1 And they continued three years without war between Syria and Israel.
2 And it came to pass in the third year, that Jehoshaphat the king of Judah came down to the king of Israel.
3 And the king of Israel said unto his servants, Know ye that Ramoth in Gilead is ours, and we be still, and take it not out of the hand of the king of Syria?
4 And he said unto Jehoshaphat, Wilt thou go with me to battle to Ramothgilead? And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, I am as thou art, my people as thy people, my horses as thy horses.
5 And Jehoshaphat said unto the king of Israel, Enquire, I pray thee, at the word of the LORD to day.
6 Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, about four hundred men, and said unto them, Shall I go against Ramothgilead to battle, or shall I forbear? And they said, Go up; for the LORD shall deliver it into the hand of the king.
7 And Jehoshaphat said, Is there not here a prophet of the LORD besides, that we might enquire of him?
8 And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, There is yet one man, Micaiah the son of Imlah, by whom we may enquire of the LORD: but I hate him; for he doth not prophesy good concerning me, but evil. And Jehoshaphat said, Let not the king say so.
9 Then the king of Israel called an officer, and said, Hasten hither Micaiah the son of Imlah.
10 And the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah sat each on his throne, having put on their robes, in a void place in the entrance of the gate of Samaria; and all the prophets prophesied before them.
11 And Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah made him horns of iron: and he said, Thus saith the LORD, With these shalt thou push the Syrians, until thou have consumed them.
12 And all the prophets prophesied so, saying, Go up to Ramothgilead, and prosper: for the LORD shall deliver it into the king's hand.
13 And the messenger that was gone to call Micaiah spake unto him, saying, Behold now, the words of the prophets declare good unto the king with one mouth: let thy word, I pray thee, be like the word of one of them, and speak that which is good.
14 And Micaiah said, As the LORD liveth, what the LORD saith unto me, that will I speak.
15 So he came to the king. And the king said unto him, Micaiah, shall we go against Ramothgilead to battle, or shall we forbear? And he answered him, Go, and prosper: for the LORD shall deliver it into the hand of the king.
16 And the king said unto him, How many times shall I adjure thee that thou tell me nothing but that which is true in the name of the LORD?
17 And he said, I saw all Israel scattered upon the hills, as sheep that have not a shepherd: and the LORD said, These have no master: let them return every man to his house in peace.
18 And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, Did I not tell thee that he would prophesy no good concerning me, but evil?
19 And he said, Hear thou therefore the word of the LORD: I saw the LORD sitting on his throne, and all the host of heaven standing by him on his right hand and on his left.
20 And the LORD said, Who shall persuade Ahab, that he may go up and fall at Ramothgilead? And one said on this manner, and another said on that manner.
21 And there came forth a spirit, and stood before the LORD, and said, I will persuade him.
22 And the LORD said unto him, Wherewith? And he said, I will go forth, and I will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And he said, Thou shalt persuade him, and prevail also: go forth, and do so.
23 Now therefore, behold, the LORD hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these thy prophets, and the LORD hath spoken evil concerning thee.
24 But Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah went near, and smote Micaiah on the cheek, and said, Which way went the Spirit of the LORD from me to speak unto thee?
25 And Micaiah said, Behold, thou shalt see in that day, when thou shalt go into an inner chamber to hide thyself.
26 And the king of Israel said, Take Micaiah, and carry him back unto Amon the governor of the city, and to Joash the king's son;
27 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 come in peace.
28 And Micaiah said, If thou return at all in peace, the LORD hath not spoken by me. And he said, Hearken, O people, every one of you.
29 So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah went up to Ramothgilead.
30 And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, I will disguise myself, and enter into the battle; but put thou on thy robes. And the king of Israel disguised himself, and went into the battle.
31 But the king of Syria commanded his thirty and two captains that had rule over his chariots, saying, Fight neither with small nor great, save only with the king of Israel.
32 And it came to pass, when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, that they said, Surely it is the king of Israel. And they turned aside to fight against him: and Jehoshaphat cried out.
33 And it came to pass, when the captains of the chariots perceived that it was not the king of Israel, that they turned back from pursuing him.
34 And a certain man drew a bow at a venture, and smote the king of Israel between the joints of the harness: wherefore he said unto the driver of his chariot, Turn thine hand, and carry me out of the host; for I am wounded.
35 And the battle increased that day: and the king was stayed up in his chariot against the Syrians, and died at even: and the blood ran out of the wound into the midst of the chariot.
36 And there went a proclamation throughout the host about the going down of the sun, saying, Every man to his city, and every man to his own country.
37 So the king died, and was brought to Samaria; and they buried the king in Samaria.
38 And one washed the chariot in the pool of Samaria; and the dogs licked up his blood; and they washed his armor; according unto the word of the LORD which he spake.
39 Now the rest of the acts of Ahab, and all that he did, and the ivory house which he made, and all the cities that he built, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
40 So Ahab slept with his fathers; and Ahaziah his son reigned in his stead.
41 And Jehoshaphat the son of Asa began to reign over Judah in the fourth year of Ahab king of Israel.
42 Jehoshaphat was thirty and five years old when he began to reign; and he reigned twenty and five years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Azubah the daughter of Shilhi.
43 And he walked in all the ways of Asa his father; he turned not aside from it, doing that which was right in the eyes of the LORD: nevertheless the high places were not taken away; for the people offered and burnt incense yet 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 that he showed, and how he warred, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?
46 And the remnant of the sodomites, which remained in the days of his father Asa, he took out of the land.
47 There was then no king in Edom: a deputy was king.
48 Jehoshaphat made ships of Tharshish to go to Ophir for gold: but they went not; for the ships were broken at Eziongeber.
49 Then said Ahaziah the son of Ahab unto Jehoshaphat, Let my servants go with thy servants in the ships. But Jehoshaphat would not.
50 And Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David his father: and Jehoram his son reigned in his stead.
51 Ahaziah the son of Ahab began to reign over Israel in Samaria the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and reigned two years over Israel.
52 And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the way of his father, and in the way of his mother, and in the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin:
53 For he served Baal, and worshipped him, and provoked to anger the LORD God of Israel, according to all that his father had done.
The book of 1 Kings is a historical account of the reign of King Solomon and the subsequent division of the Israelite kingdom into the northern and southern regions. Chapter 22 is the final chapter of this book and it focuses on the reign of King Ahab, the seventh king of Israel. This chapter covers the events leading up to Ahab's death and the ascension of his son, Ahaziah, to the throne. It also highlights the ongoing conflict between the prophets of God and the false prophets of Baal.
1. The Death of Ahab
The chapter begins with Ahab's desire to take back the city of Ramoth-Gilead from the Syrians, who had captured it. He seeks the help of Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, and they make an alliance to go to war together. However, before they go into battle, Ahab decides to seek the advice of his prophets. All 400 prophets assure him that he will be victorious in battle. But Jehoshaphat, who is a follower of God, asks if there is a prophet of the Lord who can be consulted. Ahab admits that there is one, Micaiah, but he hates him because he never prophesies anything good concerning him.
Despite Ahab's disdain for Micaiah, he is summoned to give his prophecy. Micaiah tells the kings that God has decreed Ahab's defeat in this battle and that he will not return alive. Ahab is angry and has Micaiah thrown into prison. He chooses to believe the false prophets and goes into battle, disguised as a common soldier, hoping to escape the prophecy.
2. The Battle of Ramoth-Gilead
The battle begins and Ahab's plan to escape is foiled when a random arrow strikes him between the joints of his armor, fatally wounding him. He is taken back to Samaria, where he dies. The prophecy of Micaiah is fulfilled.
The Israelites are defeated in battle, just as God had foretold. Jehoshaphat, who had disguised himself as well, is spared by God and returns to Judah safely. The chapter ends with the death of Ahab and the ascension of his son, Ahaziah, to the throne.
3. The False Prophets vs. the True Prophet
Throughout the chapter, there is a stark contrast between the false prophets of Baal and the true prophet of God, Micaiah. The 400 prophets of Baal all prophesy in unison, assuring Ahab of his victory in battle. But Micaiah, the prophet of God, stands alone, speaking the truth despite the consequences. This shows the power of peer pressure and the danger of following the crowd, even when it goes against the will of God.
Micaiah's prophecy also highlights the importance of seeking and listening to the word of God. Ahab's downfall was his refusal to listen to the true prophet and his choice to believe the lies of the false prophets. This serves as a warning to us to always seek the truth and not be swayed by the opinions of others.
4. The Consequences of Disobedience
The death of Ahab is a direct result of his disobedience to God. Throughout his reign, Ahab had continuously disobeyed God's commands and followed the ways of the pagan nations, leading the Israelites astray as well. In this chapter, we see the consequences of his actions as God's judgment is fulfilled through the death of Ahab.
This serves as a reminder that there are consequences for our actions, whether good or bad. As followers of God, we are called to obey His commands and live according to His will. Ahab's story serves as a cautionary tale for us to stay faithful to God and His word.
Chapter 22 of 1 Kings highlights the consequences of disobedience and the importance of following God's word. It also shows the power of peer pressure and the danger of following false prophets. The death of Ahab serves as a reminder that there are consequences for our actions and that we must be faithful to God in all circumstances.
The chapter also sheds light on the ongoing conflict between good and evil, as seen through the battle between the false prophets of Baal and the true prophet of God. It serves as a reminder that we must always choose to stand for what is right, even if it means standing alone.
Furthermore, the death of Ahab and the ascension of his son, Ahaziah, to the throne, marks the end of the reign of the wicked kings of Israel. It sets the stage for the next chapter, where the prophet Elijah will confront and defeat the false prophets of Baal, ultimately leading to a revival among the Israelites.
In conclusion, chapter 22 of 1 Kings serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of obedience to God and the consequences of disobedience. It also highlights the ongoing battle between good and evil and the importance of standing for the truth, even when it goes against the popular opinion. The chapter ends the book of 1 Kings on a cautionary note, setting the stage for the next chapter and the continuation of the story of God's people.
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