Since there was no war between Aram and Israel. But in the third year; King Jehoshaphat, King of Judah went down to see the king of Israel. So, the king of Israel, Ahab goes to seek for assistance from King Jehoshaphat to take Ramoth Gilead, a part of Samaria which belonged to Israel at the time.
so, he asks will you go with me; King Jehoshaphat responds as Ruth “I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses.” 5 But Jehoshaphat also said to the king of Israel, “First seek the counsel of the Lord.”
Ruth says, “Your people will be my people and your God my God”. Ruth 1: 16 – 17
A reverence for God “Your God will be my God” and “First seek the counsel of the Lord” and then for others and oneself, “I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses – I Kings 22 vs 4″ and “your people will be my people – Ruth 1: 16 – 17″.
A fulfillment of the 1st and 2nd commandment, (I) To love the lord is to reverence him, with all your heart, mind and soul. (II) Love your Neighbour as yourself.
Since Jehoshaphat asked the king of Israel to get counsel from the lord. Hence, the King of Israel brought prophets of about 400 men; and they told the king of Israel “Go” for the Lord will give Ramoth Gilead into the king of Israel’s hand.
Me **thinking
Sometimes, I wonder, the bible says in a multitude of counsel, there is safety. Proverbs 11:14, Proverbs 15: 22. But 400 people gave the wrong counsel. **
Yet Jehoshaphat a wise king was not convinced and asked ‘Is there no longer a prophet of the Lord’ here whom we can enquire off.
The king of Israel then says there is a prophet left whom they can enquire of the LORD, but he hates him, because he never prophecies anything good about him. King Ahab says he is Micaiah son of Imlah.
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Positive speech indeed, King Ahab, like many men today in my country, are more concerned that the prophecy from the Lord is good than whether it is TRUE; he wanted someone who would affirm him. The bible says whatsoever things are TRUE (not good or positive), PURE, HONEST, LOVELY are the things we should think on. Philippians 4:8. **************************
At that point, King Ahab was not considering whether Micaiah’s prophecy in the past had been true or not. He wanted a good or positive prophecy.
So dressed in his royal robes with king Jehoshaphat, sitting by the entrance gate, he calls for a prophet who would affirm his decision to attack Ramoth Gilead. And Zedekiah gives a prophecy saying, “with these you will gore the Arameans until they are destroyed”.
As Micaiah approaches the King of Israel, he was told by the messenger, that the other prophets without exception are predicting success for the king that his words should line up with theirs and speak favorably. But Micaiah says as surely as the Lord tells me, I can tell only what the Lord tells me.
(Sometimes, the only words we have are the word of the lord he gives us – Micaiah understood this).
Micaiah was then asked to prophecy, and he said “I saw Israel scattered on the people who have no master. Let each one go home in peace.” In verse 16, we see the king demand for the truth (i.e. what is TRUE + th) in the name of the Lord. But when Micaiah told him what was true, Ahab told Jehoshaphat, that Micaiah’s prophecies were never anything good. In our day, we call it positive speech, but bad speech we call negative.
Micaiah in verse 19 says he hears the word of Elohim; I saw the LORD sitting on his throne with ALL the multitudes of heaven standing around him on the right and left and the lord said who enticed Ahab into attacking Ramoth Gilead and going to his death there? One of the multitudes in heaven suggested this and another that. Finally, the spirit (we do not know if the spirit is from the lord or not), came forward and stood before the LORD and said, “I will entice him”.
By what means, the Lord asked, and the spirit said, ‘I will go out and send deceiving spirit in the mouth of all his prophets” he said, and the permitted it ‘Go and do it”. Micaiah further states the Lord decreed disaster for you. Zedekiah, one of prophets who prophesied falsely slapped Micaiah in his face. And Micaiah was put in prison and given nothing but bread and water like Jeremiah. (See Jeremiah 20: 1 – 6).
Micaiah said to the king “if you return safety the LORD has not spoken through me, mark my words”. Indeed, Ahab (King) was killed in Ramoth Gilead, even disguised as King Jehoshaphat. He died by a bow, hitting him between the two sections of his Armour.
Findings
In the last days, the lord said deception will increase; that causes people to err from the truth. 2 Thessalonians 2:11
“If you can use anything, LORD, you can use ME!” JESUS! If you can speak through a DONKEY, you can USE ME! GLORY TO GOD! – @scottcervantes4876. God speaks through diverse ways.
We can’t even define what is good. (Since no one is good but God). how can we who are inadept define what is good or positive, only God can do this because only God is good. Luke 18: 19.
Deuteronomy 13 says if prophet tells you a sign/wonder and it happens but says let’s follow other gods and worship them do not listen to them. It’s a test from God, Purge the evil from among you.
1 Timothy 4:1(KJV) Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils. The last days is likened to Jezebels time when Ahab was king.
The Lord allowed the deceiving spirit to confuse Ahab with the 400 prophets speaks really of the end of times. It shocks me that the Lord will allow the Devil to test Job and allow spirit to deceive the prophets and king Ahab whose reign with Jezebel is likened to the last days.
