“By what means?’ the LORD asked. “ ‘I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouths of all his prophets,’ he said. “ ‘You will succeed in enticing him,’ said the LORD. ‘Go and do it.”
~ 1 Kings 22:22
Hi James and Ellen,
Lying can get a guy or gal killed. Having to get one’s way can get a guy or gal killed. Getting together with a guy who does bad things can get a guy or gal killed. Making an alliance with a guy who cannot be trusted can get a guy or gal killed. Not listening to God as He speaks through one of His prophet spokesmen can get a guy or gal killed. Have you ever told a lie? Have you ever had your way in getting something that you thought that you had to have but did not need to have? Have you ever played with a kid who only wanted to do bad things? Have you ever done something that your dad and/or ma told you not to do? A king who was ruling over the Israelite people group’s guys and gals 2872 years ago died in a battle that he should not have started. The King Books historian wrote about this battle in the first book that he wrote – in 1 Kings 22. Ahab – the king who was ruling over the Israelite people group’s guys and gals 2872 years ago did something that he should not have done that cost him his life. Ahab had been a particularly evil king up until three years earlier when he received a wakeup call from God through one of God’s prophet spokesmen – Elijah, which had Ahab recognizing how evil he was. Ahab is remembered for having an exceptionally wicked and brutal wife – Jezebel, who would die ignominiously and that he ruled over the Israelite people group’s guys and gals from an ivory palace. After years of putting up with Assyrian people group’s guys marauding their land areas, Ahab formed an alliance with the Aram people group’s leader – along with leaders from other countries, to rout the Assyrians from their land areas. When Ahab was alive on planet Earth, the land area that made up the country of Israel bordered on the north with Aram’s land area. Before he died, Moses allotted to the Gad tribal clan – an Israelite people group tribal clan, land that was west of the Jordan River – land that abutted Aram’s land area. One of the cities that was located in the Gad tribal clan’s land area was Ramoth Gilead. This city became one of the Israelite people group’s more important cities when it became a city of refuge. During a clash that Israel, Aram and the other countries had about 2900 years ago against Assyria, Aram ended up with Ramoth Gilead as one of their cities.
At the time of the writing of this missive, Ahab – 2872 years ago, decided that he wanted Ramoth Gilead back. Jehoshaphat – who was the king over the guys and gals who were living in Judah’s land area, was visiting Ahab. Jehoshaphat may have gone to Samaria to congratulate Ahab for how he had helped to beat up on the Assyrians. Jehoshaphat was Asa’s son. Asa had ruled as a godly king over God’s specially chosen guys and gals who were living in Judah’s land area. Jehoshaphat should have known better than to go to Samaria to visit with Ahab as Ahab was not a godly king. While Jehoshaphat was visiting Ahab, getting back Ramoth Gilead became very important to Ahab. Jehoshaphat suggested to Ahab that he call together some prophets to get their opinion as to whether or not he should pick a fight with the Aramean army to get back just one city. About 400 prophets got together before Ahab and Jehoshaphat to tell them that God had told them that it was the right thing to do to take back Ramoth Gilead. One of the prophets – whose name was Zedekiah, even made iron horns to illustrate how Ahab would gore the Aramean soldiers while Ahab and his soldiers were reclaiming Ramoth Gilead. Jehoshaphat was not completely comfortable with the attitudes of Zedekiah and the bunch of guys who called themselves prophets of God as he knew what a real prophet of God sounded like. Jehoshaphat had grown up in a palace where real prophets of God spent time interacting with his dad. Jehoshaphat asked Ahab if there was a real prophet of God around. Ahab told Jehoshaphat there was but that he did not like the guy as this prophet was always telling him things that he did not want to hear. Jehoshaphat had Ahab bring this prophet of God – whose name was Micaiah, for his input from God about taking on the Aramean army in a fight to get back Ramoth Gilead. Micaiah – after Jehoshaphat could tell that Micaiah was being facetious with his first answer to Ahab, told Ahab that he would be killed in the fight and that his soldiers would be scatted in all directions. Ahab heard Micaiah but . . . Ahab opted to take on the Aramean army anyway. Ahab decided to put on a disguise – thinking that a disguise would keep him from being killed. Ahab ended up being killed when an arrow – shot randomly by an enemy archer, ended up going through a chink in his armor.
Ahab ended up being killed because of lies, because he had to have his way, because he trusted in guys who said that they were God’s spokesmen, because of an alliance that he made with another country that resulted in the loss of an important city to that county and because it was in God’s perfect plan that Ahab had to fight in the battle to reclaim Ramoth Gilead. Verse 22 recounts what a spirit did for God to get Ahab to fight in the battle to retake Ramoth Gilead. ““ ‘By what means?’ the LORD asked. “ ‘I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouths of all his prophets,’ he said. “ ‘You will succeed in enticing him,’ said the LORD. ‘Go and do it.’” Your grandpaa does not know where this lying spirit came from. Your grandpaa does not think that the lying spirit was one of Satan’s gofers but . . . your grandpaa also does not think that the lying spirit was in God’s corner because . . . your grandpaa does believe that lying, putting oneself first, spending time with bad guys and/or breaking relationships will breed and/or lead to more lies, putting oneself first even more, spending time with other bad guys and never keeping relationships and promises. The only way for kids like you to always enjoy hope is for you to always do what God asks you to do.
1 Kings 22 (431)