The death of a king. I suppose there were many people who were sad when Ahab died, but from a biblical standpoint it was not a sad event. Ahab had done much to turn people away from God.
You’ve read the story, so there’s no need for me to recount it. Perhaps you have some of the same questions I have. For instance, did I just read that GOD put a lying spirit in the mouth of the prophets? Is God approving of lying? Actually, no God isn’t lying…He isn’t capable of lying, somewhere in the Bible it says that it’s impossible for God to lie. So what must be happening here is that God is hearing from demons, who must report to Him, even though they are evil. God is never evil, but since evil exists mankind is often subjected to it. We need the constant protection of God to ward off evil thoughts and desires. In this case, Ahab has worshiped false gods, and has forfeited favor and protection that God provides. This leaves his vulnerable to whatever satan wants to do to destroy him. I remember that satan’s job is to steal, kill and destroy…and that’s exactly what is happening here. Ahab is losing the kingdom and his life, and the soldiers are dying by the hundreds….all because of sin.
I looked up what Matthew Henry had to say on the subject, and he reminded me that even though God is asking everyone what to do, He doesn’t need anyone’s counsel. God already knows what to do, and in fact, has had it planned out from long ago…that’s how He could inspire a prophet to tell Ahab what was coming. Maybe God is asking simply to guide and instruct the heavenly beings. Maybe it’s as simple as God loving community, and wanting to share what He’s thinking and doing with others. Both of those ideas bode well for me, God is teaching or sharing…I would love either one.
Jehoshaphat really shouldn’t be hanging around with Ahab. I wonder what motivated him to make peace with him, or to visit with him, or to agree to align forces with him. Maybe his son falling in love with Ahab’s daughter has something to do with it. Jehoshaphat is a good king who hangs out with the wrong people and ends up making some bad decisions that very nearly cost him his life. And look at the bad example he is setting for his son.
Ahab doesn’t want to listen to godly counsel. If he had, he would have survived the conflict. In fact, there wouldn’t have been a battle if Ahab hadn’t gone looking for a fight. I wonder how this could be applied to my everyday life. Are there times when I don’t want to listen to godly counsel, because it will conflict with what I want to do? Clearly, Micaiah doesn’t like Ahab, and the feeling is mutual. But God chooses to use the prophet anyway. I wonder if God sometimes speaks through people we don’t like. That would be hard to listen to. It would be hard to accept that God is using people we don’t like to direct us, because we see the person, not God. I guess this is one more reason why humility is so important.
I never expect to hear God speaking through people I don’t like….I wonder what I have been missing? Hmmm.
One important point here is that Ahab is punished exactly the way God said he would be. God doesn’t make idle threats, and He always delivers on His promises. The detail about Ahab going into battle disguised is just more proof that you can’t hide from God’s judgment. If you violate the covenant, then you are going to pay the consequences. And if you align yourself with bad characters (spiritually) you have no right to look for God’s blessing on your endeavor. I should remember to choose my friends and business partners, and fellow leaders very carefully. Their spiritual lives and my ministry are intertwined.
As I was musing about why Jehoshaphat would hang out with Ahab, I re-read the first couple of lines…and it says there was peace for three years…and after that Jehoshaphat visits Ahab. I wonder if it took a couple of years of peace and prosperity before the good king allowed his “guard to come down”? Sometimes when everything is going well we become a little lax…I think there might be a lesson in that as well. I’m sure I pray more fervently when things are bad, or when the challenges are enormous. But when everything is going well, and there aren’t any real problems? I wonder if my prayer life slips a little…
Perhaps what I should be praying is that God would always keep me in that state of tension between challenge and victory, between wild success and crushing defeat. We are best when we realize that we can’t possibly do this on our own.
As Moses once said “send us anywhere but away from your presence” (or something like that).
Faithfully,
PR