seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
2 Chronicles 18:8 So the king of Israel called one of his officials and said, “Bring Micaiah son of Imlah at once.”
9 Dressed in their royal robes, the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah were sitting on their thrones at the threshing floor by the entrance of the gate of Samaria, with all the prophets prophesying before them. 10 Now Zedekiah son of Kenaanah had made iron horns, and he declared, “This is what the Lord says: ‘With these you will gore the Arameans until they are destroyed.’”
11 All the other prophets were prophesying the same thing. “Attack Ramoth Gileadand be victorious,” they said, “for the Lord will give it into the king’s hand.”
12 The messenger who had gone to summon Micaiah said to him, “Look, the other prophets without exception are predicting success for the king. Let your word agree with theirs, and speak favorably.”
13 But Micaiah said, “As surely as the Lord lives, I can tell him only what my God says.”
14 When he arrived, the king asked him, “Micaiah, shall we go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or shall I not?”
“Attack and be victorious,” he answered, “for they will be given into your hand.”
15 The king said to him, “How many times must I make you swear to tell me nothing but the truth in the name of the Lord?”
16 Then Micaiah answered, “I saw all Israel scattered on the hills like sheep without a shepherd, and the Lord said, ‘These people have no master. Let each one go home in peace.’”
17 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Didn’t I tell you that he never prophesies anything good about me, but only bad?”
18 Micaiah continued, “Therefore hear the word of the Lord: I saw the Lord sitting on his throne with all the multitudes of heaven standing on his right and on his left. 19 And the Lord said, ‘Who will entice Ahab king of Israel into attacking Ramoth Gilead and going to his death there?’
“One suggested this, and another that. 20 Finally, a spirit came forward, stood before the Lord and said, ‘I will entice him.’
“‘By what means?’ the Lord asked.
21 “‘I will go and be a deceiving spirit in the mouths of all his prophets,’ he said.
“‘You will succeed in enticing him,’ said the Lord. ‘Go and do it.’
22 “So now the Lord has put a deceiving spirit in the mouths of these prophets of yours. The Lord has decreed disaster for you.”
23 Then Zedekiah son of Kenaanah went up and slapped Micaiah in the face. “Which way did the spirit from[a] the Lord go when he went from me to speak to you?” he asked.
24 Micaiah replied, “You will find out on the day you go to hide in an inner room.”
25 The king of Israel then ordered, “Take Micaiah and send him back to Amon the ruler of the city and to Joash the king’s son, 26 and say, ‘This is what the king says: Put this fellow in prison and give him nothing but bread and water until I return safely.’”
27 Micaiah declared, “If you ever return safely, the Lord has not spoken through me.” Then he added, “Mark my words, all you people!”
a. 2 Chronicles 18:23 Or Spirit ofThis is a good story, but there are a couple of things in the story that will need some clarification.... and the easy English is the clearest one for me.
The two kings sat on their thrones. All the prophets started to prophesy. Zedekiah, son of Chenaanah had made some iron horns. Horns were a sign of strength and iron horns were even stronger. So, he said that, as with these horns, Ahab would defeat the people from Aram. Zedekiah said that this was the word of the LORD. And he probably believed that it was from the Spirit of the LORD. All the other prophets agreed that Ahab should fight. They all said that the LORD would cause him to win.
The officer advised Micaiah to agree with the other prophets. Micaiah answered that he could not do that. He had to speak what the LORD told him. Then, when Ahab asked him, he agreed with the other prophets. But by the manner of his answer, Ahab knew that this was not the truth. Micaiah did not say that this was the word of the LORD. Ahab then told him to tell the truth. He wanted to hear what the LORD had said to Micaiah.
Then Micaiah gave the true prophecy from the LORD. The attack on Ramoth in Gilead would fail. King Ahab would die in the battle. The armies of Israel and Judah would run away. They ought not to go to war.
Ahab thought that Micaiah spoke against him. He did not believe that he would die in this battle. It also seems that Jehoshaphat did not believe it. If he had believed it, he probably would not have gone to the battle.
Micaiah had a vision. In it, he saw the LORD on his throne. He saw the army of heaven each side of the throne. God had intended the death of Ahab in the battle at Ramoth in Gilead. But someone had to convince Ahab to go to Ramoth in Gilead. Then a spirit said that he would convince Ahab. He would make all the prophets speak a lie. And God allowed that spirit to do it.
No spirit from God would lie like this. The spirit was an evil spirit. But the LORD allowed it to come. God is in control over all things. But for a time he allows Satan (God’s chief enemy) to do evil things.
An evil spirit had lied to all the prophets. And they all gave false prophecies. That is, all except Micaiah. Zedekiah could not believe that an evil spirit had put a lie in him. Such a statement made him angry. So, he hit Micaiah on the face.
Zedekiah believed that the Spirit of the LORD had spoken to him. In his anger, he asked Micaiah a question. He did not believe that Micaiah had spoken words from the LORD.
Micaiah answered the question. One day, Zedekiah will try to hide in shame. Then he will know that the Spirit of God was not in him. Probably this would be when his prophecy had failed.
Ahab sent Micaiah back to the ruler of the city and to the king’s son Joash. It seems that Micaiah had been in prison. And now he went back to prison. There he would have only bread and water until Ahab returned in peace. But Micaiah knew that Ahab would not return in peace. We do not know what happened to Micaiah.
Wow.... slaps were thrown. So... As I read this... it scares me.... according to this story.... Zedekiah must have been pretty sure he was following the Lord. Perhaps the thrill of designing those iron horns for battle and getting an opportunity to present his project to the kings... led him to think God was on his side. Sometimes humans get so involved in their own accomplishments... they think God has a hand in their lives.
Zedekiah was sure that Micaiah had to be lying.... because he opposed Zedekiah's iron horn idea.... Zedekiah was sure the Lord led in the design and presentation of his war weapon.
Meanwhile... the story was.... if Micaiah didn't warn Ahab not to go to war.... then Ahab would ride into the trap. Ahab and Jezebel had been doing dispicable things and God was not at all happy with them. The plan was... the fake prophets would talk Ahab into riding into war... never to return. AND Micaiah was put in a jail cell.... on bread and water.... until Ahab made it safely home from a battle he would not return from. The commentary says.... Micaiah was not heard from again.... guess he starved to death. {or he made it to the Wizard of Id comic strip]
Last edited: