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Texts -- 1 Kings 22:6-53 (NET)

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22:6 So the king of Israel assembled about four hundred prophets and asked them, “Should I attack Ramoth Gilead or not ?” They said , “Attack ! The sovereign one will hand it over to the king .” 22:7 But Jehoshaphat asked , “Is there not a prophet of the Lord still here , that we may ask him?” 22:8 The king of Israel answered Jehoshaphat , “There is still one man through whom we can seek the Lord’s will. But I despise him because he does not prophesy prosperity for me, but disaster . His name is Micaiah son of Imlah . Jehoshaphat said , “The king should not say such things .” 22:9 The king of Israel summoned an official and said , “Quickly bring Micaiah son of Imlah .” 22:10 Now the king of Israel and King Jehoshaphat of Judah were sitting on their respective thrones , dressed in their robes , at the threshing floor at the entrance of the gate of Samaria . All the prophets were prophesying before them. 22:11 Zedekiah son of Kenaanah made iron horns and said , “This is what the Lord says , ‘With these you will gore Syria until they are destroyed .’” 22:12 All the prophets were prophesying the same , saying , “Attack Ramoth Gilead ! You will succeed ; the Lord will hand it over to the king .” 22:13 Now the messenger who went to summon Micaiah said to him, “Look , the prophets are in complete agreement that the king will succeed . Your words must agree with theirs ; you must predict success .” 22:14 But Micaiah said , “As certainly as the Lord lives , I will say what the Lord tells me to say.” 22:15 When he came before the king , the king asked him, “Micaiah , should we attack Ramoth Gilead or not ?” He answered him, “Attack ! You will succeed ; the Lord will hand it over to the king .” 22:16 The king said to him, “How many times must I make you solemnly promise in the name of the Lord to tell me only the truth ?” 22:17 Micaiah said , “I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains like sheep that have no shepherd . Then the Lord said , ‘They have no master . They should go home in peace .’” 22:18 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat , “Didn’t I tell you he does not prophesy prosperity for me, but disaster ?” 22:19 Micaiah said , “That being the case , hear the word of the Lord . I saw the Lord sitting on his throne , with all the heavenly assembly standing on his right and on his left . 22:20 The Lord said , ‘Who will deceive Ahab , so he will attack Ramoth Gilead and die there?’ One said this and another that . 22:21 Then a spirit stepped forward and stood before the Lord . He said , ‘I will deceive him.’ The Lord asked him, ‘How?’ 22:22 He replied , ‘I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouths of all his prophets .’ The Lord said , ‘Deceive and overpower him. Go out and do as you have proposed.’ 22:23 So now , look , the Lord has placed a lying spirit in the mouths of all these prophets of yours; but the Lord has decreed disaster for you.” 22:24 Zedekiah son of Kenaanah approached , hit Micaiah on the jaw , and said , “Which way did the Lord’s spirit go when he went from me to speak to you?” 22:25 Micaiah replied , “Look , you will see in the day when you go into an inner room to hide .” 22:26 Then the king of Israel said , “Take Micaiah and return him to Amon the city official and Joash the king’s son . 22:27 Say , ‘This is what the king says , “Put this man in prison . Give him only a little bread and water until I safely return .”’” 22:28 Micaiah said , “If you really do safely return , then the Lord has not spoken through me.” Then he added , “Take note , all you people .” 22:29 The king of Israel and King Jehoshaphat of Judah attacked Ramoth Gilead . 22:30 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat , “I will disguise myself and then enter into the battle ; but you wear your royal robes .” So the king of Israel disguised himself and then entered into the battle . 22:31 Now the king of Syria had ordered his thirty-two chariot commanders , “Do not fight common soldiers or high-ranking officers; fight only the king of Israel .” 22:32 When the chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat , they said , “He must be the king of Israel .” So they turned and attacked him, but Jehoshaphat cried out. 22:33 When the chariot commanders realized he was not the king of Israel , they turned away from him. 22:34 Now an archer shot an arrow at random , and it struck the king of Israel between the plates of his armor . The king ordered his charioteer , “Turn around and take me from the battle line , because I’m wounded .” 22:35 While the battle raged throughout the day , the king stood propped up in his chariot opposite the Syrians . He died in the evening ; the blood from the wound ran down into the bottom of the chariot . 22:36 As the sun was setting , a cry went through the camp , “Each one should return to his city and to his homeland .” 22:37 So the king died and was taken to Samaria , where they buried him. 22:38 They washed off the chariot at the pool of Samaria (this was where the prostitutes bathed ); dogs licked his blood , just as the Lord had said would happen. 22:39 The rest of the events of Ahab’s reign, including a record of his accomplishments and how he built a luxurious palace and various cities , are recorded in the scroll called the Annals of the Kings of Israel . 22:40 Ahab passed away . His son Ahaziah replaced him as king .
Jehoshaphat’s Reign over Judah
22:41 In the fourth year of King Ahab’s reign over Israel , Asa’s son Jehoshaphat became king over Judah . 22:42 Jehoshaphat was thirty-five years old when he became king and he reigned for twenty-five years in Jerusalem . His mother was Azubah , the daughter of Shilhi . 22:43 He followed in his father Asa’s footsteps and was careful to do what the Lord approved . However , the high places were not eliminated ; the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense on the high places . 22:44 Jehoshaphat was also at peace with the king of Israel . 22:45 The rest of the events of Jehoshaphat’s reign , including his successes and military exploits , are recorded in the scroll called the Annals of the Kings of Judah . 22:46 He removed from the land any male cultic prostitutes who had managed to survive the reign of his father Asa . 22:47 There was no king in Edom at this time; a governor ruled . 22:48 Jehoshaphat built a fleet of large merchant ships ships to travel to Ophir for gold , but they never made the voyage because they were shipwrecked in Ezion Geber . 22:49 Then Ahaziah son of Ahab said to Jehoshaphat , “Let my sailors join yours in the fleet ,” but Jehoshaphat refused . 22:50 Jehoshaphat passed away and was buried with his ancestors in the city of his ancestor David . His son Jehoram replaced him as king .
Ahaziah’s Reign over Israel
22:51 In the seventeenth year of King Jehoshaphat’s reign over Judah , Ahab’s son Ahaziah became king over Israel in Samaria . He ruled for two years over Israel . 22:52 He did evil in the sight of the Lord and followed in the footsteps of his father and mother ; like Jeroboam son of Nebat , he encouraged Israel to sin . 22:53 He worshiped and bowed down to Baal , angering the Lord God of Israel just as his father had done .

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  • [1Ki 22:19] God Is Still On The Throne

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Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)

  • "2:1-3 echoes 1:1 by introducing the same phrases but in reverse order: he created,' God,' heavens and earth' reappear as heavens and earth' (2:1) God' (2:2), created' (2:3). This chiastic pattern brings the section to a neat...
  • When Israel entered the land the people were to destroy all the places and objects used in the pagan worship of the Canaanites (vv. 2-4). Pagan peoples generally have felt that worshipping on elevated sites brings them into c...
  • The previous pericope alluded to the need for witnesses, and this one explains their role. A common cause of hostility between individuals that sometimes led to homicide was a failure to agree on common boundaries and to resp...
  • 5:13-15 "Despite Joshua's long military experience he had never led an attack on a fortified city that was prepared for a long siege. In fact, of all the walled cities in Palestine, Jericho was probably the most invincible. T...
  • The gate of cities like Bethlehem was the place where people transacted official business (cf. Gen. 19:1; 2 Sam. 15:2-6; 1 Kings 22:10; Amos 5:10, 12, 15)."In ancient cities the gate' was a short passageway through the thick ...
  • The writer introduced the history of Saul's reign by referring to the king's age and possibly the length of his reign. Verse one contains a textual corruption in the Hebrew text.132There the verse reads, "Saul was . . . years...
  • "In addition to being the middle chapter of 1 Samuel, chapter 16 is pivotal in another way as well: Its first half (vv. 1-13), ending with a statement concerning David's reception of the Spirit of God, describes David's anoin...
  • The fact that this book opens and closes with death should be a clue as to its message.It opens with David's death, and it closes with Ahab's death. The intervening period of about a century and a half is a story of national ...
  • I. The reign of Solomon chs. 1-11A. Solomon's succession to David's throne 1:1-2:121. David's declining health 1:1-42. Adonijah's attempt to seize the throne 1:5-533. David's charge to Solomon 2:1-94. David's death 2:10-12B. ...
  • King Jehoshaphat of Judah made peace with King Ahab of Israel (22:44). He did so by contracting a marriage between his son, Jehoram, and Ahab's daughter, Athaliah (2 Chron. 18:1). This ended the first period of antagonism bet...
  • This section is similar to the one that recorded Saul's failure to follow Yahweh's command that also resulted in God cutting him off as His vice-regent (1 Sam. 13:13-14). The parallels between Saul and Ahab are remarkable thr...
  • Another significant battle occurred between the battle of Ramoth-gilead that the writer recorded in chapter 22 (853 B.C.) and the battles he recorded in chapter 20. Ahab and his Aramean ally Ben-Hadad II (860-841 B.C.) defeat...
  • Ahab probably disguised himself (v. 30) since he was Ben-Hadad's primary target. He had broken their treaty (v. 31). However his plan to thwart God's will failed. He could not fool or beat Yahweh. One arrow providentially gui...
  • Jehoshaphat began ruling over Judah as coregent with his father Asa (873-870 B.C.). When Asa died, he reigned alone for 17 more years (870-853 B.C.). He concluded his 25-year reign with another period of coregency with his so...
  • (Continued from notes on 1 Kings)3. Ahaziah's evil reign in Israel -1 Kings 22:51-2 Kings 1:184. Jehoram's evil reign in Israel 2:1-8:155. Jehoram's evil reign in Judah 8:16-246. Ahaziah's evil reign in Judah 8:25-9:29C. The ...
  • Second Kings begins with Ahaziah's reign that fell during the 33-year period of Israel and Judah's alliance (874-841 B.C.; -1 Kings 16:29-2 Kings 9:29). This period in turn fits within the larger context of the divided kingdo...
  • Jehoshaphat appointed his son Jehoram coregent the year Jehoshaphat went off to do battle with Ahab at Ramoth-gilead (853 B.C.). For the next five years Jehoram served with his father. In 848 B.C. he began ruling alone and di...
  • Ahaziah continued the policies and preferences of his great-grandfather Omri that his grandfather Ahab and his father Joram had perpetuated (v. 27). Israel and Judah were now still allies. The battle of Ramoth-gilead in which...
  • This chapter is very similar to 1 Kings 22. Jehoshaphat's concern for God's will guided his actions (vv. 4, 6).44The Chronicler undoubtedly wanted to encourage his audience toward repentance and restoration by showing them fi...
  • 45:1 The psalmist claimed to be full of joy and inspiration as he composed this song. He said what he did out of a full heart.45:2 To him the king was the greatest man he knew. One evidence of this was his gracious speech for...
  • 6:1 Why did Isaiah date this passage since he did not date most of his others?70Probably he did so because King Uzziah had been the best king of Judah since Solomon. Nevertheless during the last part of his reign he suffered ...
  • There are two more "woes"that deal with Jerusalem in this chapter (vv. 1-14, 15-24) in addition to the one in chapter 28. The first of these is similar to the previous "woe"(cf. vv. 1-8 with 28:1-6, and vv. 9-14 with 28:7-13)...
  • The first strophe of this poem (vv. 1-2) sets the tone for the rest of the chapter and for the rest of the book. It is an introduction to an introduction. In spite of affliction that lay ahead for the Judahites, God's ultimat...
  • The section begins with an announcement of the salvation that God would provide for His chosen people.44:23 This verse concludes the thought expressed in the preceding one, so many translations and commentators regard it as t...
  • It seemed to Isaiah's audience that the promises in chapter 60 could hardly come to pass since the Babylonian exile was still ahead of them. The Lord assured them that He would surely fulfill these promises."Much of this chap...
  • This section is another of Jeremiah's autobiographical "confessions."In literary form it is another individual lament, like many of the psalms (cf. Ps. 6). It is one of Jeremiah's most significant self-disclosures. The sectio...
  • Having given a true prophecy about the future, Jeremiah proceeded to announce God's judgment on the false prophets who were misleading His people with false prophecies (cf. v. 1). This section consists of six different messag...
  • This chapter contains three parts: Jeremiah's warning to the foreign messengers (vv. 1-11), his appeal to King Zedekiah (vv. 12-15), and his appeal to the priests and people of Jerusalem (vv. 16-22).27:1 Jeremiah received a m...
  • The Lord had shut Ezekiel's mouth (3:26), so the first prophecies he delivered were not spoken messages but acted-out parables (cf. 1 Kings 11:30; 22:11; 2 Kings 13:17; Isa. 20:2-4; Jer. 13:1-14; 19:1-10; Acts 21:10-11). Ezek...
  • 14:6 The Lord called His people to change their minds (repent, Heb. shub), turn away from the idols in their hearts, and abandon them.14:7-8 Anyone in Israel, including immigrants (Heb. ger, sojourners, resident aliens), who ...
  • 20:1 Certain elders of the Jewish exiles came to Ezekiel to inquire of the Lord (cf. 14:1-11). Inquiring of the Lord meant securing a divine revelation concerning a particular event (cf. 1 Kings 14:5-18; 22:7-28; 2 Kings 8:8-...
  • 29:17 Ezekiel received another message from the Lord about Egypt's judgment in 571 B.C. (on his New Year's day). This was probably the second to the last recorded prophecy of Ezekiel, and the prophet would have been about 50 ...
  • The following section is a general indictment of the people of Israel for their idolatry.4:11 The practice of idolatry (spiritual harlotry), with its emphasis on drinking wine, had turned the heart of the Israelites from Yahw...
  • Amos' announcement of Israel's coming judgment came in three waves (vv. 11, 12, and 13-15).3:11 Sovereign Yahweh announced that an enemy that would surround the land of Israel would destroy and loot its impressive fortresses....
  • The story opens with God commissioning His prophet and Jonah rebelling against His will.1:1 The book and verse open with a conjunction (Heb. wa, Eng. "Now"). Several versions leave this word untranslated because it makes no s...
  • One of the events that would occur before the realization of these great promises of blessing was Israel's exile, but the burden of this pericope is also future restoration.4:9 Micah, speaking for the Lord, addressed the Jews...
  • 6:13 Because of these sins the Lord promised to make His people sick, downtrodden, and desolate.6:14 They would continue to eat, but their food would not bring them satisfaction (cf. Lev. 26:26). Their excessive accumulation ...
  • The first part of this oracle focused particularly on the true King who would come and exercise sovereignty over the nations (ch. 9). Now the emphasis changes to the people of the King, the Israelites, who will return to the ...
  • This section summarizes the previous incidents that deal primarily with healing and prepares for Jesus' charge to His disciples. It is transitional providing a bridge from the condition of the people that chapter 9 revealed t...
  • Jesus proceeded immediately to tell another parable. Luke wrote that Jesus addressed it to the crowds in the temple courtyard (Luke 20:9). The chief priests and elders continued to listen (vv. 45-46).21:33-34 Jesus alluded to...
  • Mark's account of this miracle plays an important role in his Gospel. The unusually long introduction provides the setting for this miracle. It stresses Jesus' humanity, and the miracle itself demonstrates His deity. Mark lat...
  • There is great theological significance in this familiar passage. It comes through mainly in the angel's words and in the symbolism of what happened."In 2:8-14 we have a third annunciation scene, which follows the same patter...
  • This incident, appearing only in Luke's Gospel, illustrates the truth just expressed in verse 35. Here is a case in point of what Jesus had just described happening (v. 34). Jesus reached out to a sinner only to receive criti...
  • Luke recorded the events of Paul's first missionary journey to document the extension of the church into new territory and to illustrate the principles and methods by which the church grew. He also did so to show God's supern...
  • "As is true of NT epistles in general, the address of Revelation contains three elements: the writer, the addressees, and the greeting."181:4 John sent this letter to the seven churches mentioned in chapters 2 and 3, which we...
  • 4:2 As soon as John heard this invitation, he entered another ecstatic state (cf. 1:10). His body remained on the earth, but he saw a throne and someone sitting on it in heaven (cf. Ezek. 11:1, 5). "Throne"occurs 45 times in ...
  • 5:6 As with our dreams, John's vision contained some unusual features. John saw the Messiah as a Lamb.229The Lamb is a symbol of Jesus Christ at His first advent, meek and submissive to a sacrificial death as our substitute (...
  • The final three bowl judgments all have political consequences.16:12 The problem that this judgment poses for earth-dwellers is not a result of the judgment itself but its consequences, namely, war. It does not inflict a plag...
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