1 Kings 22

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

FAITHLESS KINGS AND FEARLESS PROPHETS

1 Kings 22:1 to 2 Kings 1:18

With the exception of only ten verses, this unit of the text is concerned about two faithless kingsfather and sonAhab and Ahaziah. Both of these monarchs met their death in fulfillment of the prophetic word spoken to them by the fearless prophets Micaiah and Elijah. The material here may be discussed under two major headings: (1) faithless Ahab and fearless Micaiah (1 Kings 22:1-40); and (2) faithless Ahaziah and fearless Elijah (1 Kings 22:51 -2Ki 1:18). Sandwiched in between these major blocks of material is a paragraph summarizing the reign of good King Jehoshaphat of Judah (1 Kings 22:41-50).

REVIEW OF CHAPTER FIFTEEN

I. FACTS TO MASTER

A. Important persons to identify in relation to this chapter:

1. Benhadad

2. Jehoshaphat

3. Ahab

4. Micaiah

5. Elijah

6. Zedekiah

7. Amon

8. Ahaziah

9. Joash

10. Baal-zebub

11. Azubah

B. Important places to be identified in relation to this chap ter:

1. Samaria

2. Moab

3. Ramoth-gilead

4. Ophir

5. Edom

6. Ezion-geber

C. Important numbers to remember:

Number of prophets serving in Ahab’s court

Number of chariot captains in Benhadad’s army

D. Words and phrases which should bring back to remem brance important events in this chapter:

1. horns of iron

2. broken ships

3. thrones

4. girdle of leather

5. scattered sheep

6. heavenly fire

7. deceiving spirit

8. an angel

II. QUESTIONS TO PONDER

What two contrasting attitudes toward prophetism are illustrated by Ahab and Jehoshaphat?

What motivated the four hundred court prophets to encourage Ahab to undertake the campaign against Ramoth-gilead? By what means did these prophets attempt to convince Jehoshaphat that the campaign was the will of God?

What qualities in the life of Micaiah would a preacher do well to imitate today? What about his use of sarcasm?

What theological problems are raised by Micaiah’s second vision?

By what means did God convince Ahab to go up to Ramoth-gilead to meet his death? How is it that a holy God can employ such devious means?

Who was the deceiving spirit who filled the mouths of Ahab’s prophets?

What mistakes characterized the reign of Jehoshaphat? In what way are many modern religious leaders like Jehoshaphat?

Why did Jehoshaphat make his trip to Samaria? Why was Ahab so determined to make the campaign against Ramoth-gilead? Why did Jehoshaphat go along with him even after the fateful predictions of Micaiah?

An Aramean soldier shot an arrow by chance, and that arrow became the instrument of divine judgment against Ahab. Do things just happen by chance? How is it that God works through what appears to be mere happen stance to accomplish His will?

What were the political and what were the personal consequences of King Ahaziah’s sin?

How could Ahaziah be so sure that his messengers had actually confronted Elijah?

Why did God consume the two companies of soldiers with fire? Why spare the third company?

Why did Ahaziah send messengers to Baal-zebub? What kind of god was this?

The Alter of Burnt Offerings

1 Kings 22:1-5

I. FAITHLESS AHAB AND FEARLESS MICAIAH 22:1-40

Against the earnest protestations of a faithful prophet, the foolhardy Ahab organized a military campaign to try and recapture the Transjordan border town of Ramoth-gilead which was held by the forces of Benhadad. In this futile effort Ahab lost his life. The historian relates here (1) the proposal for the campaign (1 Kings 22:1-5); (2) the predictions of the court prophets (1 Kings 22:6-12), and (3) of Micaiah (1 Kings 22:13-28) regarding the campaign; and finally (4) the death of Ahab at Ramoth-gilead (1 Kings 22:29-38). To this account is appended a concluding note about the reign of Ahab (1 Kings 22:39-40).

A. THE PROPOSAL FOR THE CAMPAIGN 22:1-5

**TRANSLATION

(1) And they continued for three years; there was no war between Aram and the children of Israel. (2) And it came to pass in the third year, that Jehoshaphat the king of Judah went down unto the king of Israel. (3) Now king of Israel said unto his servants, Do you know that Ramoth-gilead belongs to us, and we are still doing nothing to take it from the hand of the king of Aram? And he said unto Jehoshaphat, Will you go with me to fight against Ramoth-gilead? And Jehoshaphat said unto the king of Israel, I am as you, my people as your people, my horses as your horses. (5) And Jehoshaphat said unto the king of Israel, Inquire, I pray you, at the word of the LORD today.

COMMENTS**

Following the second defeat of Benhadad, the Arameans and Israelites remained at peace for over two years.[491] It was during this period that a new power, Assyria, made its presence felt in the ancient Near East. In 853 B.C. Shalmaneser made a push westward through Syria that caused consternation and alarm in the various petty states of that region. An anti-Assyrian coalition was formed to which both Ahab and Benhadad contributed forces.[492] In the famous battle of Qarqar the coalition successfully withstood the Assyrian onslaught and forced the invaders to withdraw. The common danger from the Assyrians had caused a temporary suspension of hostilities between Aram and Israel (1 Kings 22:1).

[491] According to the Hebrew system of time reckoning, any time over two years would be called three years. 1 Kings 22:2 clearly shows that the events in chapter 22 took place in the third year and thus before the completion of that year.

[492] The Black Obelisk of Shalmaneser relates that Ahab contributed ten thousand footmen and two thousand chariots to this war effort.

After the battle of Qarqar, in the third year of the peaceful relations between the two countries, King Jehoshaphat came down from the mountain-top city of Jerusalem to visit Ahab in Samaria (1 Kings 22:2). This would appear to be the first time that the monarchs of the sister kingdoms had met, except in battle, since the schism of 931 B.C. three quarters of a century earlier.[493] It was perhaps the growing power, first of Damascus, and then of Assyria, that caused Israel and Judah to enter into an alliance with one another. Probably the invitation to visit Samaria had been extended to Jehoshaphat for ulterior motives. Benhadad, it seems, had failed to comply with his treaty obligations to return to Israel the cities which had previously been captured by his father (cf. 1 Kings 20:34). Ahab knew he was powerless to enforce the terms of the treaty single-handedly without the help of his Southern ally whose military organization at this time must have been substantial (cf. 2 Chronicles 17:10-19).

[493] The marriage of Jehoram, son of Jehoshaphat, with Athaliah, the daughter of Ahab and Jezebel, had taken place some years before this date. Cf. 2 Chronicles 18:1-2.

The focal point of Ahab’s concern was the fortress of Ramothgilead located west of the sea of Galilee on the frontier with Aram. Though belonging to Israel, this city had been and continued to remain in the possession of Benhadad in flagrant violation of the treaty of Aphek. Thus far Ahab had remained still, i.e., he had said or done nothing about the situation, for fear of stirring up the wrath of his powerful northern adversary (1 Kings 22:3).

During the course of Jehoshaphat’s royal visit, Ahab broached the question of a possible joint campaign to recapture Ramoth-gilead. The alliance between the two kingdoms was new, and Ahab probably wondered how this proposal would strike the pious prince of Judah. Whereas Jehoshaphat should have forthrightly refused aid to Ahab (cf. 2 Chronicles 19:2), he instead at once expressed his enthusiastic interest[494] in engaging in this war (1 Kings 22:4). Probably Jehoshaphat feared the growing power of Damascus and considered that it would be in his own best interest to dislodge Benhadad from his stronghold in Gilead. Being the godly man that he was, Jehoshaphat insisted that the will of the Lord be sought regarding the proposed project[495] (1 Kings 22:5).

[494] On the basis of this verse some have proposed that Jehoshaphat was a vassal of Ahab rather than an ally of equal rank. However, Jehoshaphat’s answer may simply be the result of oriental diplomatic courtesy. The statement is not to be taken literally. The fact that Jehoshaphat was given a free choice to accompany Ahab would seem to indicate that he was an ally and not a vassal. See Gray, OTL, p. 449. [495] The word today in 1 Kings 22:5 should not be overlooked. The thought is: even if you are not generally accustomed to inquire the word of the Lord, kindly do it on this occasion.

1 Kings 22:6-12

B. THE PREDICTIONS OF THE COURT PROPHETS 22:6-12

**TRANSLATION

(6) And the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, about four hundred men, and he said unto them, Shall I go up against Ramoth-gilead to war, or shall I desist? And they said, Go up, and the Lord will give it into the hand of the king. (7) And Jehoshaphat said, Is there not yet here a prophet of the LORD, that we may inquire from him? (8) And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, There is yet one man by whom we may inquire of the LORD, but I hate him for he does not prophesy good concerning me, but evilMicaiah the son of Imlah. And Jehoshaphat said, Let not the king say thus. (9) And the king of Israel called an officer and said, Hasten to Micaiah the son of Imlah. (10) Now the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah were sitting each man upon his throne clothed with robes on the flat place at the entrance of the gate of Samaria, and all the prophets were prophesying before them. (11) And Zedekiah and the son of Chenaanah made for himself horns of iron and said, Thus says the LORD: With these you shall thrust through Aram until you have consumed them. (12) And all the prophets were prophesying thus, saying, Go up to Ramoth-gilead and you will prosper, and the LORD will give it into the hand of the king.

COMMENTS**

Having primed his court prophets previously, Ahab was not unwilling to comply with the request of Jehoshaphat. The king assembled four hundred prophets, and put to them the question as to whether or not the campaign against Ramothgilead should be undertaken. The four hundred dutifully and unanimously urged Ahab to go up to Ramoth-gilead, and promised him that the Lord (-adonai) would give the city into the hands of the king (1 Kings 22:6). These prophets were not the prophets of Asherah or of Baal, but were renegade prophets of Yahweh who were part of the apostate official calf worship of the Northern Kingdom.[496] They were king-called rather than God-called prophets.

[496] It would appear that Jezebel’s persecution of the prophets was limited to prophets of Yahweh who were not amenable to her purposes. The prophets called in by Ahab were those who had saved their lives by compromising with the crown.

It is perhaps significant that at first these prophets hesitated to use the name Yahweh in this perverted prognostication, and used instead the more general term -adonaiLord. Since a true prophet always spoke in the name of Yahwek, Jehoshaphat became suspicious of the four hundred, and asked if there might not be another prophet of Yahweh whose advice might be solicited (1 Kings 22:7).

Indeed there was one prophet[497] yet to be consultedMicaiah the son of Imlah.[498] Ahab frankly admitted that he hated this man of God because he consistently had prophesied evil concerning the king. By this statement Ahab insinuates that Micaiah was motivated by personal dislike for the king and that therefore he was unreliable. Jehoshaphat did not accept this explanation, but instead administered a mild rebuke to Ahab for making such an insinuation about a prophet of God (1 Kings 22:8). Under the circumstances Ahab could hardly refuse to permit his guest to hear what Micaiah might have to say, and so he dispatched an officer to fetch the man of God (1 Kings 22:9).

[497] What has become of Elijah or his successor Elisha? Probably Ahab simply meant there was but one other prophet readily available in the capital. [498] To conclude that Micaiah was a professional prophet at the beck and call of the king is to misjudge the man. He simply was availablepossibly under house arrest in the capital. There is no reason to think he served regularly in the court of Ahab. His independence is manifested by his courage to speak the truth regardless of consequences. How had Micaiah been able to escape the persecution by Jezebel? Probably that persecution was of short duration and confined to the earlier years of Ahab. During the latter years of his reign there does not appear to have been any interference with the inviolable right of a prophet to speak the Word as he perceived it.

1 Kings 22:10-12 depict the scene into which the prophet Micaiah was about to enter. The two kings dressed in their royal robes were sitting on thrones which had been set up on an elevated flat place at the entrance of the gate of Samaria. The four hundred prophets continued their prophesyings even while Micaiah was being summoned (1 Kings 22:10). In order to convince the dubious king from Judah, Zedekiah, one of the four hundred, hastily constructed horns of iron.[499] These symbolic horns may have been nothing more than two iron spikes held on the forehead. The horn of an animal in the Old Testament times was symbolic of power. The symbol was doubly appropriate here because Moses had compared Ephraim, chief tribe of the North, to a bullock, and had made explicit mention of the horns by which Ephraim would push the people together to the ends of the earth (Deuteronomy 33:17). Zedekiah also underscored his prediction by using for the first time the sacred name Yahweh, probably in deference to the incredulity of Jehoshaphat at the first prediction (1 Kings 22:11). The rest of the four hundred continued to repeat their initial promises of success except that they followed the lead of Zedekiah in substituting the name Yahweh for -adonai hoping thus to satisfy the king of Judah (1 Kings 22:12).

[499] Zedekiah was following customary procedure in thus concretizing his message. Cf. the rending of a new garment by the prophet Ahijah, 1 Kings 11:30 ff.

1 Kings 22:13-28

B. THE PROPHECY OF MICAIAH 22:13-28

**TRANSLATION

(13) Now the messenger who had gone to summon Micaiah had said unto him, saying, Behold now the words of the prophets are unanimously good toward the king; let your word, I pray you, be like the word of one of them, and speak good. (14) And Micaiah said, As the LORD lives, what the LORD has said unto me, that will I speak! (15) So he came unto the king and the king said unto him, Micaiah, shall we go up against Ramothgilead to make war or shall we refrain? And he said, Go up, and you will prosper, and the LORD will give it into the hand of the king. (16) And the king said unto him, How many times have I caused you to sware that you would not speak unto me anything except truth in the name of the LORD? (17) And he said, I saw all Israel scattered upon the mountains like sheep which had no shepherd; and the LORD said, These have no master; let them return each man to his house in peace. (18) And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, Did I not say unto you he would not prophesy concerning me good, but evil? (19) And he said, Therefore hear the word of the LORD: I saw the LORD sitting upon His throne, and all the host of heaven standing beside Hun on His right hand and on His left. (20) And the LORD said, Who will entice Ahab that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead? And one said this, and another that. (21) And the spirit went out and stood before the LORD, and said, I surely will entice him. And the LORD said unto him, How? (22) And he said, I will go out and become a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And He said, You shall entice him, and also you shall prevail; go out and do so. (23) And now behold the LORD has put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these your prophets, and the LORD has spoken evil concerning you. (24) And Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah drew near and smote Micaiah upon the cheek and said, Where did the spirit of the LORD pass over from me to speak to you? (25) And Micaiah said, Behold you shall see in that day when you shall go into an inner chamber to hide. (26) And the king of Israel said, Take Micaiah and cause him to return to Amon the governor of the city, and unto Joash the king’s son. (27) And you shall say, Thus says the king: Put this fellow in the prison, and feed him bread of affliction and water of affliction until I come in peace. (28) And Micaiah said, If you surely return in peace, the LORD has not spoken by me. And he said, Hear, O people, all of you.

COMMENTS**

It was very important to Ahab to secure from all the prophets a positive word about the proposed military campaign. Any negative note might cause the pious Jehoshaphat to withdraw from the venture. The messenger sent to fetch Micaiah knew this well, and so he pleaded with the man of God to join the four hundred court prophets by putting his stamp of approval on the campaign (1 Kings 22:13). Both the king and his messenger completely misunderstood this man of God. He could not be intimidated or bribed. He was not afraid to stand alone. He would speak only what the Lord revealed to him (1 Kings 22:14).

When Micaiah appeared before him, Ahab put to the prophet the identical question he had put to the four hundred. Just as his question is an echo of the earlier query, so also is Micaiah’s response identical with the answer which the court prophets had unanimously and dramatically given[500] (1 Kings 22:15). Ahab’s hollow tone had revealed the insincerity of his question. He really did not want to know the will of God; he wanted to be deceived. No doubt Micaiah’s mocking tone showed that his words were sarcastic. In an effort to impress Jehoshaphat, Ahab pretended to be greatly distressed over the prophet’s manifest insincerity. Before he realized what he was saying, Ahab blurted out that what he wanted to hear was the word of the Lord[501] (1 Kings 22:16). Was this a tacit admission that what the four hundred had predicted was not the word of God?

[500] The absence of the usual introductory phrase, Thus says the Lord, in Micaiah’s mocking caricature of the court prophets is to be noted.

[501] The form of Ahab’s outburst (1 Kings 22:10) suggests that on previous occasions Micaiah had been accustomed to use sarcasm.

At this juncture the tone and demeanor of Micaiah suddenly changed, and the man of God became deadly serious. He had seen a vision of Israel scattered upon the hills with no shepherd; he heard the voice of God directing these scattered ones to return to their homes in peace (1 Kings 22:17). No one in the royal assembly failed to see that Micaiah was foretelling the dispersion of the Israelite army as a result of the death of the king of Israel. Ahab certainly understood the purport of those words. He had demanded the word of God and had received it. Lest Jehoshaphat be unduly influenced by this dire prediction, Ahab suggested that these words were but further evidence of the prophet’s prejudice toward the king (1 Kings 22:18).

The insinuation that Micaiah spoke out of malice brought forth a vigorous rebuttal from the man of God. At sometime in the past Micaiah had seen another vision relating to Ahab. In this vision[502] he had seen the Lord on His heavenly throne surrounded by all the hosts of heaven, i.e., the angels who inhabit the heaven of heavens (1 Kings 22:19). In the vision, the Lord asked for suggestions as to how Ahab might be enticed to go up to Ramoth-gilead that he might be slain there. Various schemes were suggested (1 Kings 22:20), but finally the spirit, i.e., the evil spirit or Satan, affirmed that he would be able to entice Ahab (1 Kings 22:21). The plan was that this spirit would take control of the mouths of Ahab’s prophets and they would persuade the king that the Ramoth-gilead campaign should be undertaken. The Lord then granted to this spirit permission to so entice Ahab (1 Kings 22:22). Thus, declared Micaiah, the Lord had put a lying spirit in the mouths of all Ahab’s prophets; they had spoken falsehood. Furthermore, it was not Micaiah alone (cf. 1 Kings 22:18) who had spoken evil against Ahab, but the Lord who had spoken through him (1 Kings 22:23).

[502] Some take the position that Micaiah in 1 Kings 22:19 continues to speak sarcasticallythat he actually had not seen a vision. According to this view, Micaiah was only trying to express the feeling that he alone was speaking the truth, even though the entire body of prophets had expressed a contrary opinion. If they were inspired at all, it must be by a lying spirit.

Several important questions remain to be answered concerning Micaiah’s vision:

1. How can it be that the Lord of glory would find it necessary to take counsel of the angelic hosts? Prophetic visions are anthropomorphic and do not always correspond to reality. Such visions are the vehicle used to convey a cardinal truth to the mind of the prophet. In this case the truth is that Ahab’s death in battle had been foreordained in the counsels of God, and that divine wisdom had devised a means for accomplishing His purpose.

2. Who was the spirit who volunteered to entice Ahab? Keil and others see the spirit as a personification of the spirit of prophecy which takes hold of a man and makes him a prophet. However, the older commentators were probably correct when they identified the spirit with Satan. That Satan has or at least did have access to the heavenly council chambers is suggested by the opening Chapter s of Job.

3. How can the all Holy One give His sanction to deceit and lying for the purpose of tempting Ahab to his death? Here one must distinguish between the permissive and the positive will of God. God permitted the evil spirit to do his evil work. The same thought is expressed in Ezekiel 14:9 If the prophet be deceived … I the Lord have deceived that prophet. Ahab wished to be guided by false prophets, and the justice of God permitted him to be so guided. Sin is punished by sin.

Zedekiah, one of the four hundred, bristled at the charge that he and his cohorts had been possessed by a spirit of lies. Without warning he stepped forward and smote Micaiah on the cheek, at the same time shouting, Where did the spirit of the Lord pass over from me to speak to you? Apparently Zedekiah was conscious of some force beyond himself which compelled him to speak his prophetic word. How is it that the Spirit of God had spoken one thing by Zedekiah and quite another through the mouth of Micaiah? Zedekiah’s scoffing question was intended to counter the story Micaiah had related so dramatically. There is no more effective manner of meeting the argument of an opponent than by subjecting him to ridicule. Micaiah was not intimidated by the bombastic Zedekiah. He did not answer directly the insolent question, but rather confidently affirmed that one day Zedekiah would see, i.e., perceive the truth.[503] Only then would Zedekiah have the prophetic vision to correctly assess the political situation. In that day when Micaiah’s predictions concerning the defeat of the armies of Israel were fulfilled, Micaiah would hasten into hiding out of shame and perhaps fear of reprisals at the hand of the queen (1 Kings 22:25).

[503] Micaiah did not question Zedekiah’s sincerity or accuse him of deliberately falsifying his prophecy, but rather of being a false prophet in the sense that he did not see or perceive the truth.

The two kings seem to have looked on the assault of Micaiah without protest or word of displeasure. When the brief prophetic confrontation was over, Ahab ordered Micaiah returned to his prison[504] cell. There he was to remain under the watchful eye of Amon the governor of the city and Joash, one of Ahab’s own sons[505] (1 Kings 22:26). Instructions were given to those officials that Micaiah was to receive only the bread and water of affliction, i.e., the most meager provisions, until the king returned from his campaign in peace (1 Kings 22:27). It is probably owing to the presence of Jehoshaphat that Micaiah escaped with no more severe sentence. Still Micaiah was undaunted. He was willing to stake his prophetic reputation on the fulfillment of this one prediction. If Ahab returned in peace, then Yahweh truly had not spoken to him, and he was willing to face the capital punishment to which he was liable in that case. Before being dragged from the place, Micaiah shouted forth a call for all peoples to take note of the predictions which he had made (1 Kings 22:27).

[504] The Hebrews did not use prisons for punishment; the prison was a place where an individual under suspension was kept pending judgment and verdict (cf. Numbers 15:34).

[505] Another interpretation is that son of the king is a title of an official rather than an actual son. See Gray, OTL, p. 453.

1 Kings 22:29-38

C. THE DEATH OF AHAB 22:29-38

**TRANSLATION

(29) And the king of Israel went up along with Jehoshaphat to Ramoth-gilead. (30) And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, I will disguise myself, and enter into the battle; but as for you, put on your garments. And the king of Israel disguised himself, and entered into battle. (31) Now the king of Aram had commanded his thirty-two chariot commanders, saying, Do not fight small or great, but only the king of Israel. (32) And it came to pass when the chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat, that they said, Surely he is the king of Israel; and they turned against him to fight; and Jehohsaphat cried out. (33) And it came to pass when the chariot commanders saw that he was not the king of Israel, they turned from after him. (34) And a man drew his bow by chance and smote the king of Israel between the joints and the breastplate. And he said to his chariot driver, Turn your hand, and bring me out of the camp, for I am wounded. (35) But the battle became more furious that day, and the king was made to stand in the chariot against Aram, but he died in the evening; and the blood ran out of the wound into the midst of the chariot. (36) And the shout went up in the camp as the sun was setting, saying, Each man to his city, and each man to his land. (37) And the king died, and was brought to Samaria, and they buried the king in Samaria. (38) And the chariot was washed beside the pool of Samaria, and the dogs licked his blood (now harlots washed there) according to the word of the LORD which He had spoken.

COMMENTS**

The ominous threats of Micaiah notwithstanding, the two kings went up to Ramoth-gilead to battle (1 Kings 22:29). Ahab’s action is understandable and in character; that of Jehoshaphat is more difficult to explain. Why did this pious king reject the warning of God’s prophet? Some or all of the following considerations may account for his conduct: (1) Jehoshaphat had committed himself to the war effort by the rash promise of 1 Kings 22:4; (2) in view of the royal hospitality extended to him by Ahab he may have felt under some obligation to acquiesce; (3) had he deserted his ally because of a prophecy which threatened that ally with death, he would have subjected himself to the charge of cowardice; (4) those about him were bent on battle, and treated the prophecy of Micaiah with contempt and disdain, and it would be most difficult for Jehoshaphat to swim alone against the current; (5) perhaps Ahab had been successful in convincing the Southern king that the ominous words of Micaiah could be discounted in view of the longstanding animosity which had existed between the king and this prophet; (6) finally, Jehoshaphat’s own interests were threatened by the rising Aramean power, and he may well have feared trouble from that quarter if the war efforts were abandoned.

Upon the eve of battle Ahab came up with what he thought was an ingenious plan to circumvent the dire predictions which had been made against him. Micaiah had seen Israel scattered as sheep having no master (1 Kings 22:17). To thwart this prediction, Ahab decided in effect to relinquish his role of leader of the host. He decided not to lead the army, as kings were accustomed to do, in his royal robes. Rather he would disguise himself as a lesser officer and thus, so he thought, escape all danger. Since Jehoshaphat’s life had not been threatened by the prophet, it would be unnecessary for him to take similar precautions (1 Kings 22:30). By this ingenious move, Ahab in effect put Jehoshaphat in the position of the recognized leader of the troops. If by any chance Micaiah was right in prophesying the death of the leader of Israel, that curse would no longer be on Ahab, but on Jehoshaphat.

Now it so happened that Benhadad had directed his thirty-two chariot officers to concentrate their attack on the king of Israel (1 Kings 22:31). The Aramean rightly reasoned that the death of the king would terminate the war. Seeing the royal robes of Jehoshaphat, the chariot captains pressed in that direction. When the king of Judah realized he had been singled out for concentrated attack, he cried out in desperation to God (1 Kings 22:32), and God intervened on his behalf (2 Chronicles 18:31). The charioteers recognized that it was not the king of Israel that they were pursuing, and so turned away from Jehoshaphat (1 Kings 22:33).

Ahab’s disguise could not avert the judgment of God! During the course of the battle, an Aramean soldier launched an arrow that was destined to find its mark in the breast of Ahab. The king knew his wound was mortal,[506] and so ordered his chariot driver to wheel about and carry him away from the scene of battle (1 Kings 22:34). He was anxious lest the army discover what had happened and become discouraged. The wound needed attention and had he remained with the host his condition would have been noted very soon. It is quite possible that the charioteer, in the din and confusion of the battle, may not have observed that his master was wounded. However, the fury of the battle increased so that day, that the king’s driver could not comply with his request. Lest the troops become discouraged, Ahab’s servants propped him up in the chariot. Unable to attend to his wounds, the king slowly bled to death. At evening Ahab died and his blood poured out into the floor of the chariot (1 Kings 22:35). When the hosts of Israel saw that their master had fallen, a shout went up among the troops as they urged one another to terminate the battle and make their way to their homes (1 Kings 22:36).

[506] The Hebrew reads literally, I have been made ill. Perhaps Ahab did not wish to reveal even to his trusted chariot driver the fact that he had been smitten by an arrow.

What a sad sight that must have been as the battle-weary, leaderless troops made their way back to Samaria. There they buried the fallen king (1 Kings 22:37). At the city pool, where harlots[507] customarily bathed,[508] they washed the chariot of the king. Packs of scavenger dogs licked up the blood of the fallen monarch. This fulfilled the word which the Lord had spoken concerning him (1 Kings 22:38). Not only the prophecy of Micaiah, but in essence, that of Elijah[509] as well was fulfilled on that day.

[507] The KJV gives the rendering armour for this common word meaning harlots. The KJV rendering involves a slight emendation of the Hebrew text.

[508] Keil (BCOT, p. 281) suggests that the grammatical construction can only be taken to mean that the harlots were bathing in the pool at the time Ahab’s blood was being washed from his chariot. [509] By his arrogant disregard for the word of God spoken by Micaiah, Ahab brought back upon himself the penalty which Elijah had foreseen, but which had been set aside as a result of Ahab’s repentance (cf. 21:29).

1 Kings 22:39-40

E. CONCLUDING NOTE ON THE REIGN OF AHAB 22:39-40

**TRANSLATION

(39) And the rest of the deeds of Ahab and all which he did, and the house of ivory which he built, and all the cities which he built, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? (4) And Ahab slept with his fathers; and Ahaziah his son ruled in place of him.

COMMENTS**

As the account of Ahab’s reign concludes, two other brief notices about his accomplishments are given. Ahab, like his father, was a city builder, and apparently was responsible for building several towns. He was perhaps most famous for his ivory palace, i.e., a house with ivory inlays (1 Kings 22:39). Upon his death Ahab was succeeded by his son Ahaziah whose name means whom Yahweh upholds (1 Kings 22:40). This name perhaps suggests that, notwithstanding his flirtation with Baal worship, Ahab remained a believer in Yahweh.

1 Kings 22:41-50

II. SUMMARY OF THE REIGN OF JEHOSHAPHAT 22:41-50

**TRANSLATION

(41) Now Jehoshaphat the son of Asa began to rule over Judah in the fourth year of Ahab king of Israel. (42) Jehoshaphat was thirty-five years old when he began to reign, and twenty-five years he ruled in Jerusalem. And the name of his mother was Azubah the daughter of Shilhi. (43) And he walked in all the ways of Asa his father not deviating from it, to do that which was right in the eyes of the LORD. But the high places he did not remove; the people were yet sacrificing and offering incense in the high places. (44) And Jehoshaphat made peace with the king of Israel. (45) Now the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, and his might which he demonstrated, and how he warred, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah. (46) And the rest of the male prostitutes which remained from the days of Asa his father he removed from the land. (47) There was no king in Edom; a vassal was king. (48) Jehoshaphat made ships of Tarshish to go to Ophir for gold, but they did not go, for the ships were smashed in Ezion-geber. (49) Then Ahaziah the son of Ahab said unto Jehoshaphat, Let my servants go with your servants in the ships; but Jehoshaphat was not willing. (50) And Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers and he was buried with his fathers in the city of David his father; and Jehoram his son ruled in his place.

COMMENTS**

In 1 Kings 22:41-51 the historian takes up again briefly the history of Judah where he left off in 2 Kings 15:24 with the mention of the accession of Jehoshaphat. To the reign of this fine king the Chronicler devotes four Chapter s; the author of Kings treats his reign in the briefest possible fashion. The additional information contained in Chronicles about Jehoshaphat’s reign may be summarized as follows:

1. Apparently prior to his alliance with Ahab, Jehoshaphat strengthened himself against Israel by garrisoning all his fortified cities (2 Chronicles 17:1-2).

2. Philistines and Arab tribes brought costly presents to Jehoshaphat (2 Chronicles 17:5; 2 Chronicles 17:10 ff.).

3. Judah was invaded by a coalition of Moabites, Ammonites and Edomites. The invaders, however, turned upon and de stroyed one another (2 Chronicles 17:7-9).

4. Jehoshaphat launched certain educational reforms by sending forth qualified leaders to teach the law throughout the land (2 Chronicles 17:7-9).

5. The king also reformed the system of administering justice (2 Chronicles 19:4-11).

Fourth King of Judah JEHOSHAPHAT BEN ASA 870-848 B.C.* (He whom Yahweb judges)

1 Kings 15:24; 1 Kings 22:41-50; 2 Kings 8:16; 2 Chronicles 17:1 to 2 Chronicles 21:3

Synchronism Jehoshaphat 1 = Ahab 4 Contemporary Prophets Jehu son of Hanani; Jahaziel the levite; Eliezer

Mother: Azubah

Appraisal: Good

Mercy and truth preserve the king; and his throne is upheld by mercy.

Proverbs 20:28

*coregent from 873 B.C.

Jehoshaphat followed in the footsteps of his father Asa, and did not in his old age attempt to turn aside from the way of righteousness as his father had done. Two flaws in his reign are pointed out by the historian: (1) he did not remove the high places outside Jerusalem where the people worshiped Yahweh contrary to the Law of Moses (1 Kings 22:43); and (2) he made peace with Ahab of Israel (1 Kings 22:44) thus ending the state of hostilities between the two kingdoms which had existed for over seventy years. To seal this alliance, Jehoshaphat arranged a marriage between his son Jehoram, and Athaliah the daughter of Ahab (2 Chronicles 18:1). It was probably the mutual fear of the rising power of Damascus that forced the rival sister kingdoms to seek this reconciliation.

Other outstanding accomplishments of Jehoshaphat were recorded in the primary source utilized by the author of Kings, the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah (1 Kings 22:45). The account of Jehoshaphat closes out with the mention of three significant facts: (1) Jehoshaphat completed the task that his father had begun in removing the male cult prostitutes from the land (1 Kings 22:46); (2) he was able to re-subjugate the territory of Edom[510] and install a vassal king over that territory (1 Kings 22:47); and (3) he attempted to revive the naval enterprise of Solomon. Tarshish ships, i.e., large sea-going vessels bound for Ophir and Tarshish (cf. 2 Chronicles 20:36), were launched from the Edomite seaport of Ezion-geber. Unfortunately these ships were dashed to pieces by a storm before they got out of the harbor (1 Kings 22:48). A prophet of God explained the disaster as being the result of an ungodly alliance between Jehoshaphat and Ahab’s son Ahaziah (2 Chronicles 20:37). When the Northern king proposed a second venture in which his subjects would join those of Jehoshaphat,[511] this godly king rightly rejected it (1 Kings 22:49). He had learned his lesson. At his death, Jehoshaphat was buried in the city of David with his royal ancestors. His son Jehoram[512] succeeded him on the throne (1 Kings 22:50).

[510] Edom seems to have regained its independence soon after the death of Solomon (cf. 2 Kings 11:14);but from this text and 2 Kings 8:20; 2 Kings 8:22 it would appear that Edom had again been made subject to Judah probably by Jehoshaphat himself (cf. 2 Chronicles 17:10-11).

[511] It would appear that whereas both kings had shared in the building of the first fleet, only the sailors of Judah had manned the ships. Because of their close association with the Phoenicians, some subjects of the Northern Kingdom may have been highly skilled sailors.

[512] Both Jehoshaphat and Ahab had sons named Jehoram (cf. 2 Kings 1:17). The two kings may have agreed to use the same name in advance of the birth of the two princes as a symbol of their friendship for one another. See Honor, JCBR, p. 331.

1 Kings 22:52-53

III. FAITHLESS AHAZIAH AND FEARLESS ELIJAH

1 Kings 22:52, 2 Kings 1:18

The last public, i.e., official, prophetic appearance of Elijah occurred during the brief reign of Ahaziah the son of Ahab. After a brief note summarizing the wicked reign of Ahaziah (1 Kings 22:52-53); the author discusses the desperate illness of this king (2 Kings 1:1-8), and his efforts to arrest Elijah (2 Kings 22:9-15). The section closes with Elijah’s predictions concerning Ahaziah (2 Kings 22:16-18).

A. THE WICKEDNESS OF AHAZIAH 22:52-54

**TRANSLATION

(52) Ahaziah the son of Ahab began to rule over Israel in Samaria in the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah; and he reigned over Israel two years. (52) And he did evil in the eyes of the LORD, and walked in the way of his father, and in the way of his mother, and in the way of Jeroboam son of Nebat, who caused Israel to sin. (54) For he served Baal, and bowed down to him, and provoked the LORD God of Israel, according to all which his father had done.

COMMENTS**

The introductory note to the brief reign of Ahaziah the son of Ahab is summarized in the chart below. Nothing further need be said except that the author points the finger at Jezebel as being one of the reasons for the evil direction which this king took (1 Kings 22:52). It would appear that this wicked woman continued to have a powerful influence even after her husband was dead. Ahaziah, just like his father, provoked the Lord to anger by his adherence to the Baal cult (1 Kings 22:53).

Eighth King of Israel AHAZIAM BEN AHAB 853-852 B.C. (whom Yabweb holds)

1 Kings 22:40; 1 Kings 22:49; 1 Kings 22:51; 2 Kings 1

Synchronism Ahaziah 1 = Jehoshaphat 17 Contemporary Prophet Elijah

The fear of the Lord prolongs days: but the years of the wicked shall be shortened. Proverbs 10:27