1 Kings 22:1-4
Ramoth Gilead was an important city. Ben-Hadad, king of Syria, was apparently supposed to surrender this city by some agreement that had been made; but it was not done. Jehoshaphat was visiting Ahab in the northern kingdom when Ahab mentions this situation. This would have been important to Jehoshaphat because it was only forty miles from Jerusalem. Ahab surely had ulterior motives in all this. Ahab convinces Jehoshaphat to enter into this agreement to go take this city together.
1 Kings 22:5-18
Jehoshaphat rightfully wants to run his plan by the Lord and get the Lord's blessing. He requests a prophet. All of Ahab's prophets tell him that God will deliver the Syrians to him. But Jehoshaphat wants to hear from a 'prophet of God' knowing he will get the real truth and hear from the God of Israel. Ahab says there is one prophet left but he hates hearing from him because he never says anything good.
Ahab and Jehoshaphat are seated on thrones on the threshing floor. The is like a court setting. The prophets give their prophecies; and they are either lying prophets or deceived prophets. Micaiah stands as the one truthful prophet and gives what is probably a sarcastic prophecy that agrees with the others. Ahab understands that Micaiah isn't giving him the truch and calls him on it. Micaiah then gives him the truth; telling them that going to war would lead to defeat.
1 Kings 22:19-28
Micaiah revealed what was going on in the throne room of heaven Yahweh had determined Ahab was to die at Ramoth-Gilead. He described his vision of the Lord sitting on the throne and all the angels on both sides. The Lord asks who will entice Ahab to fall at Ramoth-gilead. A spirit steps forward and says he will entice him by putting a lying spirit in the mouths of the prophets.
Zedekiah was the offended leader of the false prophets and slapped Micaiah on the face. It shows the power of God's word. It bothered him when this one man spoke the truth in the presence of all others in agreement. He recognized the truth and did not like it and reacted with violence. Ahab responded in a similar manner. He wanted to hear good things and prophets who agreed. He didn't care if they prophecied truth; he wanted agreeable prophecy. Ahab sentenced Micaiah to prison and the bread and water of affliction until he returned from war. Micaiah knew he wouldn't return.
1 Kings 22:29-40
Ahab decides to go to war disguised and suggest that Jehoshaphat wear the robes of a king. Since the battle would tend to focus toward the leader in an effort to take out the king, we can imagine Ahab believes he can benefit if Jehoshaphat is killed.
Remember that the king of Syria, Ben-Hadad, had already been spared by Ahab previously. Now Ben-Hadad tells his army to focus on the King of Israel. In spite of his disguise, Ahab could not escape the soverign hand of God. He was hit by what might have appeared to be a random arrow. He dided shortly after.
The prophecy of 1 Kings 21:19 is fulfulled when the dogs licked the blood that was washed from the chariot at the pool in Samaria where the harlots bathe. One commentator noted that Ahab who was responsible for such spiritual harlotry now had his blood commingled with the bath water of the harlots.
1 Kings 22:41-50
Jehoshaphat was 35 when he became king of Judah and reigned for 25 years. He did right in the sight of the Lord but didn't get rid of the high places. He followed after his father and was a pretty good king. Verse 48 notes that there was no king in Edom at the time. This shows that Edome was under the control of Israel and that's why he was able to build ships at Ezion Geber, an Edomite city. The ship building venture didn't go so well. They were wrecked and then Ahazia wanted to partner with him in the venture but Jehoshaphat didn't enter into this partnership.
1 Kings 22:51-52
Ahaziah was the son of Ahab and daughter of Jezebel. He walked in their ways as well as the ways of Jereboam who made Israel sin. He reigned 2 years and evil in the sight of the Lord. He served Baal all his years and provoked God.
©2016 Doug Ford
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