In a time of war two kings were making nation altering decisions;

The king of Judah and the King of Israel formed an alliance to take back from the syrians the city of Ramoth Gilead.

[A town east of the Jordan designated as a place of refuge (Josh. 20: 8) and given to the Levites (Josh. 21: 38). It was frequently contested between Israel and Syria and changed hands several times; during a battle at Ramoth-Gilead King Ahab of Israel was killed (1 Kgs. 22: 1–40). Elisha sent a prophet to anoint Jehu king of Israel at Ramoth-Gilead (2 Kgs. 9: 3).]

They decided to consult God and gathered 400 prophets who advised, the Arameans until they are destroyed.’”

¹² All the other prophets were prophesying the same thing. “Attack Ramoth Gilead and be victorious,” they said, “for the Lord will give it into the king’s hand.”

1 Kings 22

TRUTH DOESNT FOLLOW THE POPULAR TREND

⁶ So the king of Israel brought together the prophets—about four hundred men—and asked them, “Shall I go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or shall I refrain?”

“Go,” they answered, “for the Lord will give it into the king’s hand.”

⁷ But Jehoshaphat asked, “Is there no longer a prophet of the Lord here whom we can inquire of?”

⁸ The king of Israel answered Jehoshaphat, “There is still one prophet through whom we can inquire of the Lord, but I hate him because he never prophesies anything good about me, but always bad. He is Micaiah son of Imlah.”

TRUTH IS NOT ALWAYS POPULAR, don’t sacrifice prophetic accuracy for popularity

“The king should not say such a thing,” Jehoshaphat replied.

⁹ So the king of Israel called one of his officials and said, “Bring Micaiah son of Imlah at once.”

¹² All the other prophets were prophesying the same thing. “Attack Ramoth Gilead and be victorious,” they said, “for the Lord will give it into the king’s hand.”

TRUTH DOESN’T GIVE WAY TO PEOPLE PLEASING

¹³ The messenger who had gone to summon Miciah said to him, “Look, the other prophets without exception are predicting success for the king. Let your word agree with theirs, and speak favorably.”

TRUTH DOESN’T LET ITSELF BE PERSUADED OTHERWISE BY THOSE WHO MEAN WELL

¹⁴ But Micaiah said, “As surely as the Lord lives, I can tell him only what the Lord tells me.”

INTEGRITY IS PLEASING TO GOD AND PRODUCES A DESIRE TO TELL THE TRUTH

¹⁵ When he arrived, the king asked him, “Micaiah, shall we go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or not?”

“Attack and be victorious,” he answered, “for the Lord will give it into the king’s hand.”

TRUTH DOESN’T FEAR THEIR FACES

¹⁶ The king said to him, “How many times must I make you swear to tell me nothing but the truth in the name of the Lord?”

MICAIAH TELLS THE TRUTH AT RISK OF HIS LIFE

¹⁷ Then Micaiah answered, “I saw all Israel scattered on the hills like sheep without a shepherd, and the Lord said, ‘These people have no master. Let each one go home in peace.’”

¹⁸ The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Didn’t I tell you that he never prophesies anything good about me, but only bad?”

DON’T BE DISCOURAGED BY THE OPINIONS OF THOSE YOU SPEAK GODS’ WORD TO

SPEAK REVEALED TRUTH AS LED BY GOD

¹⁹ Micaiah continued, “Therefore hear the word of the Lord: I saw the Lord sitting on his throne with all the multitudes of heaven standing around him on his right and on his left. ²⁰ And the Lord said, ‘Who will entice Ahab into attacking Ramoth Gilead and going to his death there?’

“One suggested this, and another that. ²¹ Finally, a spirit came forward, stood before the Lord and said, ‘I will entice him.’ This was a demonic spirit, not one of Gods’ angels.

²² “‘By what means?’ the Lord asked.

“‘I will go out and be a deceiving spirit in the mouths of all his prophets,’ he said.

“‘You will succeed in enticing him,’ said the Lord. ‘Go and do it.’- 

FAILING TO OBEY GOD OPENED DOORWAYS OF REBELLION OPENED THE DOOR TO A DEMONIC SPIRIT OF DECEPTION BEING LOOSED OVER GODS’ PROPHETS,TO DECEIVE KING AHAB

²³ “So now the Lord has put a deceiving spirit in the mouths of all these prophets of yours. The Lord has decreed disaster for you.”

²⁴ Then Zedekiah son of Kenaanah went up and slapped Micaiah in the face. “Which way did the spirit from the Lord go when he went from me to speak to you?” he asked. MICAIAH WAS ATTACKED AND FALSELY ACCUSED OF DECEPTION BECAUSE HE SPOKE THE TRUTH

²⁵ Micaiah replied, “You will find out on the day you go to hide in an inner room.”

²⁶ The king of Israel then ordered, “Take Micaiah and send him back to Amon the ruler of the city and to Joash the king’s son ²⁷ and say, ‘This is what the king says: Put this fellow in prison and give him nothing but bread and water until I return safely.’”

MICAIAH WAS SENT TO PRISON FOR SPEAKING GODS’ WORD-SPEAKERS OF TRUTH WILL BE ATTACKED BY THOSE WHO DON’T LIKE THE TRUTH THEY TELL

²⁸ Micaiah declared, “If you ever return safely, the Lord has not spoken through me.” Then he added, “Mark my words, all you people!”

THE PROPHET PAID A PRICE FOR SPEAKING TRUTH BUT GODS’ WILL WAS ACCOMPLISHED

AHAB WAS KILLED BY A RANDOM ARROW THROUGH A CHINK IN HIS ARMOUR

GOD SAID HE WOULD DESTROY HOUSE OF AHAB AND JEZEBEL

DID SO THROUGH JEHU