The divided kingdom · 1 Kings 22
Micaiah, Son of Imlah, Before Ahab
Ahab proposes to Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, that they retake Ramoth-gilead. Jehoshaphat wants to inquire of the LORD first. About four hundred prophets answer with one voice: “Go up!” But Jehoshaphat asks for a prophet of the LORD, and Ahab names the one he hates: Micaiah, son of Imlah, who “doth not prophesy good concerning me, but evil.” Pressed to announce good news, Micaiah answers, “what the LORD saith unto me, that will I speak.” He sees Israel scattered “as sheep that have not a shepherd” and reveals that a lying spirit is in the mouth of the king’s prophets. Zedekiah strikes him on the cheek; Ahab orders him fed with bread and water of affliction. Micaiah declares, “If thou return at all in peace, the LORD hath not spoken by me.” Ahab, in disguise, is hit by an arrow shot at random and dies that evening.
What happens
- Jehoshaphat wants to inquire of the LORD; about four hundred prophets say, “Go up!” 1 Kings 22:5–6
- Jehoshaphat asks for a prophet of the LORD; Ahab names Micaiah, whom he hates 1 Kings 22:7–8
- “What the LORD saith unto me, that will I speak” 1 Kings 22:14
- A lying spirit in the mouth of all Ahab’s prophets 1 Kings 22:19–22
- “If thou return at all in peace, the LORD hath not spoken by me” 1 Kings 22:28
- An arrow shot at random strikes Ahab, who dies that evening 1 Kings 22:34–35
Who is in this story
The lesson
God’s truth is not measured by the number of voices that please those in power. Micaiah prefers prison to a pleasant lie: one faithful servant is worth more than four hundred flatterers, and no one, even in disguise, can escape the word of the LORD.
And Micaiah said, As the Lord liveth, what the Lord saith unto me, that will I speak.
Quick quiz on this story
How many prophets does Ahab assemble to ask whether he should attack Ramoth-gilead?
The king of Israel gathered the prophets together, “about four hundred men,” and they all answered, “Go up; for the LORD shall deliver it into the hand of the king.” 1 Kings 22:6
What does Ahab have against Micaiah, son of Imlah?
Ahab admits, “I hate him; for he doth not prophesy good concerning me, but evil.” Jehoshaphat answers, “Let not the king say so.” 1 Kings 22:8
According to Micaiah, what kind of spirit does the LORD put in the mouth of Ahab’s prophets?
In Micaiah’s vision, a spirit stands before the LORD: “I will go forth, and I will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.” And the LORD allows it. 1 Kings 22:22
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