God’s word is final! - 1 Kings 22v1-38

Father, we thank you for the word of your truth.

Thank you that it is powerful and effective.

And we pray that we would not sit in judgment over it,

but we would sit in submission under it.

And we would ask, Father, that you would take your word

and drive it deep into our hearts and lives

so that we may become who you call us to be.

Teach us this morning, we pray.

In Jesus' name. Amen.

Well, Ahab's persistent rebellion...

Oh, good man, Sam. We're going to stop.

We're going to press pause again.

These things I forget.

If you'd like a sheet, sorry about that.

So take notes and a pen.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Ahab's persistent rebellion has been matched by God's persistent grace.

For six chapters we've been following his life from chapter 17 all the way up to chapter 22.

And God has continuously and persistently been calling Ahab back to himself by his word through the prophets.

Ahab, come back to me.

But the more he hears God's word, the more defiant he becomes.

His life is summarized for us at the very end of chapter 21 verse 25.

There was never anyone like Ahab who sold himself to do evil in the eyes of the Lord, urged on by Jezebel his wife.

He behaved in the vilest manner by going after idols.

So setting up his own gods.

Like the Amorites, the Lord drove out before Israel.

So now as we enter into chapter 22, it records for us the tragic end of Ahab's life.

Now as we follow along these last few days of his life, we need to be careful that Ahab's story doesn't become our story.

In fact, the New Testament tells us how we should read accounts like Ahab.

You can see it there on the screen.

It's talking about the account in the Old Testament.

And it says,

These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us.

So if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall.

So the account of Ahab, this whole account of One Kings and this life of Ahab has been written down for us.

And it becomes a gracious warning to us.

Be careful that you don't fall.

Well, what do we need to be careful of?

Well, first, our stubborn refusal to hear God's voice.

Ahab seems to be trigger happy.

He's itching again for a fight.

Let's read from verse 1.

For three years there was no war between Aram and Israel.

But in the third year, Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, went down to the sea, the king of Israel.

So Judah was in the north, Israel in the south.

And the king of Israel had said to his officials,

Don't you know that Ramoth Gilead belongs to us?

And yet we are doing nothing to retake it from the king of Aram.

Now, Ramoth Gilead was a very important, it was a very strategic town.

It kind of sat right on the border of Israel and their enemies, Aram.

So it was an important place to own or to have rule over.

Verse 4.

So he asked Jehoshaphat, Will you go with me to fight against Ramoth Gilead?

Jehoshaphat replied to the king of Israel, I am as you are.

My people is your people, my horses is your horses.

Of course, I'll support you in a fight.

I'm with you.

But Jehoshaphat also said to the king of Israel,

First seek the counsel of the Lord.

So it seems that at least between the two of them,

there is one of them who has a little bit of sense.

We need to hear what God has to say about this.

First seek the counsel of the Lord.

Well, what's Ahab going to do?

Well, Ahab stubbornly rejects the word.

Verse 6.

So the king of Israel brought together the prophets, about 400 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 in to the king's hands.

Well, it appears, doesn't it, on the face of it, that he's taken good advice.

He's called in the prophets.

Not just one of them, but 400 of them.

Advisors who's going to tell him what to do.

But they're not who they appear to be.

Verse 7.

But Jehoshaphat asked,

Is there no longer a prophet of the Lord here whom we can inquire of?

Prophets they may be,

but they are not the Lord's prophets.

You see, Ahab doesn't want to hear God's word.

And the reason why,

look at the end of verse 8,

because the prophets, and in particular Micaiah,

well, he never prophesies anything good about me,

but always bad.

He is Micaiah, son of Imlah.

I don't want to listen to him.

Now, don't we treat God's words in the same way?

We won't listen to it.

We won't read God's word.

We push it away because, well,

I don't like what God's word has to say.

It tells me terrible things about myself.

That I'm a sinner and that when I try to be good,

I can't be good.

And so we search out other words.

We go from one church to another church,

from one teaching to another teaching.

We turn on the television to the God channel,

or we look up preachers on the internet

who promise things like health and wealth

and tell us, you're wonderful.

Never settling until we hear what we want to hear.

Never content until the preacher says,

what suits my desires.

The New Testament says exactly the same thing.

Listen to Paul's instruction to Timothy,

a young pastor.

He says,

the time will come

when people will not put up with sound doctrine.

Instead, to suit their own desires,

they will gather round them

a great number of teachers

to say what their itching ears want to hear.

They will turn their ears away from the truth

and turn aside to myths.

Have you got itchy ears?

Ahab did.

Never satisfied

until he heard what he wanted to hear.

Be careful

that none of us

don't develop

an itchy ear syndrome

where we close

our ears

to the word of God's truth.

Second, Ahab stubbornly

sits in judgment

over the word.

Ahab,

it seems,

goes along with Jehoshaphat

and he goes,

right, okay,

I've got these 400 prophets,

but I'll listen to this one prophet of God.

But look at the way Ahab does it

in verse 10.

Dressed in their royal robes,

the king of Israel

and Jehoshaphat,

king of Judah,

were sitting on their thrones.

There they are

with their crown

and their fine robes

and all their regalia

at the threshing floor

by the entrance

of the gate of Samaria

with all the prophets

prophesying before them.

It's kind of like

the meeting place,

the gathering place

to hear what has to be said.

He's acting like

a high court judge.

Bring in the prophets.

Let's hear what they have to say.

First up,

verse 11,

Now Zedekiah,

son of Kenanah,

had made iron horns

and he declared,

This is what the Lord says.

With these you will gore

the Arameans

until they are destroyed.

Oh, I like Zedekiah.

He's a good prophet.

I'll keep him.

And one by one

they all have their say.

Verse 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 hands.

Now it's Micaiah's turn.

God's prophet.

He's under serious pressure.

If he wants to keep

on the king's good side,

well,

all he has to do,

look at the end of verse 13,

Let your word agree with theirs

and speak favourably.

Just say what everybody else

is saying

and you'll be okay.

Verse 14,

But Micaiah said,

As surely as the Lord lives,

I can only tell him

what the Lord tells me.

We can see it coming,

can't we?

Micaiah isn't going to win

prophet of the year award,

is he?

But it's not just Ahab

who sits in judgment

over God's word.

We sit on our own

self-made thrones,

assuming a position of authority

over God's word.

Do we ever decide

what parts of the Bible

I think are right?

It's no longer

what God actually says,

but what I desire,

what I think is right.

And so we ignore

difficult things

about marriage

and sexuality.

Things about

forgiving your enemy

and repenting

and dealing with things

like greed

and gossiping.

So we sit in judgment

over God's word

and we decide

what parts we obey

and things we don't

want to obey.

Well, I need to hear

the word of God

through another prophet,

the prophet Isaiah.

This is what he says.

God's speaking through him.

And these are the ones

I look on with favour.

Those who are humble

and contrite in spirit

and who tremble

at my word.

We never ever sit

over the word.

We are always to be sitting

under the word.

Let it challenge us.

Let it shape us.

Let it show us

who we are.

So first,

be careful

of the warning

or the refusal

to hear God's voice.

Second,

be careful

of the tragic deception

by rejecting

God's truth.

You see,

Ahab is still concerned

about the war situation.

Verse 15.

So when Micaiah 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's going

to give it into

the king's hands.

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?

Will you stop messing

with my head,

Micaiah?

You only tell me

bad things.

Why are you telling me

this good thing?

Just tell me the truth.

Okay,

you want the real truth?

Well,

here it is.

Verse 17.

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.

Look, Ahab,

if you go up and fight,

you will not only lose,

you are going to die.

The people are going

to be left

without a shepherd,

a leader,

a king.

But what's the truth

to a man

who's already decided

what he wants

the truth to be?

The reality is,

Ahab is convinced

in his own heart

what he should do.

He doesn't want

to know the truth.

You see,

Micaiah explains

to Ahab

what is actually

going on

in his own heart.

Micaiah

has had a vision.

God has given him

a vision

of what's actually

going on

in Ahab's life.

Let's pick it up

in verse 19.

Micaiah continued.

He's speaking

to Ahab.

Therefore,

hear the word

of the Lord.

I saw the Lord

sitting on his throne.

Now,

isn't that significant?

Just a moment ago,

Ahab was sitting

on his throne

in all his judgment.

Now,

the focus changes.

I saw the Lord

sitting on his throne.

with all the multitudes

of heaven

standing around him

on his right

and on the left.

So all the who's who,

those who think

they have power

and authority,

all of them

gathered around

God's throne.

And the Lord said,

who will entice

Ahab

into attacking

Ramoth Gilead

and going to

his death there?

You see,

God has already

decreed

that Ahab

is going to die.

Because he's

rejected the truth,

because of his

persistent disobedience,

he will die.

It's just a case

of when

and how that's

going to happen.

Verse 21,

Finally,

a spirit

came forward,

that's an evil spirit,

and stood

before the Lord

and said,

I will entice him.

By what means,

the Lord asked.

Well,

I will go out

and I will 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.

God gives

the lying spirit

permission

to go out

and deceive

Ahab.

So,

Ahab,

you want to know

what's going on

in your own heart?

You really want to know

what's going on

behind the scenes?

Well,

here it is.

Let me tell you,

verse 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.

You see,

the word

that Ahab

has been chosen

to listen to

is a word

of deception.

rejection.

In fact,

the voices

that Ahab

has been listening

to

is in reality

a voice

of God's

judgment.

He's become

so deceived

by his own

rebellion

that he can

no longer

discern

what the truth

is.

Now,

I don't know

about you,

but that

frightens me.

That in my

rejection

of God's

truth,

I'm actually

only deceiving

myself.

In fact,

I can become

so deceived

that I can

no longer

discern

what the

truth

actually is.

And that

scares me.

But he doesn't

just have a

deceived heart.

He has a

defiant

response.

Tragically,

Ahab

plays out

what God

has exposed

in his

own heart.

The word

of truth

has absolutely

no effect.

You see,

we'll sit

here and

we'll go,

well,

that's not

fair.

God

deceived

him.

God

told him

lies.

Well,

God

also made

it absolutely

crystal clear

what was

going to

happen.

Do you

see at the

end of

verse 23?

The Lord

has decreed

disaster

for you.

So whether

it's a

deceiving spirit

or the

truth,

it's loud

and clear,

it's plain

and simple,

you go to

war,

you're going

to die.

Well,

what's his

response?

Verse 26,

the king of

Israel then

ordered,

take Micaiah

and send

him back

to Ammon,

the ruler

of the city

and to

Joash,

the king's

son,

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.

How

defiant

is that?

It's just

been spelled

out to him

so clearly,

you go and

fight,

you're going

to die.

The Lord

has decreed

disaster for

you,

but in

his defiance,

his only

response is,

put Micaiah

in prison,

I'm going

to come

home safely.

Even if he

wanted to

listen to

the truth,

he can't.

The truth

no longer

means anything

to him.

You see,

this does

scare me,

because

continued

and persistent

disobedience

leads to

defiance.

If we keep

ignoring the

truth time

and time

again,

then the

time will

come when

we will no

longer be able

to discern

the truth.

We can no

longer recognize

the sin in

our life that

needs repented

of.

we have

become so

deceived by

the very

voices that

we have

chosen to

hear,

that we

can no

longer see

what's right

and what's

wrong.

So,

be careful

of the

refusal to

hear God's

voice.

Be careful

of the

deception

by rejecting

God's

truth.

And let's

be warned

about the

faithful

consequences

of defying

God's

word.

You see,

Ahab may

be a man

of authority,

he may

be a king,

he may

lock

Micaiah up

in the

prison,

he may

have

silenced

God's

prophet,

shut him

away,

but God's

word will

not and

cannot be

silenced.

What God

has spoken

will come

to pass.

First,

there's going

to be no

hiding from

God's

word.

Let's

follow the

account.

It's,

again,

brilliant

writing,

wonderful

narrative,

a great

story.

Let's pick

it up in

verse 29.

So the

king of

Israel and

Jehoshaphat,

king of

Judah,

went up

to Ram

of Gilead.

They're

going to

go fight.

The king

of Israel

said to

Jehoshaphat,

I will

enter the

battle in

disguise,

but you

wear your

royal robes.

So the

king of

Israel disguised

himself and

went into

battle.

Now from a

military point

of view,

it makes

perfect sense.

What a

wonderful plan.

Dress up,

pretend to be

somebody different.

If the enemy

doesn't know

who you are,

then there's a

high chance

you're going

to survive.

Because the

whole idea in

battles then

was you

aim for the

king.

If you got

the king,

you got the

whole army.

So there's

Jehoshaphat,

the dumb

nut,

dressed up

as the

king,

and the

true king

in disguise.

What's going

to happen?

Well,

verse 31.

Now the

king of

Aram had

ordered his

32 chariot

commanders,

do not

fight with

anyone,

small or

great,

except the

king of

Israel.

When the

chariot

commanders saw

Jehoshaphat,

they thought,

surely this is

the king of

Israel.

So they

turned to

attack him.

But when

they heard

Jehoshaphat

cry out,

please,

not me,

not me,

it's not

me,

I'm not

Aram,

I'm not

Ahab,

not me,

don't kill

me.

Verse 33,

the chariot

commander saw

that he was

not the

king of

Israel and

stopped

pursuing him.

Ahab's

plan is

working,

it's

wonderful.

We can

see him

there flying

around in

his chariot.

Micaiah,

who does

he think

he is

telling me

I'm not

going to

die in

battle?

Verse 34,

but someone,

we don't

know his

name,

drew his

bow at

random,

and hit

the king

of Israel

between the

sections of

his armour.

Now,

if this was

a movie,

the camera

would be

focused right

on that

soldier's

face.

Picture the

scene,

the bow

tight up

against his

face,

and as he

releases the

arrow,

the camera

follows it

through the

battle,

all the

people

fighting,

and it's

just going

straight,

straight,

straight,

straight,

straight,

and the

arrow

pierces

Ahab,

and then

the camera

locks on

Ahab's

face,

and his

smile,

that grinning,

defying

smile,

turns to

agony,

and

disbelief.

verse 34,

the king

told his

chariot

driver,

wheel round

and get me

out of the

fighting,

I've been

wounded.

All day

long the

battle raged

and the

king was

propped up

in his

chariot

facing the

Arameans.

The blood

from his

wound ran

onto the

floor of

the chariot,

and that

evening he

died.

You see,

there is no

hiding from

God's

word.

What God

has decreed

will come

to pass,

and nothing

and no

one can

stop it.

Now we

need to be

very careful

that we

don't play

the role

of Ahab,

because we

too can

put on

our disguise

of,

well,

we can

use clever

arguments,

undermining

God's

word.

We look

at it

and read

and go,

it's just

made up.

It's just

an elaborate

fairy tale.

Don't need

to believe

what God

has to

say.

We can

even put

on a

disguise

of

ignorance.

I didn't

think it

was serious.

I didn't

realise that

we had to

take it

literally,

that what

God says

really does

happen.

I didn't

understand

that.

Well,

whatever our

reason,

whatever disguise

we put on

to push

God's

word away,

God's

word will

find a

way through

like an

arrow.

It will

pierce our

hearts.

We

cannot

hide

from the

truth.

No

hiding

from God's

word.

word of

judgment

falls.

You see,

let's not

forget what's

going on

here.

This is a

story that

started in

chapter 17.

All the

way,

Ahab has

persisted in

disobedience

and defiance.

And God

has matched

that,

persistently,

speaking so

clearly,

warning him

so graciously,

providing

prophet after

prophet,

Ahab,

come back

to me,

Ahab.

But when

grace is

refused,

judgment

will

come.

Verse 37.

So the

king died

and was

brought to

Samaria,

and they

buried him

there.

They washed

the chariot

at a pool

in Samaria,

where the

prostitutes

bathed,

and the

dogs licked

up his

blood,

as the

word of

the

Lord

had

declared.

In chapter

21,

we didn't

get an

opportunity

to look

at this.

It gives

us a

whole long

account of

how Ahab

had agreed

to murder

a vineyard

owner named

Naboth.

he liked

his vineyard

and he

decided,

I'll take

it,

I'll have

it.

And so

they had

him killed

so that

Ahab could

have the

vineyard.

And in

response,

this is what

God said,

chapter 21,

verse 19.

the prophet

said to him,

this is what

the Lord

says,

have you

not

murdered a

man and

seized his

property?

Then say

to him,

this is what

the Lord

says,

in the

place where

dogs licked

up Naboth's

blood,

dogs will

lick up

your blood.

Yes,

yours.

And so,

chapter 22,

end of

verse 38,

the dogs

licked up

his blood

as the

word of

the Lord

had

declared.

Defy the

word of

God.

Reject

his grace.

Persist

in defying

him.

And

judgment

will

come.

Now,

you can

say,

well,

you know

what,

Johnny,

it's a

great

story.

Yes,

it would

make a

great

film,

but it's

all a

bit much,

isn't it,

really?

Isn't

this all

a little

bit far

fetched?

I mean,

you don't

really expect

us today,

in 2019,

to believe

this kind

of stuff

anymore.

This is

ancient

stuff.

It's

just a

story.

No need

to take

it

seriously.

Well,

be careful

that you

don't begin

to deceive

yourself,

because it's

beginning to

sound a

little bit

like,

just like

Ahab.

Be

careful

that you

do not

fall.

fall.

You see,

God's

word is

final.

What God

decrees

will be

done.

In other

words, we

are to

trust what

God says.

Defying

God's

word will

ultimately

destroy us,

yet trusting

his word

is what is

going to

save us.

God's

final word

through his

final and

ultimate

prophet,

Jesus

Christ.

Have a

look at

John chapter

John 5 · chapter mention

5 with

me.

John

John 5 · chapter mention

chapter 5,

the gospel

according to

John in the

New Testament.

Here we

hear the

words through

God's

final and

ultimate

prophet,

Jesus

Christ.

And how

we respond

to this

word determines

our destiny.

John chapter

John 5:24

5, verse

24.

Very

truly, take

note of

this.

This is

important.

This is

serious.

Jesus

says, I

tell you,

whoever

hears my

word and

believes him

who sent

me has

eternal

life and

will not

be judged

but is

crossed over

from death

to life.

my word

says Jesus

is a

saving

word.

I have

saved you.

I have

died for

you.

I will

forgive you.

I will

no longer

condemn you.

I will

bring you

peace.

I will

bless you.

I will

save you.

Hear my

word.

Believe my

word.

Believe what

I say.

verse 25.

Very

truly I

tell you,

a time is

coming and

has now

come when

the dead

will hear

the voice

or hear

the word

of the

Son of

God and

those who

hear will

live.

What

word are

we going

to listen

to?

A

word

that will

judge

or a

voice that

we will

one day

hear that

will say

to those

who have

died in

Christ,

arise,

get up,

live,

welcome

into my

eternal

kingdom.

Welcome

to a

kingdom where

there is no

more suffering

or pain

or death.

It is

God's

final words.

Defy it,

and it

will destroy

us.

Trust his

word and

it will

save us

and give

us life

today and

life for

all eternity.

Be careful.

Be warned

from the

life of

Ahab so

that we

too do

not fall.

Let's

pray.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

E