Many stories of the bible fascinate and intrigue me, amongst these stories this one in II Chronicles 18 stands out for me every time I read it. It stands out for some reasons, one of the reasons which I still may not be able to fully wrap my head around is that God permitted a lying spirit to deceive King Ahab – II Chronicles 18:19-22. But as I write this, I am almost convinced that God permitted it because there was already a judgment upon King Ahab’s life because of how he had lived. My focus on this blog post isn’t on the lying spirit that God permitted but on something salient which I see for the first time in my many years of studying the bible. Let us go on a quick journey through II Chronicles 18, shall we?
Godly Friendship(s):
The chapter starts by describing the alliance between King Jehosophat and King Ahab, so much so that King Ahab threw a lavished banquet to honor King Jehosaphat’s visit. Imagine a friend who throws a party every time you visit, wouldn’t that be nice! ::)) In the middle of all the merriment, King Ahab persuaded King Jehosaphat to join forces with him against Ramoth Gilead. A good friend that King Jehosaphat agreed to the collaboration on one condition- he insisted that they inquired of the Lord before they set out. In this interaction, we can see and tell which of them had a relationship with God. We can tell which of them reverenced God almighty in all they do. I appreciate King Jehoshaphat’s advice at that moment; even amid excitement when it was easy to be distracted, he was conscious of God. We need friends like King Jehosaphat in our corner.
Taking Godly Advice & Discernment:
It is one thing to give Godly advice and another for one to take heed; thankfully King Ahab took heed of this advice. He summoned four hundred prophets, not one or ten but four hundred! I think it is wild that King Ahab summoned four hundred prophets to prophesy; in my opinion, this tells us a lot about King Ahab’s state of mind. It appears to me as though he was a man who had little faith or trust in the Lord or even in the prophets of the Lord. You know what I find wild? That all four hundred of them said something yet, it was all lies. Although this happened because God had permitted a lying spirit to possess them all, I still find it wild. The beauty in this wildness is King Jehoshaphat’s discerning spirit. You might agree with me that it is almost impossible to doubt four hundred prophets who had the same message – victory! But here was King Jehoshaphat, a man full of wisdom and heightened discernment. His response to all of the prophecies of these lying prophets was, “Is there no longer a prophet of the Lord here whom we can inquire of?” -II Chronicles 18:6. This is another pointer to his relationship with God; as one’s relationship grows and goes deeper with the Lord – one’s discernment grows and is sharpened too. I pray that we are strengthened to go and grow deeper with the Lord in Jesus’ name.
Thankfully, King Ahab listened to Jehoshaphat again although he was defensive about sending for prophet Micaiah. His response to King Jehoshaphat was, “There is still one man by whom we may inquire of the Lord; but I hate him, because he never prophesies good concerning me, but always evil. He is Micaiah the son of Imla.” And Jehoshaphat said, “Let not the king say such things!”. I deduce that King Ahab has “been a bad boy” hence prophet Micaiah’s admonition to him came to him as hate prophecies. Yet we see King Jehoshaphat still correct him about speaking ill about a prophet of God.
The Truth and God’s Word:
Finally, the one prophet who was incorruptible by the lying spirit was the only one able to see and hear clearly from the Lord. He said to the kings, “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 – II Chronicles 18:16. Of course King Ahab was furious at the prophet’s declaration, so much so that he locked him up.
God’s word performs all that it is sent to perform:
These kings didn’t hearken to the voice of the Lord through prophet Micaiah and they went to war. In King Ahab’s wisdom, he disguised himself as a regular man of war from Israel while King Jehoshaphat dressed in his kingly apparel to war. In the heat of the war, King Jehoshaphat was attacked but he called on the name of the Lord and the Lord saved him. On the other hand, King Ahab who used his human wisdom to go to war with all his trust in chariots, and himself was randomly hit by an arrow shot by the enemy. He died from a random arrow shot by the enemy. This is a clear distinction between a king who knew the Lord and walked with the Lord and a King who knew the Lord yet refused to acknowledge the Lord. For the first time I see how God’s word was made manifest, although it was in the negative. Regardless of the human manipulation of King Ahab, regardless of what he did in his wisdom and flesh- God’s word still stood sure.
So my dear, do you know God’s word for your life? Have you received His word for your life? Fantastic if you know it, be encouraged in this season to trust Him. No matter what the enemy tries to manipulate it- believe it, confess it, pray it, till it is made manifest in your life.
I pray that when you receive all of God’s blessings for you, they will not become gods in your lives. May you continue to honor God with your life, time, and blessings in Jesus’ name. Feel free to share your thoughts about this chapter in the comment section 