(TEXT : 1 Kings 22:6-7) Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, about four hundred men, and said unto them, Shall I go against Ramothgilead to battle, or shall I forbear? And they said, Go up; for the Lord shall deliver it into the hand of the king. And Jehoshaphat said, Is there not here a prophet of the LORD besides, that we might enquire of him?
FOCUS :
There are genuine prophets and there are false prophets; in the same manner, there are good pastors who hears from God and there fake pastors who fake it all the way to the top. In the case of Ahab, the prophets claimed to be of the Lord, but were not. Sometimes in the journey of life, it is just one word from a “true prophet” that will change your life for real good; and it can equally be another way round. The prophets characterize th myriad of those who call themselves prophets in the Christendom today. In fact, there were precious few true prophets of then, there are precious few true Prophets of God now. There prophets who uses the office for their stomach and to catch up with latest “designers.” The falsity of these prophets was evident to Jehoshaphat. The tragedy is: the Church presently hardly knows the difference in the prophets who prophesy out of their own mind, and those who speaks, “Thus says the Lord.”
In addition, 1 Kings 22:8 And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, There is yet one man, Micaiah the son of Imlah, by whom we may enquire of the LORD: but I hate him; for he doth not prophesy good concerning me, but evil. And Jehoshaphat said, Let not the king say so.
Elijah was also alive at this time, and had already given several messages to Ahab, but was now ignored; or perhaps he was elsewhere in the kingdom. The truth is, the true Prophet’s take is a thankless task. He is seldom sent to bring good news, but mostly bad. By large, he is hated, not only by the world, but by a carnal Church as well. The major words in modern Christendom today are as then, “prosperity” and “success.” These message, as delivered then by false prophets. The word should be “Repentance” and “Repentance.”
1 Kings 22:14-15 And Micaiah said, As the LORD liveth, what the LORD saith unto me, that will I speak. So he came to the king. And the king said unto him, Micaiah, shall we go against Ramothgilead to battle, or shall we forbear? And he answered him, Go, and prosper: for the LORD shall deliver it into the hand of the king.
God give us men, as Micaiah that money cannot buy. Who will not compromise their message, who will hear only what “thus says the Lord,” and who will not be fearful of delivering that Word to a lost and dying world. No doubt Micaiah’s mocking tone showed that his words were ironical; but Ahab’s hollow tone had already proved to Micaiah that was insincere, that he did not care to know the Will of the Lord, and that he wanted prophets who would speak to him smooth things and prophesy deceit (Isa 30:10).
Finally, 1 Kings 22:19-23 And he said, Hear thou therefore the word of the LORD: I saw the LORD sitting on his throne, and all the host of heaven standing by him on his right hand and on his left. And the LORD said, Who shall persuade Ahab, that he may go up and fall at Ramothgilead? And one said on this manner, and another said on that manner. And there came forth a spirit, and stood before the LORD, and said, I will persuade him. And the LORD said unto him, Wherewith? And he said, I will go forth, and I will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And he said, Thou shalt persuade him, and prevail also: go forth, and do so. Now therefore, behold, the LORD hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these thy prophets, and the LORD hath spoken evil concerning thee.
Micaiah is given a vision of the Throne of God and its happenings there, which he now relates to both Ahab and Jehoshaphat. The meaning is that Ahab’s death is battle had been decreed in the counsels of God, and that the Divine Wisdom had devised means for accomplishing God’s purpose. We learn from this, as well as from (Job 1). That spirits of darkness, as well as Satan, at times have access to the Throne of God. During the coming Great Tribulation, Satan and such will be cast out of Heaven, allowed to more access (Rev 12:7-9). This “lying spirit” would inspire these false prophets to prophesy the evil that was desired. All of this reveals that God and His Heavenly Host, including demons on certain occasions, have conferences concerning the affairs of men on earth. The idea is that God permitted such deception to take of the rejected truth. If men will not have the truth, they will be automatically have a substitute that will be more harmony with their wicked ways for time being.
Ahab would not have the truth, and would not listen to Jehovah, despite all the attempts made by the Lord to reach this man. But he would believe lies and listen to his false prophets. This passage simply gives and insight into realm, showing that behind all human acts there are good and bad spirits seeking to carry out the respective wills of their masters. The Lord protects as long as He can and, when there is nothing else. He can do to turn men from their wicked ways, error, and harm, at least by righteous means; He then permits demon spirits to deceive. This causes the individual in question to go further astray and in this case with Ahab, even unto death.
1 Kings 22:34-35 And a certain man drew a bow at a venture, and smote the king of Israel between the joints of the harness: wherefore he said unto the driver of his chariot, Turn thine hand, and carry me out of the host; for I am wounded. And the battle increased that day: and the king was stayed up in his chariot against the Syrians, and died at even: and the blood ran out of the wound into the midst of the chariot.
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T.O AKINSANYA
PRINCE ORATORTEE