MAN'S WILL
For three years there was no war between Aram and Israel. But in the third year Jehoshaphat king of Judah (northern Israel) went down to see the king of Israel (Ahab). The king of Israel had said to his officials, "Don't you know that Ramoth Gilead belongs to us and yet we are doing nothing to retake it from the king of Aram?" In other words,the king of Israel was looking for a fight.
Jehoshaphat replied to the king of Israel, "I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses." But Jehoshaphat also said to the king of Israel, "First seek the counsel of the Lord." *WE SHOULD ALWAYS "FIRST SEEK THE COUNSEL OF THE LORD IN ALL THAT WE DO.*
So the king of Israel brought together the prophets--about four hundred men--and asked them, "Shall I go to war against Ramouth Gilead, or shall I refrain?"
"Go," they answered, "for the Lord will give it into the king's hand."
But Jehoshaphat asked, "Is there not a prophet of the Lord here whom we can inquire of?" *BEWARE OF WHOM YOU INQUIRE--TEST THE SPIRITS.*
The king of Israel answered Jehoshaphat, "There is still one man through whom we can inquire of the Lord, but I hate him because he never prophesies anything good about me, but always bad. He is Micaiah son of Imiah."
"The king should not say that," Jehoshaphat replied.
So the king of Israel called one of his officials and said, "Bring Micaiah son of Imiah at once."
Dressed in their royal robes, the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah were sitting on their thrones at the threshing floor by the entrance of the gate of Samaria, with all the prophets prophesying before them. "This is what the Lord says: 'With these you will gore the Arameans until they are destroyed.'"
All the other prophets were prophesying the same thing. Attack Ramoth Gilead and be victorious," they said, "for the Lord will give it into the king's hand."
The messenger who had gone to summon Micaiah said to him, "Look, as one man the other prophets are predicting success for the king, Let your word agree with theirs, and speak favorably."
But Micaiah said, "as surely as the Lord lives, I can tell him only what the Lord tells me."
When he arrived, the king asked him, "Micaiah, shall we go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or shall I refrain?"
"Attack and be victorious," he answered, "for the Lord will give it into the king's hand." * CAN YOU BELIEVE HE SEEMED TO GO ALONG WITH THE POPULAR POLL?*
The king said to him, "How many times must I make you swear to tell me nothing but the truth in the name of the Lord?" *MICAIAH MUST HAVE SAID IT SARCASTICALLY.*
GOD'S WILL
Then Micaiah answered, "I saw all Israel scattered on the hills like sheep without a shepherd, and the Lord said, 'These people have no master. Let each one go home in peace.'"The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "Didn't I tell you that he never prophesies anything good about me, but only bad?"
Micaiah continued, "Therefore hear the word of the Lord: I saw the Lord sitting on his throne with all the host of heaven standing around him on his right and on his left. And the Lord said, 'Who will entice Ahab into attacking Ramoth Gilead and going to his death there?" *THE PENALTY FOR SIN IS DEATH.*
"One" (spirit) "suggested this, and another that.. Finally, a spirit came forward, stood before the Lord and said, 'I will entice him.' *SATAN ALSO PRESENTS HIMSELF TO THE LORD ALONG WITH THE HEAVENLY HOST, SO THIS MUST HAVE BEEN ONE OF SATAN'S MINIONS.*
"'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.'
"So now the Lord has put a lying spirit in the mouths of all these prophets of yours. The Lord has decreed disaster for you." 1Kings 22: 1-23 (NIV) *MY THOUGHTS*
LESSON FOR TODAY
The same lying spirit is with us today. Our government listens to him and gets very angry when we, the people, listen to the prophet of The Lord. Our President ridicules us for "clinging to our guns and religion". Our Congresswomen say that the Tea Party can "go straight to Hell". The union boss calls the Republican members of Congress "sons of bitches" and vowed to "go to war" and "take them out" in November at the ballot box. Let us not be as the Church in Laodicea...neither hot nor cold. Let us be on fire and seek The Lord's will in all things.
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