We looked at the first half of the chapter verses 1 to 28. We saw the alliance forged between Ahab and Jehoshaphat with the desire to go to Ramoth Gilead and take it back from the Syrians. So Jehoshaphat asks for divine guidance. He wants to hear the prophetic word.

Ahab trots out his prophets who tell him to go into service, or go into battle, and then Jehoshaphat seems to be a bit suspicious of those prophets, so he asks, is there not still a prophet of the Lord, in verse 7, that we may inquire of him? And of course, Ahab says, there is one, but I don't like him, because he doesn't give me the answers that I want. He always tells me negative things, he always discourages me, and I don't want to ask him. And so then the false prophets, led by Zedekiah, highlight once again that Ahab ought to go into battle.

And then Micaiah comes out and tells him what will indeed take place should he go into battle. Israel will be like a sheep without a shepherd, indicating that Ahab would in fact die in battle. So we come now to verse 29. We'll read to the end of the chapter.

So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, went up to Ramoth-Gilead. And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, I will disguise myself and go into battle, but you put on your robes. So the king of Israel disguised himself and went into battle. Now the king of Syria had commanded the 32 captains of his chariot, saying, Fight with no one small or great, but only with the king of Israel.

So it was when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat that they said, surely it is the king of Israel. Therefore they turned aside to fight against him, and Jehoshaphat cried out. And it happened when the captains of the chariots saw that it was not the king of Israel that they turned back from pursuing him. Now a certain man drew a bow at random and struck the king of Israel between the joints of his armor.

So he said to the driver of his chariot, turn around and take me out of the battle, for I am wounded. The battle increased that day, and the king was propped up in his chariot, facing the Syrians, and died at evening. The blood ran out from the wound onto the floor of the chariot. Then, as the sun was going down, a shout went throughout the army, saying, Every man to his city, and every man to his own country.

So the king died and was brought to Samaria, and they buried the king in Samaria. Then someone washed the chariot at a pool in Samaria, and the dogs licked up his blood while the harlots bathed. according to the word of the Lord which he had spoken. Now the rest of the acts of Ahab and all that he did, the ivory house which he built and all the cities that he built, are they not written in the book of the Chronicles of the kings of Israel? So Ahab rested with his fathers, then Ahaziah his son reigned in his place.

Jehoshaphat, the son of Esau, had become king over Judah in the fourth year of Ahab, king of Israel. Jehoshaphat was 35 years old when he became king, and he reigned 25 years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Azubah, the daughter of Shilhi. And he walked in all the ways of his father Esau.

He did not turn aside from them, doing what was right in the eyes of the Lord. Nevertheless, the high places were not taken away, for the people offered sacrifices and burned incense on the high places. Also, Jehoshaphat made peace with the king of Israel. Now the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, the might that he showed and how he made war, are they not written in the book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah?

And the rest of the perverted persons who remained in the days of his father Esau, he banished from the land. There was then no king in Edom, only a deputy of the king. Jehoshaphat made merchant ships to go to Ophir for gold, but they never sailed, for the ships were wrecked at Etzion Geber. Then Ahaziah the son of Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, let my servants go with your servants in the ships.

But Jehoshaphat would not. And Jehoshaphat rested with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the city of David his father. Then Jehoram his son reigned in his place. Ahaziah the son of Ahab became king over Israel in Samaria in the 17th year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah and reigned two years over Israel.

He did evil in the sight of the Lord and walked in the way of his father and in the way of his mother and in the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat who had made Israel sin. For he served Baal and worshipped him, and provoked the Lord God of Israel to anger, according to all that his father had done. Amen.

Introduction

As I said, much of this, of course, hinges on and pivots on the counsel given by the prophets in the preceding section. So this section of the chapter breaks down in two. First, the death of Ahab in verses 29 to 40, and then the chapter ends with the reigns of Jehoshaphat and Ahaziah in verses 41 to 53.

The Death of Ahab

But let's look first at the death of Ahab. In verse 29, we see that alliance again. The chapter starts with an alliance, and here that alliance is solid, and they are going to go into battle together. Now, what that means, of course, for Ahab, the king of Israel, is that he indeed rejected the counsel of the true prophet, Micaiah.

He had come in the name of the Lord God, he had prophesied truth to the man, but because it was negative and it was discouraging, he rejected or stiff-armed that particular counsel or that particular prophetic word. And this also means that he received the false prophets. Zedekiah made the horns. He said that this is going to be indicative of the way that Israel goes in and cleans house with reference to the Syrians.

That was a message that was positive. It was a message that encouraged Ahab, so he seized upon that. And last week we saw how in many ways Ahab is indicative of much of Christianity today. We don't like preaching that is discouraging.

We don't like preaching that is negative. We don't like preaching that brings us down. Never mind whether it's true or not, what we want is to be built up and made whole. Now there's nothing wrong with being built up and being made whole, but oftentimes that starts by being humbled, it starts by being brought low, it starts by us seeing our place before a thrice holy God, and by grace casting ourselves upon the mercy of God through faith in Jesus Christ. writes concerning a similar situation to Timothy.

He says, preach the word, be ready in season and out of season, convince, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and teaching. Paul then gives two reasons why Timothy is to fulfill that command. The second reason is because Paul's going to die. It's very practical that Paul cultivates young men, that he finds young men, that he entrusts these things to them so that they can go likewise preach the word.

Well, Paul tells Timothy, preach the word because he is going to die. He has fought the good fight. He has finished the race. He has kept the faith.

There is a crown laid up for Paul. But the first reason he tells Timothy to preach the word is because the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine. The church will instead, of hearing the Micahas, will fetch the Zedekiahs that are going to tickle their ears and give them those things that are only ever encouraging. I'm not against encouragement, but I'm certainly against this sort of false peace or this false safety that is inculcated in many places that does sacrifice the truth of man's depravity before a holy God in the name of peace or safety.

So Ahab is very typical and very representative of man who is seeking that message that is pleasing to himself. Now, when we read in verse 29, the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, went up to Ramoth Gilead, it doesn't surprise us that Ahab gravitated toward the false prophecy. What should surprise us a bit more is Jehoshaphat. I mean, here's Jehoshaphat.

He is overall a godly king. He is overall described as a man who walked in all the ways of his father Asa. He did not turn aside from them, doing what was right in the eyes of the Lord. But we see in this particular alliance, wherein he goes arm in arm with Ahab into battle at Ramoth Gilead against the Syrians, we see that true piety is not always mingled with good sense.

And Jehoshaphat lacked good sense. He not only makes this alliance with Ahab, but as we'll see later on, he forges an alliance with Ahaziah. It's clearer in the parallel passage in 2 Chronicles, though I think it's intimated here in our passage in 1 Kings. But this was folly.

This was foolish. Matthew Henry comments, again he says it is expected that Ahab would go into battle, but he says with reference to Jehoshaphat, that pious prince who had desired to inquire by a prophet of the Lord as relishing and discrediting Ahab's prophets should yet proceed after so fair a warning is a matter of astonishment. You see, after he heard the testimony of all those false prophets, he was still a bit suspicious. He was wary.

That's why in verse 7 he says, Is there not still a prophet of the Lord here that we may inquire of him? So he rejects the good word of Micaiah the prophet. He is prevailed upon by these false prophets, and no doubt he's prevailed upon by Ahab. Remember verse 17, I'm sorry, verse 18.

Notice what Ahab says after Micah's prophecy. He says, or it says, the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, did I not tell you that he would not prophesy good concerning me, but evil? Didn't I tell you that he was a downer? Didn't I tell you that he was a party pooper?

Didn't I tell you that he was the kind of guy that likes to rain on everybody's parade? I'm getting ready to mount a battle to win back Ramoph Gilead, and here comes this depressed downer of a man telling me that I'm going to die in battle. You see, he's not to be trusted, Jehoshaphat. So all of this prevailed upon Jehoshaphat.

And I think there is a great lesson for us to be gleaned here from Jehoshaphat. I think some of the fruits of what Jehoshaphat does here don't fully manifest themselves until later in Judah's history. But we ought to appreciate that reality, that the existence or the presence of godliness or true piety doesn't always mean it's accompanied by good sense. Sometimes godly people can do some very foolish things.

Sometimes godly people can do some boneheaded things. Sometimes godly people, before they run roughshod down a particular path, ought to reflect upon Solomon's words in the Book of Proverbs. The prudent man foresees evil and he hides himself. In other words, be a calculating Christian man or woman, not in a deceptive or godless way, but look ahead a few steps.

Think about the paths you are taking. Think about the alliances that you are forging. Now, I'm well aware that so often persons press this alliance to the point where no two Christian churches could ever, you know, sort of accompany one another in a common goal. Now, I don't believe that.

I think that's pressing it too far. If persons are genuinely Christian, we ought to be able to engage in some wholesome sort of camaraderie. And I think that this Jehoshaphat example with Ahab at times is pressed too much, but it's also not pressed enough by those who think that somehow they can separate their religious life from their state life, or from their political life, or from their civic life. He's a godly man.

He's a pious man. And yet, when it comes to statecraft, he's going to join arms with Ahab against the counsel of a true prophet of Yahweh, and he's going to march into battle to rame off Gilead. That, my brethren, is folly. That is something that we need to learn from Jehoshaphat here.

Appreciate the good, praise God for the fact that he got rid of the perverts in the land, praise God for the fact that he did remove the high places, but also take heed of his alliance with Ahab. Do not duplicate such folly because it will ultimately bring discomfort on your head. Now,

The Battle at Ramoth Gilead

note the battle at Ramoth Gilead in verses 30 to 38. First,

Ahab's Disguise and Its Implications

the disguise of Ahab. I think there's a few things going on here. The first thing we ought to appreciate is that the use of disguises never goes well for those who use them previously. 1 Samuel chapter 28, who disguised himself in order to go consult the witch at Endor? It was Saul.

How did that work out for Saul? Not good at all. Jeroboam in chapter 14 in 1 Kings sent his wife under disguise to seek out assistance for their son. Didn't turn out well for him either.

Also, when we see verse 30, we get the suspicious feeling that he wasn't as quick to dismiss Micaiah's prophecy as he seemed to have been. If Micaiah was wrong, why the disguise, Ahab? If Micaiah was right, why the disguise, Ahab? As we learned throughout this passage, if your number's up, God is going to get you.

If you don't learn anything other than that from this chapter, learn that divine providence guides randomly shot arrows into places that are altogether covered with armor. I mean, verse 34 is truly an incredible display of the sovereignty of God, but he puts on this disguise, and I think this indicates something of the treachery in his own heart. Now, he probably knew of Ben-Hadad's hatred of him, which is somewhat difficult to reconcile with because he let Ben-Hadad go on an occasion when he should have executed him. But nevertheless, either he received intel or he knew the existent enmity of Ben-Hadad and the Syrians toward him, so he disguises himself in order to tie it in battle.

But this does indicate something of his affection or lack thereof of Jehoshaphat Right? You go ahead and you write out there and you be the sitting duck. I'm going to dress like a private. I'm going to dress like any sort of Joe Schmo on the battlefield.

But you dress in your royal regalia so that when they are looking for a king to gun down on the field of battle, it's going to be Jehoshaphat. This wasn't very kind of Ahab, was it? I think Matthew Henry is right. He says, see what those, Jehoshaphat, get that join in affinity with vicious men.

In other words, Jehoshaphat, this is what you've sown. You're going to reap this kind of conduct when you surround yourself with the likes of Ahab. Bad company does corrupt, not only in terms of your moral ability to navigate in God's world, but it may jeopardize your safety. He says, see what those get that join in affinity with vicious men whose consciences are debauched and who are lost to everything that is honorable.

I love this line. How can it be expected that Ahab should be true to his friend that has been false to his God? Why in the world would he show any degree of integrity to Jehoshaphat when he's an idol-worshipping wretch, when he has taken the northern kingdom and institutionalized Baal worship in that kingdom? If we disregard the first table of the law and our respect and allegiance to Yahweh, then the second table of the law makes no sense or it makes no difference whatsoever.

You see that pattern replicated. throughout the prophets. The prophets come to sue the people of God for having rejected God, and then they attack the social ills plaguing society. Paul does the same thing in Romans chapter 1. The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of man.

I think that does accurately sort of set the stage for what follows. Paul highlights the particular sin in view. Although they knew God, they did not honor God as God, nor were their hearts thankful. Their problem was one of idolatry.

They exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for those things that are created. And it's from that vantage point that all the particular vices are then listed. You see, the problem in Romans 1 is homosexuality. The problem in Romans 1 is murder.

The problem in Romans 1 is a failure to honor parents, but all of those are symptomatic of the greater problem, which is that of the rejection of God. And the same thing is true here. Never trust a man who doesn't honor God. Jehoshaphat, don't you want to grab him by his royal robes and say, don't do this, friend.

You're making a huge mistake. So anyways, he wants to disguise himself. We see what's in it for him. But then note the plan of the Syrians.

There is first a command to target only Ahab. No doubt his army as well. I doubt they were only singly looking for Ahab. Probably meant the Israelite Northern Kingdom armies.

The idea being if we break their back, then the southerners will flee as well. But notice they identified Jehoshaphat as Ahab. Imagine that. Ahab's plan works according to his desire.

Verse 32. It says, So it was, when the captains of the chariot saw Jehoshaphat, that they said, Surely it is the king of Israel. Therefore they turned aside to fight against him, and Jehoshaphat cried out. Now this is a beautiful thing.

I mentioned earlier that godliness or true piety isn't always accompanied with good sense, but it's always accompanied by a good God. In other words, God even fills in the gaps when we do boneheaded things. Now, I'm not suggesting that we go out and do boneheaded things just to see God perform, but when we look at the case of Jehoshaphat here, we ought to sing Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. Because when Jehoshaphat cries out here, it isn't indicated in the king's narrative, but in the parallel in 2 Chronicles 18.31.

We read the same verse amplified a bit. So it was when the captains of the chariot saw Jehoshaphat that they said, it is the king of Israel. Therefore they surrounded him to attack, but Jehoshaphat cried out, and the Lord helped him, and God diverted them from him. You see, good sense isn't always mingled with godliness or piety, but God in His mercy nevertheless brings deliverance.

Now, we don't test Him in this, we don't go out and do foolish things, we don't go make alliances with Ahabs, we don't march into battle at Ramoth-Gilead without giving it our attention, without reflecting upon Micaiah, but we ought to be comforted by the reality that even when we do foolish things, God is there in His mercy to deliver us. Now, that's probably not a formulaic, every time you do a foolish thing, God's going to deliver you. I mean, if you do foolish things enough, you're probably going to die. I don't want to, you know, make you sad or discourage you tonight, but, you know, a multitude of foolish things typically ends in bad things for the person doing those foolish things.

But in Jehoshaphat's case, and throughout scripture, I think this case can be made, God in his mercy nevertheless reaches down and scoops up those who have done foolish things. It's a blessed thing, isn't it? You see where you find grace in Scripture? You see when those people say, oh, the Old Testament, it's so barbaric, it's so bad, it's so wretched, it's so terrible.

It's so full of God's grace, mercy, compassion, kindness, love, and goodness. I don't know how, you know, what Old Testament you're reading. Because all throughout, it is conspicuous the way that God is there for his people. That arrow that is driven by divine providence, shot at random, finds its mark in a wicked king.

It took 22 years. God was indeed long-suffering. But Ahab's wiped out. He doesn't enter into 2 Kings, brethren.

He dies in 1 Kings. Now notice, when we come to this particular situation, verse 33, I just don't want to pass through this. And it happened when the captains of the chariot saw that it was not the king of Israel that they turned back from pursuing him. Again, according to 2 Chronicles, that's according to divine providence.

Now

The Random Arrow and Divine Providence

note this random bow shot in verse 34. Next time you fight an Arminian on Facebook, point them to 1 Kings chapter 22, verse 34. So explain that in a world that is not governed by a sovereign God. The Lord God directs arrows.

The Lord God directs the fall of sparrows. The Lord God numbers the hairs on your head, not because he counts them. Notice in verse 34, now a certain man drew a bow at random and struck the king of Israel between the joints of his armor. So he said to the driver of his chariot, turn around and take me out of the battle for I am wounded.

That makes sense. Ahab knew that he was struck. He's got an arrow sitting in his body. He says, get me out of the battlefield.

I got to get some medical help. But just consider with reference to the randomness of this shot. Now there's different ways to translate this particular word. This is a good way to render it.

Now a certain man drew a bow at random. I don't think we're to envision, you know, he just willy-nilly. He was trying to kill a soldier. They were in battle at Ramoth Gilead, Fort Ramoth Gilead.

He was a Syrian soldier. He had a bow and arrow. He had a bead on an Israelite soldier. So he drew his bow and sent the arrow flying.

So it wasn't random in the sense that, you know, I'm just going to fire it up in the air. And like an American on the 4th of July, you know, doing his 38th special up in the air. I wonder, where do those slugs come down? I hope they don't fall on somebody's head.

It wasn't like that. They were in battle. He launches the arrow. But notice the providence involved.

It hits the right man in the right place. Think about that. He has armor on. I love the way John Gill describes this.

But though he, this soldier, did this in his simplicity, as the word signifies, without any intention to smite any particular person, yet God directed the arrow to the man he had marked for destruction, and neither his disguise nor coat of mail could secure from that. and smote the king of Israel between the joints of the harness, of which the pieces of armor on him were joined together, the higher and lower parts of it, the breastplate, and what covered the belly. And though these were joined as close as they were capable of joining them in those times, yet the arrow, guided by divine providence, found its way into his body. Think about the beauty of this shot. I mean, this fellow would have been celebrated, you know, back home.

That was great. You actually got Ahab. That was an amazing thing. It was divided or guided by divine providence, the hand of God.

Now, the implication obviously here is that the fulfillment of God's word will come to pass, notwithstanding the attempt to disguise oneself or arm oneself against the fulfillment of that word. It had been prophesied by the unnamed prophet in 2042 that Ahab was going to die. It had been prophesied by Elijah in chapter 21, verse 19, that Ahab was going to die. It had been prophesied by Micaiah in this very chapter, chapter 22, verses 17 and 23, that Ahab was going to die.

This was the reality that would face Ahab. And so as he attempts to disguise himself, as he attempts to armor himself, to cover himself from any sort of attack like this, what is Ahab displaying? Trying as you may to hide from the Word of God, you can't do it. You can't escape.

God's judgment is that arrow and it will find you out. Look at Amos chapter 5 for just a moment. I think this is a beautiful illustration of the same sort of a principle. Amos chapter 5.

Beginning in verse 16, therefore the Lord God of hosts, the Lord says this, there shall be wailing in all streets and there, or they shall say in all the highways, alas, alas. They shall call the farmer to mourning and skillful lamenters to wailing. In all vineyards there shall be wailing for I will pass through you, says the Lord. Woe to you who desire the day of the Lord, for what good is the day of the Lord to you?

He's condemning the nation because of their waywardness, their wickedness, their rebellion against God's holy law. And yet they were a people that loved eschatology. Oh, I can't wait for the day of the Lord. Amos is saying, you're the last one who should be hastening the day of the Lord.

You've got big problems. You don't want the day of the Lord. You see a similar convention in Malachi as well. But notice.

What good is the day of the Lord to you? It will be darkness and not light. Now note this beautiful illustration or metaphor, simile, or analogy that he gives him. It will be as though a man fled from a lion and a bear met him.

Or as though he went into the house, leaned his hand on the wall, and a serpent bit him. You see that sort of progression there? You're running from a lion, you turn the corner, and there's a bear. You run from the bear, and you go home, and you shut the door, and you think you've made it safe and sound.

No more lion, no more bear. You put your hand against the wall, and a serpent bites you. What's the prophet saying? You can't escape the day of the Lord.

You who think you're going to hasten it by your longings for it, you're not fit, you're not ready, and this is going to be the way that it comes upon you. Is not the day of the Lord darkness and not light? Is it not very dark with no brightness in it? You see, God will find out those who have wronged him, not in some vindictive, but in some vengeful sort of a way.

Listen to Davis. He says Yahweh's word comes to pass almost casually, doesn't it? Three passages, chapters 20, 21, 22, all prophesied the death of Ahab. And it's this random bow shot.

It's almost casually, isn't it? Ahab takes pains. Disguise, armor, safe, Jehoshaphat, you could be the sitting duck. You go out there, you sit, you be regal, have your regal on, and you're going to take the arrow shot.

Davis says, Yahweh's word comes to pass almost casually. It is not the order of the king of Aram, that's Syria, that disposes of Ahab but the decree of God, and that in the most accidental way. He's got accidental in quotes. Ahab was plated all over with iron and brass.

He's quoting McLaren here. Ahab was plated all over with iron and brass, but there is always a crevice through which God's arrow can find its way. Davis then ends by saying, that's what we call the inerrancy of the word. Listen to Matthew Henry, no armor is of proof against the darts of divine vengeance.

Case the criminal in steel and it is all one. He that make him can make his sword to approach him. that which to us seems altogether casual is done by the determinant counsel and foreknowledge of God." You see, it wasn't random. The Bible uses that language to indicate that there wasn't the thought in this soldier's mind that that was Ahab, king of Israel. But divine providence and fulfillment of the revelatory word guides that arrow right into the particular person and right into the crevice of that armor to find the target.

Brothers and sisters, is God's sovereignty. And this is a Romans 9.16 moment. This is an Ephesians 1 moment. This is a Matthew 11 moment.

This is divine sovereignty in action. And we need to understand this for our own benefit, for our own comfort, our own encouragement, but as well to remind people that you don't live in a random world. You don't live in a world that just hopefully works out, but it's governed by a good and holy, gracious God that is doing all things for His glory and for the good of His people. Now,

Ahab's Death Fulfills God's Word

note the death of Ahab in verses 35 to 38. He's propped up, ultimately, probably to encourage the troops, certainly a bad morale sort of a lack of a morale booster when your king is slumped over in his chariot. So he's propped up in order to give some impetus to the soldiers to continue to engage in battle. But as he's propped up, he bleeds out.

I mean, he's not Superman, he's not invincible. He died at evening, the blood ran out from the wound onto the floor of the chariot. Now notice, then as the sun was going down, a shout went throughout the army saying, every man to his city and every man to his own country, a fulfillment of Micaiah's words. Verse 17, he said, I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains as sheep that have no shepherd.

The Lord said, these have no master. Let each return to his house in peace. So the battle at Ramoth Gilead was ultimately lost. with reference to Israel's taking it back. So they flee back to their city and to their country.

And then notice, the death of Ahab fulfills the word of God. It says, the king died and was brought to Samaria, and they buried the king in Samaria. Then someone washed the chariot at a pool in Samaria, and the dogs licked up his blood while the harlots bathed according to the word of the Lord which he had spoken." Again, that word is in 20, 42. That word is in 21, 19.

That word is in 22, 17, and 23. Now, in particular, look at 21, 19. Remember that Ahab had killed or murdered or had had murdered Naboth for his vineyard. And in 2119, Elijah the Tishbite says, or God says to him what he ought to tell him, Thus says the Lord, have you murdered and also taken possession?

And you shall speak to him saying, Thus says the Lord, In the place where dogs lick the blood of Naboth, dogs shall lick your blood, even yours." Now, some suggested, well, this can't be the fulfillment of that because this wasn't at Jezreel. The idea is probably that Naboth died outside of Jezreel, Ahab dies outside of Samaria. The point is that dogs are going to lick up the blood. The text doesn't demand that Ahab is actually killed in Jezreel like Naboth was.

It was simply a thing of outside. But as Davis points out, at any rate, the biblical writer saw no major rubs between 2119 and 2238 or he would have never claimed the latter fulfilled the former. He says, it is according to the word of the Lord which he had spoken, the word of the Lord concerning dogs licking up the blood of this man who ultimately dies. Then he goes on to say, and what a moment, dogs feverish for every trace of blood, prostitutes calmly preparing for the night's work.

Some things go on even when kings die. No big loss here with reference to Ahab. Prostitutes still got to go to work, so they bathe while the dogs lick up the blood and everything keeps on going tickety-boo. Ahab is gone, ding-dong, the witch is dead.

Actually, Israel does experience some degree of peace as prophesied by Micaiah. Remember that implication in 2117? These have no master, let each return to his house in peace." Brethren, imagine the great joy that you would have if you had been a faithful one in the Northern Kingdom. We're never told there was never anybody that was faithful in the Northern Kingdom, and your king was Ahab for 22 long years.

We go nuts at a four-year or an eight-year term with a bad president or a bad prime minister. Imagine Ahab on the throne for 22 years. What would you think about that? Well, you'd be quite content to know that somewhere, somehow, dogs were licking up the blood while the harlots bathed.

Now

Summary Statement on Ahab

note the summary statement concerning Ahab, verses 39 and 40. This is somewhat typical of the sorts of summary statements that we meet here in the former prophets, but it says, the rest of the acts of Ahab and all that he did, the ivory house which he built and all the cities that he built, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? So Ahab rested with his fathers, then Ahaziah, his son, reigned in his place. Do you get what's going on here?

Ahab did do some good things. I mean, a 22-year reign, he built cities, is what we're told. He had a house of ivory. It probably doesn't mean the whole structure was ivory.

It probably means that it was inlaid. It was celebratory for its use of ivory. It was on the cover of Better Homes and Gardens. And in Samaria there, he had a beautiful vegetable garden there because he stole Naboth's vineyard.

I mean, he was decked out. He had it all going on. But for 22 years, he did govern a kingdom. We know he was successful in battle because on two occasions, under the grace of God, he did victoriously win battles over the Syrians, over Ben-Hadad.

Do you see what the author is doing here? He's saying none of that matters. Not one bit of it. You want to read about his ivory palace?

Go buy Better Homes and Gardens. I'm kind of borrowing here from Dale Ralph Davis. I think he's spot on. You want to learn about his accomplishments in city building?

Go find the city magazine that deals with such things. You want to learn about his military savvy and his prowess on the battlefield? Well, there's annals recorded somewhere for that. What the author is saying is that the measuring standard by which we look at a man like Ahab is his rejection of, or his reception of, the Word of God.

You see, when all else is said and done, it's allegiance to Scripture that matters. Davis says, look back over the six-plus Ahab chapters, and you cannot miss the focus of the biblical writer. For him, there is only one question about Ahab that has any consequence. How did he stack up beside the word and commandments of God?

It is the issue of Matthew 7, 24 to 27. That's the foolish builders and the wise builders. It all hinges upon those who heard the word of Christ and did it or didn't do it. He says, verse 39 shows us that the word of God ignores what we regard as significant and prizes what we regard as mundane.

You see, it's probably symptomatic of most people, not us, but most people would want to learn about his military conquest. They'd want to learn about his city building. They'd want a glimpse of his mansion and that beautiful use of ivory. You know, this allegiance or lack of allegiance to the Word of God, that really doesn't matter to most people.

But for the author of 1 Kings, that's all that matters. That's what's most important. We're going to take these kings, we're going to hold them up in light of Scripture, and we're going to tell you whether they were good or they were bad. That is ultimate with reference to God's Word.

Of course, his son Ahaziah reigns in his place.

The Reigns of Jehoshaphat and Ahaziah

Now let's look at the reigns of Jehoshaphat and Ahaziah. So we return now to the southern kingdom. We have been in the north since chapter 15. At the death of Ahaziah, remember the divided kingdom in 1 Kings chapter 12.

The fact that Israel was torn in two, you had Northern Kingdom, you had Southern Kingdom, you have Israel, you have Judah. When that rift in the kingdom comes, and that tear in the kingdom, that means a divided narrative from there on out. You go back and forth from North to South, and there was a focus upon the South up until the end of chapter 15. Asa dies, Jehoshaphat assumes control, but then the narrative shifts and focuses on the North up until this particular time, Ahab Elijah, those particular exploits were center stage.

So now we focus on the southern kingdom.

Introduction to Jehoshaphat's Reign

We make a proper introduction with reference to Jehoshaphat. He's obviously there in chapter 22. He's obviously functioning in terms of this alliance, but we've never been given a right or proper introduction to Jehoshaphat. And here's what we have.

We get first the details of his reign. Again, this is very common in the biblical narrative. He was the son of Esau. He became king over Judah in the fourth year of Ahab, king of Israel.

Jehoshaphat was 35 years old when he became king. He reigned 25 years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Azubah, the daughter of Shilhi. If you're so inclined and you start crunching numbers, I know some people are inclined to do that.

You say, wait a minute, the time frame. Oftentimes, these kings engaged in co-regency. There was a sense where the successor would reign alongside of the king in place, at least for a time. And that's how those numbers are reconciled.

Co-regencies. The father and the son, at least for a period of time, would reign or rule together. So I suggest that when you start crunching numbers and you come up with some disparities, consider the fact that there were co-regencies in the biblical narrative. But

Jehoshaphat's Piety and Its Limits

note, it tells us concerning his religious policy in verse 43 or his own personal piety. He walked in all the ways of his father Esau. He did not turn aside from them, doing what was right in the eyes of Yahweh. That's a great commendation.

That is a fantastic statement. We ought never to underestimate that in the biblical narrative. I mean, in a narrative that features the likes of Ahab, that features the likes of Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, that features the kinds of people that will institutionalize idolatry among the covenant people of Yahweh, to find a statement like that is absolutely incredible. It does, however, tell us, nevertheless, the High Places were not taken away, for the people offered sacrifices and burned incense on the High Places.

If you compare the narrative in 2 Chronicles 17, it says that he did take away the High Places. Some would say, there's a contradiction. It's probably solved this way. Those High Places that existed for paganism were those High Places that he removed.

Those High Places that were used for Yahweh worship, those he left intact. But there's always a nevertheless in the description of even the best of God's people, isn't there? I mean, that nevertheless there in the middle of verse 43 is indicative and typical of all people of God at all times. The only one there's no nevertheless following is Jesus.

So you don't find in Hebrews chapter 7, he was wholly harmless and undefiled. Nevertheless, he had this issue. You don't get that with reference to Jesus. Every other human being in scripture has issues.

Every other human being in scripture has problems. Every other human being in scripture has sins. I sought to bring this lesson when we looked at Aesop because it was a similar situation. Aesop made a treaty with Syria with reference to battles against the Northern Kingdom.

I mean, he didn't do everything that we would expect a godly king would do. But nevertheless, the overarching report concerning his life was that he was a godly man. The same thing with Jehoshaphat. He makes an alliance with Ahab.

I mean, brethren, you and I have done some foolish things, but we haven't made alliances with Ahab. We got that to our credit. If there's something in the credit sort of column in our ledger, we didn't make an alliance with Ahab. But nevertheless, God's overarching report concerning him is that he walked in a way that was pleasing to the Lord.

If God is willing to treat people like that, shouldn't we treat people like that? Why do we demand that there's no nevertheless after the people in our lives? Why do we demand that they be godly, righteous, walking always in a way that is pleasing to the Lord? We don't expect there to be a nevertheless with people that we come into contact with.

Brethren, Christians are going to let you down. Wives or husbands are going to let you down. Children are going to sin against you. Parents are going to sin against children.

It's a sinful, messy, polluted world? Why is it that our standards are higher than God's? Would we be inclined to say, with reference to Jehoshaphat, that he did not turn aside from them, doing what was right in the eyes of the Lord? No!

We'd say, man, he went into battle with Ahab! That would be the defining moment for a Jehoshaphat and we wouldn't even get past that. Brethren, if God, and I use this language and I realize it is in the manner of man, hopefully you take it as an improper predication. If you don't know what that means, I'm sorry.

But God cuts his people slack. Can't we? Why is it we demand no neverthelesses in your life? You always must be the perfect Christian to me every single moment of the day.

We don't have any doctrine whatsoever of imperfection in the people of God. We have it in us. Oh, we're not perfect. We have remaining corruption.

So today, How about we lighten up a little bit, relax our standards, not in the sense that we're going to allow ungodliness or unholiness or wretchedness, but realize that the best of men are men at best. They will never get to the point of the one who is wholly harmless, undefiled, with no nevertheless appended to him. Brethren, Jehoshaphat did a terrible thing, going arm-in-arm to Ramoth-Gilead with Ahab. One wonders if, somewhere down the line, this, well, obviously it dawned on Jehoshaphat when the Syrian armies were gunning for him because they thought he was Ahab.

What did he do? He cried out. That's a good response, isn't it? You don't typically consider a king crying out.

Well, this one cried out to Yahweh and God in His mercy delivered him. He was gracious. He didn't say, well, you know, you made a terrible alliance with Ahab, so I'm going to let you die on the battlefield so that all your posterity knows, don't ever make bad alliances. Of course we know not to make bad alliances, but we ought to appreciate the kindness, the goodness, and the mercy of God.

Verse 44, he made peace with the king of Israel, not a good thing. His foreign policy is outlined, or I'm sorry, his ethical policy in terms of the land in verse 46. And the rest of the perverted persons, these are male prostitutes, that's what these are. These are male prostitutes spoken of in Deuteronomy 23, 17, and 18.

The harlots that were bathing in verse 38 were most likely women, they were most likely prostitutes, they were most likely gussying themselves up to go out and work the streets that night. Not these perverted persons. These were male prostitutes that engaged in sodomy with reference to religion. They were ritual harlots, they were ritual sodomites.

The prohibition in Deuteronomy 23, 17 and 18, they were banished by Esau, Jehoshaphat's father, in 1512. One Bible dictionary says, many considered that the processes of nature were controlled by the relations between gods and goddesses. By engaging in sexual intercourse with devotees of the shrine, They believed that this would encourage the gods and goddesses to do likewise, with the result that a person's desire for increase in herds and fields, as well as in his own family, could be realized. Basically, what that's saying in very sanitized language is that the way that you worship Baal was through copulation.

The way that you worship Baal was through fornication. The idea being is that when the worshipper engaged in such things, it would prime the pump with reference to Baal. He would then join one of his consorts, they would engage in this sort of fornication, and then there would be rain upon the land to bring fertility. That's what these perverted persons were.

They were ritual sodomites that engaged in this particular activity. The Geneva Bible tells us, where idolatry reigneth, remember that's the issue. We see symptomatic sins, we see social ills, we see ethical transgression, but what's the primary issue that Ahab brought into Israel? It was Baal.

It was Baal. You see, when you worship Baal, this stuff naturally follows. The Geneva Bible says, where idolatry reigneth, all horrible vices are committed. Till at length, God's just judgment destroy them utterly.

As I said, there was a similar purge by Esau in 1512. What are they doing here in chapter 22? I think House is right. He says, non-Yahwistic religion died hard throughout Israel's history.

It didn't just vanish. There's always that longing for sin and rebellion. It's sort of a corporate application of our individual battle against sin. When we battle against our sin, does it just happily run away and find a closet to hide in?

No, it strikes back. It resists. The good that I wish to do, I don't do. The evil that I don't want to do, I find myself doing.

When does Paul say that he observes this law? It is when he wills to do good. So he tries to engage in a godly practice, and this remaining corruption raises its ugly head in its ferocity to try and battle against him. So we have a corporate application of that.

Aesop did it. Jehoshaphat's going to do it, but guess what? They're probably going to survive. After the death of Ahab, you'd think that Baalism would be dead.

After the contest at Carmel, you'd think that Baalism would be dead. After God sends the rain to end the drought, you'd think that Baalism would be dead. Baalism continues to march on. You see, if you wonder about your own remaining corruption, look at corporate Israel and see the sorts of struggles and battles that they fought.

It's the same thing that we go through. That's why one Puritan rightly observed that when we come to dealing with our sin, it ought to be like dispossessing the land of Canaanites. Let them remain in the heart because they're not going to just go away. They're always going to rise up, they're always going to fight back, they're always going to long for your attention and your affection.

Root them out, kill them, destroy them, engage in the Deuteronomy 7, 1 to 5 holy war against your remaining sin. That's the lesson we ought to learn at the individual level with reference to what's going on here. Now,

Edom, Ophir, and the Ruined Ships

verse 47 is intriguing. There was then no king in Edom, only a deputy of the king. That sort of sets the foundation for what we learn about this shipbuilding exercise, because Etzion Gebber was in the region of Edom. This reminder in verse 47, David essentially took over Edom.

They didn't have their own king. That was true still with reference to Jehoshaphat. It's ultimately going to be challenged by the Edomites in 2 Kings 8. But here it does lay the foundation for this making of merchant ships to go to Ophir for gold.

But they never sailed, for the ships were wrecked at Etzion Geber. Then Ahaziah, the son of Ahab, said to Jehoshaphat, Let my servants go with your servants in the ships. But Jehoshaphat would not. Now when you compare, we don't have much time here.

Just to give you the thought. In 2 Chronicles 20, 35-37, it indicates that there had been a previous arrangement between Jehoshaphat and Ahaziah, that this was a second agreement, and because of that, that's why the ships were destroyed. So the Chronicle narrative really underscores Jehoshaphat's culpability and sin with reference to not only being in league with Ahab, but being in league with his son Ahaziah. So that's what's going on here with reference to his trade policy.

He wants to go to Ophir for gold. Proven sees him as a Solomon-like figure. Solomon did similar things, but he was successful. Jehoshaphat tries these things and his ships are destroyed at the dock.

So he's a wannabe Solomon that doesn't quite actually achieve his his goals, or his longings, or his desires. And Proven masterfully does weave or show how what we find with reference to Ahab connects to Saul, connects to Solomon, connects to Jeroboam. How the biblical author, when they're composing these narratives, are doing so with reference to the whole scheme of things. There are many sorts of things that overlap and correlate these particular biblical characters.

Now, I suggest that you get Proven and read him on that. Theologically, he's not always the best, but in terms of exegetical prowess and ability with the text, and insights to the text that are very satisfying. Overall, theology, get Davis on the former prophets, you won't go wrong. But notice, with reference to his death and successor Jehoshaphat rested with his fathers, was buried with his fathers in the city of David his father, then Jehoram his son reigned in his place.

Now, then we go back to the north, the reign of Ahaziah. Let me just ask you,

Ahaziah's Predictable Wickedness

do verses 51 to 53 surprise you? They better not. With a father like Ahab, a mother like Jezebel, and an example like Jeroboam, Ahaziah was pretty well dead in the gate, wasn't he? Now God's grace is good, and we can see that even if a man has terrible parents, God can save.

He's good, he's gracious, wonderful. But in the natural progression of things, I don't think anything that the narrator tells us here in verses 51 to 53 make us go, wow, how could Ahaziah have done that? We would have been more shocked if Ahaziah did what was right in the eyes of the Lord. Verse 51, Ahaziah the son of Ahab became king over Israel and Samaria in the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, and he reigned two years over Israel.

He did evil in the sight of the Lord, walked in the way of his father, and in the way of his mother, and in the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who had made Israel sin. This is the trifecta of wickedness. This guy was just surrounded by terrible, terrible human beings. And so when we get to verse 53, Again, it's not surprising.

But Matthew Henry makes this, I think, very perceptive observation. He says, miserable are the children that not only derive a stock of corruption from their parents, but are thus taught by them to trade with it. In other words, not only do you get this from your parents in terms of example, but they teach or encourage you to trade with it. In other words, go out and worship, Baal, Jr.

Come on, Isaiah, let's go offer these sacrifices to Baal. What terrible human beings. He goes on to say, and unhappy, most unhappy, and I don't think he means the parents themselves are unhappy, but what an unhappy picture of parenthood. That's how I take it.

Unhappy, most unhappy parents are those that help to damn their children's souls. That's what Ahab and Jezebel did. They take this Ahaziah and they help damn his soul to hell. I mean, brethren, if there's a lesson on parenting in this passage, here it is.

Don't be Ahab, Jezebel, and certainly don't point to Jeroboam the son of Nebat as a hero for your young boy Ahaziah. Son, I want you to grow up and be like Jeroboam the son of Nebat. Are we surprised or shocked that he's a Baal worshiper? No, this is typical affair in the Omri dynasty, ultimately.

Well, that ends 1 Kings. Now, typically when we start another book or start a book of the Bible, we give a lot of introduction. But when we went through the introduction of 1 Kings, we noted that 1 and 2 Kings are one book. It was just the scroll would have been, it didn't have a long enough scroll.

So they split it up right here in the narrative of Ahaziah. I mean, you have to appreciate there's no real sort of theological reason. Okay, we're going to tell about Ahaziah and we're going to start a whole new book. No, it's probably the scroll ran out.

So we're going to pick up with Ahaziah without all the introduction because the narrative flows. It continues to rehearse the kings of Israel in the north and the kings of Judah in the south. So God willing, next Wednesday, that will be our topic. But

Application

just in conclusion, first of all, we ought to appreciate the death of Ahab. I realize that won't go over well with some. How do we appreciate the death of somebody like Ahab? Because he was wicked.

This was the judgment of God. You see, I think we have it all wrong, brethren. We have been sort of beaten into submission by our culture and by a passive effeminate church that tells us that it's wrong to long for the judgment of God. I was struck in the Bible reading Jeremiah the prophet.

Does anybody know what Jeremiah is called? He's called the what prophet? The happy prophet? The peppy prophet?

No, he's called the weeping prophet. Typically, commentators and Bible readers have sort of entered in with Jeremiah, because he's a sorrowful fellow. And rightly so. He's living at the end of the southern kingdom.

He is living at the time, literally, that Babylon is marching in and taking over Jerusalem, toppling the temple and destroying it. You know, we identify with Jeremiah because he's a sorrowful prophet. He cries. He tells us that he cries.

I think he's a challenge to modern manhood. I don't cry. Well, then you're not manly, because Jesus was a man of sorrows. He wept when he approached the city of Jerusalem, and certainly Jeremiah cried.

But this weeping prophet says, but, O Lord of hosts, you who judge righteously, testing the mind and the heart, let me see your vengeance on them, for to you I have revealed my cause. You see, how are we in sin to actually do what Paul tells us? In Romans 12, Paul tells us not to avenge ourselves, but to give place to the vengeance of God. What does that mean?

It must mean that it's okay for God to bring vengeance upon sinners, right? I don't mean somebody cuts us off on the road, God, judge them, destroy their car, send missiles down. But somebody that is a vile rebel against God and His law, somebody that trashes the name of Yahweh, somebody that is like an Ahab, that engages in that kind of idolatry? Brethren, the Apostle tells us we're not to avenge ourselves.

Don't go buy a gun and find that person and put a bullet in their head, but give place to wrath. How do we give place to wrath? Pray the Psalms of David. Sing the Psalms of David.

This is one of the reasons why I think we should be singing more of the Psalms, because they're battle hymns of the Church of God. They are the war songs of Zion. We ought to be praying that God deal with his enemies. Either A, convert them, or B, remove them.

We ought not to just pray, defund Planned Parenthood. Destroy Planned Parenthood, because they're murdering babies in their mother's wombs and then selling those body parts so they can buy better cars. And yet we're going to say, defund them? Defund them?

What are you talking about? Destroy them. Oh, but that's so unbiblical. Jeremiah the weeping prophet prayed it.

The Lord Jesus Christ pronounces woes and condemnation upon religious leaders. What do the saints in heaven do after Babylon the whore falls in Revelation 18? Chapter 19, what is there? There's a fourfold hallelujah in heaven because of the judgment of God on that whore.

That's the kind of militant Christianity that we've lost. It is, I mean, we can blame dispensationalism, we always do, but that's certainly an effect because it's essentially taken the Old Testament out of the hands of God's people. And when we don't have an Old Testament, we have an imbalanced view of Scripture as a whole. So it is a good thing that God took out Ahab.

As well, the folly of Jehoshaphat, we have rehearsed that, the goodness of God, the overall positive assessment in 2243a, and then look at even the parallel in 2 Chronicles 19, or a parallel, we're finishing soon. 2 Chronicles 19. You see that sort of juxtaposition, if you will. You see that sort of parallel movement. Bad Jehoshaphat, but good God.

Verse 1, chapter 19, then Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, returned safely to his house in Jerusalem. And Jehu, the son of Hanani, the seer, went out to meet him and said to king Jehoshaphat, should you help the wicked and love those who hate the Lord? Therefore, the wrath of the Lord is upon you. Nevertheless, good things are found in you in that you have removed the wooden images from the land and have prepared your heart to see God." Isn't that beautiful?

Nevertheless, you got something good going on there, Jehoshaphat. You see, that magnifies God and His goodness and His grace and His mercy. He is so unlike us in His dealings with sinners like us. Somebody does something wrong and we cut them off our Christmas card list.

Somebody does something wrong and we won't sit near them in church. Somebody does something wrong and we won't visit them ever again. We can't actually forgive. We can't actually reconcile.

We can't actually appreciate. that the best of men are men at best, and we need to seek harmony and peace with that. The Lord God Most High condemns the sin in Jehoshaphat, but you have done these good things. Get over here. I'm going to give you a big old hug.

That's our God, brethren. That's the Lord that we serve. And then finally, never forget the sovereignty of God over arrows, sparrows, and hair. Matthew 10 passage, the sparrows and the hare, the 1st Kings 22 passage, the arrows.

Ahab tried very hard to disguise and to arm himself against attack. That arrow, randomly shot by a soldier, found its mark and he bled out then and there. Dogs licked up his blood while the harlots bathed in preparation for a night's work. Well, let us close in a word of prayer.

Closing Prayer

Father, we thank you for your Word. We thank you for the glorious things it teaches us concerning your government, the way that you manage, the way that you watch over, the way that you engage in providence, that arrows are at your command, and that you indeed bring to judgment those whom you have spoken to. God, I pray that you would help us to learn the lessons of this passage, these passages, these chapters, because ultimately Ahab falls because he rejects the word of the living God. Give us ears to hear, give us hearts to receive the truth, and give us the grace to act upon it.

Go with us now, we pray, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Scripture References

• Deuteronomy 7:1-5; 23:17-18
• 1 Samuel 28
• 1 Kings 12; 14; 15:12; 20:42; 21:19; 22:7; 22:17; 22:18; 22:23; 22:29-53
• 2 Kings 8
• 2 Chronicles 17; 18:31; 19:1; 20:35-37
• Proverbs 22:3
• Amos 5:16-20
• Jeremiah 20:12
• Matthew 7:24-27; 10:29-31; 11
• Romans 1:18; 9:16; 12:19
• Ephesians 1
• 2 Timothy 4:2
• Hebrews 7:26
• Revelation 18; 19:1-4