5 But Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, Inquire first, I pray you, for the word of the Lord today.6 Then [Ahab] king of Israel gathered the prophets together, about 400 men, and said to them, Shall I go against Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall I hold back? And they said, Go up, for the Lord will deliver it into the hand of the king.7 Jehoshaphat said, Is there not another prophet of the Lord here whom we may ask?8 [Ahab] king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, There is yet one man, Micaiah son of Imlah, by whom we may inquire of the Lord, but I hate him, for he never prophesies good for me, but evil. Jehoshaphat said, Let not the king say that.16 And the king said to him, How many times must I charge you to tell me nothing but the truth in the name of the Lord?17 And he said, I saw all Israel scattered upon the hills as sheep that have no shepherd, and the Lord said, These have no master. Let them return every man to his house in peace.18 Then the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, Did I not tell you that he would prophesy no good concerning me, but evil? 1 Kings 22:5-8, 16-18
This is a very interesting passage because it shows the kings of Israel (Ahab) and Judah (Jehoshaphat) being cordial, and even arranging to enter battle as allies. This was long after the split of Israel, and was more interesting because it involved kings who had completely different faiths. Ahab was the husband of Jezebel and a staunch follower of Baal, which was pagan worship at the time. Jehoshaphat on the other hand was a loyal and dedicated follower of God, and the prophets who led the people of Judah in worship and adherence to God’s laws. This scene starts with Ahab and Jehoshaphat preparing for battle, and Jehoshaphat requesting that they 1st consult God’s guidance through a prophet which was the custom for the kings of Judah, and originally the way that Israel conducted business before the split. Ahab is reluctant to consult God because he doesn’t serve God, and therefore is usually at odds with God’s prophets who speak his word. Ahab because of his lifestyle which was in direct opposition/disrespect to God was usually criticized by the prophets who spoke God’s word. Ahab’s reasoning for not wanting to consult a prophet is because “He never prophecies good for me, but evil.” His negative experiences with God through his prophets were a direct result of God’s rejection of his lifestyle, and Ahab’s refusal to repent for his ways and change his life. What is the reason that you don’t consult God anymore? If many of us were to be honest, we know what we should be doing, and the word is available to us to read at anytime if we don’t know what we should be doing. God has made his word available, and even better Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to comfort and aide us in our journey through life, so there is no excuses for us to still be lost. Like Ahab, we sometimes suffer from a self-fulfilling prophecy, where things go negatively as we said they would because we said they would. The prophets who had spoken to Ahab in the past had always informed him of his misdeeds and how to return to God and live in God’s will. What’s even more important in this passage is that the direction the prophet (Imlah) gave Ahab was actually for his protection/well-being, but because it didn’t align with Ahab’s plans, it was received as negative. Syria was a dominant nation at the time with a large army who was seeking to conquer Israel and Judah. The only possible way for Israel to win this battle was with the help of Judah AND God. The fact that we NEED God means that we don’t get to the set the terms of our relationship with him. God is clear in how we are to serve him, live our lives, and what he provides/gives in the relationship. When we like Ahab refuse to live his way, we are left to suffer the consequences of our choices and lifestyle.
Reflection Time
Are you trying to get God to bless YOUR plans, or are you trying to get your plans and life in line with God’s will for your life? Are you mature enough to accept the wisdom/direction of God even when it doesn’t align with your plans/vision? Why don’t you consult God before you make your decisions? What causes you to ignore or reject God’s voice/direction when he speaks?
