NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH

Transcription

1 ELIJAH NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH (1 KINGS 22) Few things are more important than the truth. Jesus said, You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free (John 8:32). The wise man said, Buy truth, and do not sell it (Proverbs 23:23). We must pay the price in time and energy to learn the truth; and once we have it, we must hold onto it, no matter what! In this lesson we are not concerned about truth in general, as important as it is, but rather about the truth revealed from God. Jesus said to His Father, Thy word is truth (John 17:17). David prayed, Thou art God, and Thy words are truth (2 Samuel 7:28). In Psalm 119 the writer stressed that God s Word is truth: Thy law is truth.... all Thy commandments are truth.... The sum of Thy word is truth (vv. 142, 151, 160). God has given us His will in the Bible so we might know the truth that makes us free: He has given us the truth about Himself and His Son, the truth about man and sin, the truth about salvation and Christian living, the truth about heaven and hell. Since we live in a country filled with Bibles, we cannot excuse ourselves by saying, We had no opportunity to learn the truth. The question is, What will we do with the truth? Perhaps you have seen articles like these: 25 Things To Do With Leftover Turkey ; 19 Things To Do With Styrofoam Packing Balls ; 3 Things To Do With Your Old Polyester Leisure Suit. We can do hundreds of things with the truth. We can seek it (Jeremiah 5:1). We can believe and know it (1 Timothy 4:3). We can obey it (1 Peter 1:22). We can speak it (Zechariah 8:16; Ephesians 4:15). We can walk in it (1 Kings 2:4; 3:6; Psalms 86:11). We can practice it (John 3:21; 1 John 1:6). We can support it (1 Timothy 3:15). On the other hand, we can conceal the truth (Psalms 40:10). We can suppress it (Romans 1:18). We can exchange it for a lie (Romans 1:25). We can refuse to obey it (Romans 1:28; Galatians 5:17). We can oppose it (2 Timothy 3:8). We can turn away from it (2 Timothy 4:4; Titus 1:4). First Kings 22 shows how Ahab s rejection of the truth caught up with him. Before we get to that climactic moment, however, we will see the truth used, misused, and abused. Powerful lessons are found in this chapter regarding our attitude toward the Bible and the consequences of ignoring and rejecting the truth. A wonderful sentiment is found in verse 16: I adjure you to speak to me nothing but the truth in the name of the Lord. (Emphasis mine.) Unfortunately, the words were spoken by a man who was playing games with the truth. WE CAN PLAY GAMES WITH THE TRUTH (22:1-17) Most of us, if we were asked, Do you want the truth? would reply with an emphatic Yes! We may not, however, be that eager for the truth. In 1964, Eric Berne wrote Games People Play, a book on the psychology of human relations. People play games with the truth. The first part of chapter 22 is packed with examples of games people play. The Compromise Game A godly king played the compromise game. And three years passed without war between Aram [Syria] and Israel. And it came 1

2 about in the third year, that Jehoshaphat the king of Judah came down to the king of Israel (vv. 1, 2). This was a remarkable event. As far as the record goes, this is the first time a king of Judah met a king of Israel other than on the battlefield. 1 We cannot know all the reasons Jehoshaphat went to see Ahab, but the writer of Chronicles 2 tied the visit with an event that had taken place years earlier: Jehoshaphat... allied himself by marriage 3 with Ahab (2 Chronicles 18:1). Nine or so years before, Jehoshaphat s son, Jehoram, had married Ahab and Jezebel s daughter, Athaliah. 4 In the latter part of 1 Kings 22, as the minuses of Jehoshaphat s life are listed, the key one is that he made peace with the king of Israel (v. 44). Jehoshaphat was not perfect, but he was one of Judah s better kings. He walked in all the way of Asa his father; he did not turn aside from it, doing right in the sight of the Lord (v. 43). 5 In contrast with Jehoshaphat s godly life, Ahab was one of the most ungodly kings Israel ever had (1 Kings 16:33). Apparently, Jehoshaphat believed that peace was of prime importance, so he agreed to a marriage between his son and Ahab s daughter. 6 He also made an alliance with Ahab. No doubt Jehoshaphat s motives were the highest. He probably thought peace would be mutually beneficial and that over time he could influence Israel to abandon her ungodly ways. However, what he did was wrong in principle, disastrous in practice, 7 and almost fatal in its consequences. 8 Peace is to be desired, 9 but never 1 I stress as far as the record goes since it is possible there had been contact before. For instance, Jehoshaphat and Ahab surely met at the wedding of their children. 2 This is the first time in this series we have had a parallel account in the Chronicles (2 Chronicles 18). The reason for this is that the Chronicles are concerned with the southern kingdom of Judah, not the northern kingdom of Israel. Since Jehoshaphat is involved in this incident, it is recorded in the Chronicles. 3 The KJV has joined affinity. 4 See 2 Kings 8:18, See 2 Chronicles 17:3, 4. 6 This was a disastrous union as far as Judah was concerned. Athaliah introduced Baal worship into Judah. At the death of Ahaziah, she attempted to kill all the seed royal of the house of David (including her own grandchildren), so she could sit on the throne (only Joash escaped). 7 2 Chronicles 19:2, Kings 22:32ff. 9 Matthew 5:9. at the cost of compromising truth. The wise man said, Buy truth, and do not sell it (Proverbs 23:23). Never sell the truth for peace; it is too high a price. When Jehoshaphat arrived in Samaria, Ahab gave him a magnificent feast. Ahab slaughtered many sheep and oxen for him (2 Chronicles 18:2). In the middle of the feast, Ahab began casually to talk about a city on the other side of the Jordan: Do you know that Ramoth-gilead belongs to us, and we are still doing nothing to take it out of the hand of the king of Aram? (v. 3). Ahab was talking for the benefit of Jehoshaphat, but he spoke to his servants. He was playing a game. Ramoth-gilead means Ramoth in Gilead. Gilead was the rugged country east of the Jordan, the home country of Elijah. 10 Ramoth-gilead was a walled city, a frontier fortress. It was strategically situated on the heights commanding the approach to Israel from the east side of the Jordan. Now, however, it was controlled by Syrian forces and posed a constant threat to Israel. Incidentally, 1 Kings 20:34 says that Benhadad, the king of Syria, had not kept his word to his brother Ahab. Ahab then spoke directly to Jehoshaphat: Will you go with me to battle at Ramoth-gilead? Jehoshaphat apparently did not hesitate: I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses (1 Kings 22:4). This was an oriental way of saying, We will go to war together. The Chronicler added here, We will be with you in the battle (2 Chronicles 18:3). Why did Jehoshaphat readily agree to go to war with Ahab? Perhaps it was to promote further unity between Judah and Israel. Maybe it was because Syrian occupation of Ramoth-gilead was also a threat to Judah, since Ramoth-gilead was only forty miles from Jerusalem. Perhaps it was because Ahab was a good salesman. Second Chronicles 18 says, He [Ahab] induced him to go up against Ramoth-gilead (v. 2; emphasis mine). Whatever the reason, God was not pleased. When Jehoshaphat later returned home after the battle, he was met by a prophet of God: And Jehu the son of Hanani the seer went out to meet him and said to King Jehoshaphat, 10 1 Kings 17:1. 2

3 Should you help the wicked [Ahab and his followers] and love those who hate the Lord [Ahab and the other idol worshipers] and so bring wrath on yourself from the Lord? (2 Chronicles 19:2). God is never happy when those who have committed themselves to follow Him compromise with evil, regardless of how good their motives may be. 11 When we begin to compromise with evil, it snowballs. Jehoshaphat started with a hand held out in peace; now he would put his life on the line in battle. The Tell-Them-What-They-Want-to-Hear Game The false prophets played the tell-themwhat-they-want-to-hear game. Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, Please inquire first for the word of the Lord (v. 5). Let s check with Jehovah before we actually go to war. Any time we have a serious decision to make, we should first go to the Lord 12 and be willing to accept His answer. Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, about four hundred men (v. 6a). These four hundred prophets are not called prophets of Jehovah. At one point, they invoked the name of Jehovah (vv. 11, 12, 24), but a true prophet referred to them as Ahab s prophets (vv. 22, 23), rather than Jehovah s. We are not sure who they were. Perhaps Ahab replaced the 450 prophets of Baal whom Elijah had killed. Perhaps these were the four hundred prophets of Asherah who had not been killed. 13 One thing is obvious: These were court prophets retained by Ahab to tell him what he wanted to hear. Ahab asked them, Shall I go against Ramothgilead to battle or shall I refrain? They answered, Go up, for the Lord will give it into the hand of the king (v. 6b). They did not say, In the name of Jehovah, which true prophets were careful to do. 14 They did not refer to Jehovah at all. The word Lord in this verse is from the Hebrew word adonai, which was also used to refer 11 Note 2 Corinthians 6: Second Chronicles 20:35 says Jehoshaphat also acted wickedly in making an alliance with Ahab s son, Ahaziah. 12 Note 1 Samuel 23:2, Other suggestions have also been given. Perhaps the fact one of them has a Hebrew name (verses 11, 24) indicates they were not imported prophets of Baal or Asherah. 14 See 1 Kings 14:7ff.; 17:1; etc. to Baal. 15 In fact, the entire answer given by the four hundred prophets was ambiguous. Go up, they said, for the Lord will give it into the hand of the king. What Lord? Jehovah or Baal? What king? The king of Israel or the king of Syria? What did it mean? It could mean anything, 16 even Ahab himself, as he was given into the hands of Ben-hadad. (The message of these prophets was similar to the prophecies of psychics featured in tabloids; such vague predictions could mean almost anything.) We are not surprised that Jehoshaphat was dissatisfied with their vague answer. But Jehoshaphat said, Is there not yet a prophet of the Lord here, that we may inquire of him? (v. 7). Check your Bible; you should see the word Lord here in all capital letters, showing that it stands for the sacred name of God: Jehovah. Jehoshaphat said, I want to ask a real prophet of God what is going to happen. The I-Want-the-Truth-as-Long-as-It-Agrees- With-Me Game An ungodly king played the I-want-thetruth-as-long-as-it-agrees-with-me game. Ahab revealed much about his character in his reply to Jehoshaphat: There is yet one man by whom we may inquire of the Lord, but I hate him, because he does not prophesy good concerning me, but evil. He is Micaiah son of Imlah (v. 8a). This passage tells us several things: First, another prophet, Micaiah, 17 had confronted Ahab on several occasions. 18 Micaiah means Who is like Jehovah? Perhaps he was another prophet activated by Elijah s courage on Mount Carmel. According to Jewish tradition, he was the prophet in 1 Kings 20 who came in disguise to challenge Ahab. Second, truth is not always pleasant. Ahab thought truth should always be good news for him. Truth, however, is not always good ; 15 The writer of Chronicles says the prophets also used the generic word god, from elohim (2 Chronicles 18:5). Baal worshipers also referred to Baal as Elohim. I am reminded of a popular Beatles song from 1970: My Sweet Lord. Many fans thought it was a song about Jesus, when it was actually a song about a pagan spiritual leader. 16 It is in italics, indicating that it was added by the translators. 17 This was a common name in the Old Testament. 18 See also verse 16 and 2 Chronicles 18:7 ( never... but always ). 3

4 sometimes it is evil (exceedingly bad). An old saying is The truth hurts. Although the truth heals sometimes, the saying is accurate often enough that we nod our heads when we hear it. I took a course in homiletics at Abilene Christian University under Dr. Fred Barton. The first semester was on preparing sermons; I made an A. The next semester was on presentation. Since I had won speech contests all my life and had preached for several years, I thought that was my strong point; I expected an A+ for the course. I remember how angry I was when I got a C on one of my early efforts. The outline I had handed him before I spoke was covered with criticism, most of it about mannerisms. As soon as I got outside, I angrily tore those notes into tiny pieces and scattered them to the wind. I had wanted Dr. Barton to tell me good ; instead, he told me the truth. In the end, being told the truth did me good as I gradually rid myself of some of the bad speaking habits I had acquired. At the time, though, I did not like it! We say we want the truth, but do we really? When we go to the doctor, do we want the truth about our health, or do we want to hear, Everything is fine? 19 When we step on the scales, do we want the truth, or do we want the scales to indicate, Your weight is perfect? Third, it is obvious Ahab did not want truth. Rather he wanted to be told what he wanted to hear. Paul spoke of this attitude: For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires; and will turn away their ears from the truth (2 Timothy 4:3, 4). Ahab had surrounded himself with spiritual yes-men, adept at ear-tickling. He most assuredly did not want someone like Micaiah to come in with the irritating truth! Jehoshaphat rebuked Ahab: Let not the king say so (v. 8b). He was saying, Do not say that about a prophet of Jehovah. Do not refuse to call him. I want to know what the word of the Lord is. Then the king of Israel called an officer and said, Bring quickly Micaiah son of Imlah (v. 9). 19 Or, if we cannot hear Fine, we want to hear, Here s a little pill you can take once a day that will take care of the problem. This verse and verse 26 indicate that Micaiah had been cast into prison for speaking evil (i.e., the truth) to Ahab in the past. Thus Ahab s official could find Micaiah quickly and bring him back. As the official went to get Micaiah, the scene changed. Now [Ahab] the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah were sitting each on his throne, arrayed in their robes, at the threshing floor 20 at the entrance of the gate of Samaria (v. 10a). The gates of cities marked the places where most public transactions were carried out. The two kings sat on their portable thrones, wearing their royal robes. And all the prophets were prophesying before them.... And all the prophets were prophesying thus, saying, Go up to Ramoth-gilead and prosper, for the Lord will give it into the hand of the king (vv. 10b, 12). One of the prophets, Zedekiah, 21 had evidently read my book Give Your Lessons a Visual Punch. He held iron spikes to his head like horns and ran around butting other prophets, saying, Thus says the Lord, With these you shall gore the Arameans until they are consumed 22 (v. 11). The word Lord is all capital letters both in verse 11 and verse 12; the prophets now butted one another in the name of Jehovah. These prophets could preach it any way Ahab and Jehoshaphat wanted it. It was no problem for them to add a god or two to the hundreds they already worshiped. If the kings wanted to know what the Hebrew god Jehovah had to say, they were happy to oblige. The Let-Me-Tell-You-What s-good-for-you Game A smooth-talking official played the let-metell-you-what s-good-for-you game. Then the 20 This was a large elevated area, cleared, covered with packed earth, used for threshing grain. It was ideal for the kings purpose. 21 His name means Justice of Jehovah. Did his parents name him this because they just liked the way it sounded (as we do today) or because they wanted to honor the Lord? If Zedekiah s parents were Jehovah-fearing Israelites, Zedekiah had left the way he was raised. 22 Most commentators think Zedekiah was consciously or unconsciously echoing Moses words in Deuteronomy 33:17. 4

5 messenger who went to summon Micaiah spoke to him saying, Behold now, the words of the prophets are uniformly favorable to the king (v. 13a). Uniformly favorable means everybody agrees on this. It is difficult to stand up to the crowd, to be the lone voice speaking for God, when there is uniformity among those opposing God s way. We have unity and harmony, the messenger said. Don t rock the boat. Please let your word be like the word of one of them, and speak favorably (v. 13b). We will all be better off if you will. The king will be happy, I will be looked on with favor, and you may get out of prison. Please say something nice for a change! This official was like those Isaiah wrote about, who said to the prophets: You must not prophesy to us what is right, [rather] speak to us pleasant words [literally, smooth things] (Isaiah 30:10). A courageous prophet at last said, Forget all the games! Let us tell it like it is! Finally, we meet our hero: But Micaiah said [to the official], As the Lord lives, what the Lord says to me, that I will speak (v. 14). All of us who preach and teach need to engrave these words on our hearts! When Micaiah reached Ahab, the game-playing continued. The king asked, Micaiah, shall we go to Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall we refrain? (v. 15a). Ahab did not care what Micaiah said; he was asking for Jehoshaphat s benefit. Micaiah knew that he was asking for Jehoshaphat s benefit, and Ahab knew that Micaiah knew he was asking for Jehoshaphat s benefit, and Micaiah knew that Ahab knew... They were just playing games. Micaiah played the game. He gave the same answer the false prophets had given: Go up and succeed, and the Lord will give it into the hand of the king (v. 15b). 23 Note that Micaiah did not say, Thus saith Jehovah. It was obvious to all that Micaiah did not mean what he said. I wish I had a video of the scene. Was it the way he spoke or the look on his face that revealed he was playing a game? Perhaps the official had told him what the uniform message of the four hundred prophets was; perhaps God had told him. 24 If desired, you can give a quick demonstration to show how one can say something in a way it is obvious to all he does not mean it: You re so smart! The Bible has many illustrations of words spoken in irony or sarcasm. Ahab told Micaiah, How many times must I adjure 25 you to speak to me nothing but the truth in the name of the Lord? (v. 16). What wonderful sentiment in those words! Oh, that every listening audience would cry unto the religious teachers and preachers of our day, We adjure you to speak to us nothing but the truth in the name of the Lord. Give us the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth! As noted earlier, these magnificent words came from the lips of a man playing games, a man speaking empty words for the benefit of another. At that point God s prophet said, No more games! Let us tell it like it is! So 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 (v. 17). Micaiah used phrasing familiar to all who knew the Scriptures. Moses used these words when he prayed for a leader for God s people so they would not be like sheep which have no shepherd (Numbers 27:16, 17). 26 Israel s being pictured as having no master would have been understood by all present to be a prophecy regarding Ahab s death. IF WE PLAY GAMES WITH THE TRUTH, WE WILL LOSE 27 (22:18-23) A death prophecy should have put Ahab on his knees, as did a previous prophecy regarding his death (see 1 Kings 21:27), but it did not. Instead the king acted insulted. He used Micaiah s words as proof that he was correct when he said Micaiah never prophesied anything good about him (v. 18). Ahab did not profit from the truth. All he did was play games with it. Following Ahab s complaint, we see one of the strangest passages in the Bible. It is one of those texts in which we may never fully understand the details, but it is almost impossible to misunderstand the main point: 25 Adjure is a term meaning I urge you, under oath, to tell the truth. 26 Ezekiel, Jesus, and others also used this phrasing. 27 If you do not wish to retain the figure of playing games, this can be rephrased: We will be deceived. 5

6 And Micaiah said, Therefore, hear the word of the Lord. I saw the Lord sitting on His throne, and all the host of heaven [angels] standing by Him on His right and on His left. And the Lord said, Who will entice Ahab to go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead? And one said this while another said that. Then a spirit [literally, the spirit] came forward and stood before the Lord and said, I will entice him. And the Lord said to him, How? And he said, I will go out and be a deceiving spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. Then He said, You are to entice him and also prevail. Go and do so. Now therefore, behold, the Lord has put a deceiving spirit in the mouth of all these your prophets; and the Lord has proclaimed disaster against you (vv ). Since God does not need anyone s counsel or advice (Romans 11:34, 35), I doubt that we are supposed to take every detail of this story literally. The bottom line, however, is easy to understand. Micaiah said that the four hundred prophets were liars. Maybe they were sincere, maybe not; but they were not telling the truth. He told Ahab, Behold, the Lord has put a deceiving spirit in the mouth of all these your prophets. Some are bothered that the passage says, The Lord has put a deceiving spirit in the mouth of... [the] prophets. That s not fair, they say. The Lord deceived Ahab through the four hundred prophets, then condemned Ahab for being deceived. This passage probably needs to be put with others that speak of God s hardening the hearts of unbelievers. Cross-references on those passages indicate that God allowed the hardening to occur, but it happened because of the character of the people involved. That is also the case here. Ahab heard the message of the false prophets and was deceived. Jehoshaphat heard the same message and was not deceived. The principle taught here is the same as one of the most thought-provoking passages in the New Testament. In 2 Thessalonians 2:10 Paul spoke of those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved. (Emphasis mine.) Then he said: And for this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they might believe what is false, in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness (2 Thessalonians 2:11, 12). We struggle with the phrase God will send upon them a deluding influence.... I do not know all that is involved in the phrase, but I know that God is fair and just. If we are deceived, it will not be God s fault, but our own because we did not love the truth. No question is more important than this: Do we love the truth? H. W. Shaw said, As scarce as truth is, the supply has always been in excess of the demand. 28 WE CAN REJECT THE TRUTH (22:24-28) Those present had no problem understanding the meaning of Micaiah s little tale. Zedekiah, the false prophet who had run around with iron horns on his head, slapped Micaiah on the cheeks and challenged: How did the Spirit of the Lord pass from me to speak to you? (v. 24). In other words, We were speaking by the Spirit of Jehovah, so how can you claim to have a message from Jehovah and say the exact opposite? By his actions, Zedekiah proved he did not have the spirit of the Lord. 29 It has been the ultimate insult in all ages to strike someone on the cheek. Micaiah did not strike him back or challenge him to a duel. I can see God s prophet shaking his head to clear it, then saying calmly to Zedekiah, Behold, you shall see on that day when you enter an inner room to hide yourself (v. 25). You shall see who has the Spirit of Jehovah when you have to go into hiding. This probably refers to the time soon at hand when word would come from the battlefield that Ahab was dead after the four hundred prophets had indicated that he would win the battle. Jezebel would probably want four hundred heads! Then the king of Israel said, Take Micaiah and return him to Amon the governor of the city and to Joash the king s son; 30 and say, Thus says the king, Put this man in prison, and feed him sparingly with bread and water until I return safely ( vv. 26, 27). Micaiah was to be returned to prison. The scant rations were additional punishment for not 28 Lewis Copeland, ed., Popular Quotations for All Uses (Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday and Co., 1961), Some say the fact that Zedekiah acted so upset proves he and the other court prophets were sincere. They may have been sincere, but Zedekiah s action does not prove it. I have seen many liars become furious when they were called liars. 30 These apparently were the ones who had charge of Micaiah earlier. 6

7 speaking good things to Ahab. As many have found, it is not uncommon to get in trouble for telling the truth! In using the words until I return safely, Ahab was saying to Micaiah, I do not believe you. I am not going die in battle. As Micaiah was taken away, he threw Ahab s words back at him: If you indeed return safely, the Lord has not spoken by me. The test of a prophet is whether or not his words come true (Deuteronomy 18:20-22). 31 Micaiah added, Listen, all you people (v. 28). The Hebrew word translated people usually referred to the Gentile nations. There is a lesson here for all people everywhere. Was Ahab touched? Apparently not. He rejected the truth until the end. IF WE REJECT THE TRUTH, DISASTER IS INEVITABLE (22:29-39) Ahab and Jehoshaphat proceeded with their plans, finally heading to Ramoth-gilead (v. 29). From what we have seen of Ahab s character, we can understand why he went to war in spite of Micaiah s warning. It is harder to understand why Jehoshaphat did, even after he insisted on inquiring of Jehovah. Maybe Jehoshaphat got in so deeply that he thought he could not gracefully get out. Compromising the truth gets us deeper and deeper in trouble. Jehoshaphat came close to losing his life! Ahab had glibly rejected Micaiah s warnings. I am going to return safely, he said (v. 27). However, he was still nervous. While they were preparing for battle, Ahab had many nights to think about all that had happened and all that had been said:... your life shall go for his [Ben-hadad s] life,... (20:42). In the place where the dogs licked up the blood of Naboth the dogs shall lick up your blood,... (21:19). I saw all Israel scattered... like sheep which have no shepherd.... the Lord has proclaimed disaster against you (22:17, 23). By the day of the battle, Ahab was a nervous wreck. Normally the king led his forces into battle. He put on his armor and his royal robes over the armor, then rode at the head of the army. Instead, Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, I will disguise myself and go into the battle, but you put on your robes (v. 30a; emphasis mine). The Septuagint has put on my robes. Ahab wanted the attention off himself and on Jehoshaphat. Again we ask, Why did Jehoshaphat agree to that? Apparently, he could not see a way out. He was like a fly caught in a spider s web; the more he struggled, the more entangled he became. Ahab would have been even more nervous had he known the instructions Ben-hadad had given his thirty-two captains: 32 Do not fight with small or great, but with the king of Israel alone (v. 31). They had been told, Whatever it takes, find Ahab and kill him! (This instruction was from the brother Ahab turned loose after God gave him the victory in chapter 20!) So the king of Israel disguised himself and went into the battle (v. 30b). Instead of putting on his royal robes, Ahab dressed himself in the gear of a common soldier. As the battle raged, Ben-hadad s thirty-two captains saw Jehoshaphat s royal robes. Thinking it was Ahab, they surrounded him. When Jehoshaphat saw them, he cried out (v. 32). The writer of the Chronicles added, Jehoshaphat cried out, and the Lord helped him, and God diverted them from him (2 Chronicles 18:31). Apparently, this godly man instinctively cried unto the Lord for deliverance. That cry saved him in spite of his foolhardiness in going into battle after the Lord s warning. When the captains of the chariots saw that it was not the king of Israel,... they turned back from pursuing him (v. 33). It looked as if Ahab s ploy had worked. He had managed to hide from the thirty-two captains, but no one can hide from God. Now a certain man drew his bow at random and struck the king of Israel in a joint of the armor (v. 34a). Jewish tradition says this was Naaman, but it is unlikely for a seasoned veteran to shoot haphazardly into the air. This sounds more like a raw recruit in his first battle, scared to death and shooting arrows as fast as he can in every direction. In God s providence, one of those arrows 31 See also Jeremiah 28:9. 32 See 1 Kings 20:1, 16, 24. 7

8 found its mark in a joint in Ahab s armor. Such armor protected the vital organs; at the joints, there were gaps. The arrow hit a vulnerable spot and pierced Ahab s body. 33 Apparently, an artery was severed; blood began to spurt. So he [Ahab] said to the driver of his chariot, Turn around, and take me out of the fight; for I am severely wounded (v. 34b). Retreat! Retreat! Ahab cried to his driver. However, the next verse notes, The battle raged that day (v. 35a). Fighting was so fierce that the driver could not obey Ahab s command. Finally Ahab lost so much blood that he could not stand. With the help of servants, he propped himself up in the chariot (v. 35b; 2 Chronicles 18:34). 34 His blood pumped out onto the floor of the chariot. And at sunset he died (2 Chronicles 18:34). When Ahab was discovered dead, as Micaiah had foretold (v. 17), a cry passed throughout the army close to sunset, saying, Every man to his city and every man to his country (v. 36). They brought Ahab s body back to Samaria for burial (v. 37), then took his blood-soaked chariot to the pool outside the city. And they washed the chariot by the pool of Samaria, and the dogs licked up his blood (now the harlots 35 bathed themselves there), according to the word of the Lord which He spoke 36 (v. 38). 33 Experts are not agreed on the exact spo 34 Some writers say that Ahab did this for the benefit of his troops. Since, however, he had already shown he wanted to leave the battle, my guess is that he did it so the enemy would not see how vulnerable he was. 35 The KJV has armor, reflecting Jewish tradition. The verb used, however, favors the word harlots. Most modern translations have harlots. These may or may not have been prostitutes connected with the temple of Asherah. Apparently, the inspired writer thought the detail added to the shame of Ahab s death. 36 Since Naboth s blood was shed near Jezreel and the dogs licked Ahab s blood near Samaria, some say the prophecy was not exactly fulfilled. Burton Coffman notes, however, that (1) Ahab s penitence altered some aspects of the original prophecy (1 Kings 21:27-29), and (2) the place could simply mean in this area. Both Jezreel and Samaria were in Israel and only a few miles apart. (See Burton Coffman, Commentary on 1 Kings, 299, 300.) As they washed the chariot by the pool, they were watched by prostitutes in cheap paint and gaudy apparel. Part of Ahab s blood was licked up by the mangy dogs that roamed the city, and part of it mingled with the water used by harlots. The story concludes in verse 39 with a summary of Ahab s life, including a listing of the things he had built. Those, however, were of little consequence. The cities and the ivory palace are gone. In the end, all that mattered was that Ahab lived his life rejecting the truth and died in shame. CONCLUSION America was stunned by the death of Reggie Lewis, captain of the Boston Celtics, who died of heart failure on July 27, 1993, while shooting baskets with a friend. Three months earlier, Reggie had collapsed during a playoff game. A team of twelve cardiologists told him he had a serious heart condition and should play no more basketball. Reggie checked himself out of the hospital and sought another opinion. This time he was told that his condition was not life-threatening and could be controlled by medication and therapy. Apparently, Reggie liked the second opinion better than the first; it was what he wanted to hear. 37 He died while shooting baskets just a few months after he got this good report. It has been said that most people want truth on their side, but few want to be on the side of truth. The tragic story of Ahab should convince even one with the most hardened heart that we must be concerned about the truth and nothing but the truth. Let us consider one more thing as we close: Truth cannot be separated from Christ and His Word. Jesus said, I am... the truth (John 14:6). 38 Paul emphasized that truth is in Jesus (Ephesians 4:21). When Jesus left this earth, He sent the Holy Spirit to guide His apostles into all the truth (John 16:13), producing the revelation which we call The New Testament of Jesus Christ. May God help us to believe the truth about Jesus and obey the truth He revealed through the apostles! VISUAL-AID NOTES Make three cards large enough for all to see. On the first card, write TRUTH on one side and NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH on the other. 37 His wife says that he also sought a third opinion. This team of experts could not make a definite diagnosis. Reggie apparently believed the second opinion, which he preferred. 38 See John 5:23. 8

9 Use this for the introduction. On the second card, write PLAY GAMES WITH THE TRUTH on one side and LOSE on the other. Use this on the first and second main points. On the third card, write REJECT on one side and DISAS- TER on the other. Use this on the third and fourth main points. LESSON OUTLINE INTRODUCTION A. The truth is important (John 8:32; Proverbs 23:23). 1. Truth is found in the pages of God s Word (John 17:17; 2 Samuel 7:28; Psalms 119:142, 151, 160). 2. What will we do with the truth? a. See Jeremiah 5:1; 1 Timothy 4:3; 1 Peter 1:22; Zechariah 8:16; Ephesians 4:15; 1 Kings 2:4; 3:6; Psalms 86:11; John 3:21; 1 John 1:6; 1 Timothy 3:15. b. See Romans 1:18, 25, 28; Galatians 5:17; 2 Timothy 3:8; 4:4; Titus 1:4. B. We will consider 1 Kings Powerful lessons are found here regarding our attitude toward the Bible and the consequences of ignoring and rejecting the truth. 2. The title of our lesson is from verse 16. I. WE CAN PLAY GAMES WITH THE TRUTH (22:1-17). A. A godly king played the compromise game (vv. 1-4). 1. The king of Judah visited the king of Israel (v. 2), an unusual event. a. Two factors are mentioned: (1) A marriage (2 Chronicles 18:1; see 2 Kings 8:18, 27). (2) A peace treaty with Israel (v. 44). b. Jehoshaphat s motives were no doubt the highest, but what he did was wrong in principle, disastrous in practice, and almost fatal in its consequences. 2. Jehoshaphat agreed to go to war with Ahab against the Syrians (vv. 3, 4), a decision that displeased the Lord (2 Chronicles 19:2)! B. The false prophets played the tell-themwhat-they-want-to-hear game (vv. 5-7). 1. When Jehoshaphat insisted on inquiring of the Lord (v. 5), Ahab called four hundred prophets (v. 6). a. These were court prophets retained by Ahab to tell him what he wanted to hear. b. Their reply was ambiguous. Lord (adonai) could refer to Baal as well as Jehovah. 2. Jehoshaphat was not satisfied and asked for a prophet of Jehovah (v. 7). C. An ungodly king played the I-want-thetruth-as-long-as-it-agrees-with-me game (vv. 8-11). 1. Micaiah was a prophet of Jehovah, but Ahab said, I hate him, because he does not prophesy good concerning me, but evil (v. 8). a. Ahab wanted only spiritual yesmen (note 2 Timothy 4:3, 4). b. Sometimes the truth hurts! 2. As Micaiah was sent for (v. 9), the four hundred continued to tell Ahab what he wanted to hear (vv ). a. Now they did so in the name of Jehovah (vv. 11, 12); it was no problem to add Jehovah to the long list of gods they worshiped. b. One was named Zedekiah (v. 11). D. The smooth-talking official played the let-me-tell-you-what s-good-for-you game (v. 13; see Isaiah 30:9, 10). E. The courageous prophet said, Forget the games! Let us tell it like it is! (vv ). 1. Micaiah s initial response (v. 15) prompted the marvelous sentiment of verse 16. Oh, that all listeners would insist on God s truth and nothing but the truth! 2. God s prophet told it like it was (v. 17): He prophesied of Ahab s death. II. IF WE PLAY GAMES WITH THE TRUTH, WE WILL LOSE (22:18-23). A. Ahab continued to play games (v. 18). B. One of the strangest passages in the Bible is seen (vv ). 1. Since God does not need anyone s counsel or advice (Romans 11:34, 35), every detail should not be taken literally. It 9

10 was a dramatic device to say that Ahab s prophets were liars! 2. If one does not love truth above all else, God will allow him to be deceived, to believe a lie, and to be lost! (See 2 Thessalonians 2:10-12.) III. WE CAN REJECT THE TRUTH (22:24-28). A. Zedekiah rejected the truth (vv. 24, 25). 1. Zedekiah had no trouble understanding the bottom line of Micaiah s little tale (v. 24). 2. Verse 25 probably refers to Zedekiah s hiding from Jezebel after Ahab s death. B. Ahab rejected the truth (vv ). 1. Until I return safely indicates that Ahab rejected the warning. 2. Micaiah said, in effect, If you return safely, I am not a true prophet (v. 28; see Deuteronomy 18:20-22). IV. IF WE REJECT THE TRUTH, DISASTER IS INEVITABLE (22:29-39). A. The battle that should not have been fought (vv ) 1. Nervous Ahab talked Jehoshaphat into wearing royal robes, while he disguised himself as a common soldier (vv. 29, 30). 2. Ben-hadad s captains thought Jehoshaphat was Ahab, but Jehovah saved him (vv ; 2 Chronicles 18:31). B. The death that had been foretold (vv ) 1. A random arrow pierced Ahab s armor and apparently hit an artery (v. 34). 2. Ahab tried to leave the battle (v. 34) but could not (v. 35). He died, propped up in his chariot (v. 35; 2 Chronicles 18:34). His body was taken to Samaria (v. 37). 3. His blood-soaked chariot was taken to the pool to be washed, and the dogs licked up his blood... according to the word of the Lord (v. 38). CONCLUSION A. The tragic story of Ahab should convince even the most hardened that we must be concerned about the truth and nothing but the truth! B. Today, truth cannot be separated from Christ and His Word (John 14:6; 5:23; Ephesians 4:21; John 16:13). God help us to believe the truth about Jesus and to obey the truth He revealed to the apostles. Expert Advice In 1 Kings 22:13, the official who was sent to bring Micaiah to Ahab and Jehoshaphat was quick to give the prophet advice: Let me tell you what will be good for you and what will be good for me. I never fail to be amazed that everyone is an expert on preaching! (I guess this is the same principle that causes everyone to think he can outguess the coach.) I spend hours each week praying, planning, studying, preparing, and getting my sermons in mind but any member can listen to me twenty-five to thirtyfive minutes and instantly tell me what I should have done or said. Copyright, 1993, 1998 by Truth for Today ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 10