1 Kings 22 Devotional
By Pastor Lawrence

Kings Jehoshaphat and Ahab make strange bedfellows. As good and wise as Jehoshaphat appears to be in many situations, he seems to be a very bad judge of character, at least in this case. Certainly, it is a foolish thing for Jehoshaphat to pledge his people and his horses to Israel’s king, when Israel’s king pays no mind to the Lord. Inquiring the will of the Lord in carrying out this plot against Syria is the farthest thing from Ahab’s mind initially until Jehoshaphat urges him to do so. As we continue to read about Jehoshaphat in 2 Kings, we will see that this is the regular pattern of the king of Judah—he does not trust in his himself or in his own designs but regularly lifts up his desires and his plans unto the Lord in prayer. That’s definitely not the case for Ahab. Because he is not even on speaking terms with God, he brings forth 400 prophets that he has gathered from throughout his kingdom in order to hear a word supposedly from the Lord.

Ahab’s reasoning for consulting with so many prophets is not based upon pomp or show but because he doesn’t trust any single man to tell him the truth and for good reason. The author tells us that the Lord has put a lying spirit in the mouth of the prophets so that the king of Israel would be destroyed. Nevertheless, there is one prophet in Israel who does speak the truth to the king, but the king doesn’t want to ask his counsel because he tells him things he doesn’t want to hear. In fact, he hates him for it, even though it is out of love and concern for the king that the prophet tells him the truth. I can’t tell you how many times in my ministry that individuals in the church have hated me personally merely for telling them the truth. It would be so much easier just to tell people what they want to hear, but that is the way that leads to destruction.

After hearing the four hundred prophets speak great and wonderful things about the king of Israel and his prospects, King Jehoshaphat asks if there is not another prophet to consult. He may be a bad judge of character, but he’s no fool. He knows that these prophets are not speaking by the Spirit of Christ. But when Ahab’s men seek out the one prophet the king hates, they adjure him to speak positive things about the king, which he does not promise to do. Interestingly, when he does speak to the king at first, he repeats the same drivel as the other prophets but presumably he does so in such a way as to make it plain to the king that he doesn’t really mean what he says. And when the king demands that he tells him the truth, the prophet shares with him the worst possible scenario regarding his untimely death and the downfall of his kingdom as a result of this battle. Again, the king hates him for it and throws him in prison as a result. Nevertheless, Ahab goes forward with his plans disregarding the Word of the Lord.

Surprisingly, King Jehoshaphat also goes forward into battle with his wicked cobelligerent despite this stern warning from the Lord. And he willingly and gullibly puts on his royal garments at Ahab’s urging even though Ahab disguises himself in battle. Due to God’s sovereign mercy alone, when Jehoshaphat is accosted by the Syrian soldiers, they immediately recognize that he is not the king of Israel and spare his life. On the other hand, due to God’s sovereign justice alone, a lone archer randomly shoots an arrow into the scene of battle and strikes the disguised king of Israel fatally killing him. And just as the prophet had foretold, his army would scatter every man to his country. the dogs would come and lick up the king’s blood, and the prostitutes would bathe in the pool formed from the men who had washed out his blood-soaked chariot.

In contradistinction to this, the reign of Jehoshaphat is summarized in the last section of the chapter and it emphasizes that he exterminated the remnant of the prostitutes in his land, showing again, that these two men were indeed strange bedfellows. If the apostle Paul had given counsel to Jehoshaphat regarding his close friendship and pledge to King Ahab, he would have said to him, “Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever?”

It is only by God’s mercy that Jehoshaphat didn’t share in the same fate as King Ahab. Thankfully, we find at the end of the chapter that Jehoshaphat learned a lesson by this humiliating defeat. For in v.49 when Ahab’s son Ahaziah wanted to pledge hands with Jehoshaphat joining his servants to those of the king of Judah, it simply says, “Jehoshaphat was not willing.” Let us give thanks to God that he is patient with us in our foolish choices and gives us wisdom when we cry out to him to learn from our many sins and failures.