Kings and Prophets 04

[0:00] We just thank you. Thank you for this new day you've given us. Father, we look forward to it. Father, we look forward to the fellowship tonight with the Christmas banquet and the program that will be going on.

[0:12] We just thank you those this morning who may have health problems and cannot make it. We just pray that you'll be with them and guide those who are helping them and guiding them with their taking care of them.

[0:24] We just thank you today for this lesson. Just be with me as I give it and guide us through it. Father, we thank you for your amazing love and grace at the cross.

[0:35] In this time of year, we just thank you of what you've told to the prophets about the forthcoming of your son, the Lord Jesus Christ, and what he would do at the cross for us.

[0:46] We thank you for that. We ask these things this morning in Christ's precious name. Amen. Okay. Well, we'll get started. We had a week where I wasn't here last week, and thank you, Roger, for doing that.

[1:02] The last time we were together, we were talking about Ahab, King Ahab. And Ahab started his reign back in Chapter 16, and he continues through Chapter 22.

[1:16] So there's quite a bit of stuff about Ahab and Jezebel in those chapters, and that's what we're going to be dealing with this morning. Also, we talked about King Jezebel, and he started back there in Chapter 16 also, but just kind of introduced him, and he kind of disappears until we get to Chapter 22.

[1:47] So he had a long period of time that he was reigning, and we really didn't hear that much about him, but we will get to it when we get to Chapter 22, how he comes in.

[1:58] And yeah, he actually befriends Ahab, which is kind of a crazy thing to do, but that's exactly what he does, and we'll get to that later on.

[2:10] So we are told that Ahab did more to provoke the Lord, the God of Israel, to anger than all the kings of Israel who were before him. And we've already seen some of the things that happened there.

[2:22] Jezebel, his wife, while she was a winner, likewise was known for evil actions. She was the daughter of Ethbel, king of the Sidonians.

[2:33] After her marriage to Ahab, her first recorded accident was cutting off the prophets from the Lord, and we're going to get into that a little bit more today, what she was doing with that.

[2:45] And I think we left off in Chapter 17, Verse 1, Then he traveled to this widow's place, and he provided the food that she could not have.

[3:08] He blessed her, and she had plenty of food after that, and also healed her son. And so this morning we're going to start in Chapter 18 of 1 Kings, Verse 1.

[3:23] So we've had the drought. They had a big drought, and it was over for three years. And Ahab was doing his thing, and also Elijah was doing his thing, going to these people, healing people.

[3:40] And now they're going to confront each other. And we see in 18.1, Now it happened after many days that the word of the Lord came to Elijah in the third year, saying, Go yourself, show yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the face of the earth.

[3:57] And so Elijah went to show himself to Ahab. Now the famine was severe in Samaria. Ahab called Obadiah, who was over the household.

[4:07] Now Obadiah feared the Lord. And I think we've been mentioning the fact that even though he was a northern tribe, and they were so nasty, they were still people who still believed in the Lord and had them on his side.

[4:25] And evidently Obadiah was one of those. So that was great. For when Jezebel destroyed or killed the prophets of the Lord, Obadiah took a hundred prophets and hid them by the fifties in a cave and provided them with bread and water.

[4:44] Now there's not much in that context about how she did this or what she was doing, except for the fact she was killing off the prophets. And so Obadiah, who had this desire for the Lord, and these people that knew the Lord, that was prophesying, he wanted to protect them, and he was taking them by the hundreds, and he was hiding them in the fifties, by the fifties.

[5:11] So Obadiah. This is not the same Obadiah that's in the minor prophets. I think there was probably around 12 Obadiahs in the scriptures.

[5:22] And like many of the names that we hear in the scriptures, there's other people that's named that. But Obadiah here is not the same Obadiah that we're going to see when we get to the minor prophets.

[5:36] He was a believer in the Lord and had important responsibilities in Ahab's household, and he hid 100 prophets when Jezebel tried to kill all the true prophets. The true prophets devoted themselves to the service of God in preaching, praying, and praising.

[5:52] There were schools for these prophets, but Jezebel plotted to destroy the schools and those that were brought up in them in order that none might be left to instruct the people on the true religion.

[6:05] And I think we heard the last time we were talking, when Jezebel and Ahab was out there getting their own prophets, and they were teaching them all the stuff about Baal and all the cults and everything else that was going on.

[6:20] And we're going to hear a little bit about those here in a little bit too. So these prophets that they were hiding was the true prophets of God. And this is the only record of this act.

[6:34] No other details are recorded of Jezebel's blood against the prophets. Also, no number was given of the killed. However, we know that Obadiah hid the 50s, by 50s, in the cave.

[6:47] At the hazard of his own life and against the king's command, wisely considering that no command of an earthly prince could overrule the command of the king of kings.

[6:58] This man still had the Lord in his heart. Now, verse 7. Now, as Obadiah was on his way, behold, Elijah met him, and he recognized him and fell on his face and said, Is this you, Elijah my master?

[7:13] So here he even had a desire for Elijah, because he knew Elijah was a true man of God. But Obadiah was hesitant to go to Ahab, because in verse 13, he has not been told to my master what I did when Jezebel killed the prophets of the Lord, that I had hid hundreds of prophets by the 50s in a cave and provided them with bread and water.

[7:40] And now you're saying, Go, say to my master, Behold, Elijah is here, and he will kill me. If he finds this out, because I was hiding this behind his back. In 15, Elijah said, As the Lord of hosts lives before whom I stand, I will surely show myself to him today.

[7:58] So Obadiah went to meet Ahab and told him, and Ahab went to meet Elijah. When Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab first said to him, Is this you, you troubler of Israel?

[8:11] They did not have a good relationship. That's for sure. He said, I have not troubled Israel, but you and your father's house have, because you have forsaken the commandments of the Lord, and you have followed the Baals.

[8:25] Now then, send together, and gather to me all of Israel at Mount Carmel, together with 450 prophets. Now these would be the prophets that Jezebel and Ahab had brought aboard, and he said, bring about 450 of them, of Baal, and the 400 prophets of the Asher, who eat at Jezebel's table.

[8:48] So we're talking about over 800 false prophets, or prophets. And so there's quite a few people during this time. During this time, Ahab and Jezebel has encouraged many to the worship of Baal through these prophets.

[9:03] We next see Elijah at the center character and a face-off with the prophets of the false god Baal, or the Mount Carmel, turn of 1820.

[9:14] So Ahab sent a message among the sons of Israel and brought the prophets together on Mount Carmel. Elijah came near to all the people and said, how long you hesitate between two opinions?

[9:26] If the Lord is God, follow him. If Baal, follow him. But the people did not answer him a word. Then Elijah said to the people, I alone am left a prophet of the Lord, but Baal's prophets are 450 men.

[9:45] Now let them give to us two oxen, and let them choose one oxen for themselves and cut it up, and place it on the wood, but no fire under it.

[9:56] I will prepare the other ox and lay it on wood, and I will not put fire under it. And this is a story that we've always heard about the prophets of Elijah, and it's a time that he's going to be able to show all the people that this is the true God.

[10:17] And verse 26, they took the ox which was given to them, and he prepared it and called upon the name of Baal from morning until noon, saying, O Baal, answer us.

[10:28] But there was no voice and no answer, and they leaped about the altar which they had made. It came about at noon, and Elijah mocked them and said, Call out your Lord with a loud voice, for he is God.

[10:42] Either he is occupied or gone aside, or is he on a journey, or perhaps he is asleep and needs to be awakened. So I think Elijah at this point was having a good time, you know, getting on these people, saying, Okay, you want to bring your God, where is he at?

[11:00] Is he just out there hiding or what? So they cried with a loud voice and cut themselves according to their customs with swords and lances until the blood gussed out of them. Wow.

[11:12] When midday was passed, they raved until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, but there was no voice, no one answered, and no one paid attention.

[11:22] Then Elijah builds an altar and stones, digs a ditch around it, puts the sacrifice on top of the wood, and calls for water to be poured over the sacrifice three times.

[11:35] Elijah calls upon God and God sends fire down from heaven, burns the sacrifices, the wood and the stones, and licks up the water in the ditch.

[11:48] God proved he was more powerful than the false gods. It was then that Elijah and the people killed all the prophets of Baal. It was quite a scene.

[12:07] So when all the prophets, verse 39, when all the prophets saw that they fell on their faces and they said, the Lord, he is God, the Lord, he is God. Then Elijah said to them, seize the prophets of Baal, do not let one of them escape, so they seized them and Elijah brought them down to the brook of Chazon and slew them there.

[12:29] The miraculous event of the fire from heaven was an answer to the prayer of Elijah. God was seeking him to turn the hearts of his people back to himself. He used a time of drought to get their attention to begin with, and then he brought the prophets to perform the dramatic miracle right before their eyes.

[12:47] They had no doubt of what was going on. No one who witnessed that event doubted that the Lord God was God and that Baal was a partless wannabe.

[12:59] He just couldn't hack it, not with God around. So, the repentance of the Israelites was soon thoughted by God's provision for reign.

[13:10] James uses Elijah's prayer life as a case in point. Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three years and a half.

[13:27] Again, he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops. James, you can turn to James if you want to, you don't have to turn to James, I can read it here. In James chapter 5, is anyone among you suffering?

[13:42] Then he must pray. Is anyone cheerful? He is to sing praises. If anyone among you sick, then he must tell all for the elders of the church that they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.

[13:57] And the prayer offered in faith will restore people who are sick, and the Lord who will rise him up and he has committed sins, they will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another so that you may be healed.

[14:13] The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain and it did not rain on the earth for three years.

[14:27] Then he prayed again and the sky poured rain and the earth produced fruit. a question. Is this how we're to pray today?

[14:42] Doesn't seem to work that way, does it? Just doesn't? Yes. So, also that type prayer we hear, you see in Mark.

[14:54] Mark chapter 11, verse 24. Therefore, I will tell you whatever you ask in prayer. Believe it that you have received it and it will be yours.

[15:06] So, is that the way we pray today? I think we have to remember some people do. Oh, yeah. The prosper is preaching.

[15:18] All you have to do is give them the money and pray and things are going to go your way. But we have to remember who James was writing to. We also have to remember who Mark and all the Gospels were writing to.

[15:34] It was to the nation of Israel. And, uh, the way that they were taught. And God was there with these people and when they prayed that way, he answered their prayers.

[15:48] And, uh, but today, today that is just not the case. Today, uh, prayers would be in the Philippians, uh, chapter 4, be anxious for nothing but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be named to God, be known to God.

[16:07] So, I think we're getting to the point where, hey, we pray. We pray and we let our requests be known and we just kind of drop it at that. We don't have to sit there every day and pray for the same thing over and over and over.

[16:20] We put our prayers before the Lord and we leave it and, uh, we don't be anxious about it because God is going to answer and, uh, sometimes we just have to be patient to see what his answer is and sometimes we don't like the answer but, we, we're just, uh, be anxious for nothing but in everything by prayer and supplication just give thanks to God.

[16:47] and the peace of God that's the thing, that's the key. When we pray that way we have the peace because we're not anxious, we're not thinking about, oh God, are you going to do this for me?

[17:03] Every day we just pray and leave it into the hands of him and that's such a blessing. Romans 8, 26 says, Paul, and Paul says that we don't know what to pray for but let your spirit himself intercede for us with groanings too deep for words and we don't know what to pray for, do we?

[17:26] And, uh, when we don't, God does and he's there for and he intercedes for us and that's what Jesus Christ says, he is the interceder for us between us and God.

[17:39] So, when we talk about prayer, there's a complete difference, the way that these prophets prayed, when these prophets prayed, God was with them to show the nation of Israel.

[17:53] It was, it was really a sign for them because when Elijah prayed this way, God answered it in such a way that, you know, there was no doubt that God was with this man, that God, you know, how could you set all this stuff upon stones and dig a ditch and put all this water on it and all of a sudden, without you hit striking a match, the thing just goes to flame and burdens everything that was there.

[18:26] Can you imagine if we saw something like that, what effect it would have on us? Well, these people were completely against God, the real God, and they repented and so, after the great, chapter 19, after the great victory over the false prophets, rain once again fell on the land, however, in spite of the victory, Elijah entered into a period of wavering faith and depression.

[18:56] You would think a man that's been used by God like he has would all of a sudden turn into a depression, but that's what the scripture says. Now Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, in verse 1, and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword.

[19:14] Then Jezebel said to Elijah, saying, So may the gods do to me even more, if I do not make your life as the life of the one of them by tomorrow about this time.

[19:27] And he was afraid and arose and ran for his life and came to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servants there. Ahab told his wife Jezebel of God's display of power.

[19:40] Rather than turn to God, Jezebel vowed to kill Elijah. Hearing of this, Elijah fled to the wilderness where he prayed for God to take his life, but God interfered, or refreshed Elijah with food, drink, and sleep.

[19:57] And this is where he went to the mountain and God came to him. Then Elijah took a 40-day journey to Mount Horeb, where Elijah hid in a cave, still feeling sorry for himself, even confessing his belief that he was alone as the only prophet alone.

[20:15] God was. He was the only prophet for God. He was throwing, he was just throwing a pity party pretty much is what he was doing. It is then that the Lord instructed Elijah to stand on the mountain of the God.

[20:27] He then came there to the cave and lodged there and behold the word of the Lord came to him and he said to him, what are you doing here, Elijah? Why are you running away?

[20:39] Why are you hiding in a cave? Verse 10, he said, I have been very zealous for the Lord, the God of hosts for the sons of Israel, have forsaken your covenant, tore down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword.

[20:52] And I alone am a left, and they seek my life to take it away. He said, go forth, stand on the mountain before the Lord, and behold the Lord was passing by, and a great and strong wind was rending the mountains and breaking the pieces of the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind, and after the wind and the quake, but the Lord was not in the quake either.

[21:17] After the quake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. Then he said, I've been very zealous for the Lord, the God of hosts, for the sons of Israel's have forsaken. Your covenant torn down your altars and killed your prophets by the sword, and I alone is left.

[21:33] Wow, he's still just giving a pity party with all the things that's going on. 15, the Lord said to him, go, return to your way to the wilderness of Damascus, and when you have arrived, you shall anoint king over Iran, and Jehu, you shall anoint king over Israel, and Elijah, now we find their prophet Elijah coming on board, you shall anoint as a prophet in your place.

[22:03] God instructs Elijah to anoint Jehu to be the king to succeed the corrupt Ahab and his wife Jezebel, although this is not going to happen for quite a while yet, we'll see that later on in chapter 22.

[22:21] He also instructs him to anoint Elijah to be the friend and successor. Elijah needed a friend because his complaint before God was that he was alone.

[22:34] God let him know that there was a man ready to learn for the great prophet and his disciple and his companion. Elijah also needed hope and since Elisha would be raised up as a successor to Elijah, prophet's office, Elijah then knew that his work would continue even after his death.

[22:55] So God again comforts Elijah by giving him a partner in this ministry. God using Elijah to start setting up where Ahab is going to come to his destruction.

[23:18] So he's going to use these people not particularly in this chapter but you'll see it as we go through the chronology here that how these things will come about.

[23:28] so verse 17 of chapter 19 then it shall come about the one who escapes from the sword of Hazel Jehu shall put to death and the one who escapes from the sword of Jehu Elijah shall put to death and we're going to see that as we go through.

[23:49] This is another sort of encouragement to Elijah with this promise he knew that ultimately justice would be done and God would not allow the persecution and promotion of idolatry that Ahab and Jezabel promoted to go unpunished.

[24:09] Verse 18 Yet I will leave 7,000 in Israel all the knees that have not bowed to Baal and every mouth that has not kissed him.

[24:20] This showed Elijah that his quiet ministry over the years actually bore fruit while the vile idolatry was spreading in Israel. The worship of the true God was being retained by 7,000 faithful souls.

[24:35] Though Elijah did not know that there were even one beside him, how were they one to Jehovah? God still had some who were loyal to him no matter what disgraceful king was writing at that point.

[24:49] And I think that just points out the fact even though he was a prophet and he thought he was doing all these great things for people there was other people out here. They knew the Lord.

[25:03] They were talking. They were winning other people. And it grew that there was at least 7,000 people that knew the Lord at that point.

[25:13] God and so no matter how bad things get there are some who will follow and proclaim the Lord. And I think we can take that to today's time also.

[25:26] I mean we want to be out there and we want to win other souls to Christ. And sometimes things get in our way and we have problems doing it maybe.

[25:37] But you know what? There is other people out there in all the states all the places all over the world. We got missionaries going out all over the world. And there's always somebody out there that's giving out God's word.

[25:51] So it doesn't matter how bad things are going to get. And a lot of people right now are saying my goodness what's going to happen with this Middle East thing?

[26:04] You know is it going to be the end of times? Things are going to culminate at this point? You know people are scared. People are wondering. But there's people out there that are giving presenting the word of God and trying to get to the fact it really doesn't matter what's going out there with the Middle East.

[26:28] Because if you know Christ is your Savior if this thing comes to that kind of ending we're not going to be here.

[26:39] We're not going to have to face it. And I just lost my hearing aid. And so there's somebody out there and that's what's great about God and how he uses people.

[26:52] He uses us in ways that you know if I'm not out there doing it there's other people that's out there doing it. And that's the grace of God.

[27:04] And we can be thankful for that. verse 21 Elijah obeyed God's command Elisha became Elijah's assistant for some time and two continued to deal with Ahab and Jezebel as well as Ahab's son successor Ahaziah as they continued to do evil.

[27:31] The event that sealed Ahab's doom was the murder of the innocent man. Ahab coveted a vineyard belonging to another man. His name was Naboth.

[27:43] The king offered to buy the vineyard but Nadoth refused. Verse 12 Ahab spoke to Naboth saying give me your vineyard that I may have it for the vegetables gardens because it is close beside my house and I will give you a better venue than it is in its place if you like and I will give you the price of it in money.

[28:07] But Naboth said they have the Lord forbid me that I should give you the inheritance of my father. So evidently this was a farm that was passed down to him and he was not willing to give it up.

[28:19] Ahab sulked about this in his palace his wife Jezebel arranged Nahab's murder. And this is just bringing forth the fact that Jezebel was a very nasty lady.

[28:33] And verse 7 Jezebel his wife said to him do you not reign over Israel arise eat bread and let your heart be joyful I would give you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezerite.

[28:47] So she wrote letters to Ahab's name and sealed them with his seal and sent letters to the elders and to the nobles who were living with Nobath in the city.

[29:00] She took action to ensure Nobath would be seated or set up by the several men testifying against him. Then the two worthless men came in and sat before him and the worthless men testified against him.

[29:14] Then they sent word and they took him out and they killed him at that point. Then they sent word to Jezebel saying Naboth has been killed. When Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned and was dead, Jezebel said to Ahab, Arise, take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Deserite, which he refused to give you for money, for Naboth is no longer alive but dead.

[29:41] When Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, Ahab arose to go down to the vineyard of Naboth the Deserite and to take possession. Once the vineyard owner was out of the way, King Ahab took the vineyard for himself.

[29:57] In verse 19, you shall speak to him, saying, thus says the Lord. And here we're having God talking to Elijah again.

[30:09] Thus says the Lord, you have murdered and also taken possession and you shall speak to him saying, thus says the Lord, in the place where the dogs licked up the blood of Naboth, the dogs will lick up your blood, even yours.

[30:22] So verse 20, Ahab said to Elijah, you have found me, O my enemy. And he answered, I have found you, because you have sold yourself to do evil in the sight of the Lord.

[30:33] behold, I will bring evil upon you, and will destroy and sweep you away, and will cut off from Ahab every male, both bond and free, in Israel, and will make your house like the house of Jeroboam, the son of Naboth, and like the house of Basha, the son of Ahijah, because of the provocation which you provoked me to anger, because you have made Israel sin.

[31:03] If Jezebel also has the Lord spoken saying the dogs will eat Jezebel in the district of Jezreel, and we're going to see that later on.

[31:15] The one belonged to Ahab who dies in the city the dogs will eat, and the one who dies on the field the birds of pheasant will eat. Wow, that's quite a prophecy, and if Ahab didn't get a hold of that, there had to be something wrong with him.

[31:33] He's talking about all the blood, all of his descendants, everything, and also talking about Jezebel who's going to face a very bad death. Verse 25, Surely there was no one like Ahab who sold himself to do evil in the sight of the Lord because Jezebel his wife incited him.

[31:55] It came about when Ahab heard these words that he tore on sackcloth and fasted and he laid on sackcloth and went about despondently. Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah saying Do you see how Ahab has humbled himself before me?

[32:14] Because he has humbled himself before me I will not bring the evil in his days but I will bring the evil upon his house in his son's days. Again we see that the next generation receiving the backlash of that king.

[32:29] And it's just how merciful our father is. Even with all these things that's been going on all the dirty and nasty the murdering Ahab went to the Lord and he repented.

[32:49] That doesn't mean God is not going to take action against him because he is but he also forgave him and he said I will not punish him as I said he would as I said I was going to but I will bring up upon the next generation and we saw that as we were going through how sometimes the kings at the last minute would go before God and God would save them and he would save the next generation your son or the next son's generation will face the consequences and again sometimes that's just like what goes on in our country and our lives today some of the actions we do do not affect us at this point but they may face our children our children's children and so God deals with humans in that way Ahab's death was predicted by the prophets Elijah and

[33:50] Micaiah Jezebel's gruesome death was also predicted and true to the prophecy we'll see Ahab being killed in a battle in Syria Ahab now we haven't heard about Jehoshaphat for a good while Abahad and Jehoshaphat joined forces remember Jehoshaphat becomes the king back in Judah back in verses chapter 15 or 16 but we haven't heard of him until now Ahab the king of northern tribes Jehoshaphat is the king of Judah and he's been reigning for quite a few years Jehoshaphat was a powerful properist king you can turn to 2nd Chronicles gives us a more good idea of how that was going on but he was mindful of the fact that Judah was boarded by Moab Ammon and Israel all hostile he knew he needed a strong and well position military so

[34:52] Jehoshaphat fortified his borders and increased his troops this is all back in 2nd Chronicles chapter 17 if you want to turn if you don't want to his his actions did go unnoticed because the fear of the Lord fell to all the kingdoms of the land that were around Judah he also set judges in land and throughout all the fortified cities of Judah city by city he gathered the people to pray and to seek the Lord acknowledging him as a God of heaven the powerful one who rules all the nations and he prayed all Judah but their little despite this zeal so has a fat played the fool by trying to travel two roads at the same time on the one road he loved the Lord but on the other hand he formed a bond with an ungodly king of Israel by forging a military allegiance with Ahab one of the northern kingdom's most wicked kings and letting his son marry

[35:58] Ahab's daughter johassaphat seemed to want an insurance policy in case the Lord failed him here comes a king that's been reigning for many years he was the Lord was with him with all the things he did all these things to fortify Judah but things started going military maybe against him and he said wow maybe I need help maybe I should go get in bed with the king from the northern tribes and that's exactly what was going on here while marriage alliances were common way to forge peace between countries at odds with each other the fact the pact was an unholy union Ahab and Jezebel were evil they practiced objectic paganism flooded the land with Baal worship and almost obliterated the worship of Jehovah from Israel and now we have the king of Judah trying to get in bed with him and chapter 22 now three years passed between

[37:07] Abraham and Israel the third year Jehoshaphat the king of Judah came down to the king of Israel now the king of Israel said to his servants do you know that Ramoth Gilead belongs to us and we still nothing to take it out of the hand of king Aham and he said to Jehoshaphat will you go with me to battle and Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel I am as you are my people as your people my horses as your horses moreover Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel please inquire first of the lord of god so he still had this this inkling that wow maybe I'm doing something wrong here why don't we ask god then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together about 400 men and said to them shall I go up against this country to battle and shall I refrain and they said go up for the lord will give it into the hand of the king now who do you think these prophets were that he were talking about here this was

[38:13] Ahab that was saying this and all these prophets we already know what they were doing so they gave him this information very why wouldn't they give it to him but johassaphat said is there not yet a prophet of the lord here that we may inquire of him the king of israel said to johassaphat there is yet one man by whom we may inquire of the lord but I hate him because he does not prophesy good wow isn't that amazing there's a prophet that's actually not prophesied for the good of this king who's been just the nasty as you can be but he but I hate him because he does not prophesy good for me but evil he is Micaiah Micaiah wasn't liked by the king of Israel because he was a prophet of God he told the reasons of God as it was given to him that two kings sent for

[39:16] Micaiah so he didn't like him because he was always given the prophecy of the lord the king messager primed and the modest Micaiah to lie to the king they wanted him to consent to what other prophets presented before the king so we had this conspiracy going on in the behind the scenes of the other prophets trying to get this prophet to do what they did before the kings all the prophets were prophesying thus saying go up to this country and prosper for the lord will give it into the hands of the king but Micaiah said as the lord lives what the lord says to me that i shall speak he was not going to bend he was a prophet of god and what god told him he was going to tell now therefore verse 23 thou therefore behold the lord has put a deceiving spirit in the mouth of all these prophets and the lord has proclaimed disaster against you

[40:25] Micaiah said if you listen if you indeed return safely the lord has not spoken by me and he said listen all you people so the king of Israel and Jehazaphat king of Judah went up against Ramoth of Gilead and the king of Israel said to Jehazaphat I will disguise myself and go into battle but you put on your rope so the king of Israel disguised himself and went into battle that's wrong I guess you would think of that of Ahab wouldn't you I mean he wants to go into battle with this king from Judah but he's going to disguise himself because what's the natural thing to do when you're in battle you try to take out the leader and he wants Jehazaphat to keep his robes on so why not going into the battle Ahab did what he did not want to be identified as a king and therefore be a special target however it was more difficult to explain why

[41:35] Jehazaphat agreed to go into battle as the only clearly identified king perhaps he was either not very smart or he had very great faith and I really don't know how to answer that I mean it was kind of really kind of silly for a king who had been reigning all these years to let himself fall into such a place verse 31 now the king of arim had commanded the 32 captains of his chariots saying do not fight with small or great but with the king of Israel alone so when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat they said surely it is the king of Israel and they turned aside to fight against him and Jehoshaphat cried out the king of Israel they turned back from pursuing him now a certain man drew his bow at random and struck the king of Israel in a joint of the armor so he said to the driver his chariot turn around and take me out of the fight the battle raised that day and the king was propped up in a chariot then a cry passed throughout the army close to sunset saying the king in

[42:56] Samaria and they washed the blood the chariot from the pool in Samaria and the dogs licked up the blood this was a fulfillment of God's word to Elijah the king verse 39 now the rest of the acts of Ahab and all that he did and the ivory house which he built and all the cities which he built are they not written in the book of chronicles so Ahab slept with his fathers and Ahazan his son became king in his place the marriage of Ahazaphat's son Jeroharam to Ahab's great mistake union was supposed to foster peace and cooperation with the two kingdoms but it only degraded Judah Ahazaphat should have known better he made the monumental era relying on the world's wisdom instead of God's years later his son usurped the throne of

[44:01] Judah and murdered all the hairs to the throne of but one almost annihilating the scenic line before he killed himself and we will see this later so now we see that his son has got a wife from Ahab and we're going to see how that is going to come around also his victory over and now verse 20 now it came about after this that the sons of Moab and the sons of Ammon together with some of the Menunites came to make war against Jehoshaphat then some came and reported to Jehoshaphat saying a great multitude is coming against you far beyond the sea out of Aram and at the horizon and that they are in Hazan Tamar Jehoshaphat was afraid and turned his attention to seek the Lord and proclaimed a fast throughout all

[45:02] Judea you need not fight in this battle station yourselves this is what God is telling Jehoshaphat stand to see the salvation of the Lord and on your behalf O Judah in Jerusalem do not fear this or be dismayed tomorrow we'll go out to face them and the Lord is with you here is another miracle that's going to happen the multitude came but they interved to deliver Judah verse 24 when Judah came he looked out of the wilderness they looked out towards the multitude and behold they were corpses laying on the ground and no one had escaped so again we saw the see the Lord helping this nation with a battle that's going on so when Jehoshaphat and his people came to take their spoil they found much among them and they were there three days taking this spoil because there was so much every man of

[46:02] Judah and Jerusalem returned with Jehoshaphat at their head returning to Jerusalem with joy for the Lord had made them to rejoice over their enemies they came to Jerusalem with harps layers and trumpets to the house of the Lord now Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the city of his father David and Jerhoram his son became king in his place and I think we'll stop there because the time has this morning if not have a good week