Three years have passed, and Ahab is still king, but his days are numbered. There was no war between Israel and Syria. However, that changed when Jehoshaphat king of Judah visited Ahab king of Israel. Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, “Do you know that Ramoth in Gilead is ours, but we hesitate to take it out of the hand of the king of Syria?” “Will you go with me to fight at Ramoth Gilead?” Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses.” (v1-4)
Contrary to his treaty in chapter 20:34, Ben Hadad had not returned Ramoth Gilead to Israel.
Jehoshaphat suggested to Ahab that they should seek the will of God (v5-9). So, Ahab gathered the prophets together, around four hundred men and asked them if he should go against Ramoth Gilead or not. They said, “Go up for the LORD will deliver it into your hand.” It is apparent that Ahab chose prophets that would tell him what he wanted to hear. Jehoshaphat wanted another opinion. Jehoshaphat seemed to believe that they were not prophets of the LORD thus, he wanted to hear from a genuine prophet. Ahab said that there was still one, named Micaiah the son of Imlah, but, he said, “I hate him because he does not prophesy good concerning me, but evil.”
Little wonder that Ahab did not invite him initially to give them the word from the LORD. Ahab only wanted what he wanted to hear. Jehoshaphat seemed all the more adamant because he wanted a genuine word from the LORD. However, Jehoshaphat insisted, so, Ahab called him in quickly. Ahab’s real problem was with God and Micaiah would not be swayed from telling Ahab what God said.
As Micaiah came in both kings were sat on their thrones, dressed in their robes, at a threshing floor of the gate of Samaria (v10-12). Important meetings and decisions were often made at the gates of cities. The elders often met there, and it appears that there were thrones set there. All the four hundred prophets were there, and Zedekiah spoke for them. He used horns made from iron to emphasise his words and even said that he was speaking the LORD’S word – “Thus says the LORD “. He talked the talk, but he was unfaithful and wasn’t speaking truthfully. He said that they should go and use the iron horns to gore the Syrians until they were destroyed. All the prophets agreed with him. Prophets often used objects to illustrate what they were saying.
Micaiah was called in and the messenger who brought him, told him what the unfaithful prophets had said and directed to say the same (v13-16). However, undeterred, Micaiah said that he would only say what the LORD told him to say, however unpalatable that was to the king. It seemed (from v26) that Micaiah was brought from prison. Micaiah said that the king should go, and the LORD would deliver it into the king’s hands. Wasn’t that the same message? Ahab wasn’t happy because he thought Micaiah was mocking him and told Micaiah that he should only tell the truth. Micaiah was probably repeating what the other prophets had said as he had been instructed by the messenger who brought him.
Then Micaiah said (v17,18), “I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains, as sheep that have no shepherd. And the LORD said, ‘These have no master. Let each return to his house in peace.’” At this, Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, “Did I not tell you he would not prophesy good concerning me, but evil?” Micaiah was indicating that Israel would be scattered, and they would have no leader (shepherd).
What a confused state Ahab was in. He didn’t know what truth was, and what’s more, he didn’t want the truth when it was not what he wanted. He exclaimed, “Did I not tell you he would not prophesy good concerning me, but evil?”
Micaiah did not stop there (v19-23) and I’m sure Ahab did not want to hear this. Unless I’m mistaken, it seemed that he related a revelation of a conversation which had taken place in heaven – “Therefore hear the word of the LORD: I saw the LORD sitting on His throne, and all the host of heaven standing by, on His right hand and on His left. And the LORD said, ‘Who will persuade Ahab to go up, that he may fall at Ramoth Gilead?’ So one spoke in this manner, and another spoke in that manner. Then a spirit came forward and stood before the LORD, and said, ‘I will persuade him.’ The LORD said to him, ‘In what way?’ So he said, ‘I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.’ And the LORD said, ‘You shall persuade him, and also prevail. Go out and do so.’ Therefore look! The LORD has put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these prophets of yours, and the LORD has declared disaster against you.”
He was given a revelation as to how the four hundred prophets had spoken falsely to the king.
This is very reminiscent of the conversation which took place about Job. Satan and his demons must have some access to conversation with God about things on earth. God was going to bring judgment upon Ahab. Elijah had prophesied it (21:17-24). As I indicated at the very beginning, I am not a qualified theologian so, I cannot explain everything. I strongly suggest you read your Bible for yourself and seek God’s clarity on this, just like the Bereans did in Acts 17, when they checked for themselves what Paul and Silas had taught them.
God asked one of the host of heaven to lead Ahab into battle as a lying spirit so that he would die.
Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah, one of the false prophets, struck Micaiah on the cheek, and said, “Which way did the spirit from the LORD go from me to speak to you?” One commentator says that Zedekiah reacted the way many do when defeated, with violence. Ahab also responded to the truth by saying that Micaiah should be returned to prison and fed on bread and water (v24-28). Micaiah’s final comment was, “If you ever return in peace, the LORD has not spoken by me.” And he said, “Take heed, all you people!”
Micaiah was sure that the LORD had given him the words, and he confidently added that he was sure that it was God’s word whether it came true or not, and he wanted all the people to know.
Of course, he was correct because the end of the chapter shows us that Ahab died in battle.
Ahab and Jehoshaphat went in battle to Ramoth Gilead and Ahab the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat that he would disguise himself in battle while Jehoshaphat went in his royal robes. Ahab evidently did not want to believe that Micaiah’s prophecy was true. Jehoshaphat should have known better than to go along with this. Ahab didn’t want to show that he was the king, and be a sitting target, but he was leaving Jehoshaphat wide open. Jehoshaphat was either very stupid or had faith that only Ahab would be killed (v29,30).
The King of Syria commanded thirty-two captains of his chariots and instructed them to only fight with the king of Israel (v31-36). They mistook Jehoshaphat for king Ahab and went to fight against him, but Jehoshaphat called out, and they realised who he was and turned back from chasing him. 2 Chronicles 18:31 indicates that the LORD heard his cry and turned the Syrians away from him. God had a hand in all of this even though we read that “…. a certain man drew a bow at random” whichall sounds very unintentional and just one of those things. The arrow struck Ahab between the joints of his armour and wounded him. He asked his chariot driver to take him out of the battle. The battle continued throughout the day and Ahab was propped up in his chariot. However, he died and upon his death, when news was announced, the battle ceased.
King Ahab died and was brought to Samaria where they buried him (v37-40) However, someone brought his chariot and washed it in a pool in Samaria, and the dogs licked up his blood and the harlots bathed. This was in accordance with the word of the LORD. Elijah had said that the dogs would lick Ahab’s blood, although the place was not where he said. He had repented (1 Kings 21) and God, in his mercy said the judgment would fall on his sons. Ahab never returned to Samaria or Israel in peace as was prophesied.
Ahab had built a house of ivory and cities, showing that he was generally prosperous materially and militarily, but not spiritually, he was one of the worst kings ever. Ahaziah became king in place of his father Ahab.
In summary, Jehoshaphat the son of Asa had become king over Judah in the fourth year of Ahab king of Israel. Jehoshaphat was thirty-five years old when he became king of Judah and reigned twenty-five years in Jerusalem (v41-50). Azubah the daughter of Shilhi was his mother. Asa was a good king and so was Jehoshaphat, doing what was right in God’s eyes. However, he had not removed the high places for the people still offered sacrifices and burned incense on the high places. There is an apparent contradiction between v 43 and 2 Chronicles 17:6 which says that he did take away the high places. One esteemed commentator says that there is no contradiction in that there were two kinds of high places. One for idolatry, and those consecrated to God before the temple was built. He did not take away the latter but the former.
As we saw earlier Jehoshaphat had made peace with Ahab king of Israel. There were still evil people in the land during Asa’s reign and Jehoshaphat banished them from the land. The rest of his acts are contained in 2 Chronicles 17-20, where we read that he set up a deputy for there was no king in Edom, to maintain a trade route. He was one of the better kings, and he even sent teachers of God’s Word throughout his entire kingdom. He made merchant ships to go to Ophir for gold, but they were wrecked at Ezion Geber, in the territory of the Edomites, and when Ahaziah, son of Ahab suggested that his servants go in the ships to protect them, he refused.
2 Chronicles 20:35-37 gives more information about the shipping venture. It says that he did make an alliance with Ahaziah, and it ended in disaster. The LORD had told Jehoshaphat that it was because of that alliance and after that Jehoshaphat turned down the continued alliance.
According to 2 Chronicles 17:10, God blessed his reign so much that the neighbouring regions were afraid to make war with him. He implemented religious reforms (17:3-9) and judicial reforms (2 Chronicles 19:5-11) and saw a victory when the Levites led the army in battle with songs of praise (2 Chronicles 20:15-23). He trained and equipped a large army (17:14-19).
Again, there is more detail in 2 Chronicles 21:6 where we are told that Jehoshaphat gave his son Jehoram in marriage to Athaliah, the daughter of Ahab and Jezebel (v1). This was a disaster because Jehoram followed in the footsteps of the kings of Israel just as Ahab had done. He had married a daughter of Ahab (21:6). Jehoram’s son Ahaziah was also a bad king of Judah (22:2-4).
Jehoshaphat died and was buried in the City of David with his fathers. His son Jehoram reigned in his place.
Ahaziah son of Ahab became king over Israel in the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah and reigned two years over Israel (v51). The prophecy of Elijah (ch21) about Ahab would fall onto his son after Ahab’s apparent repentance where God was merciful to him and is carried out in Ahaziah’s short reign. Ahaziah did evil before the LORD in following the sins of Ahab, Jezebel and Jeroboam (v52), he served Baal and worshiped him (v53). This provoked the LORD to anger. Could anything be worse than such an epitaph to the book?
In this book we have evidence of good and evil and how we deal with it and how God deals with it. The wickedness of the human race is clearly evident. God cannot overlook evil; He always punishes evil. It is sin and the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life. God does not plan us to do evil, but in His mercy, He has made a way for us to be forgiven and cleansed. How important it is that we are diligent in our obedience to God.
