This program of daily devotions is designed to take you through the Bible in three years. It is our desire to help you gain a better general understanding of God's Word.
Please understand that in a study this brief, we will be concerned with only the major emphases and context of the Scriptures.
Each day a devotion for one or two chapters is posted, beginning with chapter one of Genesis and going through chapter twenty-two of Revelation. You are free to print each page as it appears. If you miss a day, you may contact us and request that devotion. Please send your request, along with $.50 (p&handling) for each page to:
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2CHRONICLES
1 Now Jehoshaphat had riches and honour in abundance, and joined affinity with Ahab.
2 And after certain years he went down to Ahab to Samaria. And Ahab killed sheep and oxen for him in abundance, and for the people that he had with him, and persuaded him to go up with him to Ramoth-gilead.
3 And Ahab king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat king of Judah, Wilt thou go with me to Ramoth-gilead? And he answered him, I am as thou art, and my people as thy people; and we will be with thee in the war.
4 And Jehoshaphat said unto the king of Israel, Inquire, I pray thee, at the word of the LORD to day.
Jehoshaphat seems to be one of those wonderful Christians who has a great love for God. His great love for God, of course, extends and gives him a great love for his fellow-man. He will try and help ANYBODY!
At least Jehoshaphat had enough sense to desire inquiring of God. ((Should we not ALL talk to God before we make decisions?))
7 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 never prophesied good unto me, but always evil: the same is Micaiah the son of Imla. And Jehoshaphat said, Let not the king say so.
8 And the king of Israel called for one of his officers, and said, Fetch quickly Micaiah the son of Imla.
9 And the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah sat either of them on his throne, clothed in their robes, and they sat in a void place at the entering in of the gate of Samaria; and all the prophets prophesied before them.
10 And Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah had made him horns of iron, and said, Thus saith the LORD, With these thou shalt push Syria until they be consumed.
11 And all the prophets prophesied so, saying, Go up to Ramoth-gilead, and prosper: for the LORD shall deliver it into the hand of the king.
Ahab sent for Micaiah. And while the two kings waited, the prophets of Ahab continued to make glowing oratory of how the Syrians would be defeated.
12 And the messenger that went to call Micaiah spake to him, saying, Behold, the words of the prophets declare good to the king with one assent; let thy word therefore, I pray thee, be like one of theirs, and speak thou good.
13 And Micaiah said, As the LORD liveth, even what my God saith, that will I speak.
The messenger sent to fetch Micaiah tried to "coach" him on what to say. But Micaiah's answer was that he would ONLY say what GOD told him!
14 And when he was come to the king, the king said unto him, Micaiah, shall we go to Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall I forbear? And he said, Go ye up, and prosper, and they shall be delivered into your hand.
15 And the king said to him, How many times shall I adjure thee that thou say nothing but the truth to me in the name of the LORD?
16 Then he said, I did see all Israel scattered upon the mountains, as sheep that have no shepherd: and the LORD said, These have no master; let them return therefore every man to his house in peace.
Micaiah's first answer to king Ahab was that he would be prosperous. I suspect that Micaiah said this with GREAT IRONY in his voice! Therefore, Ahab KNEW it was not the TRUTH!
17 And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, Did I not tell thee that he would not prophesy good unto me, but evil?
18 Again he said, Therefore hear the word of the LORD; I saw the LORD sitting upon his throne, and all the host of heaven standing on his right hand and on his left.
19 And the LORD said, Who shall entice Ahab king of Israel, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead? And one spake saying after this manner, and another saying after that manner.
20 Then there came out a spirit, and stood before the LORD, and said, I will entice him. And the LORD said unto him, Wherewith?
21 And he said, I will go out, and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And the LORD said, Thou shalt entice him, and thou shalt also prevail: go out, and do even so.
22 Now therefore, behold, the LORD hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of these thy prophets, and the LORD hath spoken evil against thee.
When Micaiah told the truth, Ahab called it "evil." To speak evil of truth leads to destruction (see Jude 10).
[[Let me interject a thought here. When God speaks, it is ALWAYS TRUTH! And when God speaks, His Holy Spirit also "witnesses" to our spirits that what God is saying is TRUTH. And when men refuse to belive what God says, coupled with His Holy Spirit's "witness," then THAT is the unforgivable sin!
Micaiah plainly stated that the other so-called prophets were LYING!
23 Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah came near, and smote Micaiah upon the cheek, and said, Which way went the Spirit of the LORD from me to speak unto thee?
24 And Micaiah said, Behold, thou shalt see on that day when thou shalt go into an inner chamber to hide thyself.
At that point, one of the false prophets struck Micaiah upon the cheek. Pride will take a man to his "fall" (Proverbs 11:12, 16:18).
25 Then the king of Israel said, Take ye Micaiah, and carry him back to Amon the governor of the city, and to Joash the king's son;
26 And say, Thus saith the king, Put this fellow in the prison, and feed him with bread of affliction and with water of affliction, until I return in peace.
27 And Micaiah said, If thou certainly return in peace, then hath not the LORD spoken by me. And he said, Hearken, all ye people.
Ahab ordered Micaiah put in prison and fed bred and water until he returned "in peace." Micaiah made a point of telling him that if he really returned in peace, then Micaiah had not spoken God's WORD! Micaiah was ready to stake his LIFE on God's WORD!
28 So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah went up to Ramoth-gilead.
29 And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, I will disguise myself, and will go to the battle; but put thou on thy robes. So the king of Israel disguised himself; and they went to the battle.
30 Now the king of Syria had commanded the captains of the chariots that were with him, saying, Fight ye not with small or great, save only with the king of Israel.
31 And it came to pass, when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, that they said, It is the king of Israel. Therefore they compassed about him to fight: but Jehoshaphat cried out, and the LORD helped him; and God moved them to depart from him.
32 For it came to pass, that, when the captains of the chariots perceived that it was not the king of Israel, they turned back again from pursuing him.
33 And a certain man drew a bow at a venture, and smote the king of Israel between the joints of the harness: therefore he said to his chariot man, Turn thine hand, that thou mayest carry me out of the host; for I am wounded.
34 And the battle increased that day: howbeit the king of Israel stayed himself up in his chariot against the Syrians until the even: and about the time of the sun going down he died.
Now Ahab KNEW that Micaiah's prophecy was TRUE, and that's why he DISGUISED himself!
Oh! How God LOVES His people and PROTECTS them - even in their IGNORANCE! Please continue in Bible Study with us.
CHAPTER 18
While this can be a good thing, it sometimes can lead to bad decision-making. Jehoshaphat chose to take Ahab, king of Israel, as a friend. Ahab was an idolater, and Jehoshaphat became friendly with him, perhaps because he wanted to avoid war between Jewish descendents (kin folk).
Jehoshaphat allowed his son Jehoram to marry one of Ahab's daughters (2Chronicles 21:6). Later, he would align himself with Ahab's son, Ahaziah, in a business venture (2Chronicles 20:35-37). And here, in our text, he allows Ahab to entice him into joining in a war with the Syrians who had taken possession of Ramoth-gilead.
5 Therefore the king of Israel gathered together of prophets four hundred men, and said unto them, Shall we go to Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall I forbear? And they said, Go up; for God will deliver it into the king's hand.
6 But Jehoshaphat said, Is there not here a prophet of the LORD besides, that we might inquire of him?
Of course Ahab tried to use his "golden calf" prophets, but Jehoshaphat asked for a true prophet of GOD!
Notice that Ahab said Micaiah always prophesied "evil" to him. Those who RESIST the truth will call truth EVIL!
Friends, when we are speaking of the Lord's intentions in this world today, we should ONLY say what GOD has told us. Rely upon the Word of God. Speak it in truth and in love. KNOW the Word and how it applies will be SHOWN to you! (See John 14:26)
When Micaiah was told to tell ONLY the truth, he told Ahab the army would be scattered because there was NO LEADER. That meant Ahab would DIE!
That's what Jesus was talking about when he said,
"Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men." (Matthew 12:31)
When people refuse to believe God's WORD, they are denying the TRUTH and denying the WITNESS of that truth! THAT'S why it is unforgivable. Not because God couldn't or wouldn't forgive, but because man refuses to believe!]]
Micaiah made a point of telling Zedekiah that he would regret this moment when he was hiding due to his shame for false prophecy. False prophets were to be STONED!
Another thought I might interject here. Ahab could not have PEACE, because he wouldn't BELIEVE GOD!
Friends, a person cannot HAVE peace until he BELIEVES God! (Isaiah 48:22, 57:21)
What's so APPALLING is that Jehoshaphat would CONTINUE to go along with this charade!
Oh! How EASY it is for Christians to be led astray by so-called "friendship."
Remember, as Christians, we are to make "covenants," "treaties," or contractual agreements ONLY with other Christians!
"Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?" (2Corinthians 6:14)
The disguising trick didn't work anyway. The captains of the Syrian army KNEW Ahab and how he drove and rode in his chariot. They KNEW his warring techniques. And they realized that Jehoshaphat was NOT Ahab. God caused them to know that (see verses 31-32).
So Ahab was mortally wounded in the battle, but Jehoshaphat was DELIVERED!