II
C H R O N I C L E S
CHAP. XVIII.
The
story of this chapter we had just as it is here related in the story of the
reign of Ahab king of Israel, 1 Kings xxii. There it looks more creditable
to Ahab than any thing else recorded of him that he was in league with so good
a man as Jehoshaphat; here it is a great blemish in the reign of Jehoshaphat
that he thus connected himself with so bad a man as Ahab. Here is, I. The
alliance he contracted himself with Ahab, ver. 1. II. His consent to join with
him in his expedition for the recovery of Ramoth-Gilead out of the hands of
the Syrians, ver. 2, 3. III. Their consulting with the prophets, false and
true, before they went, ver. 4-27. IV. The success of their expedition.
Jehoshaphat hardly escaped (ver. 28-32) and Ahab received his death's wound,
ver. 33, 34.
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Jehoshaphat's
Alliance with Ahab.
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B.
C. 897.
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1 Now Jehoshaphat had riches and honour in
abundance, and joined affinity with Ahab. 2 And after certain
years he went down to Ahab to Samaria. And Ahab killed sheep and oxen for him
in abundance, and for the people that he had with him, and persuaded
him to go up with him to Ramoth-gilead. 3 And Ahab king of
Israel said unto Jehoshaphat king of Judah, Wilt thou go with me to
Ramoth-gilead? And he answered him, I am as thou art, and my
people as thy people; and we will be with thee in the war.
Here is, I. Jehoshaphat growing greater. It was said before (ch. xvii.
5) that he had riches and honour in abundance; and here it is said
again that his wealth and honour increased upon him by piety and good
management.
II. Not growing wiser, else he would not have joined with Ahab, that
degenerate Israelite, who had sold himself to work wickedness. What good could
he get by a man that was so bad? What good could he do to a man that was so
obstinately wicked--an idolater, a persecutor? With him he joined in affinity,
that is, married his son Jehoram to Ahab's daughter Athaliah.
1. This was the worst match that ever was made by any of the house of David. I
wonder what Jehoshaphat could promise himself by it. (1.) Perhaps pride made
the match, as it does many a one, which speeds accordingly. His religion
forbade him to marry his son to a daughter of any of the heathen princes that
were about him--Thou shalt not take their daughters to thy sons; and,
having riches and honour in abundance, he thought it a disparagement to marry
him to a subject. A king's daughter it must be, and therefore Ahab's, little
considering that Jezebel was her mother. (2.) Some think he did it in policy,
hoping by this expedient to unite the kingdoms in his son, Ahab perhaps
flattering him with hopes that he would make him his heir, when he intended no
such thing.
2. This match drew Jehoshaphat, (1.) Into an intimate familiarity with Ahab.
He paid him a visit at Samaria, and Ahab, proud of the honour which
Jehoshaphat did him, gave him a very splendid entertainment, according to the
splendour of those times: He killed sheep and oxen for him, plain meat,
in abundance, v. 2. In this Jehoshaphat did not walk so closely
as he should have done in the ways of his father David, who hated the
congregation of evil-doers and would not sit with the wicked (Ps. xxvi.
5), nor desired to eat of their dainties, Ps. cxli. 4. (2.) Into a
league with Ahab against the Syrians. Ahab persuaded him to join forces with
him in an expedition for the recovery of Ramoth-Gilead, a city in the tribe of
Gad, on the other side Jordan. Did not Ahab know that that, and all the other
cities of Israel, did of right belong to Jehoshaphat, as heir of the house of
David? With what face then could he ask Jehoshaphat to assist him in
recovering it for himself, whose title to the crown was usurped and
precarious? Yet Jehoshaphat, an easy man, yields to go with him: I am as
thou art, v. 3. Some men's kindnesses are dangerous, as well as
their society infectious. The feast Ahab made for Jehoshaphat was designed
only to wheedle him into the expedition. The kisses of an enemy are
deceitful.
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The
Prophets Are Consulted.
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B.
C. 897.
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4 And Jehoshaphat said unto the king of Israel,
Enquire, I pray thee, at the word of the LORD
to day. 5 Therefore the king of Israel gathered together of
prophets four hundred men, and said unto them, Shall we go to Ramoth-gilead to
battle, or shall I forbear? And they said, Go up; for God will deliver it
into the king's hand. 6 But Jehoshaphat said, Is there not
here a prophet of the LORD
besides, that we might enquire of him? 7 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 prophesied good unto me, but always evil: the
same is Micaiah the son of Imla. And Jehoshaphat said, Let not the king
say so. 8 And the king of Israel called for one of his
officers, and said, Fetch quickly Micaiah the son of Imla. 9 And
the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah sat either of them on his
throne, clothed in their robes, and they sat in a void place at the
entering in of the gate of Samaria; and all the prophets prophesied before
them. 10 And Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah had made him horns of
iron, and said, Thus saith the LORD, With these thou shalt
push Syria until they be consumed. 11 And all the prophets
prophesied so, saying, Go up to Ramoth-gilead, and prosper: for the LORD
shall deliver it into the hand of the king. 12 And the
messenger that went to call Micaiah spake to him, saying, Behold, the words of
the prophets declare good to the king with one assent; let thy word
therefore, I pray thee, be like one of theirs, and speak thou good.
13 And Micaiah said, As the LORD
liveth, even what my God saith, that will I speak. 14 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 forbear? And he said, Go ye up, and
prosper, and they shall be delivered into your hand. 15 And the
king said to him, How many times shall I adjure thee that thou say nothing but
the truth to me in the name of the LORD?
16 Then he 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. 17 And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, Did
I not tell thee that he would not prophesy good unto me, but
evil? 18 Again he said, 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. 19 And the LORD
said, Who shall entice Ahab king of Israel, that he may go up and fall at
Ramoth-gilead? And one spake saying after this manner, and another saying
after that manner. 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? 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. 22 Now therefore, behold, the LORD
hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of these thy prophets, and the LORD
hath spoken evil against thee. 23 Then Zedekiah the son of
Chenaanah came near, and smote Micaiah upon the cheek, and said, Which way
went the Spirit of the LORD
from me to speak unto thee? 24 And Micaiah said, Behold, thou
shalt see on that day when thou shalt go into an inner chamber to hide
thyself. 25 Then the king of Israel said, Take ye Micaiah, and
carry him back to Amon the governor of the city, and to Joash the king's
son; 26 And say, Thus saith the king, Put this fellow in
the prison, and feed him with bread of affliction and with water of
affliction, until I return in peace. 27 And Micaiah said, If thou
certainly return in peace, then hath not the LORD
spoken by me. And he said, Hearken, all ye people.
This is almost word for word the same with what we had, 1 Kings xxii. We will
not repeat what was there said, nor have we much to add, but may take occasion
to think, 1. Of the great duty of acknowledging God in all our ways and
enquiring at his word, whatever we undertake. Jehoshaphat was not willing
to proceed till he had done this, v. 4. By particular believing prayer,
by an unbiased consultation of the scripture and our own consciences, and by
an observant regard to the hints of providence, we may make such enquiries and
very much to our satisfaction. 2. Of the great danger of bad company even to
good men. Those that have more wisdom, grace, and resolution, cannot be sure
that they can converse familiarly with wicked people and get no hurt by them.
Jehoshaphat here, in complaisance to Ahab, sits in his robes, patiently
hearing the false prophets speaking lies in the name of the Lord (v.
9), can scarcely find in his heart to give him a too mild and gentle reproof
for hating a prophet of the Lord (v. 7), and dares not rebuke that
false prophet who basely abused the faithful seer nor oppose Ahab who
committed him to prison. Those who venture among the seats of the scornful
cannot come off without a great deal of the guilt attaching to at least the
omission of their duty, unless they have such measures of wisdom and courage
as few can pretend to. 3. Of the unhappiness of those who are surrounded with
flatterers, especially flattering prophets, who cry peace to them and prophesy
nothing but smooth things. Thus was Ahab cheated into his ruin, and justly;
for he hearkened to such, and preferred those that humoured him before a good
prophet that gave him fair warning of his danger. Those do best for themselves
that give their friends leave, and particularly their ministers, to deal
plainly and faithfully with them, and take their reproofs not only patiently,
but kindly. That counsel is not always best for us that is most pleasing to
us. 4. Of the power of Satan, by the divine permission, in the children of
disobedience. One lying spirit can make 400 lying prophets and make use of
them to deceive Ahab, v. 21. The devil becomes a murderer by being a
liar and destroys men by deceiving them. 5. Of the justice of God in giving
those up to strong delusions, to believe a lie, who will not receive the love
of the truth, but rebel against it, v. 21. Let the lying spirit
prevail to entice those to their ruin that will not be persuaded to their
duty and happiness. 6. Of the hard case of faithful ministers, whose lot it
has often been to be hated, and persecuted, and ill-treated, for being true to
their God and just and kind to the souls of men. Micaiah, for discharging a
good conscience, was buffeted, imprisoned, and condemned to the bread and
water of affliction. But he could with assurance appeal to the issue, as all
those may do who are persecuted for their faithfulness, v. 27. The day
will declare who is in the right and who in the wrong, when Christ will
appear, to the unspeakable consolation of his persecuted people and the
everlasting confusion of their persecutors, who will be made to see in that
day (v. 24) what they will not now believe.
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Ahab
Slain in Battle.
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B.
C. 897.
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28 So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the
king of Judah went up to Ramoth-gilead. 29 And the king of Israel
said unto Jehoshaphat, I will disguise myself, and will go to the battle; but
put thou on thy robes. So the king of Israel disguised himself; and they went
to the battle. 30 Now the king of Syria had commanded the captains
of the chariots that were with him, saying, Fight ye not with small or
great, save only with the king of Israel. 31 And it came to pass,
when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, that they said, It is
the king of Israel. Therefore they compassed about him to fight: but
Jehoshaphat cried out, and the LORD
helped him; and God moved them to depart from him. 32 For
it came to pass, that, when the captains of the chariots perceived that it was
not the king of Israel, they turned back again from pursuing him.
33 And a certain man drew a bow at a venture, and smote the king of
Israel between the joints of the harness: therefore he said to his chariot
man, Turn thine hand, that thou mayest carry me out of the host; for I am
wounded. 34 And the battle increased that day: howbeit the king of
Israel stayed himself up in his chariot against the Syrians
until the even: and about the time of the sun going down he died.
We have here, 1. Good Jehoshaphat exposing himself in his robes, thereby
endangered, and yet delivered. We have reason to think that Ahab, while he
pretended friendship, really aimed at Jehoshaphat's life, to take him off,
that he might have the management of his successor, who was his son-in-law,
else he would never have advised him to enter into the battle with his robes
on, which was but to make himself an easy mark to the enemy: and, if really he
intended that, it was as unprincipled a piece of treachery as ever man was
guilty of, and justly was he himself taken in the pit he digged for his
friend. The enemy had soon an eye upon the robes, and vigorously attacked the
unwary prince who now, when it was too late, wished himself in the habit of
the poorest soldier, rather than in his princely raiment. He cried out, either
to his friends to relieve him (but Ahab took no care of that), or to his
enemies, to rectify their mistake, and let them know that he was not the king
of Israel. Or perhaps he cried to God for succour and deliverance (to whom
else should he cry?) and he found it was not in vain: The Lord helped him
out of his distress, by moving the captains to depart from him, v.
31. God has all men's hearts in his hand, and turns them as he pleases,
contrary to their own first intentions, to serve his purposes. Many are moved
unaccountably both to themselves and others, but an invisible power moves
them. 2. Wicked Ahab disguising himself, arming himself thereby as he thought
securing himself, and yet slain, v. 33. No art, no arms, can save those
whom God has appointed to ruin. What can hurt those whom God will protect? And
what can shelter those whom God will destroy? Jehoshaphat is safe in his
robes, Ahab killed in his armour; for the race is not to the swift nor the
battle to the strong.
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