Popular Lies (1 Kings 22)

Did King Jehoshaphat want to hear the truth rather than popular, lying flattery? Should we follow the crowd or God and His Word like Micaiah? Let’s look at 1 Kings 22.

Did a large number of false prophets encourage Ahab contrary to God’s will? Are there false church leaders today who would encourage us against God’s will?

For three years there was no war between Aram and Israel. Then during the third year, King Jehoshaphat of Judah went to visit King Ahab of Israel. During the visit, the king of Israel said to his officials, “Do you realize that the town of Ramoth-gilead belongs to us? And yet we’ve done nothing to recapture it from the king of Aram!” Then he turned to Jehoshaphat and asked, “Will you join me in battle to recover Ramoth-gilead?” Jehoshaphat replied to the king of Israel, “Why, of course! You and I are as one. My troops are your troops, and my horses are your horses.” Then Jehoshaphat added, “But first let’s find out what the Lord says.” So the king of Israel summoned the prophets, about 400 of them, and asked them, “Should I go to war against Ramoth-gilead, or should I hold back?” They all replied, “Yes, go right ahead! The Lord will give the king victory.” (1 Kings 22:1-6 NLT)

Was Jehoshaphat king of Judah, wise enough to ask a true prophet of the Lord?

But Jehoshaphat said, “Isn’t there here a prophet of Yahweh, that we may inquire of him?” The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “There is yet one man by whom we may inquire of Yahweh, Micaiah the son of Imlah; but I hate him, for he does not prophesy good concerning me, but evil.” Jehoshaphat said, “Don’t let the king say so.” Then the king of Israel called an officer, and said, “Quickly get Micaiah the son of Imlah.” (1 Kings 22:7-9 WEB)

Did all the other prophets encourage Micaiah to say the same thing as the majority? Must we sometimes stand apart from popular opinion?

Now Israel’s king and Judah’s King Jehoshaphat were sitting on their thrones, dressed in their royal robes at the threshing floor beside the entrance to the gate of Samaria. All the prophets were prophesying in front of them. Zedekiah, Chenaanah’s son, made iron horns for himself and said, “This is what the Lord says: With these horns you will gore the Arameans until there’s nothing left of them!” All the other prophets agreed: “Attack Ramoth-gilead and win! The Lord will hand it over to the king!” Meanwhile, the messenger who had gone to summon Micaiah said to him, “Listen, the prophets all agree that the king will succeed. You should say the same thing they say and prophesy success.” (1 Kings 22:10-13 CEB)

Was Micaiah tempted to just go along with the crowd? Did he ultimately tell the Lord’s will?

“I'll say whatever the living Lord tells me to say,” Micaiah replied. Then Micaiah went to Ahab, and Ahab asked, “Micaiah, should I attack the Syrians at Ramoth?” “Yes!” Micaiah answered. “The Lord will help you defeat them.” “Micaiah, I've told you over and over to tell me the truth!” Ahab shouted. “What does the Lord really say?” He answered, “In a vision I saw Israelite soldiers walking around in the hills like sheep without a shepherd to guide them. The Lord said, ‘This army has no leader. They should go home and not fight.’ ” (1 Kings 22:14-17 CEV)

Are truth tellers sometimes accused of being negative? Should we be cautious of those who always seem to predict good fortune? Did God allow an evil, lying spirit to influence Ahab?

And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Did I not tell you that he would not prophesy good concerning me, but evil?” And Micaiah said, “Therefore hear the word of the Lord: I saw the Lord sitting on his throne, and all the host of heaven standing beside him on his right hand and on his left; and the Lord said, ‘Who will entice Ahab, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?’ And one said one thing, and another said another. Then a spirit came forward and stood before the Lord, saying, ‘I will entice him.’ And the Lord said to him, ‘By what means?’ And he said, ‘I will go out, and will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.’ And he said, ‘You are to entice him, and you shall succeed; go out and do so.’ Now therefore behold, the Lord has put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these your prophets; the Lord has declared disaster for you.” (1 Kings 22:18-23 ESV)

When powerful leaders want us to be sycophants and flatter them with lies, will telling the truth sometimes put our life in danger? What would be your choice, safe lies or dangerous truth?