2 Chronicles 18

2 Chronicles 18:1

18:1 Up to this point lsrael and Judah had been hostile toward each other. But Jehoshaphat’s son married Ahab’s daughter (2Ch_21:5-6), thus forming an alliance between the two kingdoms. 18:2-7 Ahab asked Jehoshaphat to help him attack the Syrians, who held some of Israel’s territory (cf. 1Ki_22:3-4). Jehoshaphat immediately consented to help Ahab, but he suggested that they first inquire for the word of the LORD. Accordingly Ahab sent for the prophets, who with one voice predicted success. However, they must not have been too convincing, because Jehoshaphat, who possessed a measure of spiritual discernment, asked for “a prophet of the LORD,” as if to imply that the four hundred men already assembled were not in touch with Jehovah. It appears that even Ahab knew the difference between his prophets and a real prophet. But Micaiah, the one man through whom they could get the word of the Lord, was hated by Ahab because he always prophesied evil about the king. 18:8-11 When Micaiah was being summoned, Zedekiah dramatically portrayed how the Syrians would be destroyed (perhaps the two horns he put on signified the two Jewish kings), while all the king’s other prophets chimed in their assent. D. L. Moody comments: Ahab had his preachers and prophets. No man is so corrupt, but he will find some one who preaches to suit him. 18:12, 13 Micaiah meanwhile was being pressured by the king’s messenger to agree with the other prophets in forecasting victory, but Micaiah promised only to deliver the word of the Lord. Verse 13 should be the motto of every preacher and every Christian: “As the LORD lives, whatever my God says, that I will speak.“18:14-17 At first Micaiah pretended to go along with the others, but it was soon apparent that he was not serious. When Ahab made him swear to speak the truth, he told of Israel’s coming defeat and of Ahab’s death. 18:18-22 Micaiah also explained why Ahab’s prophets were giving him false information: They were under the influence of a lying spirit which the LORD sent because of Ahab’s wickedness. Ahab was now the object of judgment, as had been prophesied earlier by Elijah (1Ki_21:19-24). Matthew Henry comments: It is not without the divine permission that the devil deceives men, and even thereby God serves his own purposes. . . . Thus Micaiah gave Ahab fair warning, not only of the danger of proceeding in this war, but of the danger of believing those that encouraged him to proceed. 18:23-26 Micaiah suffered for his honesty. Zedekiah . . . struck him on the cheek and Ahab imprisoned him with only bread and water, probably intending to kill him. To both men Micaiah responded by saying that the Lord would prove that he was telling the truth. Scripture does not tell us what happened to Zedekiah, but we do know that Ahab was slain in battle, according to the word of Jehovah. 18:27-29 The prophet’s words must have had some impact on Ahab, because he tried to disguise himself and thus escape God’s judgment. He suggested that Jehoshaphat wear his kingly robes while he (Ahab) donned a soldier’s uniform. 18:30-34 But the word of the Lord came to pass. Jehoshaphat was delivered from the Syrians, after learning a lesson about the dangers of unholy alliances (2Co_6:14). Ahab was not delivered. God directed a seemingly random arrow between the joints of his armor, and about the time of sunset he died.