King Jehoshaphat came to visit King Ahab, but it might have been better if he had stayed at home. Jehoshaphat was a friendly man, and he thought a visit to Ahab would be a good thing to do. So he came with a great deal of royal fuss, and Ahab made a great feast for him. One king should have a good dinner, but imagine the fancy feast for two kings! And all their attendants shared the feast too.
Ahab got to thinking that here was a chance to have help fighting Ramoth Gilead. So he said to Jehoshaphat, Will you go with me to battle?
Yes, said Jehoshaphat. I am like you, and my people are like your people. We will go with you to the battle.
Just a minute, Jehoshaphat. You are a true believer, and Ahab isn’t! Why did you come, and why did you feast with him? Now you are going to share his battles. If you are a real believer, God will give you strength to say “no.”
Be careful, Christian boys and girls. Ask God if you should share with unbelievers. Satan has traps in that road. And you will stumble other believers too.
The believing Jehoshaphat did have some doubts in the back of his mind, so he suggested asking the word of the Lord about this risk of fighting Ramoth Gilead. Okay, said Ahab, and he called four hundred prophets together who brought good news of success. Yes, they said. Go up to battle. God will deliver Ramoth Gilead into the king’s hand.
But Jehoshaphat was not satisfied with that answer. Perhaps he noticed that those prophets spoke of “God,” and he spoke of the “Lord.”
Have you noticed that too? Unbelievers may speak of God, but they rarely say a word about the Lord Jesus Christ. True believers acknowledge that He is their Lord and Saviour.
Is there another prophet of the Lord besides? asked Jehoshaphat.
Yes, said Ahab, but I hate him, because he always predicts evil about me.
What else can we true believers say to you if you have no Saviour? We don’t want to comfort you with lies. God says you are a lost sinner, and it is true. “All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:2323For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; (Romans 3:23)). And if you die a lost sinner, your eternity will be tragically all evil! But we can happily tell you that our Lord Jesus Christ is the Saviour of sinners, and God Himself has no other way: “If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved” (Romans 10:99That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. (Romans 10:9)).
So Ahab agreed to call Micaiah, the one prophet of the Lord, and they would hear his prediction. At first he fitted in with all the others, but Ahab knew that this was not the true message. Then Micaiah told the truth: I saw all Israel as sheep having no shepherd. And Ahab instantly understood what the message meant.
Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, Didn’t I tell you he always predicts evil? Then Ahab made his own decision—he believed the four hundred prophets instead of Micaiah, the prophet of the Lord.
What will you do? Will you believe what most say, or will you believe the Word of God? “Forever, O Lord, Thy word is settled in heaven” (Psalm 119:8989LAMED. For ever, O Lord, thy word is settled in heaven. (Psalm 119:89)).
Perhaps you would like to hear about the battle that day. If you think you know what happened, don’t be too sure. We’ll tell you next week what happened, or you may read it for yourself in 2 Chronicles 18.
ML-01/16/2011