Example #10 – Ahab Goes to Ramoth- Gilead

2h 18 is the story of Jehoshaphat the king of the southern kingdom of Judah ‘joining affinity’ with Ahab the king of the northern kingdom of Israel. Ahab is a very wicked king married to Jezebel, a very wicked queen, responsible for the death of many of the true prophets of God.

Once again we are given a glimpse into the spiritual realm. Once again it is revealed that evil spirits are daily sent by God to accomplish His purpose. Truly…

Eph 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high [ places].

To the carnal mind, Ahab seems of his own ‘free will’ to have decided to go to war with the Syrians at Ramothgilead. He has given a feast in honor of Jehoshaphat and asks Jehoshaphat to go to war with him. Jehoshaphat “answered him, I am as thou art, and my people as thy people; and we will be with thee in the war” (2Ch 18:3).

But Jehoshphat had one request to make of Ahab before they go to war: “And Jehoshaphat said unto the king of Israel, Enquire I pray you, at the word of the Lord today” (vs 4). So Ahab rounds up four hundred prophets who dutifully tell Ahab, “go up for God will deliver it into the king’s hand” (vs 5).

There must have been something about these prophets that made Jehoshaphat recognize them for the hirelings and money hungry men of God they were, because he turns to Ahab and asks him: “…is there not a prophet of the Lord besides, that we might inquire of him? (vs 6).

“And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, there is yet one man by whom we may enquire of the Lord: but I hate him; for he never prophesies good unto me but always evil: the same is Micaiah the son of Imla. And Jehoshaphat said, Let not the king say so” (vs 7).

So Ahab, wanting to appear as an objective seeker of truth before Jehoshaphat sends a messenger for Micaiah. The messenger tells Micaiah that four hundred prophets had prophesied in favor of the king’s desire of his own ‘free’ will to go to war. “Let thy word therefore, I pray thee, be like one of theirs, and speak thou good” the messenger urges Micaiah (vs 12).

“Even what my God saith, that will I speak” was Micaiah’s response. So the messenger places Micaiah before the two kings, between the kings before him and four hundred paid prophets behind him. “And when he was come to the king, the king said unto him, Micaiah, shall we go to Ramoth- Gilead to battle or shall I forebear? And he [ Micaiah] said, Go ye up, and prosper, and they shall be delivered into your hand.” (vs 14).

Now Micaiah had just told the messenger sent to fetch him that he would speak only “what my God saith.” That being the case the Lord must have told Micaiah that Ahab had told Jehoshaphat that Micaiah never prophesies good unto me but always evil. The Lord apparently wanted the truth to be given to Ahab at his own request. “And the king said unto him, [ still feigning as an objective truth seeker]. How many times shall I adjure thee that thou say nothing but the truth to me in the name of the Lord.” (vs 15).

So Ahab asked for nothing but the unvarnished truth, which he is about to receive. Ahab was the old covenant equivalent of the leader of modern day Protestants because Israel broke away from the house of David and started a ‘new church’ over the extortion of money from the people. Jehoshephat was the old testament type of ‘a good pope’ whose fathers had extorted money from the fathers of the Protestants.

The modern day equivalent of this scene would be a summit of the leaders of every European nation whether Catholic or Protestant; every leader of the Western Hemisphere whether Catholic or Protestant; the leaders of any nation which mentions the name of Christ, along with about four thousand of the religious leaders from all these nations.

One leader of these “Christian” nations is particularly intent upon going to war against the perennial enemy of the ‘people of God’. He is willing to go it alone if necessary, for this is a clear- cut case of good versus evil. We know this is a case of ‘the people of the true God’ versus those who don’t even profess the name of Christ. But this leader of the greatest “Christian” nation on earth would really rather form a coalition to ‘go up to Ramoth- Gilead.’ The four thousand Christian leaders operating under a carnal understanding of a biblical principle, “resist the devil and he will flee from you” (Jas 4:7), tell the political leaders of this imaginary summit that God is on their side. While they are obviously a group of groveling men- pleasers, they think they are operating and speaking of their own “free will”.

But what is the truth about the choices we make. Micaiah is about to give us a lesson in ‘spirit realm civics 101’. This lesson is “written for our admonition.” It is not a tale of the extraordinary as our stubborn flesh wants us to believe. If this tale is an unusual event, then it is of no value for the admonition of the believer, but this is NOT an unusual event, any more than the events related in Job 1. “These things were our examples… and they are written for our admonition” (1Co 6 & 11). These are “examples” FOR US. This is how the universe is run every day: “Then [ after Ahab insisted on hearing the truth] he [ Micaiah] said, I did see all Israel, scattered upon the mountains, as sheep that have no shepherd: and the Lord said, These have no master; let them return therefore every man to his house in peace. And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, did I not tell thee that he would not prophecy good unto me, but evil?” (vs 17).

Ahab must have known his four hundred prophets were lying, for when Micaiah agreed with them, Ahab insisted on hearing the truth. But Ahab did not have a love of the truth anymore than the religious leaders of our day who are ridiculing the advice of our Lord to Peter: “then said Jesus unto him, put up again thy sword into his place: for ALL they that take the sword shall perish with the sword” (Mat 25:52).

If ever there appeared to be a worthy cause to fight for, Peter had chosen the most worthy. He was fighting for the Son of God and against the forces of evil. Or at least it appeared so to a yet unconverted Peter (Luk 22:32). Yes, right after telling Peter he wasn’t yet converted, Christ did say :…he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment and buy one” (vs 36). But for what purpose? “For…this that is written must yet be accomplished in me, and he was reckoned among the transgressors” (vs 37). That was the only reason given by Christ to buy [ not take up] a sword. It was only for the purpose of fulfilling the prophecy that Christ was to be “reckoned among the transgressors”.

The four thousand modern day prophets of ‘Ahab and Jezebel’ who are beating the war drums today, often remind us that Christ said “sell you cloak and buy a sword”, but how many remind us of what the Lord told Peter when Peter took up the sword and cut off the right ear of the high priest’s servant? “Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword?”

But “all things are of God” (2Co 5:18) and this is especially true of deceived prophets (Eze 14:9).

But Micaiah was only getting started on spirit realm civics versus ‘free will’, when Ahab interrupted him complaining, then as now, “did I not tell you that he would not prophesy good unto me, but evil?” (2Ch 18:17). The truth of God is always negative concerning fornicating religious and political leaders of God’s people.. Yes, the truth of God always has been negative concerning the rejected firstborn like Cain, Ishmael and Esau and the rejected anointed like Eli, King Saul and Ahab. These are all types of the flesh, and “flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God”

1Co 15:50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.

“…therefore hear the word of the Lord; I saw the Lord sitting upon his throne and all the host of heaven standing on his right hand and on his left. [ These are the “powers and principalities” including the “spiritual wickedness in the heavens” of Eph 6:12]

2Ch 18:19 And the LORD said, Who shall entice Ahab king of Israel, that he may go up and fall at Ramothgilead? And one spake saying after this manner, and another saying after that manner.
2Ch 18:20 Then there came out a spirit, and stood before the LORD, and said, I will entice him. And the LORD said unto him, Wherewith?
2Ch 18:21 And he said, I will go out, and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And [ the LORD] said, Thou shalt entice [ him], and thou shalt also prevail: go out, and do [ even] so.

“All the host of heaven” no doubt included righteous spirits who no doubt suggested Ahab’s conversion. But the hosts of heaven are not privy to the knowledge God reveals to those who seek to know his mind.

I have attended numerous funerals in my sixty years on this earth. Invariably the ministers will read:

1Co 2:9 – “But as it is written, eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him.” And that is where they always stop.

Why do they stop here? Because God has not opened their eyes to see the next verse: “But God has revealed them unto us by His spirit; for the spirit searches all things, yea, the deep things of God” (1Co 2:10).

Do the angels understand the deep things of God? “…which things the angels desire to look into” is a statement made by Peter concerning the salvation of those in Christ.

1Pe 1:10 Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you:
1Pe 1:11 Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.
1Pe 1:12 Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.

“To the intent that now unto the principalities and power in heavenly places might be known BY THE CHURCH the manifold wisdom of God.” This phrase ‘principalities and powers in heavenly places” is the exact thought and words translated spiritual wickedness in high places in Eph 6:12. High places and heavenly places are both the Greek word epouranios, [ Strong’s # 2032]. No, the angels do not know the “deep things of God.” They will in due time learn the manifold wisdom of God BY THE CHURCH.

Understanding the sovereignty of God is one of “the deep things of God”. It is one thing to say ‘yes, I believe God is sovereign.’ It is quite another to understand the depth of God’s sovereignty.

•Mat 13:11 – “…He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.”

•Mat 13:17 – “…many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.”

‘Freedom of choice’ is not a scriptural phrase and is in fact an unscriptural doctrine. “having made known unto us the mystery of HIS will, according to HIS GOOD PLEASURE which HE hath purposed in HIMSELF” (Eph 1:9) is a scriptural statement and is in fact a scriptural doctrine. “All things are of God” (2Co 5:;18) and are “predestined according to the purpose of HIM who worketh all things after the counsel of HIS OWN WILL” (Eph 1:11) is the exact opposite of man’s free will. Yet it is accomplished through the choices men make because, as we have demonstrated, it is God who “moves” men (2Sa 24:1) to make the choices they make.

So what is “His good pleasure which HE hat purposed in HIMSELF? Here is the answer. Believe your Bible! “No man can come to me except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the LAST DAY” (Joh 6:44). Does that sound like God wants us to believe that ‘no one can come to me except he chooses to by his own free will?’

Who will be drawn to Christ? What does the Bible teach? “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, WILL DRAW ALL MEN UNTO ME. This He said signifying what death [ crucifixion] He should die” (Joh 12:32-33).

Was Christ lifted up in crucifixion?

Who do the scriptures [ not the prophets of Ahab and Jezebel] teach will be “made alive in Christ”? “AS in Adam ALL die, [ it wasn’t by our own ‘free will’ we were born in Adam] SO in Christ will ALL be made alive” (1Co 15:22).

The entire fifth chapter of Romans makes this same statement five times in a row. If all were made sinners and subject to death in the first Adam then ALL will be made righteous and given life in the second Adam. Notice Rom 5:18 says “ALL MEN” receive justification “AS” all received condemnation. Five is the number of grace, and grace chastens us until we overcome our ‘idols of the heart’ (Eze 14:7).

Getting back to Micaiah’s class on spirit realm civics, someone might ask why did God allow “all the host of heaven” to participate in this discussion of His predetermined fate of King Ahab and then choose a “lying spirit in the mouths of all of his [ Ahab’s] prophets” to accomplish this end? Why did He not deal with Ahab as He did with Jonah or as He dealt with David when David numbered the people or with Saul of Tarsus on the road to Damascus? Are some people simply too evil for God, with all the powers and principalities at His disposal; are they simply too evil for Him to convert? Hardly! “Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump [ this is Adam] to make one vessel unto honour and another unto dishonor?” (Rom 9:21). God did not make us ‘robots’ as some contend this doctrine signifies. We are simply a lump of clay in HIS HANDS: “as the clay in the potter’s hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel” (Jer 18:6). Even when we turn the world upside down as Ahab and Jezebel, this “turning of things upside down [ is to be] esteemed as the potter’s clay” (Jer 29:16).

How clear! “All is of God” (2Co 5:18). Oh, yes, we think WE have chosen God of our own free will, but the truth straight from the mouth of our Savior Himself as “ye have not chosen me [ or your own ‘free will’] but I have chosen you…” (Joh 15:16). We think evil men are evil because THEY have chosen to be evil, but Paul says it is “the Potter” who has made them to be “vessels of dishonor”. If “the thing formed” does not have the right to ask “why had YOU made me thus”, what right has a ‘vessel of honor’ to say “I chose to live for God”? Or, “I may not have contributed much to my own salvation, but I did contribute the faith to choose God.” This is what many of us have been taught. We simply did not understand Rom 9, and our eyes were blinded to Eph 2:8 which says “by grace are ye saved through faith; and that [ that faith] NOT OF YOURSELVES: it is the gift of God.”

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