1 Kings 22

1 Kings 22:1

13. Ahab’s Last Battle (22:1-40)22:1-6 After three years of peace between Syria and Israel, Ahab conceived the idea of recapturing Ramoth Gilead, on the east of the Jordan, from the Syrians. Ben-Hadad had promised to return Israel’s cities when he received amnesty from Ahab (1Ki_20:34), but he apparently had failed to do so. Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, happened to be visiting Ahab at the time and expressed willingness to cooperate in the military venture. But first Jehoshaphat suggested that they inquire of the LORD through the prophets. Four hundred prophets in Ahab’s court advised in favor of the plan and promised victory. These may well have been the 400 prophets who did not go to Mount Carmel for the showdown with Elijah (1Ki_18:19, 1Ki_18:22). 22:7-12 Jehoshaphat must have felt uneasy because he asked if there were a prophet of the LORD who could be consulted. This brought to the fore Micaiah, a fearless prophet who was hated by Ahab because of his uncompromising messages. At the time Micaiah was summoned, the 400 prophets were unanimously urging the kings of Israel and Judah to march against Syria. One of them, Zedekiah, made horns of iron to depict the irresistible power of Ahab and Jehoshaphat against the Syrians. 22:13-17 Micaiah was informed that his message should agree with that of the other prophets, but the advice was wasted on him. When Ahab asked if the campaign against Ramoth Gilead should be undertaken, Micaiah first said the same thing as the prophets: “Go and prosper, for the LORD will deliver it into the hand of the king!” But it is probable that he said it in a mocking manner. The tone of his voice must have dripped with irony and sarcasm. Ahab sensed this and put Micaiah under oath to tell . . . the truth (Lev_5:1). The prophet then related a vision in which Israel was scattered because they had no shepherd, intimating that Ahab would be killed and his army dispersed. 22:18-23 King Ahab presented this to Jehoshaphat as evidence that Micaiah could speak nothing but evil against him. Then the brave prophet spoke up again. He related a vision in which a lying spirit, appearing before the LORD, agreed to trick Ahab into going against Ramoth Gilead and be slain. The lying spirit would put this advice into the mouth of all the king’s prophets. This is an example of how God, while not the author of evil, uses it to achieve His ultimate ends. He sent the lying spirit only in the sense that He permitted it. 22:24, 25 The point of this parable was not lost upon Zedekiah. Realizing that he and the other prophets were being accused of lying, he struck Micaiah and asked, “Which way did the spirit from the Lord go from me to speak to you?” In other words, Zedekiah was saying: I spoke by the Spirit of God when I advised Ahab to go against Ramoth Gilead. Now you profess to speak by the Spirit, yet you advise the very opposite. How did the Spirit go from me to you? Micaiah answered calmly that Zedekiah would know the truth when he would hide in terror in a secret placeevidently when Ahab’s death would expose Zedekiah to the fate of a false prophet. 22:26-30 The infuriated king of Israel ordered that Micaiah be put . . . in prison and fed with bread . . . and water, . . . until he (Ahab) returned in peace from Ramoth Gilead. Micaiah’s parting salute was, “If you ever return in peace, the LORD has not spoken by me.” Ahab decided to disguise himself before going into battle, hoping in this way to avoid the disaster predicted by Micaiah. Jehoshaphat, on the other hand, would wear his kingly robes, exposing himself to the very danger that Ahab was trying to escape. Ahab thus attempted to fool the Lord and the king of Syria, but “God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap” (Gal_6:7). Ahab was slain, but Jehoshaphat was saved. 22:31-36 The Syrians had been ordered to kill the king of Israel; this was their prime military objective. At first they mistook Jehoshaphat for Ahab. The king of Judah cried out in terror, perhaps revealing his true identity in this way. Then Ahab was struck between the joints of his armor by a random arrow and was removed from the active fighting. He was propped up in his chariot so that his army would not lose heart. When he died at sunset, the fact became known, and his soldiers retreated to their homes. 22:37-40 Ahab’s body was taken back to Samaria and buried. His bloodstained chariot was washed beside a pool in Samaria, . . . while the harlots bathed. This was only a partial fulfillment of Elijah’s prophecy (1Ki_21:19); it took place in Samaria rather than in Jezreel. Because Ahab had humbled himself (1Ki_21:29), God compassionately deferred the complete fulfillment to the king’s son, Joram (2Ki_9:25-26). Ahab received three separate prophetic warnings of his death. One was pronounced by an unnamed prophet when Ahab spared Ben-Hadad (1Ki_20:42); one was given by Elijah when Ahab took the vineyard of Naboth (1Ki_21:19); and the third prophecy was uttered by Micaiah on the eve of the eventful battle (vv. 17-23).

1 Kings 22:41

M. King Jehoshaphat of Judah (22:41-50)Jehoshaphat the son of Asa was king of Judah for twenty-five years (873/72848 B.C.). For the first three or four years, Jehoshaphat co-reigned with his father Asa. We have already been introduced to Jehoshaphat in verses 2-4, where he made a shameful alliance with the wicked king of Israel and nearly lost his life as a result. In general, however, his reign was good. The following are significant features of Jehoshaphat’s administration.

1. He followed his father’s example in combating idolatry, though he was not successful in eradicating it completely (v. 43).
2. He reigned jointly with his father Asa.
3. He made peace with Ahab, king of Israel (v. 44).
4. He expelled the male cult prostitutes from the land (v. 46).
5. His kingdom included the land of Edom (2Sa_8:14), where he was represented by a deputy (v. 47). His son Jehoram later lost Edom through a revolution (2Ki_8:20).
6. He allied himself with Ahaziah, Ahab’s son, in a shipbuilding project at Ezion Geber (2Ch_20:35-36). Their plan was to send the ships . . . to Ophir for gold. But the ships were wrecked before they ever left port (v. 48), no doubt by a windstorm. The prophet Eliezer told Jehoshaphat that this was because the Lord disapproved of the unholy alliance with Ahaziah (2Ch_20:37). When Ahaziah suggested renewing the project, Jehoshaphat declined (v. 49).

1 Kings 22:51

N. King Ahaziah of Israel (22:51-53)Ahaziah the son of Ahab was king of Israel, for two years (853852 B.C.; cf. 2Ki_1:1-18). The reign of Ahaziah was one of gross idolatry and wickedness. His mother, Jezebel, no doubt urged him on in ungodliness even as she had pushed his father. He worshiped Baal . . . and provoked the LORD God of Israel to anger. Like father, like son. There is no formal close to 1 Kings, since 1 and 2 Kings were originally one book, and the break was made strictly for convenience. Second Kings continues the narrative from this point.