2 Chronicles 18: Lessons from Jehoshaphat, Ahab, and Micaiah on Discerning God’s Will

Introduction: After Jehoshaphat’s initial walk with God, he made a series of mistakes that had terrible consequences for both him and all of Judah. These included his decision to form first a marriage and then a military alliance with Ahab, Northern Israel’s king and a Baal worshiper. From his mistakes, Ahab’s mistakes and the example that the prophet Micaiah offers, God reveals seven lessons for discerning and following His will in your life. These include: (1) purity, (2) prayer, (3) testing, (4) truth, (5) submission, (6) fearing God, and (7) obedience.

First, without consulting God, Jehoshaphat entered into a marriage alliance with King Ahab of Northern Israel. This mistake allowed Baal worship to spread throughout all of Judah. From Jehoshaphat’s mistake, God reveals that He wants you to stay pure so that He can guide you. Second, when Ahab asked Jehoshaphat to form a military alliance to attack the Assyrians, Jehoshaphat again agreed without asking God. He only asked for God’s guidance before their first battle. From Jehoshaphat’s mistakes, God reveals that He wants you to pray for His guidance and not to rely on your own understanding. Third, Jehoshaphat and Ahab received advice from 400 false prophets of Asherah and one false prophet who claimed to represent Yahweh. Because Satan will attempt to deceive you with false spirits, God wants you to always test the advice that you receive to ensure that it is from Him. Fourth, Ahab’s messenger encouraged Micaiah to speak with unity and embrace the other prophets’ message. Yet, he spoke the truth in predicting Ahab’s death if he pursued war. Micaiah spoke the truth even though it made him unpopular and likely kept him in prison. From Micaiah’s example, God shows that His will is revealed when you seek His truth over appeasing others. Fifth, upon hearing God’s Word, Ahab called it “evil” because he would not submit to God. Thus, God allowed Satan to deceive Ahab and his false prophets. From Ahab’s mistake, God warns that it is your choice to submit to His guidance. If you don’t do so, Satan may be the one to guide you and to deceive you. Sixth, instead of repenting, a false prophet struck Micaiah, and Ahab sent him to prison to endure harsh conditions. From the evil acts of Ahab and his false prophet, God warns that if you don’t fear Him you may not discern His Word. Fearing God in the Bible is defined as hating that which is evil. Finally, because Ahab was disobedient to God, he died on the battlefield, just as Micaiah foretold. God spared Jehoshaphat only because he cried out to Him. From their actions, God warns that if you reject His Word, you will suffer consequences.

1. Purity: Don’t Defile Yourself or The Church with Unclean Worldly Things. 2 Chr. 18:1.

Jehoshaphat forms a marriage alliance with the Baal worshiping King Ahab. After initially walking with God and receiving His blessings, Jehoshaphat decided on his own to try to unify all the Jews by forming a marriage alliance with the most evil king to ever rule Northern Israel, Ahab. “¹ Now Jehoshaphat had great riches and honor; and he allied himself by marriage with Ahab.” (2 Chr. 18:1). Ahab ruled Northern Israel from 873-853 B.C. He was the seventh king of Israel. He represented the fulfillment of Northern Israel’s descent into evil. This evil began with compromises. Israel first compromised by creating a counterfeit religion with the worship of golden calves as representing Yahweh. The Jews then worshiped the golden calves as gods. Ahab then married Jezebel, the daughter of a pagan Baal priest. Jezebel at first encouraged Ahab to celebrate diversity by giving the Canaanite god Baal equal worship with Yahweh. Under her influence, Ahab built a temple to Baal with a wooden pole for worship of the Canaanite goddess of sex, Asherah (1 Kgs. 16:33). After God’s remaining prophets refused to tolerate a false religion, Queen Jezebel convinced Ahab to persecute and kill God’s prophets. He even conducted human sacrifices (1 Kgs. 16:29; 15:29-22:40). To allow Ahab a chance to repent, God allowed Elijah to publicly discredit Baal with miraculous fire from heaven. Elijah then killed off the 450 false prophets of Baal (1 Kgs. 18:20-40). Yet, rather than repent, Ahab allowed Queen Jezebel to retaliate against Elijah by threatening to kill him if he remained in Northern Israel (1 Kgs. 19:1-2). At this time, Jehoshaphat (circa 873-848 B.C.), came to establish a better relationship with Northern Israel after years of conflict (2 Chr. 17:4-9; 19:5-7). Because of Jehosaphat’s initial faith-led obedience, God blessed him with “great riches and honor.” (2 Chr. 17:5). This included tribute from his enemies (2 Chr. 17:11-12). God also blessed both him and Judah with peace (2 Chr. 17:10). But he then squandered his blessings by uniting the now faithful and obedient nation of Judah with the unfaithful nation of Northern Israel.

King Jehoshaphat formed a marriage alliance with the wicked King Ahab¹

Be pure and holy because God is pure and holy. The unity of God’s people is normally a good thing. Jehosaphat’s initial reforms unified the people of Judah to be strong and courageous in the face of evil (2 Chr. 17:13-19). Today, believers are also called upon to act with one accord as the Spirit leads the Church (Ro. 12:5; 1 Cor. 10:17; 12:12; 12:20-21; Eph. 4:4; Col. 3:14). But the unity of the body should never come at the cost of purity. You should always remain pure and set apart from the evil things of the world for Christ’s use: “Speak to all the congregation of the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy.’” (Lev. 19:2; Ex. 22:31; 1 Pet. 1:16; Ep. 1:4; Matt. 5:48). You can keep yourself pure by making yourself a living sacrifice for Him (Ro. 12:1). As a living sacrifice, you should have no fellowship with people who might pull you off your walk, including ungodly members of the Church. “Do not be deceived: ‘Bad company corrupts good morals.”’ (1 Cor. 15:33). “Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness?” (2 Cor. 6:14). Jehosaphat’s decision to unify with the evil King Ahab destroyed his fellowship with God and his ability to hear the Holy Spirit. Like Jehoshaphat, are you joining yourself together with ungodly people?
Being unified with evil people can hinder your ability to hear God. In the Old Testament, God warned that He would not hear the prayers of sinners and those who rejected His law: “He who turns away his ear from listening to the law, even his prayer is an abomination.” (Prov. 28:9). “So when you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide My eyes from you; yes, even though you multiply prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are covered with blood.” (Is. 1:15). “And your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear. For your hands are defiled with blood and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken falsehood, your tongue mutters wickedness.” (Is. 59:2-3(b)). “If I regard wickedness in my heart, the Lord will not hear;” (Ps. 66:18) “Therefore thus says the LORD, ‘Behold I am bringing disaster on them which they will not be able to escape; though they will cry to Me, yet I will not listen to them.”’ (Jer. 11:11). “We know that God doesn’t listen to sinners, . . ..” (Jo. 9:31; Prov. 15:29; 8:9). In the New Testament, He warns that sin can “hinder” a believer’s prayers (1 Pet. 3:7). If you are joined together with evil people, you may also hinder your ability to hear God.
Jehoshaphat’s marriage alliance nearly destroyed Judah with Baal worship. Jehoshaphat decided that it was more important to unite Judah and Northern Israel than to keep Judah pure. Thus, he arranged for his son Jehoram to marry Ahab’s daughter Athaliah (2 Kgs. 11:1). But this was a monumental mistake. Athaliah introduced Baal and Astarte worship to Judah (2 Kgs. 11:1-16; 2 Chr. 21:6; 22:10 - 23:15) the same way that Jezebel introduced Baal and Astarte worship to Northern Israel (1 Kgs. 16:31-33; 21:25). Because of Athaliah’s evil influence, her son Ahaziah also became a Baal worshipper (2 Chr. 22:8). “He walked in the way of the house of Ahab and did evil in the sight of the Lord, like the house of Ahab had done, . . .” (2 Kgs. 8:27). God judged Ahaziah with a short one-year reign (2 Kgs. 8:26). God also commissioned the general Jehu to kill him as part of God’s plan to eradicate Baal worship from the 12 tribes of Israel (2 Chr. 22:7). Because Ahaziah also stumbled God’s people with Baal worship, his judgment included a brutal death. Following Ahaziah’s death, Athaliah feared that she would lose her control and influence over Judah. She also rightly feared that the Levite priesthood would seek to eradicate the Baal worship that she introduced. Yet, rather than repenting of her sins, she made the unimaginable decision to kill all of her own male descendants whom might assume the throne (2 Kgs. 11:1). Ahaziah’s brothers were dead (2 Chr. 21:4). Jehu also killed off Ahaziah’s cousins, uncles, and nephews on Ahab’s side of the family (2 Kgs 10:12-14; 2 Chr. 21:17). Thus, Athaliah most likely ordered the death of her own grandchildren. Her wickedness rivaled her mother Jezebel, who sought to murder all of God’s prophets. Athaliah was the only female ruler of either kingdom, and she reigned for 6 years from 841 to 835 B.C. (2 Kgs. 11:3; 2 Chr. 22:10 – 23:21). But her efforts to kill off all of her male grandchildren failed. The daughter of King Joram and the sister of King Ahaziah hid Athaliah’s grandson Joash for six years in the Temple and likely faked his death to deceive Athaliah (2 Kgs. 11:1-3). Athaliah was so caught up in her Baal worship that she never went to the Temple. There, God protected Joash and David’s line from extinction. The lesson is that Jehoshaphat should not have placed the unity of the Jews over their purity. God also wants your purity so that He can guide you.

2. Prayer: Seek God’s Guidance and Don’t Rely On Your Understanding. 2 Chr. 18:2-4.

After Jehoshaphat formed a military alliance with Ahab, he asked for God’s input. Also without asking God, Jehoshaphat agreed to bind Judah in a military alliance with Northern Israel against the Assyrians. Only after agreeing to a military alliance did he seek God’s will before the first joint battle against the Assyrians: “ ²Some years later he went down to visit Ahab at Samaria. And Ahab slaughtered many sheep and oxen for him and the people who were with him, and induced him to go up against Ramoth-gilead. ³Ahab king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat king of Judah, ‘Will you go with me against Ramoth-gilead?’ And he said to him, ‘I am as you are, and my people as your people, and we will be with you in the battle.’ ⁴Moreover, Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, ‘Please inquire first for the word of the Lord.’” (2 Chr. 18:2-4; 1 Kgs. 22:1-5). As a condition for sparing his life after losing two wars with the Jews, Assyrian King Ben-hadad agreed to restore lands that his forces had taken from the Jews of Northern Israel. “Ben-hadad said to him, ‘The cities which my father took from your father I will restore . . .” (1 Kgs. 20:34). Ramoth-gilead was a city that Ben-hadad promised to return to the Jews but then failed to do so. It was a Levitical city east of the Jordan River in Gilead (Jdgs. 11:34). It was also an important city under Solomon (1 Kgs. 4:13). It was also strategically important because it overlooked the plain of Jezreel. King Ahab cared about the security of Jezreel because he had a palace there, and this is where he stole Naboth’s lands after killing him (1 Kgs. 21:1, 15-16). During the three years of peace (1 Kgs. 22:1), Ahab formed a coalition with Ben-hadad and 10 other pagan kings in order to fight off an Assyrian invasion. From Assyrian records, historians believe that these forces fought a battle at Qarqar on the Orontes River in 853 B.C. This battle temporarily stopped the southward march of the invading Assyrian forces. This peace allowed Ahab to turn his attention to recapturing Ramoth-gilead. When Ahab pressed Jehoshaphat to help him retake it, he belatedly asked Ahab if he had first consulted God for guidance (2 Chr. 18:4). This was something that Ahab failed to do because he did not trust God.
Seek God’s will to guide the important decisions in your life. Jehoshaphat should have consulted God before he formed a marriage alliance and a military alliance. He asked for God’s guidance only after setting the war into motion. But Jehoshaphat learned from his mistakes with Ahab. He later became introduced to Elijah after he asked for a prophet to help discern God’s will: “But Jehoshaphat said, ‘Is there not a prophet of the LORD here, that we may inquire of the LORD by him?’ And one of the king of Israel’s servants answered and said, ‘Elisha the son of Shaphat is here, who used to pour water on the hands of Elijah.’” (2 Kgs. 3:11). After hearing reports of Saul’s imminent attack on him in the wilderness, David turned to the priest Abiathar to guide his steps (1 Sam. 23:9-15). When you cry out to God, He will give you wisdom: “But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.” (Jam. 1:5). “Behold, You desire truth in the innermost being, and in the hidden part You will make me know wisdom.” (Ps. 51:6). “For the LORD gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding.” (Prov. 2:6). David would also turn to God’s Word to guide his path: “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” (Ps. 119:105). The Holy Spirit will help you to remember the Word and apply it in your life. “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.” (Jo. 14:26, 16; 15:26; 16:13). Are you reading the Word and praying for the Spirit to guide you?
Do not lean on your own understanding. Ahab failed to follow Solomon’s advice not to lean on his own understanding: “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding.” (Prov. 3:5). For people like Ahab, consulting God’s wisdom will also appear like a foolish waste of time. “For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” (1 Cor. 1:18; 1 Cor. 2:14). If you are facing an important decision, consult God.

3. Testing: Test All Advice You Receive to Ensure That It Is From God. 2 Chr. 18:5-11.

The false prophets tell Ahab that he will prevail in a third war against the Syrians. Instead of consulting God, Ahab got the answer he wanted by consulting 400 false prophets. But, after Jehoshaphat insisted on hearing from a real prophet from Yahweh, Ahab brought him a prophet named Micaiah: “⁵Then the king of Israel assembled the prophets, four hundred men, and said to them, ‘Shall we go against Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall I refrain?’ And they said, ‘Go up, for God will give it into the hand of the king.’ ⁶But Jehoshaphat said, ‘Is there not yet a prophet of the Lord here that we may inquire of him?’ ⁷The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, ‘There is yet one man by whom we may inquire of the Lord, but I hate him, for he never prophesies good concerning me but always evil. He is Micaiah, son of Imla.’ But Jehoshaphat said, ‘Let not the king say so.’ ⁸Then the king of Israel called an officer and said, ‘Bring quickly Micaiah, Imla’s son.’ ⁹Now the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah were sitting each on his throne, arrayed in their robes, and they were sitting at the threshing floor at the entrance of the gate of Samaria; and all the prophets were prophesying before them. ¹⁰Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah made horns of iron for himself and said, ‘Thus says the Lord, ‘With these you shall gore the Arameans until they are consumed.’’ ¹¹All the prophets were prophesying thus, saying, ‘Go up to Ramoth-gilead and succeed, for the Lord will give it into the hand of the king.’” (2 Chr. 18:5-11; 1 Kgs. 22:6-12). The 400 false prophets were most likely the false prophets of Asherah who were not killed with the prophets of Baal at Mount Carmel: “Now then send and gather to me all Israel at Mount Carmel, together with 450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of the Asherah, who eat at Jezebel’s table.” (1 Kgs. 18:19, 22). The false prophets of Asherah told Ahab exactly what he wanted to hear. They promised him victory. The numbers 40 and 400 are both associated with testing in the Bible. God tested the Jews to see who they would turn to. Ahab turned to the people who told him what he wanted to hear. But Jehoshaphat did not trust pagan prophets. He wanted a “prophet of the Lord.” Micaiah was the only available “prophet of the lord”. His name roughly translates as “Who is like the lord?” But Ahab did not like Micaiah because he did not say what he wanted. Based upon the context, most believe that Ahab had cast him into prison for his prior advice. When the kings were together in a royal court room, the false prophet Zedekiah (yet likely not a prophet of Asherah) repeated the promises of victory. He made horns of iron and used them to prophesy against the Syrians (1 Kgs. 22:11-12). This is a symbol of victory (Dan. 8:7; Micah 4:13; Zech. 1:18-19). To add to his claims of authenticity, he did not claim to represent Asherah. Instead, he claimed victory on behalf of Yahweh.

Ahab’s pagan false prophets give Ahab promises of victory²

Be wary of those who only preach “feel good” messages on behalf of God. Ahab had 400 false prophets of Asherah and one alleged prophet of Yahweh named Zedekiah. All offered uplifting messages of victory. By a number count, it would appear that God would ensure victory. But God later condemned the many false prophets who offered the words that the people wanted to hear instead of the truth: “For this is a rebellious people, false sons, sons who refuse to listen to the instruction of the LORD; who say to the seers, ‘You must not see visions’; and to the prophets, ‘You must not prophesy to us what is right, speak to us pleasant words, prophesy illusions.” (Is. 30:9-10). “It is definitely because they have misled My people by saying, ‘Peace!’ when there is no peace. And when anyone builds a wall, behold, they plaster it over with whitewash;” (Ezek. 13:10). “How long? Is there anything in the hearts of the prophets who prophesy falsehood, even these prophets of the deception of their own heart,” (Jer. 23:26). ‘“Behold, I am against those who have prophesied false dreams,’ declares the LORD, ‘and related them and led My people astray by their falsehoods and reckless boasting; yet I did not send them or command them, nor do they furnish this people the slightest benefit,’ declares the LORD.” (Jer. 23:32). Many churches also offer only “feel good” messages. While the Bible calls upon believers to encourage one another (1 Thess. 5:11), that is not the only message in the Bible. If your church only offers half of God’s truth, it is not fully representing God. God’s Word is also meant to convict and change behavior.
Test every spirit and every prophetic claim. Throughout history, there have been many false leaders who have led God’s people into rebellion against Him. “Then the LORD said to me, ‘The prophets are prophesying falsehood in My name. I have neither sent them nor commanded them nor spoken to them; they are prophesying to you a false vision, divination, futility and the deception of their own minds.”’ (Jer. 14:14). Thus, Jesus warns believers to “Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves.” (Matt. 7:15). “Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many.” (Matt. 24:11, 24). Thus, it is important to test every person who claims to speak on God’s behalf: “²⁰ But the prophet who speaks a word presumptuously in My name which I have not commanded him to speak, or which he speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet shall die.’ ²¹You may say in your heart, ‘How will we know the word which the Lord has not spoken?’ ²²When a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the thing does not come about or come true, that is the thing which the Lord has not spoken. The prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him.” (Dt. 18:20-22). God allows false prophets to exist to test your heart (Dt. 13:3). His warnings to test all things is repeated in the New Testament. “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.” (1 Jo. 4:1; 2 Tim. 3:16; 1 Thess. 5:21). Deceiving spirits may also come across as “angels of light” (2 Cor. 11:14-15). The false prophets who advised Ahab were like angels of light with their predictions of victory. But, even when a person offers predictions of victory, you should always be wary of being deceived.
Seven signs of a false prophet. There are several signs of a false prophet. First, a false prophet encourages you to pursue things that are contrary to God’s will (Dt. 13:2). That is exactly what the false prophet did in this account. Second, a false prophet teaches things based upon human traditions that are contrary to what appears in the Bible (Mk. 7:6-8; Gal. 1:8-9; 2 Tim. 4:3; Jer. 23:16). Many of these false prophets also ignore sin: “Your prophets have seen for you false and foolish visions; and they have not exposed your iniquity so as to restore you from captivity, . . .” (Lam. 2:14). “They heal the brokenness of the daughter of My people superficially, Saying, ‘Peace, peace,’ But there is no peace.” (Jer. 8:11; 14:13-14; 20:6; 28:15; 29:8; 23:17; Is. 30:10; 1 Thess. 5:3). Third, a false prophet causes dissention that is unrelated to correcting or restoring a wayward person or a church (Rom. 16.17). Fourth, even if a person shows outward acts of piety or righteousness, the person is a false prophet if he or she is inwardly motivated by self-interest (Matt. 7:15; 2 Pet. 2:1-3, 13-15, 19; Jer. 23:26). Fifth, a false prophet denies that Jesus is the son of God (1 Jo. 4:2-6). Fifth a false prophet offers alternatives to salvation besides Jesus’ death on the cross (Matt. 24:5). Finally, a false prophet makes predictions that do not come true (Dt. 18:22). Believers are warned to be aware of these tests because false prophets will come and deceive many in the end times.

4. Truth: God’s Will Is Revealed When You Seek His Truth Over Unity. 2 Chr. 18:12-16.

God’s prophet Micaiah foretells Ahab’s defeat. A messenger from Ahab warned Micaiah to offer words of unity with the other prophets. But, as the one true representative of Yahweh, Micaiah warned that the war with the Syrians would result in Ahab’s defeat: “¹²Then the messenger who went to summon Micaiah spoke to him saying, ‘Behold, the words of the prophets are uniformly favorable to the king. So please let your word be like one of them and speak favorably.’ ¹³But Micaiah said, ‘As the Lord lives, what my God says, that I will speak.’ ¹⁴When he came to the king, the king said to him, ‘Micaiah, shall we go to Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall I refrain?’ He said, ‘Go up and succeed, for they will be given into your hand.’ ¹⁵Then the king said to him, ‘How many times must I adjure you to speak to me nothing but the truth in the name of the Lord?’ ¹⁶So he said, ‘I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains, like sheep which have no shepherd; and the Lord said, ‘These have no master. Let each of them return to his house in peace.’’” (2 Chr. 18:12-16; 1 Kgs. 22:13-17). The messenger encouraged Micaiah to speak with unity with the other prophets who had already spoken ‘“let your word be like the word of one of them, and speak favorably.’” (2 Chr. 18:12; 1 Kgs. 22:13). The assumption that many have is that a favorable word from Micaiah would have resulted in his freedom from prison. Yet, Micaiah said that he would speak God’s truth, even if it challenged the consensus or unity of the group (2 Chr. 18:13). Micaiah initially responded with sarcasm when he told Ahab to go and prosper because Ahab did not really want the truth (2 Chr. 18:14). Ahab recognized Micaiah’ sarcasm and then demanded a truthful response (2 Chr. 18:15). But Ahab did not really seek God’s truth. Instead, he needed to convince Jehoshaphat to agree to send his forces to aid in the battle for Ramoth-gilead. Micaiah then prophesied that the “shepherd” of Northern Israel, Ahab, would be killed, leaving God’s people without their shepherd (2 Chr. 18:16; 1 Kgs. 22:17). Thus, Micaiah warned Ahab that his foolish war would result in his death.

Micaiah warned Ahab that he would be defeated in battle³

God speaks to those who diligently seek His truth. Unlike the false prophets, Micaiah could hear God’s true voice because he was a man of faith who diligently sought God’s truth. Saul thought that he was serving God when he hunted down the followers of Christ. At that time, he could not hear God’s voice. But God transformed him and allowed him to understand His voice (Acts 9). If you diligently seek His truth, you will also find Him, and His truth will guide you and set you free: ‘“and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free. . . So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.”’ (Jo. 8:32, 36). “You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.” (Jer. 29:13). “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.” (Matt. 7:7-8). “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.” (Ro. 8:2). Are you diligently seeking Jesus to develop an ongoing walk with Him?
The truth is more important than the unity of God’s people. At the time, Micaiah was under pressure to present a unified voice to the kings of Israel and Judah. As stated previously, believers are called upon to act with one accord as the Spirit leads the body (Ro. 12:5; 1 Cor. 10:17; 12:12; 12:20-21; Eph. 4:4). But unity must be based upon the love of God: “Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity.” (Col. 3:14). If Micaiah had promised victory, he would have been motivated out of a love for his own freedom or for the people to feel united together. He would not have been motivated by a love for God. Churches can make the same mistake. There are many teachings in the Bible that are no longer politically popular. In fact, repeating certain verses in the wrong context could get you fired or even charged with “hate speech.” Like Micaiah, believers must choose between political unity and God’s truth.
God sent the prophets and later Jesus because His shepherds led His people astray. Micaiah warned that the Jews of Northern Israel would soon be without their shepherd (1 Kgs. 22:17). Yet, even though they had a physical shepherd, they had not had a spiritual shepherd since Israel divided into two nations. Moses prophetically prayed for God to provide a spiritual shepherd to gather His lost sheep: “May the LORD, the God of the spirits of all flesh, appoint a man over the congregation, who will go out and come in before them, and who will lead them out and bring them in, so that the congregation of the LORD will not be like sheep which have no shepherd.” (Nu. 27:16-17). Like Micaiah, Jeremiah also lamented the lack of a spiritual shepherd for God’s people: “My people have become lost sheep; their shepherds have led them astray. They have made them turn aside on the mountains; they have gone along from mountain to hill and have forgotten their resting place.” (Jer. 50:6). Jesus is the Good Shepherd who came to gather His lost sheep: “Seeing the people, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd.” (Matt. 9:36; Mk. 6:34). If He is your real shepherd, you will prize His truth over political correctness.

5. Submit: Submit to God’s Word or Satan May Guide and Deceive You. 2 Chr. 18:17-22.

Micaiah reveals that God allowed for a spirit to deceive the false prophets. Because Ahab called God’s Word evil, God rendered his prophets spiritually blind and allowed Satan to send a spirit to deceive his false prophets: “¹⁷Then the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, ‘Did I not tell you that he would not prophesy good concerning me, but evil?’ ¹⁸Micaiah said, ‘Therefore, hear the word of the Lord. I saw the Lord sitting on His throne, and all the host of heaven standing on His right and on His left. ¹⁹The Lord said, ‘Who will entice Ahab king of Israel to go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?’ And one said this while another said that. ²⁰Then a spirit came forward and stood before the Lord and said, ‘I will entice him.’ And the Lord said to him, ‘How?’ ²¹He said, ‘I will go and be a deceiving spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.’ Then He said, ‘You are to entice him and prevail also. Go and do so.’ ²²Now therefore, behold, the Lord has put a deceiving spirit in the mouth of these your prophets, for the Lord has proclaimed disaster against you.’” (2 Chr. 18:17-22; 1 Kgs. 22:18-23). Ahab claimed that he wanted the truth. But he called Micaiah’s prophecy “evil” (2 Chr. 18:17; 1 Kgs. 22:18). Ahab only wanted to hear words of victory. To rebuke Ahab, Micaiah restated God’s prophesy against him more forcefully (2 Chr. 18:21-22; 1 Kgs. 22:19-23). Because Ahab and his prophets had embraced evil, God made them spiritually blind. This allowed Satan to put a false spirit into them to deceive them. God cannot lie or deceive: “God is not a man, that He should lie, . . .” (Nu. 23:19; Heb. 6:18). Thus, we know that this was Satan’s evil spirit that God had allowed to deceive Ahab (2 Chr. 18:22; 1 Kgs. 22:23).
If you don’t submit to God’s Word, you are spiritually blind and likely to be deceived. God shut the eyes of the false prophets to the truth to show them that they were spiritually blind. In reference to those who will follow the future antichrist, God warns: “For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false,” (2 Thess. 2:11). “And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper,” (Ro. 1:28). “Be delayed and wait, blind yourselves and be blind; they become drunk, but not with wine, they stagger, but not with strong drink. For the LORD has poured over you a spirit of deep sleep, He has shut your eyes, the prophets; and He has covered your heads, the seers.” (Is. 29:9-10; 42:16). “Then God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem; and the men of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech,” (Jdgs. 9:23.) As another example of this, Saul was spiritually blind to his persecution of Jesus’ followers until Jesus removed the scales from his eyes (Acts 9:8-9, 18). All who walk by sight instead of God’s Word are spiritually blind: “And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” (2 Cor. 4:3-4; Matt. 13:22). If you are pressured to follow what is politically popular, will you resist and follow God’s Word?

6. Fear God: If You Don’t Fear God, You Won’t Discern His Word. 2 Chr. 18:23-27.

Ahab imprisons Micaiah and subjects him to harsh treatment for foretelling defeat. Because their hearts were evil, a false prophet struck Micaiah, and Ahab threw him into prison, where he was further mistreated: “²³Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah came near and struck Micaiah on the cheek and said, ‘How did the Spirit of the Lord pass from me to speak to you?’ ²⁴Micaiah said, ‘Behold, you will see on that day when you enter an inner room to hide yourself.’ ²⁵Then the king of Israel said, ‘Take Micaiah and return him to Amon the governor of the city and to Joash the king’s son; ²⁶and say, ‘Thus says the king, ‘Put this man in prison and feed him sparingly with bread and water until I return safely.’’’ ²⁷Micaiah said, ‘If you indeed return safely, the Lord has not spoken by me.’ And he said, ‘Listen, all you people.’” (2 Chr. 18:23-27; 1 Kgs. 22:24-28). Zedekiah accused Micaiah of lying when Zedekiah struck him. Ahab then sent him back to prison under a governor named Amon and his son Joash. In prison, Ahab had Micaiah abused further. Micaiah then stated that if Ahab returned in a victory, he could be killed in accordance with God’s law regarding false prophets (Dt. 18:21-22).

Ahab ordered Micaiah to be seized and imprisoned⁴

Fear God by hating evil. Ahab and his false prophets did not accept God’s wisdom and instruction because they did not fear Him: “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.” (Prov. 1:7; 9:10). “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; a good understanding have all those who do His commandments; His praise endures forever.” (Ps. 111:10). This did not mean that Ahab and Zedekiah needed to fear the arbitrary wrath of God. Instead, they needed to fear God by hating that which was evil: “The fear of the LORD is to hate evil; . . .” (Prov. 8:13). If you are tolerating evil things in your life, the fear of God is missing in your life as well.
Don’t despise those who use God’s Word to reprove evil. Ahab and Zedekiah responded out of anger because Micaiah reproved them. God’s prophet Amos later condemned those who reject God’s reproof: “They hate him who reproves in the gate, and they abhor him who speaks with integrity.” (Amos 5:10). “A scoffer does not love one who reproves him, he will not go to the wise.” (Prov. 15:12). “Now muster yourselves in troops, daughter of troops; they have laid siege against us; with a rod they will smite the judge of Israel on the cheek.” (Micah 5:1). Paul also rebuked those who despised him for his candor in speaking God’s Word: “So have I become your enemy by telling you the truth?” (Gal. 4:16). God does not want you to have a stiff neck when He reproves you. Instead, He wants you to repent and turn back to Him when He reproves you.
Listen to God’s prophetic Word through His prophets and Christ. Moses promised that God’s people during the end times or “latter days” would return and understand His voice: “When you are in distress and all these things have come upon you, in the latter days you will return to the LORD your God and listen to His voice.” (Dt. 4:30). Jeremiah also promised that God’s prophetic Word would be clearly understood in the last days: “The anger of the LORD will not turn back until He has performed and carried out the purposes of His heart; in the last days you will clearly understand it.” (Jer. 23:20). In the Old Testament, God spoke through prophets and even non-believers (cf., Nu. 24:14; Dan. 2:28). In the New Testament, God spoke through Christ and His disciples: “in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world.” (Heb. 1:2). Through Jesus, God has made His promises clear. You first need to listen and believe in faith. Listening to His word will build up your faith: “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.” (Ro. 10:17). You also must read the Word and pray. When things remain unclear, you must also seek His wisdom through Spirit-led teachers, pastors, and others.
Don’t reject all who offer prophetic utterances. Today, most would claim that they have no problem rejecting a false prophet. Many simply reject any type of prophetic utterance. Yet, if you do this, you may close the door for the Holy Spirit to speak to you: “do not despise prophetic utterances. But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good;” (1 Thess. 5:20-21; Eph. 3:4-5). It was the Word that allowed the Bereans to verify Paul’s claims that Jesus was in fact the Messiah (Acts 17:11). If the Bereans had rejected all prophetic utterances, they would have never learned that Jesus was the Messiah. Likewise, if David had rejected all prophetic utterances, he would not have been convicted of sins when the prophet Nathan confronted him after he slept with Bathsheba and killed her husband (2 Sam. 12:1-7). Are you looking for the prophetic Word from the Spirit and then testing it against Scripture?

7. Obedience: If You Reject God’s Word, You Will Suffer Consequences. 2 Chr. 18:28-34.

God judged Ahab but spared Jehoshaphat after he cries out to God. Because Ahab was disobedient, he died in battle, just as Ahab had foretold. But God showed mercy and grace to Jehoshaphat when he cried out to Him: “²⁸So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah went up against Ramoth-gilead. ²⁹The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, ‘I will disguise myself and go into battle, but you put on your robes.’ So the king of Israel disguised himself, and they went into battle. ³⁰Now the king of Aram had commanded the captains of his chariots, saying, ‘Do not fight with small or great, but with the king of Israel alone.’ ³¹So when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, they said, ‘It is the king of Israel,’ and they turned aside to fight against him. But Jehoshaphat cried out, and the Lord helped him, and God diverted them from him. ³²When the captains of the chariots saw that it was not the king of Israel, they turned back from pursuing him. ³³A certain man drew his bow at random and struck the king of Israel in a joint of the armor. So he said to the driver of the chariot, ‘Turn around and take me out of the fight, for I am severely wounded.’ ³⁴The battle raged that day, and the king of Israel propped himself up in his chariot in front of the Arameans until the evening; and at sunset he died.” (2 Chr. 18:28-34; 1 Kgs. 22:29-40). Although it is no surprise that Ahab rejected Micaiah, it is surprising that Jehoshaphat rejected Micaiah’s prophecy and followed Ahab into battle (2 Chr. 18:28; 1 Kgs. 22:29). If Jehoshaphat was torn between the competing claims of the prophets, he did nothing to test them. Ironically, it was Ahab who appeared to take Micaiah’s prophecy the most seriously. Thus, he disguised himself just in case the prophecy was true (2 Chr. 18:29; 1 Kgs. 22:30). Saul also tried to disguise himself to evade God when he sought the counsel of a medium (1 Sam. 28:8). Jeroboam also had his wife disguise herself in an effort to trick the prophet Ahijah into giving his ill son a blessing (1 Kgs. 14:1-18). Ahab might have thought that he could have Jehoshaphat killed instead of him if the prophecy was true. But God cannot be fooled. Possibly acting under God’s influence, Ben-hadad told his troops to focus their fire on Ahab (2 Chr. 18:30; 1 Kgs. 22:31). Ahab previously spared Ben-hadad and formed a peace treaty with him (1 Kgs. 20:34). But this was done against God’s will. Thus, Ahab had really formed a deal with Satin, the father of lies who would deceive him (Jo. 8:44). As the Syrian army closed in on Jehoshaphat, he gave a cry for God’s deliverance. In response, God spared his life (2 Chr. 18:31). This cry to Yahweh also revealed to the Syrians that this was not the real king of Northern Israel (2 Chr. 18:32; 1 Kgs. 22:33). In an act of divine providence, a Syrian soldier then shot at a Jewish soldier. Yet, he killed the disguised king Ahab (1 Kgs. 22:34-35). Thus, Micaiah’s prophecy was fulfilled (2 Chr. 18:16; 1 Kgs. 22:17). This also fulfilled two other prior prophecies about Ahab’s death (1 Kgs. 20:42; 21:19).
Ahab squandered his chance to succeed. God previously forgave Ahab when he repented for killing his neighbor, stealing his lands, and for his idolatry: “Do you see how Ahab has humbled himself before Me? Because he has humbled himself before Me, I will not bring the evil in his days, but I will bring the evil upon his house in his son’s days.” (1 Kgs. 21:29). But Ahab squandered God’s mercy and grace with his disobedience. Thus, he died without honor, just as Elijah previously foretold: “You shall speak to him, saying, ‘Thus says the LORD, ‘Have you murdered and also taken possession?’ And you shall speak to him, saying, ‘Thus says the LORD, ‘In the place where the dogs licked up the blood of Naboth the dogs will lick up your blood, even yours.’” (1 Kgs. 21:19).

Ahab died in battle after ignoring God’s warnings⁵

Be obedient to God’s Word, even if you don’t understand it. Unlike Ahab, Jesus wants you to show your love to Him through your obedience, even if you don’t fully understand. “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.” (Jo. 14:15, 21; 1 Jo. 5:3; 2 Jo. 1:6). “If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.” (Jo. 15:10; Matt. 19:17). “By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments.” (1 Jo. 2:3). Will you obey God’s Word, even when you don’t understand it?
Jesus is not your Lord if you reject His Word. Ahab repeatedly refused to follow God’s Word. If you reject Jesus’ Word, He warns that He is not the true Lord over your life: “Why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?” (Lk. 6:46). “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.” (Matt. 7:21). “But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves.” (Jam. 1:22). “for it is not the hearers of the Law who are just before God, but the doers of the Law will be justified.” (Ro. 2:13). Are you obediently following His Word?