well good evening well I called a worship this evening as we begin our worship comes from Psalm 97 so if you'll turn with me in your Bibles to Psalm 97 some ninety-seven will read all twelve verses the Lord reigns let the earth rejoice but the multitude of Isles be glad clouds and darkness surround him righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne a fire goes before him and burns up his enemies round about his lightnings light the world the earth sees and trembles the mountains melt like wax at the presence of the Lord at the presence of the Lord of the whole earth the heaven declares the heavens declare his righteousness and all the peoples see his glory but it all be put to shame who served carved images who boast of idols worship him all you gods Zion hears and is glad and the daughters of Judah rejoice because of your judgments O Lord for you Lord are most high above all the earth you are exalted far above all gods you who love the Lord hate evil he preserves the souls of his Saints he delivers them out of the hand of the wicked the light light is sown for the righteous and gladness for the upright in heart rejoice in the Lord you righteous and give thanks at the remembrance of his holy name Amen well our first team this evening comes from our Trinity hymnal it's him 87 so if you'll turn with me to Haiti 7 we'll stand and sing together if you [Music] [Music] maybe seated we'll go to our God in prayer Oh Lord God Almighty you're the reign supreme over all the earth let the earth rejoice Oh God and let the multitude of Isles be glad for you're the one who is lord over all you of the one who's created the world you're the one who sustains the world Oh God and you also redeem the world you redeem your people you call your people out of darkness we do thank you for Christ our King but because of him we may have communion with you Oh God we pray now that you would be with us by your spirit that you would dwell with your people in your house as we come to hear your word proclaimed Oh God strengthen us by your spirit that we would be awake and attentive but help us to know a sense of your presence with us as we come to hear canst the things concerning you as we come to praise your name for what who you are and what you've done o God we thank you again for Christ our Lord we thank you for Christ our King we thank you that he is one person in two natures the mediator between God and man the Godman O Lord we thank you that he is fully God and fully man as he is the perfect mediator we thank you for his work of redemption we thank you for his active obedience and his passive obedience how he is the perfect perfect Savior the one who fulfilled the law in perfection and died as that perfect sacrifice Oh God and because of this you have reconciled us to yourself and we thank you that you continue to build your church continue to raise up your people to call forth your your saints out of Darkness to edify them to strengthen them and we thank you that you do this through your church and we thank you for your house Oh God and when we must help us to remember that when we come to hear the word of God proclaim when we come to hear your word let us all be silent for you our God are you again dwell with us O Lord and we pray these things in the name of Christ amen well our next team is in the trendy hymnal again it'll be him 77 we will sing the first tune of him 77 if you're able we'll stand and sing together [Music] [Applause] [Music] you may be seated well four consecutive scripture reading in the Old Testament you can turn with me in your Bibles to Daniel chapter 7 Daniel chapter 7 we will read the entire chapter this evening in our consecutive scripture reading Daniel chapter 7 beginning at verse 1 and the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon Daniel had a dream and visions of his head while on his bed then he wrote down the dream telling the main facts Daniel spoke saying I saw in my vision by night and behold the four winds of heaven were stirring up the Great Sea and four great beasts came from the sea each different from the other the first was like a lion and had eagle's wings I watched till its wings were plucked off and it was lifted up from the earth and made to stand on two feet like a man and a man's heart was given to it and suddenly another beast a second like a bear it was raised up on one side and had three ribs in his mouth between its teeth and they said thus to it arise devour much flesh and after this I looked and there was another like a leopard which had on its back four wings of a bird the Beast also had four heads and Dominion was given to it after this I saw on the night vision I saw in the night visions and behold a fourth beast dreadful and terrible exceedingly strong it had huge iron teeth it was devouring breaking in pieces and trampling the residue with its feet it was different from all the other beasts that were before it and it had ten horns I was considering the horns and there was another horn a little one coming up among them before whom three of the first horns were plucked out by the roots and there in this horn were eyes like the eyes of a man and a mouth speaking pompous words I watched till Thrones were put in place and the Ancient of Days was seated his garment was white as snow and the hair of his head was like pure his throne was a fiery flame its wheels of burning fire a fiery stream issued and came forth from before him a thousand thousands ministered to him ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him the court was seated and the books were opened I watched them because of the sound of the pompous words which the horn was speaking I watched till the beast was slain and its body destroyed and given to the burning flame as for the rest of the beasts they had their dominion taken away yet their lives were prolonged for a season at a time I was watching in the night visions and behold one like the Son of man coming with the clouds of heaven and he came to the Ancient of Days and they brought him near before him then to him was given Dominion and glory and a kingdom that all peoples nations and languages should serve him his Dominion is an everlasting Dominion which shall not pass away and his kingdom the one which shall not be destroyed and I Daniel was grieved in my spirit within my body and the visions of my head troubled me I came near to one of those who stood by and asked him the truth of all this so he told me and made known to me the interpretation of these things those great beasts which are four are four kings which arise out of the earth but the Saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever even forever and ever then I wish to know the truth about the fourth beast which was different from all the other beasts all the others exceedingly dreadful with its teeth of iron and its nails of bronze which devoured broken pieces and trampled the residue with its feet and the ten horns that were on its head and the other horn which came up before which three fell namely that the horn which had eyes and a mouth a mouth which spoke pompous words whose appearance was greater than his fellows I was watching and the same horn was making war against the Saints and prevailing against them until the Ancient of Days came and a judgment was made in favor of the saints of the Most High and the time came for the Saints to possess the kingdom thus he said the fourth beast shall be a fourth Kingdom on the honor which shall be different from all of their kingdoms and shall devour the whole earth trample it and break it into pieces the ten horns are ten Kings who shall rise from this Kingdom and another shall rise up he shall be different from the first ones and shall subdue three kings he shall speak pompous words against the Most High shall persecute the Saints of the Most High and shall intend to change times and law then the Saints shall be given into his hand for a time and a tie and times and a half time but the court shall be seated and they shall take away his Dominion to consume and destroy it forever then the Kingdom the kingdom and Dominion and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven shall be given to the people the Saints of the Most High his kingdom is an everlasting Kingdom and all dominions shall serve and obey Him this is the end of the account as for me Daniel my thoughts were greatly troubled my thoughts greatly troubled me and my countenance changed but I kept the matter in my heart amen well let us pray once again Oh God Almighty we do pray that your kingdom would come we think that it has come has been has begun in the work of Lord the Lord Jesus Christ but we long for the day when your kingdom is complete when your Kingdom is full when your Kingdom has been consummated and we do take heart considering these things because Christ has been raised from the dead and you this is a great comfort to us concerning your promises and you promise that he shall return and we look forward to that day when he does return oh God we thank you that he is the son of man we thank you that he is the one whose Kingdom shall have no end his kingdom shall reign forever and ever and when we are troubled by the the rulers who reign these days oh God may we remember that it is Christ the king who reigns supreme that is Christ the king who is the lord over all whose Kingdom shall have no end now help us to remember that as Christ builds his church the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it and oh god when we are struggling when we are facing trials corporately and individually help us to remember that you are with us help us to remember and strengthen us by your spirit to recall these the the great work of Christ our King to recall your faithfulness with respect to your promises o God I made these promises give us heart in these times of trial and tribulation whether we face them corporately or even individually as well when we think of our brothers and sisters who are facing persecution for the sake of the gospel be with them strengthen them o God give them comfort during this time that they might remember that it is Christ who reigns supreme I may you strengthen us now O God may we remember that when rulers reign rulers who are weare who are who are against you who do not seek to advance your cause O God yet you have placed them there nonetheless help us to remember that you reign over all and we thank you that Christ is the king over all and we pray these things in the name of Christ amen well final him before the preaching is hymn number 4 68 if you'll turn with me nearby your Tim nose to him 468 will stand and sing together it will be to a familiar tune let us stand and sing together [Music] spin your Bibles to first Kings chapter 22 first Kings chapter 22 I've explained before that sometimes I take those Wednesday night messages and bring them on Sunday night just because I think that some of it is so applicable and hopefully helpful for all of the people of God and first Kings chapter 22 is indeed one of those sections it shows the downfalls the pitfalls of rejecting God's Holy Word and it certainly leads to the end of a hab on the field of battle so I want to read beginning in chapter 22 first Kings at verse one now three years passed without war between Syria and Israel then it came to pass in the third year that Jehoshaphat the king of Judah went down to visit the king of Israel and the king of Israel said to his servants do you know that ramoth and Gilead is ours but we hesitate to take it out of the hand of the king of Syria so he said to Jehoshaphat will you go with me to fight at ramoth-gilead Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel I am as you are my people as your people my horses is your horses also Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel please inquire for the word of the Lord today then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together about four hundred men and said to them shall I go against ramoth-gilead to fight or shall I refrain so they said go up for the Lord will deliver it into the hand of the king and Jehoshaphat said is there not still a prophet of the Lord here that we may inquire of him so the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat there is still one man Makia the son of imlah by whom we may inquire of the Lord but I hate him because he does not prophesy good concerning me but evil and Jehoshaphat said let not the king say such things then the king of Israel called an officer and said bring my k'i the son of imlah quickly the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah having put on their robe sat each on his throne at a threshing floor at the entrance of the gate of Samaria and all the prophets prophesied before them the Zedekiah the son of cainan ah had made horns of iron for himself and he said thus says the Lord with these you shall Gore the Syrians until they are destroyed and all the prophets prophesied so saying go up to ramoth-gilead and prosper then the Lord will deliver it into the Kings hand then the messenger who had gone to call my chaos spoke to him saying now listen the words of the prophets with one Accord encouraged the king please let your word be like the word of one of them and speak encouragement and Micah said as the Lord lives whatever the Lord says to me that I will speak then he came to the king and the king said to him my Kia shall we go to war against ramoth-gilead or shall we refrain and he answered him go and prosper for the Lord will deliver it into the hand of the king so the king said to him how many times shall I make you swear that you tell me nothing but the truth in the name of the Lord then he said I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains a sheep that have no shepherd and the Lord said these have no master let each return to his house in peace and the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat did I not tell you he would not prophesy good concerning me but evil then my chaos said therefore hear the word of the Lord I saw the Lord sitting on his throne and all the hosts of heaven standing by on his right hand and on his left and the Lord said who will persuade Ahab to go up that he may fall at ramoth-gilead so one spoke in this manner and another spoke in that manner then a spirit came forward and stood before the Lord and said I will persuade him the Lord said to him in what way so he said I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets and the Lord said you shall persuade him and also prevail go out and do so therefore look the put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these prophets of yours and the Lord has declared disaster against you the Zedekiah the son of cainan ah went near and struck my kia on the cheek and said which way did the spirit from the Lord go from me to speak to you my chaos said indeed you shall see on that day when you go into an inner chamber to hide so the king of Israel said take my que and return him to aim on the governor of the city and to joash the king's son and say thus says the king but this fellow in prison and feed him with the bread of affliction and water of affliction until I come in peace but Micah said if you ever return in peace the Lord has not spoken by me and he said take heed all you people so the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah went up to ramoth-gilead the king of Israel said to Joshua fat 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 thirty-two captains of his chariots 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 instruct 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 shot 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 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 father's and a Isaiah his son reigned in his place amen let us pray father in heaven we thank you for the written word we thank you for the history of Israel your covenant people in the Old Testament how we thank you that these things are written for our admonition our encouragement and for our hope and God may we learn the lessons that you would have for us caused us each to refuse to be an Ahab to be a wretched man that wants to gather up preachers that simply tell him what he wants to hear give us grace to love the truth of holy scripture give us grace to receive that truth and to act upon that truth and may you indeed enable us by the Holy Spirit to do these things send forth the spirit now guide us as we consider this passage do forgive us for our sins and our transgressions certainly God as we have full Bibles as we have churches as we have so many good resources certainly our knowledge of you ought to be continually growing and help us in this we pray through Jesus Christ our Lord amen well this won't be as detailed as it was the last two Wednesday nights but I do want to draw out a few lessons the first of which is a hab a hab has indeed started his decline he started his decline in chapter 20 remember that a hab well actually he started his decline the moment he took the throne when he initially took the throne he married Jezebel who was indeed a Jezebel a woman of renown for wickedness and evil and vileness Jezebel was a bailant worshipper and so initially a hab goes with her to her region to worship Bale and then a hab builds a temple and an altar to Bale right there in the Northern Kingdom of Israel so we see his downfall start as soon as he assumes the throne but it really ramps up here at the end of first Kings specifically in chapter 20 God gave him two victories over Syria specifically led by Ben Hadad he had Ben Hadad in his grasp and he let that man go an unnamed prophet some supposed that it was this self saying my kia condemns him for that activity at the end of chapter 20 he tells him very specifically as a result of this you are going to die and then in chapter 21 we see that Ahab wants to enlarge his property holdings in other words he wants to take neighbor's vineyard he seizes it from him via Jezebel in her wickedness so that he can have a vegetable garden certainly the prophet Elijah comes now and condemns him for this activity and promises as well judgment death and destruction and here in chapter 22 we see that ultimately he dies on battle because he rejects the Word of God now we all reject the Word of God every time we sin and there are certain pitfalls to that kind of a rejection it may not mean death on the field of battle at ramoth-gilead but we should learn with reference to a happier how to value how to price how to delight in the word of truth and how to put it into practice we have here in chapter 22 a case of ahab rejecting the true prophet of Yahweh and accepting the false prophet so let's look quickly or not quickly probably not too long Lee though at three things in this section first the alliance between Israel and Judah verses 1 to 12 secondly the rejection of the true prophet of God in verses 13 to 28 and then the death of Ahab on the field of battle in verses 29 to 40 but note specifically the setting of this alliance now Jehoshaphat is a godly king we saw that on Wednesday night we summarized the book of first kings it ends with a reference to Jehoshaphat he walked in the ways of the Lord he was consistent he was faithful he wasn't however perfect and one of those imperfections is seen here in his going arm in arm with a abbe into the field of battle so good piety is not always mingled with good sense DAR cleanness does not always mean that somebody possesses a good approach to a particular situation now God in His grace deliver Sam as a result of God's grace but it's not because of jehosophat's it's in spite of Jehoshaphat and not because because of Jehoshaphat so notice this Alliance essentially what had happened is that there had been three years peace between the two kingdoms north and south and then a hab says to Jehoshaphat we never took back ramoth-gilead when Ahab dealt with ben-hadad they had made a treaty and been a dad said that he was going to return these properties so job says we haven't got this back I want to go into battle for ramoth gilead would you join me and then a hab wisely says well yes but let's seek counsel from the Lord notice specifically in verse five Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel please inquire for the word of the Lord today we definitely give him credit for that entering into this alliance not good sense godliness piety righteousness but nevertheless not good sense but he does have this commitment to Yahweh so that he wants to fire find out the word of the Lord with reference to this particular battle so know then in verse six the prophetic guidance for this Alliance the king of Israel gathered the prophets together about four hundred men and said to them shall I go against ramoth-gilead to fight or shall I refrain now these were prophets that were indeed false they gave him bad counsel they gave him bad instruction but they weren't prophets of bail they weren't prophets of Asherah they were prophets that sought to prophesy in the name of the Lord you see that in verse 11 they speak in Yahweh's name they claim to have Yahweh's spirit according to verse 24 they promise Yahweh's success verses 12 and 6 and apparently can deliver you always work so we ought to appreciate that these were men not bailiffs not Astro worshipers not prophets of false gods but prophets of the true God but nevertheless false prophets so they give this information to Ahab on the eve of battle notice in verse six go up for the Lord will deliver it into the and of the king now look at what a hab or rather Jehoshaphat does something doesn't sat right with him there's a niggling feeling in Jehoshaphat that he hasn't got the whole picture I think that's behind verse seven is there not still a prophet of the Lord here that we may inquire of him to mention on the Wednesday night perhaps it was too tidy perhaps it was too uniform perhaps it was too consistent that everyone to a man out of 400 men said go ahead into battle they have everything's going to go alright it wasn't even a majority it was unanimity and so Jehoshaphat says is there not still a prophet of the Lord here that we may inquire of him now notice what a hub says verse a the king of Israel said to Joseph at there is still one man might care the son of imlah by whom we may inquire of the Lord but I hate him because he does not prophesy good concerning me but evil now brethren if this is not a picture of much of modern evangelicalism and perhaps even of some reformed churches I really don't know what is here is a man that wants the prophets to coddle him to cater to him to tailor their message for his personal benefit they don't want the truth they don't want what does the Lord God say to a specific issue notice he says I hate him not I'm not happy with him i I he's not my favorite of the prophets but I actually genuinely despised this man and the reason given because he does not prophesy good concerning me but evil now according to my care in verse 14 he only prophesized what the Lord tells him so what is a Habs admission I hate God because he doesn't always do the things and say the things that are good concerning me but rather he says those things that are evil to me now if you are thinking in your New Covenant sort of mine the is very similar to what Paul says in second Timothy chapter 4 verses 3 & 4 you'll remember the context you've heard it specified many times from this very pulpit Paul's last statement to the church in terms of a command of of cutoff for ongoing conduct he says to Timothy preach the word be ready in season and out of season convinced rebuke exhort with all longsuffering and TJ he then gives two reasons why 1 he's going to die but the first reason is this and it sounds again - what ahab says here 2nd Timothy 4:3 and 4 for the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine let's say you have visited he doesn't want sound doctrine and he doesn't want truth concerning the battlefield he wants that which is good concerning him some paradox isn't it we crave a message that tailors to us we crave a message that administers therapeutic moral deism we crave a message that cuddles us but then we find ourselves under the very judgment of God most high it is simply insanity Timothy a rather Paul to Timothy continues the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine but according to their own desires because they have itching ears they will heap up for themselves teachers and they will turn their ears away from the truth and be turned aside to fables sad is precisely what's happening Jehoshaphat says isn't there one prophet laughed isn't there one more that may give us a message oh yeah there's a profit to be sure but I hate him because he doesn't coddle me he doesn't pander to me he doesn't give in to my felt needs he doesn't tickle my ears he doesn't lead me in the way that I want to go he tells me things that are contrary he tells me things that are upsetting he tells me things that get under my skin he tells me things that that make me sad and I don't want anybody in my life that will ever make me sad this is exactly the situation that we face today brethren we to love the truth of God's Word even when it doesn't coddle us even when it doesn't pander to us even when it doesn't treat us with kid gloves or treat us the way that we want to be treated what is more important God treating treating us the way he knows we need it or us being treated the way that we want it you have children you know how dangerous it is to let your children call the shots don't you it's everybody asleep here I mean think about it we want God to perform for us that's like handing your two-year-old sort of the the the crown rights to the royal throne at home okay what would you like to do today jr. well I'd like to sit and watch paw patrol all day I'd like to sit and eat candy all day I'd like to do this that and the other all day well if you're a good parent you will never allow such things you will say no we're going to do what is more profitable for you you see we don't always get what it is we want a hub didn't like that arrangement a HAP hated my care because he does not prophesy good concerning me but evil in other words he's a killjoy he's a downer downer danuel he's just the guy that brings everybody down especially me I don't want anything to do with them matthew henry says those are wretchedly hardened and sin and are ripening a pace for ruined who hate God's ministers because they deal plainly with them and faithfully warn them of their misery and danger by reason of sin and reckon those their enemies that tell them the truth I got a say in my own prayer before the preaching tonight and my own thoughts concerning this passage over a few weeks now I can't come up here and say you wretched people I can't assume the position of a mic and say oh you don't ever receive what I have brethren you're a great body of people it's an encouragement to be able to preach the Word of God to people that actually want to hear it to people that actually receive it so receive this as an encouragement to excel still more to abound more and more I praise God that in the history of my time at this church for twenty long years seems like it's gone quick but for 20 years I have never felt as a dent to preach the truth of God's Word I have never feared what are people gonna say what are people gonna do what are people gonna think and I praise God for that that there is a prevailing desire among the saints of Christ at free Grace Baptist Church for the Bible the truth of God's Word 16 ounces to the pound now I'm not suggesting we're all blessed at obeying it and doing it and and and minding it and all of that sort of thing but there's no michaiah a hab sort of a resistance going on I didn't come here tonight with that sort of an agenda as the downer Mike heya speaking to the Ahab's that want nothing to do with the Word of God no it's just the opposite so I'm using on this passage as I'm thinking about this congregation I praise God this isn't our relationship I praise God that this isn't the way it is at this particular church but I would be remiss not to point out it is like this elsewhere now that's not some cultic plea for you to always stay here but brethren be mindful of the fact that there are a Habs in this world that demand a certain type of preaching and unfortunately there are Zedekiah's in this world that will give them that kind of preaching you see when Paul says that to Timothy when Paul says the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine but according to their own desires because they have itching ears they will heap up for themselves teachers the implication is they're able to do it the implication is is that there are out there that will come to tickle your ears the implication is they may not need a joel osteen in that contact but they were joel osteen ish they were the kinds of guys that would smile and their teeth would gleam and they would have the perfect hair and the perfect tie and tell you everything you wanted to hear you see there is no shortage of Zedekiah's in this world with their horn saying let's go into battle and let's destroy ramoth-gilead brethren there are always lying prophets there are always lying pastors we like to think that everybody's upright and good Bueller and only it's an interesting statement that Paul gives in Galatians 1 when he opens up there's this condemnation if you will for those who who turn away from the gospel of Jesus Christ he says there are some who want to distort it they're actually men out there that want to distort the truth of God's Holy Word and there are a Habs out there that want them to distort it to feed them this pablum to feed them this drivel to feed them this garbage that's ultimately going to get them killed on the field of battle again the paradox it's the truth that preserves it's the truth that keeps it is my cares message that would have prevailed with a hab on the field of battle now I know God's sovereign absolutely absolutely so we're going to see that as we move through the passage tonight but humanly speaking in terms of responsibility a hab hitched his wagon to the wrong horse he chose the false prophets now notice this throne scene verses 10 to 12 essentially what you had is Zedekiah the son of command ah leading these 400 false prophets gets these iron horns it's sort of an acted parable and he says this is what's going to happen at ramoth-gilead it's gonna be this way we're gonna go and gore them we're gonna go and destroy them we're going to get ramoth-gilead back now no the rejection of the true prophet of God in verses 13 to 28 the true prophet and the messenger verses 13 and 14 the messenger who had gone to call Mike as spoke to him saying now listen the words of the prophets with one Accord encouraged the King please let your word be like the word of one of them and speak encouragement this is terrible absolutely terrible I mean it's bad enough that there are a Habs but then there are a hab enablers there are servants of Ahab that go to faithful preachers and say you know you upset my boss when you say such things so tone it down you upset the King when you come with your sort of downer mode and tell an evil things so go ahead and lie to him alongside these four hundred false prophets that's what the sir or the messenger is doing here some have suggested I think they're right this could have been the same unnamed prophet Micah from chapter 20 they have knows exactly where my kea is probably he's in prison already when he slapped by zenica at the end of the chapter he sent to prison it's probably back to prison at that particular juncture but look at the mealy-mouthed sort of a thing that this backbone last man says listen the words of the prophets with one Accord encourage the king please let your word be like the word of one of them and speak encouragement he that was a society like ours what's the big crime today it's making people feel bad I can't make anybody feel bad that's just terrible it's all got to be Pepi it's all gonna be up it's all gonna be positive what do you think the health wealth and prosperity preachers are so prevalent and so popular because people don't want to hear their wretched people don't want to hear their hellbound people don't want to come on a Sunday night and on a hot day and here's some guy rant on about how important God's Word is and if you reject it and resist it you're gonna go to hell forever I mean that's not a very encouraging thing is it see these men are popular because the message of God is unpopular and so Ahab's messenger comes alongside of my care and says you know just just just back it down tone it down now note verse 14 and Mike Hayes insistence upon the truth as Yahweh lives whatever the Lord says to me that I will speak that's what we look for in a man of God isn't it isn't that what we want a man of God not he's most polished he hasn't the most coffee with people he's you know the most courteous the nicest only faithful man of God is gonna be the nicest human being on the face there some will be very nice to be sure but that's not the point the point is a man who is committed to the truth of Scripture the truth at the point is a first Kings 22:14 kind of man what is my chaos saying I cannot be bought I cannot be paid for I cannot be manipulated I cannot be encouraged to be an encourage I am going to speak the word of truth Davis says my kia has just nailed something which neither am Nora's messenger understands look back at Ahab's words in verse 8 the messengers in verse 13 what do both assume about the word of Yahweh they assume that the Prophet controls or can control that word a Habs remark and verse 8 implies that my Kia didn't have to be such a purveyor of doom saying anti a happy and sentiment if he wanted to he could speak a kinder gentler word the messenger assumes that my care could agree with the prophetic caucus if only he would they do not understand my chaos position which he states in verse 14 now listen this is my chaos position he is in bondage to the Word of God you see when Paul tells Timothy 2nd Timothy 4:2 preach the word whole means in C we have produced a professional class of pastors that are more akin to fortune 500 CEOs than preachers of the word pastoring isn't simply about managing the various groups in the context of the church pastoring is about 2nd Timothy 4:2 how do you think pastors pastor it isn't to come into your house and tell you which kind of wall paper to purchase it isn't to micromanage the ins and outs of your daily life it is to preach the word so that you know God's mind on what you ought to be doing in the details of your life pastoring is through the word of truth pastoring is through faithful exposition of God's Word not just controlling the environment manipulating the situation making sure that everything is engineered making sure the production on Sunday is good that's just not 2nd Timothy 4:2 do you know why Dale Ralph Davis is my favorite living preacher I'm sure I've said that before because he's not polished it's not like he just came out of a machine with every hair in place I'm not suggesting he's you know messed up but polished so precise so controlled so engineered Timothy preached the word that may mean sometimes it spit flies out of your mouth that may mean sometimes your hair sticking up that may mean sometimes your tie gets messed up preach the word if people want hair and no spit and perfect ties there's a lot of places outside the church that offer that very sort of thing preach the word Davis to continue he is in my Kia is in bondage to the Word of God hence the word of God is free and cannot be manipulated by kings or messengers or even slick prophets whatever word Yahweh gives a prophet that is what the Prophet must speak the Prophet is not at liberty to massage or shape or Bend let alone pervert that word we know that intuitively as God's people don't we we know that instinctively as God's people we know that through the revelatory word itself and yet there are God's people today I'm not doubting their confession of faith that under purveyors of encouragement to the detriment of their own Souls brethren I'm not suggesting there's no encouragement to be had in the work but what's more encouraging than the truth what's more encouraging than being laid low only so that God can raise you up what's more encouraging than the balm of Gilead for a broken battered bruised soul what's more encouraging to have some gleaming tooth guy tell you lies just so you're happy peppy and up it's terrible well notice there's a the true prophet and the King essentially what we have in verses 15 and 16 sometimes people sort of miss this here notice at verse 15 then he came to the king and the king said to him mikesh shall we go to war against ramoth-gilead or shall we refrain and he answered him go and prosper for the Lord will deliver it into the hand of the king one commentator says that my tale lies there he's not lying he's got tongue firmly planted in cheek he's speaking ironically we know that because the way a have responds to him in verse 16 so the King said to him how many times syndicates that there were this wasn't their first rodeo my kid knows that they have doesn't like him Mike and knows the reason why a hab doesn't like him and so it's the old song and dance whenever Ahab calls on the Prophet to come and give him the prophetic word probably the first few times he told him the truth only to see an incensed and outraged Ahab so now mike has adopted irony mike has adopted the tongue and the cheek method I kept my cares adopted this sort of a means go ahead go into battle go in with the rest of that and this is why the king says how many times shall I make you swear that you tell me nothing but the truth in the name of the Lord you got to see the parallels between this and what we're doing in Matthew because of this exactly what the high priests does after the testimony of the witnesses don't you answer anything Jesus doesn't answer anything we're supposed to think isaiah 53 and then he adores him he puts him under oath he sounds a habit in verse 16 in order to provoke the Prophet to speak now here is where the Prophet tells him verse 17 I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains a sheep that have no shepherd and the Lord said these have no master let each return to his house in peace well I guess you know now why a hub doesn't like the prophet Micah he has just told him you're going to die that's what that means when he says I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains as sheep that have no shepherd that means that Israel will be scattered on the mountains as sheep that have no shepherd their Shepherd as Ahab that they have no shepherd means that Ahab dies on the field of battle he's telling him specifically what's going to happen at ramoth-gilead he's telling him something that is specifically negative in terms of a habit a habit concerned that this is the discouraging message this is the evil this is the thing that he does and that is precisely how a hab response to Jehoshaphat in verse 18 the king of Israel said to Josh if how did I not tell you he would not prophesy good concerning me but evil didn't I tell you he's this way he's got this sort of rugged individualism he's gonna stand up against these four hundred prophets he is gonna be the lone wolf that is contrary to these four hundred men led by Zedekiah with his iron horns and everything he always tells me things I don't want to hear we know how the story ends we should be a if we were there we grab a hat by the scruff of the neck and give him a good shake and say Mike is the only man in your kingdom that is telling you the truth if you continue to resist him you continue to reject him and you continue to follow these false prophets you are going to die on the field of battle that's why there is a need to point out error in other churches to point out error and other communions to point out error because it's this sort of a situation we can't physically grab persons by the neck and and give them a good shake and and a good slap and say why would you continue to go to Joel Osteen's place when there's preaching that is faithful and upright and godly the Brethren by pointing out things and by emphasizing sound theology by pointing persons to the to the Word of God and to our good confession of faith the idea is to inoculate ourselves the idea is to to promote at that health and that that wholeness so that we don't fall prey to that kind of garbage I mean I don't know if you've noticed out there but you know those kinds of churches are packed I mean everybody's up everybody's happy everybody's happy it looks like a big you know love fest but without the truth it's a terrible situation now Makia has a bit of a thrown scene and here he reveals to us something concerning God now this is a bit of a a tricky passage that we find here in verses 19 to 23 we need to keep in mind that it's a vision that Makia receives it's a vision that displays how God is dealing in this current situation we're not to suppose that this is spoken properly those who come on Saturday mornings will know what that means basically what we have here is a vision given to us in the manner of man it is describing something to us that that really just doesn't happen God doesn't confer with creatures God doesn't plan with creatures God doesn't make the enter into arrangements with creatures but what my care is doing is revealing tooth to ahab the situation that is taking place here before ramoth-gilead matthew pool comments this is not to be grossly understood as if God did ask and take counsel from his creatures or we're at a loss to find out an expedient accomplished accomplish his own will did consider several ways and then with that which upon debate appeared to be the best see that's how the vision comes to us it's in the manner of man God isn't going through several options it's not one of those stories that you had when you were a kid choose-your-own-adventure how does the story end is it a is it B is it C that's not how God operates this is revelatory to us in the manner of man he is lisping information so that we can receive it Poole says this idea that God taking counsel sort of weighing the options he says all which it is ridiculous to imagine concerning a God of perfect and infinite knowledge but only to bring down divine things to our shallow capacities that's the purpose for the vision he is telling a hub something true concerning God but using this sort of anthropomorphic language he goes on to say to express the various means which God has to execute his own designs matthew henry concurs this matter is here represented after the manner of man now there has been some or have been some that say well God's lying here but if God authorizes a lying spirit then that must mean that God Himself is lying we need to ask the question what is this vision communicate well it communicates three things to us in the first place is the condemnation of the false prophets it is a condemnation of the false prophets because what Makia is saying is that Zedekiah and his 399 cronies or or toady's are under the influence of a lying prophet or a lying spirit so it's a condemnation of these false prophets secondly there is absolutely no way God could be accused of lying here remember that he is giving this information to Ahab prior to the battle at ramoth-gilead what does that mean it means that God in His grace is still reaching out and I speak in the manner of man to Ahab via my k'i what's the best possible option here for Ahab to say wow these guys are fakes yeah these are under the influence of a lying spirit I ought to stop I ought to submit I ought to take heed to the truth of God and I ought not to go into battle at ramoth-gilead not only is God not deceiving him but he is actually revealing to him the very specific situation that is confronting a Happ and then thirdly it demonstrates the absolute unrivaled unparalleled sovereignty of God he is over all things and this vision indicates that so how does this all turn out for the true prophet certainly he's you know taken out for dinner a hub says let's go out to the keg you've earned it you've kept me from going to ramoth-gilead and losing my bacon on the field of battle no Zedekiah gives him a good smack puts him in prison and gives him bare bare minimal for rations but my kid gets the last word the true prophet of God he's got open his mouth he's got a speed god notice verse 28 well verse 27 thus says the king put this fellow in prison feed him with the bread of affliction and water of affliction until I come in peace but my chaos said if you ever return in peace the Lord has not spoken by me and he said take heed all you people if you ever return in peace the Lord has not spoken by me my quea ups the ante here Mike heya says this is the test of a true prophet Micah affirms what we find in the book of Deuteronomy the measure of a true prophet is that the prophecy comes true and Mike a puts up Makia puts up he says if you return in peace the Lord has not spoken by me take heed all you people you measure you see you witness now finally in conclusion basically what we have is a does go into battle I mean some people just a really hard hearted and thick at it aren't they you can tell them good things day in day out you can tell them you had the vision of God and this whole prophetic or spiritual thing and these men are operating under the influence of lying prophets and they'll still still resist and reject the word well that's what happens here so the king of Israel and Joshua fat the king of Judah went out to ramoth-gilead we kind of get why a have dead but it's pretty still illustrative of jehosophat's lack of good sense I mean he's four hundred prophets the false ones prevailed upon him a Habs whining about my kia and verse 18 prevailed upon him Jehoshaphat locks arms and goes into this battle with a hat now know what a hab does he disguises himself if you've been reading or studying the former prophets you'll note that that typically doesn't end well you see Saul disguise himself in 1st Samuel 28 when he goes and seeks out a witch you see this happen in jeroboams time in first Kings chapter 14 the fact that he's disguising himself also shows her demonstrates that he's hedging his bets if my kia is a fake why which disguise yourself if the 400 are true ride victoriously into battle and destroy these Syrians he's hedging his bets but notice the treachery involved with reference to Jehoshaphat somehow a have had Intel that been a dad was gunning for him why that is I'm not certain because he let been a dad go at the end of chapter 20 perhaps ben-hadad just has an axe to grind some long seated and an enmity but Benna dad commands his troops go after the king of Israel I don't think it means him alone I think it means him and his people break the northerners back and the southerners will flee as well so he has Jehoshaphat where the royal robes so now Jehoshaphat becomes the royal target this is terrible I mentioned matthew henry he said something to the effect if a man isn't true to god he's not going to be true to his friends if ahab treats the living and true God the way that ahab treats and he's not gonna treat josh a fat he's not gonna say I want to protect you I wanna make sure that you're okay at ramoth-gilead know you wear the royal robes so that when these guys in their animosity and anger are searching for me they're gonna end up killing you now ultimately this becomes clear to Jehoshaphat the parallel passage in second chronicles chapter 18 tells us when he cries up the text tells us here this tells us this here that he cried out but specifically in second chronicles 18 and the Lord heard and the Lord delivered him you see God comes even in the midst of our bad sense good piety ought to be mingled with good sense sometimes good piety is mingled with bad sense and even in the midst of that God delivers us now I'm not saying that as a blanket approval to go out and have bad sense you should pursue good sense you should pursue wisdom you should pursue making alliances with persons that are godly and upright and not wretched rebellious a Habs in this world but marvel at the grace of God in this particular section Jehoshaphat does a foolish thing and God is there to swoop him up and protect him from the Syrians God is really good God is really really good and the Old Testament continuously sets that forth before our eyes so he's disguised the plan of the Syrians now note this verse 34 now a certain man drew a bow at random now we do need to understand the random here probably wasn't just a willy-nilly he's in battle he's shooting at a human being that's what you do in battle you try to kill people and break things so he shoots though at random at a particular soldiers soldiers but notice and the Providence of God he hits the specific one in the specific place if you don't see sovereignty behind verse 34 or appreciate divine providence at verse 34 you haven't understood providence a certain man drew a bow at random and struck the king of Israel between the joints of his armor so he said - he said - with the driver of his chariot turn around and take me out of the battle for I am wounded look at the lengths to which Ahab went to try and avoid this very thing he disguises himself and he puts on a coat of armour this man draws a bow at random and it finds the right man in the right place and it really is an incredible display of God's sovereignty no Armour said matthew henry is off proof against the darts of divine vengeance case the criminal in steel and it is all one he that made 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 that random arrow shot finds its mark in the specific target of God's vengeance in the specific place where his armor didn't fit tightly together divine providence drove that arrow divine providence sent that arrow divine providence executed the will of God Almighty you see Ahab you can run you can hide you can send Jehoshaphat like a lamb to the slaughter in your place but the prophecy in chapter 20 the prophecy in chapter 21 the prophecy reiterated here in chapter 22 is that you're going to die you cannot stay the Vengeance of God you cannot stay the hand of God well as we close I want to draw out just a couple of lessons and then we go first the rejection of the true word I think Ahab's symptoms displays for us symptoms of a modern tendency first the desire to only hear what we want to hear guess that probably happens even in the best of church is that's our default setting listener we don't like it when people tell us things that we don't like I mean you ever liked it when your spouse says you know I got a real bone to pick with you do you say oh great again thank you another one we just don't like that do we we like to just move along on unsorted messed with it's a default setting brethren but we cannot feed that default setting we cannot feed or crave that desire to only hear what we want to hear as well the desire to encourage the Prophet to speak what we want to hear I think in some respects this messenger in verse 13 he just really bothers me I mean Ahab's a ratch a nice you know known for that for 22 long years of wretchedness and bail ISM and Jezebel is his wife this guy in verse 13 is just offensive I mean could you imagine if you know we had actually recorded what was going on in my tears aren't at the time are you kidding me you actually think I'm gonna kowtow first to a heaven and to you you think I can be bought and paid for you think I can be manipulated you think you're gonna prevail on me that I'm gonna tailor the message of the true and living God to settle or to satisfy this wretched man who has taken the northern kingdom and plunged it into bail worship you've got to be out of your mind as well the desire to listen to false prophets who tell us what we want to hear verses 10 to 12 I mean even the horns the whole theatrics the Zedekiah's prevail he probably had the nice time the good hair the gleaming teeth as he as he's doing the horn thing he smiles for a photo-op and and and it just wins the day with a lay hab charlatans hucksters slicksters people are hoodwinked by these kinds of men and we need to guard against such things and the desire to be rid of the true prophets of God here specifically through physical violence and through imprisonment again if you don't see the link between what we have in our Lord and Matthew 26 physical violence ultimately not imprisonment for him but crucifixion we want to silence the true Word of God at whatever cost secondly we ought to appreciate the integrity of the true prophet of God he is committed to speaking whatever the Lord says he hasn't shaped the message he doesn't tailor the message he certainly doesn't pervert the message he simply declares the message secondly he is committed to speaking the truth of God not catering to the felt needs of his hearers I don't think that it's wrong for a pastor or elders to speak the two things that are that are going on in the life of the church a pastor kind of you know on his visits or talks with people sees it a lot of people got a lot of carnal anxiety and just depression and sorrows and woes it's not wrong to preach on Matthew 6 it's not wrong to go to Elijah under the broom tree it's not wrong to bring the Word of God to bear upon specific situations that that's not what I'm talking about but catering the message or tailoring the message for the felt needs of people in other words what they want I just want encouragement I just want happiness I just want this know you're gonna get what God has to say thirdly he is committed to speaking the truth of God notwithstanding the pressure to do otherwise I mean look at Mike a he knows what's going on if he has the unnamed prophet from chapter 20 he's already been sitting in a prison cell he's already been in jail for this very thing and now this messenger comes trots him out and wants to bring him to a out and gives him a little pep talk don't bring him your downer stuff but rather give him those things he knows the score how many times they have has said to him this isn't their first song and dance he knows what's happening the pressure is strong there are 400 men that are testifying the very opposite to what he has to say but he doesn't knuckle under he stands firm to the truth fourthly he is committed to suffering physical violence imprisonment and even death itself instead of compromising though the truth of God that's the kind of men we need it's kind of men we pray for this kind of man you ought to pray Mike Kirkpatrick is brethren we have ho and desires to see a church planted it in South Surrey we want to move that direction pray for the brother I can testify of the truth that when you first start a church I mean there is a lot of challenges as I mentioned on the Wednesday night when we covered this material I think first Kings is a great chapter or a great book for young aspiring ministers to read because young aspiring ministers have this view I gotta confess when I came up here I thought man I'm gonna just start preaching or let's see you know oodles and scabs of people get saved it's gonna be great wow that wore off quick like 20 seconds I think first Kings is a better depiction of the way it really is what happens in first Kings Jezebel kills a hundred prophets of God what happens in first Kings Li just sitting underneath the broom tree saying can you take me now what happens in first Kings my ki gets a whack on the face and imprisonment with little to no food brethren it is tough work if a man is going to actually speak the truth of God in this society it is going to be difficult and they need prayer they need encouragement you know how many times Paul and his epistle says brethren pray for us why because Paul is an egocentric narcissist that just thrives on being the center of attention no because it's a spiritual work that involves a great deal of vigor and commitment and discipline and diligence to handle accurately the Word of God is no small thing brethren specially when you're facing 400 men that are gonna just tell people what they want to hear my khaya stands fast and he speaks the word of Almighty God and he does so even when his own life is in jeopardy well brethren again I praise God for the prevailing spirit of a willingness to hear scripture in our church as Paul said to the Thessalonians he encouraged them he acknowledged them he recognised their faithfulness yet he said to them so still more I think that our love for the word our appreciation for the word will be evident and will be manifested in the way that we live both privately and corporately if we love the truth it's not going to be the case that our Bibles sit on the shelves and and collect dust it's not going to be the case that we don't know the people at our own church because we are so infrequent attending to the public means of grace if we love this word if we are anti a happy end it will reflect itself in our private habits and in our corporate habits we will be where God's Word is because that is ultimately what we crave well let us pray our Father we thank you for your word and we thank you for this passage in 1st Kings for all of first kings and then the many many good lessons we have received from the study of it we ask God that you would bless Mike we pray that you'd continue to prepare his heart his mind give grace to both he and Jessica as they continue down this path may we be a praying church for them and may you indeed open up the these doors may it be the case that there would be a faithful gospel witness there in South Surrey that our witness and our community here would grow and that father we would indeed hold fast to the truth of God's Holy Word go with us watch over us grant us grace to glorify to honor and to praise you in this coming week and help us to resist the tendency to be an a half and help us to be lovers of your truth and we pray these things through Jesus Christ our Lord amen we'll close with a brief time of meditation and then be destroyed
