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.1
¶ Now Jehoshaphat had riches and honour in abundance, and joined affinity
with Ahab.
.2 And after certain years he went down to Ahab to Samaria. And Ahab killed sheep and oxen for him in abundance, and for the people that he had with him, and persuaded him to go up with him to Ramothgilead. .3 And Ahab king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat king of Judah, Wilt thou go with me to Ramothgilead? And he answered him, I am as thou art, and my people as thy people; and we will be with thee in the war. |
2 -
Ramoth-gilead See on 2ki0914.
2 - Ahab ... abundance This implies a grand feast. From the unwise alliance that followed, we may suppose that alcohol was served. The Bible text does not say this, however. 3 - I am as thou art .. be with thee An alliance God would not bless is0812. From this point the account in the Chronicles more closely parallels the account in the Kings. See 1ki22. |
4 ¶ And Jehoshaphat said
unto the king of Israel, Enquire, I pray thee, at the word of the LORD
to day.
5 Therefore the king of Israel gathered together of prophets four hundred men, and said unto them, Shall we go to Ramothgilead to battle, or shall I forbear? And they said, Go up; for God will deliver it into the king's hand. |
5 - Prophets [400] Shall we go? They were false prophets. |
6 But Jehoshaphat said, Is
there not here a prophet of the LORD besides, that we might enquire of
him?
7 And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, There is yet one man, by whom we may enquire of the LORD: but I hate him; for he never prophesied good unto me, but always evil: the same is Micaiah the son of Imla. And Jehoshaphat said, Let not the king say so. 8 And the king of Israel called for one of his officers, and said, Fetch quickly Micaiah the son of Imla. 9 And the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah sat either of them on his throne, clothed in their robes, and they sat in a void place at the entering in of the gate of Samaria; and all the prophets prophesied before them. |
6 - Is there not ... prophet of the Lord? In the next verse Ahab hates the true prophet. It seems as if "prophets" In Israel were as the wise men of the heathen nations. Perhaps such prophets would implore the gods to provide the desired result. |
10 And Zedekiah the son of
Chenaanah had made him horns of iron, and said, Thus saith the LORD, With
these thou shalt push Syria until they be consumed.
11 And all the prophets prophesied so, saying, Go up to Ramothgilead, and prosper: for the LORD shall deliver it into the hand of the king. 12 And the messenger that went to call Micaiah spake to him, saying, Behold, the words of the prophets declare good to the king with one assent; let thy word therefore, I pray thee, be like one of theirs, and speak thou good. 13 And Micaiah said, As the LORD liveth, even what my God saith, that will I speak. |
10
- Horns of iron These implied power de3317,
je4825,
am0613.
11 - Go up ... Lord shall deliver This is what Ahab wanted to hear. It was essentially a death trap. See verse 34. |
14 And when he was come to
the king, the king said unto him, Micaiah, shall we go to Ramothgilead
to battle, or shall I forbear? And he said, Go ye up, and prosper, and
they shall be delivered into your hand.
15 And the king said to him, How many times shall I adjure thee that thou say nothing but the truth to me in the name of the LORD? 16 Then he said, I did see all Israel scattered upon the mountains, as sheep that have no shepherd: and the LORD said, These have no master; let them return therefore every man to his house in peace. 17 And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, Did I not tell thee that he would not prophesy good unto me, but evil? |
14 - [Micaiah] said, Go ye up, and prosper The statement was in irony. The false prophets had recommended going to battle and Micaiah had been urged to agree with them. The response of Jehoshaphat in v15 clarifies that he didn't believe Micaiah would approve of the battle. |
18 Again he said, Therefore
hear the word of the LORD; I saw the LORD sitting upon his throne, and
all the host of heaven standing on his right hand and on his left.
19 And the LORD said, Who shall entice Ahab king of Israel, that he may go up and fall at Ramothgilead? And one spake saying after this manner, and another saying after that manner. 20 Then there came out a spirit, and stood before the LORD, and said, I will entice him. And the LORD said unto him, Wherewith? 21 And he said, I will go out, and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And the LORD said, Thou shalt entice him, and thou shalt also prevail: go out, and do even so. 22 Now therefore, behold, the LORD hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of these thy prophets, and the LORD hath spoken evil against thee. |
21
- Lying spirit Satan spoke through the serpent as a medium in the
garden and eve fell ge0304.
"Satan has made his boast of what he can do. He thinks to dissolve the unity which Christ prayed might exist in his church. He says, 'I will go forth and be a lying spirit to deceive those that I can, to criticize, and condemn, and falsify.' Let the son of deceit and false witness be entertained by a church that has had great light, great evidence, and that church will discard the message the Lord has sent, and receive the most unreasonable assertions and false suppositions and false theories. Satan laughs at their folly; for he knows what truth is." Special Testimonies, A 11. |
23 Then Zedekiah the son of
Chenaanah came near, and smote Micaiah upon the cheek, and said, Which
way went the Spirit of the LORD from me to speak unto thee?
24 And Micaiah said, Behold, thou shalt see on that day when thou shalt go into an inner chamber to hide thyself. 25 Then the king of Israel said, Take ye Micaiah, and carry him back to Amon the governor of the city, and to Joash the king's son; 26 And say, Thus saith the king, Put this fellow in the prison, and feed him with bread of affliction and with water of affliction, until I return in peace. 27 And Micaiah said, If thou certainly return in peace, then hath not the LORD spoken by me. And he said, Hearken, all ye people. |
23
- Smote Michaiah The hatred of Satan is revealed in how he inspires
evil people to hurt or insult the people of God.
24 - Thou shall see Zedekiah would soon seek shelter from the coming disaster. He would know who told the truth. |
28 ¶ So the king of Israel
and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah went up to Ramothgilead.
29 And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, I will disguise myself, and will go to the battle; but put thou on thy robes. So the king of Israel disguised himself; and they went to the battle. 30 Now the king of Syria had commanded the captains of the chariots that were with him, saying, Fight ye not with small or great, save only with the king of Israel. |
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31 And it came to pass, when
the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, that they said, It is the
king of Israel. Therefore they compassed about him to fight: but Jehoshaphat
cried out, and the LORD helped him; and God moved them to depart from him.
32 For it came to pass, that, when the captains of the chariots perceived that it was not the king of Israel, they turned back again from pursuing him. 33 And a certain man drew a bow at a venture, and smote the king of Israel between the joints of the harness: therefore he said to his chariot man, Turn thine hand, that thou mayest carry me out of the host; for I am wounded. .34 And the battle increased that day: howbeit the king of Israel stayed himself up in his chariot against the Syrians until the even: and about the time of the sun going down he died. |
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