Sermon Tone Analysis
Overall tone of the sermon
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Emotion Tone
Anger
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Disgust
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Fear
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Joy
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Sadness
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Language Tone
Analytical
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Confident
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Tentative
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Social Tone
Openness
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Conscientiousness
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Extraversion
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Agreeableness
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Emotional Range
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Tone of specific sentences
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Anger
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After 3 years of peace with Syria, Ahab decides to pick a new fight.
27:1-4
Jehoshaphat pays Ahab a visit. 2
Jehoshaphat was a good Judean king.
We could make the message tonight about the dangers of good people that foolishly associate with wicked people.
Ahab proposes that the kings work together to retake Ramoth-Gilead.
3-4
Ramoth was one of the Levitical cities.
It was situated in the inheritance of Issachar.
Syria had taken control of it from the Israelites.
Just so we are clear, this is the same Syria that was prophesied to kill Ahab.
If I were Ahab, I would stay as far away from Syria as possible.
Instead, he proposes that they try to reclaim the city of Ramoth.
Amazingly, Jehoshaphat agrees.
4
Perhaps, after the events of chapter 21, Jehoshaphat hoped that there was a chance to see Ahab serve the one true god.
Maybe he thought he could be an influence on Ahab.
Whatever the reason, Jehoshaphat links up with the wicked king.
…under one condition.
Jehoshaphat insists that Ahab consult with the prophets concerning this endeavor.
5-14
Ahab assembles 400 prophets to give advice on the proposal.
6
Do you think that Jehoshaphat would have accepted counsel from the prophets of Baal?
No.
These were “prophets of God.”
But they were powerless, neutered, men afraid of Ahab’s reaction to negative counsel.
They had been burned by the persecution of the royals and so, they too had capitalized on the half-way revival of the king.
They were YHWH’s representatives, but only so far as YHWH didn’t anger the king.
They all agree that the kings should go up and that they will experience victory.
6
Rather than tell the king what he needed to hear, they told him what he wanted to hear.
This was fine for Ahab, he only wanted affirmation.
This was not fine with Jehoshaphat.
He wants direction.
Jehoshaphat asks if there is not another prophet of the Lord that they could enquire of.
7
It didn’t matter that 400 prophets were in agreement, he wanted one more.
What kind of persons denies the consensus opinion in a quest for the truth?
A rare person, for sure.
Ahab admits that there is another prophet named Micaiah.
8
Ahab hates Micaiah.
Micaiah only ever speaks evil of Ahab, never good.
Well, Ahab, maybe if you weren’t always living contrary to the will of God, he wouldn’t have keep pronouncing judgment on you and your house.
To appease Jehoshaphat, Ahab sends for Micaiah.
9-14
In the meantime, the two kings of Israel sit in the gates of Samaria while the other prophets prophesy.
One of the prophets made a pair of iron horns and pretended to push the Syrians.
All the prophets were in agreement as the messenger came to Micaiah.
The messenger told Micaiah that the king had requested his counsel.
But, he also told him that all of the other prophets were already in agreement.
The messenger then asks Micaiah to just go and say the same thing that everyone else had said.
Micaiah responds to the messenger that whatever God tells him to say, that will he say.
Michaiah comes before the king to deliver his prophecy.
15-28
He first delivers the false narrative that the other prophets had agreed on.
15-16
The king asks him if they should go or tarry.
Micaiah tells the king to go and prosper.
To this, Ahab tells Micaiah to tell him the truth!
He then delivers the true prophecy from God. 17-23
He tells the king that he sees all Israel scattered as a sheep with no shepherd.
All men returned to their homes since they had no master.
Ahab scoffs and tells Jehoshaphat that he knew Micaiah would have nothing good to say.
Micaiah continues with his prophecy.
He tells of a scene in heaven where God asked the question of how they would get Ahab to go to Ramoth to die.
Many solutions were offered, but one spirit came forward with a winning strategy.
He would go as a lying spirit in the mouths of the prophets.
He would use the prophets to convince Ahab to go to Ramoth to die.
Zedekiah moves towards Micaiah and smacks him on the cheek.
24-25
He asks Micaiah where he got his message from.
Zedekiah innocently or knowingly presents his message as being from the Lord.
Micaiah speaks a word that every preacher has to accept.
“thou shalt see...”
There is no joy in this statement.
There is no pride in this.
No preacher can force anyone to receive their message.
You can believe or reject, but, if the message is from God, it is only a matter of time before you will see.
Ahab has Micaiah imprisoned.
26-28
He rejects Micaiah’s message.
He tells his guards to imprison Micaiah until he returns in victory.
Micaiah responds by saying, if Ahab returns at all, then God has not spoken by the prophet.
Israel and Judah move as one to attack the Syrians at Ramoth Gilead.
29-33
Ahab convinces Jehoshaphat to let Ahab wear a disguise while Jehoshaphat wears his royal robes.
30
If he did not believe the prophecy, then why is he trying to conceal his identity?
Why would Jehoshaphat be so blind to agree to this arrangement?
The king of Syria (Ben-Hadad) orders his men to go only after the king of Israel.
31-33
Of course, they see Jehoshaphat looking like a king.
Of course, they chase after him as they were commanded.
How long did it take them to realize their mistake?
How far did they chase him before they turned back from chasing Jehoshaphat?
Were they frustrated that they had been duped?
Did Ahab feel like he had outsmarted God by disguising himself?
Did he think that he had escaped God’s word for the first time?
Ahab is killed.
34-40
An archer drew his bow at a venture.
34
Did the archer shoot his arrow in the air in hopes that he would hit something?
Or, did he choose his target at random?
I believe he chose Ahab at random out of the battlefield.
He aimed for this unknown enemy.
As Ahab was swinging his sword, the arrow found the joint in his armor and lodged in his side.
After being hit, Ahab directed his driver to bring him out of the fray.
Ahab stayed on the battlefield until he bled out.
35
He was not a wimp.
He propped himself and watched his army until he eventually bled out.
His blood pooling up in the floor of his chariot.
After the king had died the Israelites retreated.
36
It was now evening when news began to spread that Ahab was dead.
With no master, the men of Israel began to abandon the battle.
Each man heading back to their own house.
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