1 Kings 22:1-4
“For three years Syria and Israel continued without war. But in the third year Jehoshaphat the king of Judah came down to the king of Israel. And the king of Israel said to his servants, “Do you know that Ramoth-gilead belongs to us, and we keep quiet and do not take it out of the hand of the king of Syria?” And he said to Jehoshaphat, “Will you go with me to battle at Ramoth-gilead?” And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses.”
Unfortunately, Ahab’s display of humility came from remorse, not repentance. He was sorry, but he was not convicted. Within a few months, his humility before God faded and he reverted to his true nature and once again followed Jezebel and her lies.
Solomon had the right of it: “Like a dog that returns to his vomit
is a fool who repeats his folly.” (Proverbs 26.11)
The light of truth and righteousness that had occasionally flickered within Ahab finally died altogether, and it cost him his life. 1 Kings 22 gives an account of what happened.
Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, visits Ahab and recommends that they combine forces to recapture Ramoth-Gilead from the Syrians. Previously, the King of Syria promised to return certain cities to Israel (1 Kings 20:34) in exchange for leniency after defeat in battle.
Apparently this was a city that the Syrian king Ben-Hadad never returned to Israel, and it was in a strategically important location. Ramoth-Gilead was only 40 miles from Jerusalem.
Jehoshaphat asked Ahab to inquire of the prophets for the word of the Lord (see 1 Kings 22.5-6). Considering the intensely adversarial relationship between Ahab and the prophets of God, this was a bold request for Jehoshaphat to ask of Ahab.
The prophets that Ahab gathered were not faithful prophets of the Lord. These were prophets happy to please the king and tell him what he wanted to hear. Jehoshaphat, however, wanted to hear from a faithful prophet of God. “Is there not still a prophet of the Lord here, that we may inquire of Him?” (1 Kings 22.7)
This would be the test of whether or not Ahab’s new-found humility was sincere.
More tomorrow …
