Micaiah, and the Alliance with Ahab
1 Now Jehoshaphat had riches and honor in abundance; and he allied himself with Ahab. 2 After some years, he went down to Ahab to Samaria. Ahab killed sheep and cattle for him in abundance, and for the people who were with him, and moved him to go up with him to Ramoth Gilead. 3 Ahab king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat king of Judah, “Will you go with me to Ramoth Gilead?” He answered him, “I am as you are, and my people as your people. We will be with you in the war.” 4 Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “Please inquire first for Yahweh’s word.” 5 Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, four hundred men, and said to them, “Shall we go to Ramoth Gilead to battle, or shall I forbear?” They said, “Go up, for God will deliver it into the hand of the king.” 6 But Jehoshaphat said, “Isn’t there here a prophet of Yahweh besides, that we may inquire of him?” 7 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “There is yet one man by whom we may inquire of Yahweh; but I hate him, for he never prophesies good concerning me, but always evil. He is Micaiah the son of Imla.” Jehoshaphat said, “Don’t let the king say so.” 8 Then the king of Israel called an officer, and said, “Get Micaiah the son of Imla quickly.” 9 Now the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah each sat on his throne, arrayed in their robes, and they were sitting in an open place at the entrance of the gate of Samaria; and all the prophets were prophesying before them. 10 Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah made himself horns of iron and said, “Yahweh says, ‘With these you shall push the Syrians, until they are consumed.’” 11 All the prophets prophesied so, saying, “Go up to Ramoth Gilead, and prosper; for Yahweh will deliver it into the hand of the king.” 12 The messenger who went to call Micaiah spoke to him, saying, “Behold, the words of the prophets declare good to the king with one mouth. Let your word therefore, please be like one of theirs, and speak good.” 13 Micaiah said, “As Yahweh lives, I will say what my God says.” 14 When he had come to the king, the king said to him, “Micaiah, shall we go to Ramoth Gilead to battle, or shall I forbear?” He said, “Go up, and prosper. They shall be delivered into your hand.” 15 The king said to him, “How many times shall I adjure you that you speak to me nothing but the truth in Yahweh’s name?” 16 He said, “I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains, as sheep that have no shepherd. Yahweh said, ‘These have no master. Let them each return to his house in peace.’” 17 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Didn’t I tell you that he would not prophesy good concerning me, but evil?” 18 Micaiah said, “Therefore hear Yahweh’s word: I saw Yahweh sitting on his throne, and all the army of heaven standing on his right hand and on his left. 19 Yahweh said, ‘Who will entice Ahab king of Israel, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth Gilead?’ One spoke saying in this way, and another saying in that way. 20 A spirit came out, stood before Yahweh, and said, ‘I will entice him.’ “Yahweh said to him, ‘How?’ 21 “He said, ‘I will go, and will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.’ “He said, ‘You will entice him, and will prevail also. Go and do so.’ 22 “Now therefore, behold, Yahweh has put a lying spirit in the mouth of these your prophets; and Yahweh has spoken evil concerning you.” 23 Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah came near, and struck Micaiah on the cheek, and said, “Which way did Yahweh’s Spirit go from me to speak to you?” 24 Micaiah said, “Behold, you shall see on that day, when you go into an inner room to hide yourself.” 25 The king of Israel said, “Take Micaiah, and carry him back to Amon the governor of the city, and to Joash the king’s son; 26 and say, ‘The king says, “Put this fellow in the prison, and feed him with bread of affliction and with water of affliction, until I return in peace.”’” 27 Micaiah said, “If you return at all in peace, Yahweh has not spoken by me.” He said, “Listen, you people, all of you!” 28 So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah went up to Ramoth Gilead. 29 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “I will disguise myself, and go into the battle; but you put on your robes.” So the king of Israel disguised himself; and they went into the battle. 30 Now the king of Syria had commanded the captains of his chariots, saying, “Don’t fight with small nor great, except only with the king of Israel.” 31 When the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, they said, “It is the king of Israel!” Therefore they turned around to fight against him. But Jehoshaphat cried out, and Yahweh helped him; and God moved them to depart from him. 32 When the captains of the chariots saw that it was not the king of Israel, they turned back from pursuing him. 33 A certain man drew his bow at random, and struck the king of Israel between the joints of the armor. Therefore he said to the driver of the chariot, “Turn around and carry me out of the battle, for I am severely wounded.” 34 The battle increased that day. However, the king of Israel propped himself up in his chariot against the Syrians until the evening; and at about sunset, he died.
A king commits himself and then asks for God's word, and the deception that destroys his ally is announced to him beforehand.
The chapter turns on the order of two sentences. Asked to join the campaign at Ramoth-gilead, Jehoshaphat answers I am as you are, and my people as your people. We will be with you in the war 2 Chronicles 18:3. Only then does he say please inquire first for Yahweh's word 2 Chronicles 18:4.
The word first has already been overtaken. He commits and then consults, which is not consulting.
Four hundred prophets are produced and they agree 2 Chronicles 18:5. Jehoshaphat is not satisfied, and his question is the sharpest instinct in the chapter: isn't there here a prophet of Yahweh besides? Unanimity did not reassure him. He could tell that a chorus assembled by a king and answering as one man was not evidence of anything.
Ahab's objection to the alternative is stated with unusual candor. I hate him, for he never prophesies good concerning me, but always evil 2 Chronicles 18:7. He is not disputing accuracy. He is grading prophecy by whether he likes it, and he knows which prophet fails that test.
Micaiah's true answer is an image rather than a prediction — Israel scattered on the mountains, as sheep that have no shepherd 2 Chronicles 18:16. The king will die and nobody is told so directly.
Then the vision of the council, and it needs care. God is on his throne with the host on either side, asking who will entice Ahab; a spirit offers to be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets, and is told go and do so 2 Chronicles 18:19–21.
Scripture forecloses one reading of that outright. God can't lie Titus 1:2; it is impossible for God to lie Hebrews 6:18; and he tempts no one James 1:13. The vision does not show God originating a falsehood. It shows a permission granted to an agent who volunteers, in the same manner as the adversary given leave to act against Israel 1 Chronicles 21:1 and against Job Job 1:12.
But the decisive point is what Micaiah does with the vision, and it is easy to miss. He tells Ahab. Now therefore, behold, Yahweh has put a lying spirit in the mouth of these your prophets 2 Chronicles 18:22.
The deception is disclosed to its target, in public, before he goes. A man who has been told that his prophets are lying and who marches anyway has not been deceived; he has chosen. The permission and the warning are given in the same speech, and the warning is what leaves the responsibility with him.
Ahab's answer is to imprison the messenger until I return in peace 2 Chronicles 18:26, and Micaiah stakes his office on the phrase: if you return at all in peace, Yahweh has not spoken by me 2 Chronicles 18:27.
The king then tries to outmaneuver the word by disguise, and sends his ally into the battle in royal robes 2 Chronicles 18:29. Jehoshaphat, dressed as the target, is pursued, cries out, and is helped 2 Chronicles 18:31. He is rescued from a danger his friend arranged.
And the arrow that finds Ahab is drawn at random 2 Chronicles 18:33, striking the one seam in the armor of the one man nobody could identify. The chapter's last word on tactics is that they were irrelevant.
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