Today's Lesson comes from 1 Kings chapter 22 verses 13 through 18:
13 The messenger who had gone to summon Micaiah said to him, “Look, the words of the prophets with one accord are favorable to the king; let your word be like the word of one of them, and speak favorably.” 14 But Micaiah said, “As the Lord lives, whatever the Lord says to me, that I will speak.”
15 When he had come to the king, the king said to him, “Micaiah, shall we go to Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall we refrain?” He answered him, “Go up and triumph; the Lord will give it into the hand of the king.” 16 But 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?” 17 Then Micaiah said, “I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains, like sheep that have no shepherd; and the Lord said, ‘These have no master; let each one go home in peace.’” 18 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Did I not tell you that he would not prophesy anything favorable about me, but only disaster?”
15 When he had come to the king, the king said to him, “Micaiah, shall we go to Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall we refrain?” He answered him, “Go up and triumph; the Lord will give it into the hand of the king.” 16 But 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?” 17 Then Micaiah said, “I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains, like sheep that have no shepherd; and the Lord said, ‘These have no master; let each one go home in peace.’” 18 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Did I not tell you that he would not prophesy anything favorable about me, but only disaster?”
The King of Israel Ahab and the King of Judah Jehoshaphat allied themselves for war against the King of Aram.
Ahab had surrounded himself with a court of sycophant prophets who flattered with the words he wanted to hear. And when time for war came, they tickled his ears with prophecies about success.
But then there was another prophet, Micaiah, who dared to tell the truth to the two Kings, even though it cost him his freedom. Arrested for his minority report, the last thing Micaiah said to the King of Israel was," If you return in peace, the LORD has not spoken by me."
The LORD had spoken by Micaiah and the King Ahab did not return from war in peace. In fact, he did not return at all.
"The LORD," the Bible says, "had put a lying spirit in the mouths of all the prophets," and King Ahab could not discern the lies because they sounded so good. Anything that flattered him was gospel truth to him and he risked everything on it. And in the end the flattery was his downfall.
NOTE: We are reading the whole Bible through this year. Tomorrow's Lesson comes from 2 Chronicles 19-23.
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