of Israel without a shepherd. When sheep have no shepherd, they are in danger of falling prey to the predators in the wilderness as well as the very wilderness itself. The hazards therein are vast. In that same moment, God speaks to Micaiah, providing him with a succinct interpretation of the heavenly vision. In essence, God will provide both the vision and the interpretation of the vision. Who will have the courage to deliver it to our ears without compromise?
1 Kings 22:18 NASB
18 Then the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Did I not tell you that he would not prophesy anything good regarding me, but only bad?”
Insulted by Micaiah’s first response, Ahab is indignant at this second statement from him. In this single moment, Micaiah has declared that Israel is not without God, but without a true ‘king’, a shepherd, a leader able to keep them from destruction because he refuses to take direction from the True and Living God.
1 Kings 22:19 NASB
19 And Micaiah said, “Therefore, hear the word of the Lord. I saw the Lord sitting on His throne, and all the [a]angels of heaven standing by Him on His right and on His left.
Then, in the hearing of Ahab and all of the guests of the king’s court, Micaiah continues to declare in the Name of The Lord. He declares that God in Heaven is holding court as well. In this Heavenly and most Holy gathering, God has called the hosts of Heaven to attention as only He can. A clear backhand to the faux authority of the faux king, Ahab. Beloved, always be reminded that… God is always on the throne. His dominion is complete.
1 Kings 22:20 NASB
20 And the Lord said, ‘Who will [b]entice Ahab to go up and fall at Ramoth-Gilead?’ And one spirit said this, while another said that.
And now, in Ahab’s hearing, God begins to reveal His intent: to bring about the end of Ahab’s corrupt, rebellious reign over God’s own people, Israel. God’s judgment is at hand.
1 Kings 22:21-22 NASB
21 Then a spirit came forward and stood before the Lord, and said, ‘I will [c]entice him.’ 22 And the Lord said to him, ‘How?’ And he said, ‘I will go out and be a deceiving spirit in the mouths of all his prophets.’ Then He said, ‘You shall [d]entice him, and you will also prevail. Go and do so.’
Micaiah continues to narrate the vision of this heavenly proceeding unfolding in the very throne room of God. Make no mistake. This is not a product of Micaiah’s imagination. What Micaiah ‘sees’ and reports are exactly the events ass they occur in heaven. A spirit, unnamed in this rendering, offers to entice or lure Ahab into a place where he will meet his death. He will do so by placing ‘a lie’ in the mouths of all of Ahab’s false prophets. The Sunday School LEsson Standard points out that Ahab had no real interest in hearing ‘truth’ that did not conform to his wicked, ungodly desires. It is called ‘confirmation bias’ and relates to all of our tendencies toward wanting to hear only what feeds our sometimes very selfish desires. Beloved, be reminded that many before us have fallen prey to our own lust, many to their eventual demise. Many to their eternal loss.
1 Kings 22:23 NASB
23 Now then, behold, the Lord has put a deceiving spirit in the mouth of all these prophets of yours; and the Lord has declared disaster against you.”
In his closing, Micaiah exposes both the vacuousness, the sheer emptiness of Israel’s current ‘king’, Ahab, and the lie inherent words of the false prophets of Ba’al. Kind of an all-in-one moment. The equivalent of a ‘strike’ in bowling. Outside of complete and full repentance before God, Ahab has no control over his eventual outcome: death. It has been completely assured by God.
1 Kings 22:26-27 NASB
26 Then the king of Israel said, “Take Micaiah and return him to Amon the governor of the city, and to Joash the king’s son; 27 and say, ‘This is what the king says: “Put this man in prison, and feed him enough bread and water to survive until I [a]return safely.”’”
Ahab has been exposed and his eventual death has been declared before all of the dignitaries of his court. He is literally “a king with no clothes” before them all. Reflexively, he attempts to take back control of the narrative. After all, Micaiah has declared his complete destruction. That is a horrible eventuality for anyone, especially for one who has opposed the God of all of creation, only to discover at the point of death that He (God) is indeed real and that His judgment is terrible for all who have rejected him. The last part of Ahab’s statement is revealing, “...until I return safely.” To the end, he rejects the Word of God and attempts to re-foretell his eventual safe return. But it was not to be…
1 Kings 22:28 NASB
28 But Micaiah said, “If you actually return [b]safely, the Lord has not spoken by me.” And he said, “Listen, all you people!”
Micaiah refuses to recant or back down. Rather he stands firmly on the Word of God. Indeed, he lifts his voice in a warning to all within the sound of his voice. His warning to them is to hearken to the Word of the Lord. Beloved, we must take on the same sense of urgency that Micaiah exhibits in the midst of the king’s court. We must remind ourselves and others that our time here on earth is limited and that our eventuality includes a moment where we step from time into eternity into the arms of a loving God, who through the death and resurrection of His Son, has prepared a place for us with Him eternally. Or, conversely, those who reject Him, find themselves eternally separated from Him according to His infinite wisdom.
2 Timothy 4:2 NASB
2 preach the word; be ready [a]in season and out of season; correct, rebuke, and [b]exhort, with [c]great patience and instruction.
Final thoughts:
In writing this week’s entry, I have been reminded of the current political and spiritual state we find ourselves in here in America. For a generation, America has been the victim of an empty vacuous political entity, fueled by a corporate religious entity and many of the biases that are inherent therein and controlled by a small, corrupt group of people who, like Ahab, reject the truth and purpose of God for the allure of absolute power. Like Micaiah, we must wrest control of the narrative from those whose eyes are veiled by various ‘-isms’ that divide us. That can only be accomplished by standing on the truth of God’s Word, presenting it unashamedly and unvarnished. The opposition will be fierce. Power is not easily yielded. But like Ahab, the emptiness of their argument, the revelation of their error, their ‘great lies’ will be exposed. My hope is that it happens on this side of eternity, that America repents for its sin and yields to the true will of Christ, whom we preach.
Romans 3:4 NKJV
4 Certainly not! Indeed, let God be [a]true but every man a liar. As it is written:
“That You may be justified in Your words,
And may overcome when You are judged.”
2 Corinthian 4:3-4 NASB
3 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled [a]to those who are perishing, 4 in whose case the god of this [b]world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that [c]they will not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
Selah,
wb
One last thing: We must not reject prophecy or the office of the Prophet detailed to us in the Word of God, the Bible. However, we must also reject a gospel that serves our sinful nature in the name of truth. Just as in the days of Ahab, today there are false prophets a-plenty who will feed our ‘confirmation bias; our sinful desire to see our sinful desires fulfilled in God’s name. This quarter’s lessons on Prophets Faithful to God’s Covenant have provided quite clear insight on the truth of God’s Word as opposed to the emptiness of the lies offered by the many false prophets among us. May God grant you the wisdom and discernment to distinguish the His truth.
1 John 4:1-6 NASB
1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God; 3 and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God; this is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming, and now it is already in the world. 4 You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world. 5 They are from the world, therefore they speak as from the world, and the world listens to them. 6 We are from God. The one who knows God listens to us; the one who is not from God does not listen to us. By this, we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.
Deuteronomy 18:19-23 NASB
19 And it shall come about that whoever does not listen to My words which he speaks in My name, I Myself will [a]require it of him. 20 But the prophet who speaks a word presumptuously in My name, a word which I have not commanded him to speak, or which he speaks in the name of other gods, [b]that prophet shall die.’ 21 And if you say in your heart, ‘How will we recognize the word which the Lord has not spoken?’ 22 When the prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, and the thing does not happen or come true, that is the thing which the Lord has not spoken. The prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you are not to be afraid of him.
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