Be Careful Who You Listen To (1 Kings 22:1-40)
Notes
Transcript
1 For three years there was no war between Aram and Israel.
2 But in the third year Jehoshaphat king of Judah went down to see the king of Israel.
3 The king of Israel had said to his officials, “Don’t you know that Ramoth Gilead belongs to us and yet we are doing nothing to retake it from the king of Aram?”
4 So he asked Jehoshaphat, “Will you go with me to fight against Ramoth Gilead?” Jehoshaphat replied to the king of Israel, “I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses.”
5 But Jehoshaphat also said to the king of Israel, “First seek the counsel of the Lord.”
6 So the king of Israel brought together the prophets—about four hundred men—and asked them, “Shall I go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or shall I refrain?” “Go,” they answered, “for the Lord will give it into the king’s hand.”
7 But Jehoshaphat asked, “Is there no longer a prophet of the Lord here whom we can inquire of?”
8 The king of Israel answered Jehoshaphat, “There is still one prophet through whom we can inquire of the Lord, but I hate him because he never prophesies anything good about me, but always bad. He is Micaiah son of Imlah.” “The king should not say such a thing,” Jehoshaphat replied.
9 So the king of Israel called one of his officials and said, “Bring Micaiah son of Imlah at once.”
10 Dressed in their royal robes, the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah were sitting on their thrones at the threshing floor by the entrance of the gate of Samaria, with all the prophets prophesying before them.
11 Now Zedekiah son of Kenaanah had made iron horns and he declared, “This is what the Lord says: ‘With these you will gore the Arameans until they are destroyed.’ ”
12 All the other prophets were prophesying the same thing. “Attack Ramoth Gilead and be victorious,” they said, “for the Lord will give it into the king’s hand.”
13 The messenger who had gone to summon Micaiah said to him, “Look, the other prophets without exception are predicting success for the king. Let your word agree with theirs, and speak favorably.”
14 But Micaiah said, “As surely as the Lord lives, I can tell him only what the Lord tells me.”
15 When he arrived, the king asked him, “Micaiah, shall we go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or not?” “Attack and be victorious,” he answered, “for the Lord will give it into the king’s hand.”
16 The king said to him, “How many times must I make you swear to tell me nothing but the truth in the name of the Lord?”
17 Then Micaiah answered, “I saw all Israel scattered on the hills like sheep without a shepherd, and the Lord said, ‘These people have no master. Let each one go home in peace.’ ”
18 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Didn’t I tell you that he never prophesies anything good about me, but only bad?”
19 Micaiah continued, “Therefore hear the word of the Lord: I saw the Lord sitting on his throne with all the multitudes of heaven standing around him on his right and on his left.
20 And the Lord said, ‘Who will entice Ahab into attacking Ramoth Gilead and going to his death there?’ “One suggested this, and another that.
21 Finally, a spirit came forward, stood before the Lord and said, ‘I will entice him.’
22 “ ‘By what means?’ the Lord asked. “ ‘I will go out and be a deceiving spirit in the mouths of all his prophets,’ he said. “ ‘You will succeed in enticing him,’ said the Lord. ‘Go and do it.’
23 “So now the Lord has put a deceiving spirit in the mouths of all these prophets of yours. The Lord has decreed disaster for you.”
24 Then Zedekiah son of Kenaanah went up and slapped Micaiah in the face. “Which way did the spirit from the Lord go when he went from me to speak to you?” he asked.
25 Micaiah replied, “You will find out on the day you go to hide in an inner room.”
26 The king of Israel then ordered, “Take Micaiah and send him back to Amon the ruler of the city and to Joash the king’s son
27 and say, ‘This is what the king says: Put this fellow in prison and give him nothing but bread and water until I return safely.’ ”
28 Micaiah declared, “If you ever return safely, the Lord has not spoken through me.” Then he added, “Mark my words, all you people!”
29 So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah went up to Ramoth Gilead.
30 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “I will enter the battle in disguise, but you wear your royal robes.” So the king of Israel disguised himself and went into battle.
31 Now the king of Aram had ordered his thirty-two chariot commanders, “Do not fight with anyone, small or great, except the king of Israel.”
32 When the chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat, they thought, “Surely this is the king of Israel.” So they turned to attack him, but when Jehoshaphat cried out,
33 the chariot commanders saw that he was not the king of Israel and stopped pursuing him.
34 But someone drew his bow at random and hit the king of Israel between the sections of his armor. The king told his chariot driver, “Wheel around and get me out of the fighting. I’ve been wounded.”
35 All day long the battle raged, and the king was propped up in his chariot facing the Arameans. The blood from his wound ran onto the floor of the chariot, and that evening he died.
36 As the sun was setting, a cry spread through the army: “Every man to his town. Every man to his land!”
37 So the king died and was brought to Samaria, and they buried him there.
38 They washed the chariot at a pool in Samaria (where the prostitutes bathed), and the dogs licked up his blood, as the word of the Lord had declared.
This story is told also in 2 Chronicles 18.
There is a prophecy running in the background...
In 1 Kings 21, Ahab conspired with Jezebel and had Naboth killed over a field that Naboth would not sell Ahab. This, obviously, frustrated the Lord.
The Lord sent Elijah to prophesy against Ahab...
17 Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite: 18 “Go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, who rules in Samaria. He is now in Naboth’s vineyard, where he has gone to take possession of it. 19 Say to him, ‘This is what the Lord says: Have you not murdered a man and seized his property?’ Then say to him, ‘This is what the Lord says: In the place where dogs licked up Naboth’s blood, dogs will lick up your blood—yes, yours!’ ”
20 Ahab said to Elijah, “So you have found me, my enemy!”
“I have found you,” he answered, “because you have sold yourself to do evil in the eyes of the Lord. 21 He says, ‘I am going to bring disaster on you. I will wipe out your descendants and cut off from Ahab every last male in Israel—slave or free. 22 I will make your house like that of Jeroboam son of Nebat and that of Baasha son of Ahijah, because you have aroused my anger and have caused Israel to sin.’
23 “And also concerning Jezebel the Lord says: ‘Dogs will devour Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel.’
24 “Dogs will eat those belonging to Ahab who die in the city, and the birds will feed on those who die in the country.”
25 (There was never anyone like Ahab, who sold himself to do evil in the eyes of the Lord, urged on by Jezebel his wife. 26 He behaved in the vilest manner by going after idols, like the Amorites the Lord drove out before Israel.)
27 When Ahab heard these words, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and fasted. He lay in sackcloth and went around meekly.
28 Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite: 29 “Have you noticed how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Because he has humbled himself, I will not bring this disaster in his day, but I will bring it on his house in the days of his son.”
In that instance, Ahab listened to what the prophet said, he humbled himself and repented of his evil and God turned back his wrath. HOWEVER, the word of the Lord still stands as a warning against Ahab - IF he fails to be repentant, he will be killed and dogs will lick his blood. That is EXACTLY what happened in the next chapter - because Ahab REFUSED to remain repentant. He listened to the wrong counsel!
Ahab KNEW this was a bad idea...
Ahab wanted to go to war and he had his mind made up - NO MATTER WHAT anyone said, he was going to go to war!
Jehosaphat (in a very poor decision) had allied himself with Ahab, so this brought Jehosaphat into the ordeal. But, Jehosaphat WISELY suggest that they not go to war unless the consult with what the Lord has to say about this situation.
Ahab brings about 400 prophets, but they were all YES men to the idea. Now, that is understood. Most of the time kings would surround themselves with people who would agree with them and applaud the king’s ideas. And, after all, that might be a smart thing to do when you know that if the king doesn’t agree with your wisdom on a situation he will throw you into jail or do even worse.
It seems that these prophets were probably NOT holy prophets connected with Yahweh. They were the prophets that Ahab would consult with, but they most likely hardly spoke the message of the Lord.
Later we read that they received a deceitful spirit in order to entice Ahab into battle. Most likely, the Lord sent them a deceitful spirit in order to see WHO Ahab would listen to - his YES men, or the voice of reason and, in this case, the voice of dissent.
So, about 400 people said it was a good idea… But, was it really?
I can hear my mother saying, “If all your friends told you to jump off a bride, would you?”
The voice of the 400 is not enough to convince Jehosaphat
So, he asks “Is there someone else who speaks for YAHWEH!?” Clearly, he can see through the 400 and he knows that THIS IS NOT God’s idea and voice.
Ahab declares, “Well there is this one guy… I never like what he says about me…”
Micaiah is sent for and he arrives while the other prophets are acting out their descriptions of the victory that Ahab will have in battle.
13 The messenger who had gone to summon Micaiah said to him, “Look, the other prophets without exception are predicting success for the king. Let your word agree with theirs, and speak favorably.”
14 But Micaiah said, “As surely as the Lord lives, I can tell him only what the Lord tells me.”
Micaiah is DIRECTED to state what the king wants to hear… but he admits he cannot.
At first, he does state a message in agreement with the others - but it seems it was only to see what the response would be. Ahab KNOWS this guy never prophesies anything good about him, so he must be tickling Ahab’s ear.
When asked again Micaiah BOLDLY speaks a prophecy that King Ahab will die in the battle.
At this point Ahab has a choice to make - go to battle and die, or stay away from battle and live...
Well, Ahab comes up with a 3rd option - go to battle and disguise myself, try to get people to kill Jehosaphat, mock God and God’s word and win.
But, that is NOT how the day unfolds. Ahab disguises himself, but we are told a RANDOM arrow is fired and it strikes Ahab in a vulnerable piece of his armor.
This is NOT a coincidence. It is seemingly so random that the soldier who shot the arrow is NOT described or known - he probably doesn’t even know that he shot Ahab.
Again, Ahab KNEW this was a bad idea. He still decided to commit to the battle, but to try and deceive the other army and try and deceive God. But, he failed to realize that God will not be mocked.
When Jehosaphat was being pursued in the battle he cried out (most likely to God) and was divinely assisted.
If only Ahab would have committed to relying on God’s strength and power - and not upon his own cunning and manipulation. If Ahab had humbled himself again he could have ended the day a lot differently.
But instead, All of God’s words were fulfilled - Ahab died and dogs licked up his blood.
A couple lessons to remember...
God will NOT be mocked!
7 Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.
11 so is my word that goes out from my mouth:
It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.
God will not be manipulated, fooled, or coerced.
He recognizes true humility and repentance, but he cannot be fooled into being wrong.
But, how many times do we try and manipulate God’s word, or even situations? How many times do we fall for the same lies of “Did God REALLY say what God said?” How many times do we ignore what God has said because WE DO NOT LIKE IT!?
So, we read Facebook, Google News, (or ANY news platform) regularly, daily, RELIGIOUSLY… and ACCEPT as fact everything we read/hear that we like, But question the very word of God… Hmmm!!
Be careful who you surround yourself with and who you allow yourself to listen to!
Ahab surrounded himself with fools! He gathered around him people that were echo chambers of his own ideas.
This is where MANY of us are in our world
Algorithms with Facebook and YouTube… we like to hear OUR opinion coming from someone else..
There is VALUE in listening, or at least hearing, the dissenting voice. it is not good to only hear your opinion being repeated by someone else. We MUST challenge ourselves to hear the opinion from the other side!
12 There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death.
Sometimes to really listen to what God is saying we must be willing to listen to the voice that we have cast away from our lives. That voice we have shut out very well may be the safest voice to listen to.
Oh, we might not like what they say, but if they speak the truth it is probably for our benefit that they say what they say...
3 For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.
4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.
Paul warns against echo chambers that lead to our destruction.
Who do you listen to…?
Is everyone who speaks into your life only repeating what you want to hear, or do you have people who speak a different thought?
Who is the dissenting voice? Do you listen to the dissenting voice?
Are you willing to speak TRUTH when the others around you won’t? When the question is asked, “Is there someone who speaks for the Lord?” will they turn to you to know what God has said? Even if everyone else has allowed themselves to be deceived (and they speak more deception) will YOU be the one to speak truth?
Where is Christ in this?
Christ is teh source or our strength to be able to speak TRUTH when everyone else is speaking lies. Christ is the source of our boldness!
13 Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong.
27 Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in the one Spirit, striving together as one for the faith of the gospel
32 “Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven.
29 Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness.
May Christ strengthen us to be people who speak truth no matter the cost!
May Christ strengthen us to listen to truth no matter the cost!
COMMUNION
COMMUNION
11 For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. 12 It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, 13 while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.
23 For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” 25 In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
27 So then, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. 28 Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup. 29 For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves.
BENEDICTION
BENEDICTION
16 May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, 17 encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.
