2 Chronicles chapter 18

Jehoshaphat makes an alliance with Ahab. Micaiah prophesies against war. Ahab dies.

 


 

JEHOSHAPHAT MAKES AN ALLIANCE WITH AHAB

 

VERSE 1. Now Jehoshaphat had riches and honor in abundance; and he allied himself with Ahab.

Ahab. He reigned from 874 to 853 BC.

 

VERSE 2. After some years, he went down to Ahab to Samaria. Ahab killed sheep and cattle for him in abundance, and for the people who were with him, and moved him to go up with him to Ramoth Gilead.

Samaria. In those days it was the capital of Israel.

 

VERSE 3. Ahab king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat king of Judah, “Will you go with me to Ramoth Gilead?” He answered him, “I am as you are, and my people as your people. We will be with you in the war.”

Will you go with me to Ramoth Gilead. Ahab wants to start a war with Ramoth Gilead. He asks Jehoshaphat to be his ally.

 

VERSE 4. Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “Please inquire first for the LORD’s word.”

Please inquire first for the LORD’s word. The first task for a disciple is to discern the will of the LORD God. We are to seek first God’s kingdom.

Seeking the kingdom of God is to be our number one priority. Yet for many of us, our use of time and money show that it is a low priority. Read more »

 

VERSE 5. Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, four hundred men, and said to them, “Shall we go to Ramoth Gilead to battle, or shall I forbear?” They said, “Go up, for God will deliver it into the hand of the king.”

the prophets. These 400 men are official court prophets.

But they are false prophets. Mercenary prophets. They are yes-men for the king.

The Hebrew word is נָבִיא (“nabi”). It means spokesman, speaker, prophet. This is the same word as in the next verse:

 

VERSE 6. But Jehoshaphat said, “Isn’t there here a prophet of the LORD besides, that we may inquire of him?”

a prophet. The Hebrew word is נָבִיא (“nabi”). It means spokesman, speaker, prophet. This is the same word as in the previous verse.

of the LORD. Jehoshaphat knows the 400 prophets are frauds. So he asks for a true prophet of the LORD God.

 

VERSE 7. The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “There is yet one man by whom we may inquire of the LORD; but I hate him, for he never prophesies good concerning me, but always evil. He is Micaiah the son of Imla.” Jehoshaphat said, “Don’t let the king say so.”

I hate him. Ahab forthrightly says he hates the true prophet. Why?

he never prophesies good concerning me. Ahab’s fragile ego is wounded by the truth. Ahab cannot handle the truth.

but always evil. Ahab does not like the message from the Most High God. So he calls it “evil.”

 

VERSE 8. Then the king of Israel called an officer, and said, “Get Micaiah the son of Imla quickly.”

 

MICAIAH PROPHECIES AGAINST WAR

 

VERSE 9. Now the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah each sat on his throne, arrayed in their robes, and they were sitting in an open place at the entrance of the gate of Samaria; and all the prophets were prophesying before them.

all the prophets were prophesying before them. That is, all the yes-men were saying whatever Ahab paid them to say.

 

VERSE 10. Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah made himself horns of iron and said, “The LORD says, ‘With these you shall push the Syrians, until they are consumed.’ ”

 

VERSE 11. All the prophets prophesied so, saying, “Go up to Ramoth Gilead, and prosper; for the LORD will deliver it into the hand of the king.”

 

VERSE 12. The messenger who went to call Micaiah spoke to him, saying, “Behold, the words of the prophets declare good to the king with one mouth. Let your word therefore, please be like one of theirs, and speak good.”

 

VERSE 13. Micaiah said, “As the LORD lives, I will say what my God says.”

I will say what my God says. Micaiah is committed to the truth. Unlike the 400 false prophets, he will speak only the truth.

 

VERSE 14. When he had come to the king, the king said to him, “Micaiah, shall we go to Ramoth Gilead to battle, or shall I forbear?” He said, “Go up, and prosper. They shall be delivered into your hand.”

 

VERSE 15. The king said to him, “How many times shall I adjure you that you speak to me nothing but the truth in the LORD’s name?”

 

VERSE 16. He said, “I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains, as sheep that have no shepherd. The LORD said, ‘These have no master. Let them each return to his house in peace.’ ”

as sheep that have no shepherd. The people of the LORD God are prone to going astray. In those times, they need a godly shepherd to bring them back. Read more »

 

VERSE 17. The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Didn’t I tell you that he would not prophesy good concerning me, but evil?”

evil. Ahab does not like the message from the Most High God. So he calls it “evil.”

 

VERSE 18. Micaiah said, “Therefore hear the LORD’s word: I saw the LORD sitting on his throne, and all the army of heaven standing on his right hand and on his left.

The LORD God will gather all people. He will judge them, separating sheep from goats. The righteous people will be on his right; the wicked on his left. Read more »

 

VERSE 19. The LORD said, ‘Who will entice Ahab king of Israel, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth Gilead?’ One spoke saying in this way, and another saying in that way.

 

VERSE 20. A spirit came out, stood before the LORD, and said, ‘I will entice him.’ “The LORD said to him, ‘How?’

 

VERSE 21. “He said, ‘I will go, and will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.’ “He said, ‘You will entice him, and will prevail also. Go and do so.’

a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. Four hundred prophets are all saying the same thing. And they are all wrong.

Those 400 prophets are false prophets. Mercenaries. Professional yes-men.

Only Micaiah is correct.

Just because most people agree about the same thing does not mean they are correct.

It is better to stand with the truth than to agree with liars, even if it means everyone thinks you are wrong.

 

VERSE 22. “Now therefore, behold, the LORD has put a lying spirit in the mouth of these your prophets; and the LORD has spoken evil concerning you.”

 

VERSE 23. Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah came near, and struck Micaiah on the cheek, and said, “Which way did the LORD’s Spirit go from me to speak to you?”

John 18:22. When he had said this, one of the officers standing by slapped Jesus with his hand, saying, “Do you answer the high priest like that?”

 

VERSE 24. Micaiah said, “Behold, you shall see on that day, when you go into an inner room to hide yourself.”

 

VERSE 25. The king of Israel said, “Take Micaiah, and carry him back to Amon the governor of the city, and to Joash the king’s son;

 

VERSE 26. and say, ‘The king says, “Put this fellow in the prison, and feed him with bread of affliction and with water of affliction, until I return in peace.” ’ ”

Put this fellow in the prison. Ahab didn’t like the message from the prophet. Therefore he imprisons the prophet.

 

VERSE 27. Micaiah said, “If you return at all in peace, the LORD has not spoken by me.” He said, “Listen, you people, all of you!”

 

AHAB DIES

 

VERSE 28. So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah went up to Ramoth Gilead.

 

VERSE 29. The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “I will disguise myself, and go into the battle; but you put on your robes.” So the king of Israel disguised himself; and they went into the battle.

Ahab is a selfish coward:

I will disguise myself. Ahab conceals his kingly identity. That way nobody will try to kill him.

you put on your robes. Again has Jehoshaphat wear his kingly robes. That way everybody will try to kill Jehoshaphat.

 

VERSE 30. Now the king of Syria had commanded the captains of his chariots, saying, “Don’t fight with small nor great, except only with the king of Israel.”

 

VERSE 31. When the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, they said, “It is the king of Israel!” Therefore they turned around to fight against him. But Jehoshaphat cried out, and the LORD helped him; and God moved them to depart from him.

 

VERSE 32. When the captains of the chariots saw that it was not the king of Israel, they turned back from pursuing him.

 

VERSE 33. A certain man drew his bow at random, and struck the king of Israel between the joints of the armor. Therefore he said to the driver of the chariot, “Turn around and carry me out of the battle, for I am severely wounded.”

 

VERSE 34. The battle increased that day. However, the king of Israel propped himself up in his chariot against the Syrians until the evening; and at about sunset, he died.

he died. For the other kings, the texts say something like, “He slept with his fathers.”

But for Ahab, it merely says he died. Why is it different for Ahab?

 


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2 CHRONICLES

CHAPTERS: 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36

RESOURCES: Summary, Outline, Memorize, Mount Moriah, The Cloud of Glory

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