LESSON 1, INTRODUCTION:

I normally would have hesitated to use this particular Text, but the Lord has heavily laid it on my heart.

It is His Will that we study these verses.

It's difficult, but divinely inspired, the Paragraph you're now to read.

The main character, humanly speaking, is Micaiah the Old Testament Prophet of God. Let's listen to him preach, warning wicked King Ahab of Israel. "Again he said, Therefore hear the word of the LORD; I saw the LORD sitting upon his throne, and all the host of heaven standing on his right hand and on his left. And the LORD said, Who shall entice Ahab king of Israel, that he may go up and fall at Ramothgilead? And one spake saying after this manner, and another saying after that manner. Then there came out a spirit, and stood before the LORD, and said, I will entice him. And the LORD said unto him, Wherewith? And he said, I will go out, and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And the LORD said, Thou shalt entice him, and thou shalt also prevail: go out, and do even so. Now therefore, behold, the LORD hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of these thy prophets, and the LORD hath spoken evil against thee." 2nd Chronicles 18:18-22

Startling!

If we take these words literally, and we must, God has chosen to deceive an apostate King, a "reprobate" in New Testament terms.

I can think of another time, this one future, when God plans such a thing! "And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: that they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness." 2nd Thessalonians 2:11-12 here, both verses, are relaying to us conditions that will exist during the dark days of the coming seven-year "Tribulation," using John's term.

Does God ever "give up" on a nation or a family or a person?

Ever?

Apparently, in extreme cases, He does!

"Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you. Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded; but ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof: I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh; when your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you. Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me: for that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD: they would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof. Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices." Proverbs 1:23-31

Wow!

He instructed Jeremiah, plainly so, in these words. "Therefore pray not thou for this people, neither lift up cry nor prayer for them, neither make intercession to me: for I will not hear thee." Jeremiah 7:16

Maybe another way to explain this concept is to use Proverbs 29:1. "He, that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy."

This is certainly not going to be "popular" preaching, not this day and time! "Judgment" is never an  inviting theme.

Even to the Lord, so kind and gracious and compassionate, such "judgmental" behavior is "strange" according to Isaiah the Prophet. "For the LORD shall rise up as in mount Perazim, he shall be wroth as in the valley of Gibeon, that he may do his work, his strange work; and bring to pass his act, his strange act." Isaiah 28:21

Here's the Lord describing another act of coming judgment, upon Eli the Priest and backslidden Israel; "And the LORD said to Samuel, Behold, I will do a thing in Israel, at which both the ears of every one that heareth it shall tingle." 1st Samuel 3:11 describes not "itching ears," but "tingling" ones!

Stunning acts of judgment!

But, of course, the United States of America is exempt.

Right?

God would never "touch" her?

Agreed?

Well, let's listen to the Bible again. "The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God." Psalm 9:17

Did that verse say "all?"

All the nations that forget God will be judged?

No exceptions!

Then, America must be included.

                                                                               --- Dr. Mike Bagwell

LESSON 2, VERSE 18:

The Preacher's name is Micaiah, pronounced "mi-ki'-ah," with a long i in that accented syllable. In Hebrew it means "who is like Jehovah," just like "Michael" does. 

He is one of the true heroes of the Old Testament.

In the face of great opposition, imprisonment, ridicule from apostate kings, and so much more, Micaiah faithfully proclaimed the Word of God.

One day, having been summoned to stand before ungodly King Ahab of Israel, under great pressure to agree with several hundred false prophets, our Prophet boldly preached one of the most unusual sermons in all the Bible!

Here it is! "Therefore hear the word of the LORD; I saw the LORD sitting upon his throne, and all the host of heaven standing on his right hand and on his left. And the LORD said, Who shall entice Ahab king of Israel, that he may go up and fall at Ramothgilead? And one spake saying after this manner, and another saying after that manner. Then there came out a spirit, and stood before the LORD, and said, I will entice him. And the LORD said unto him, Wherewith? And he said, I will go out, and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And the LORD said, Thou shalt entice him, and thou shalt also prevail: go out, and do even so. Now therefore, behold, the LORD hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of these thy prophets, and the LORD hath spoken evil against thee." 2nd Chronicles 18:18-22

Today we study just the first Verse of this Message. "Again he said, Therefore hear the word of the LORD; I saw the LORD sitting upon his throne, and all the host of heaven standing on his right hand and on his left." 2nd Chronicles 18:18

It's amazing how many times Old Testament Prophets began their Sermons with those words, "Hear the Word of the Lord" or "The Word of the Lord came unto me," something like that.

They immediately claimed authority for their preaching!

Therein we must find their courage!

We Preachers yet today are to preach, not our own ideas or opinions, but the inspired, inerrant Word of God! Paul to Timothy: "Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine." 2nd Timothy 4:2

This particular Sermon, the one Micaiah here preaches, consists of a direct set of quotations from the Lord Himself ... straight from God on His Throne!

We actually hear God planning future events!

Events in the lives of Kings and armies and nations!

This reminds me of Proverbs 21:1. "The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will."

Thrilling!

God's ultimate authority! His supremacy! That's why Paul can write Verses like Romans 13:1, likely speaking of Nero and that wicked crowd! "Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God."

Overwhelming!

The noun "host" used in our Verse is "tzsaba," basically "an army, a great company of warriors."

God on His Throne!

Multitudes of angels gathered around Him!

This is an unusual scene granted Micaiah!

One that few people have ever beheld! "I saw the LORD sitting upon his throne, and all the host of heaven standing on his right hand and on his left."

We are granted a glimpse of this in Job 1:6-8. "Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them. And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it. And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job ...."

In Job chapter 2 we see further. "Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them to present himself before the LORD. And the LORD said unto Satan, From whence comest thou? And Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it. And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? and still he holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without cause."

Isaiah also saw such things! "In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts ...." Isaiah 6:1-3

Daniel the Prophet too! "I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire." Daniel 7:9

Even Paul did! "It is not expedient for me doubtless to glory. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord. I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth; such an one caught up to the third heaven. And I knew such a man, whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth; How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter." 2nd Corinthians 12:1-4

Not counting John on Patmos! "And, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and One sat on the throne. And He that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald. And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and ...." Revelation 4:2-4

What company!

Job!

Isaiah!

Daniel!

Even Paul!

And John!

And, who else?

Our very Micaiah, preacher of the Text we're studying now!

But of all these giants of the faith I've just mentioned, none heard anything more astounding that did our little Preacher, the one whose name means "who is like God," Micaiah son of Imlah.

By the way, his Daddy's name, Imlah, means "whom God fills up!"

If we fathers today were that full of God, we too might rear sons who would shake the world for the cause of Christ!

Tomorrow, Lord willing, we shall see and hear more!

From the very Throne Room of God!

It's exciting!

And very surprising!

                                                                              --- Dr. Mike Bagwell

LESSON 3, VERSE 19:

If we interpret our Text literally, which we must, we are about to hear a conversation from Heaven!

Word-for-word dialog between Almighty God and His angels. This is in fact a celestial planning session!

"And the LORD said, Who shall entice Ahab king of Israel, that he may go up and fall at Ramothgilead? And one spake saying after this manner, and another saying after that manner." 2nd Chronicles 18:19

The days of wicked King Ahab, monarch of Israel, are numbered. God is soon to decree his death!

I believe God knows how long each of us will live! Psalm 139:16 says so, at least in Hebrew. "In thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them." Here we are, still unborn, and God is "making" us, "forming" us, according to His divine will! Still in his Mom's womb, this infant has been fashioned "in continuance." That noun, "yom," means "time." Even down to the "years" and "days!" From conception, your very lifespan has been known to the Lord!

Moses prayed too: "So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom." Psalm 90:12

Truly, as David said to the Lord in Psalm 31:15, so can we claim: "My times are in Thy hand." 

Sobering thoughts indeed!

But King Ahab was so ungodly he cared for none of these things. Here's his testimony! "And Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the LORD above all that were before him." 1st Kings 16:30

"And Ahab made a grove; and Ahab did more to provoke the LORD God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel that were before him." 1st Kings 16:33

"But there was none like unto Ahab, which did sell himself to work wickedness in the sight of the LORD, whom Jezebel his wife stirred up." 1st Kings 21:25

The verb "entice" in our Text is "pathah," meaning "to persuade, to flatter, to allure, to deceive!"

Here's another Text that pictures God "provoking" armies to battle! The God of judgment! "And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared. And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty." Revelation 16:12-14

Wow!

Our Verse for today again: "And the LORD said, Who shall entice Ahab king of Israel, that he may go up and fall at Ramothgilead? And one spake saying after this manner, and another saying after that manner." 2nd Chronicles 18:19

The verb "fall" translates "naphal" and not only means "to fall" or "to be overthrown," but also can be a euphemism for death! God is planning Ahab's death!

Remember the rich farmer who ignored God? "But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?" Luke 12:20

Death is not an accident! Death is an appointment! "And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment." Hebrews 9:27

The "spirits" before the Lord then begin advancing different ideas! The "angels" of God! Members of the "hosts" of Heaven, according to 2nd Chronicles 18:18, yesterday's Verse. "And one spake saying after this manner, and another saying after that manner."

We are here privy to an actual conversation in Heaven!

Such are occurring even now!

We know this is happening, continually! "And they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come." Revelation 4:8

When we all get to Heaven, Christians, Scripture gives us every reason to expect the same, eternal communion with God Himself!

"Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord." Note the words capitalized in 1st Thessalonians 4:17 here.

We shall share forevermore, if Jesus' John 17 prayer is answered anyway, love and glory and delight with the Godhead, basking in the perpetual inter-Trinitarian communion that has lasted for eternity! Jesus to His Father, expressing desire after desire: "And the glory which Thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and Thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that Thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me. Father, I will that they also, whom Thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which Thou hast given me: for Thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world." John 17:22-24

That crowd of preachers who so desire to minimize doctrinal sermons, who wish only to preach "narrative" Texts, I wonder how they like this Paragraph Micaiah just related!

It is "narrative," you know!

"Again he said, Therefore hear the word of the LORD; I saw the LORD sitting upon his throne, and all the host of heaven standing on his right hand and on his left. And the LORD said, Who shall entice Ahab king of Israel, that he may go up and fall at Ramothgilead? And one spake saying after this manner, and another saying after that manner. Then there came out a spirit, and stood before the LORD, and said, I will entice him. And the LORD said unto him, Wherewith? And he said, I will go out, and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And the LORD said, Thou shalt entice him, and thou shalt also prevail: go out, and do even so. Now therefore, behold, the LORD hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of these thy prophets, and the LORD hath spoken evil against thee." 2nd Chronicles 18:18-22

Oh, Lord our God!

How great Thou art!

                                                                               --- Dr. Mike Bagwell

Note: It's interesting that here the omniscient God, clearly knowing all things and being supremely wise as well, still asked the nearby angels for advice! Apparently it was not the information God wanted, just the fellowship! "And the LORD said, Who shall entice Ahab king of Israel, that he may go up and fall at Ramothgilead? And one spake saying after this manner, and another saying after that manner." God loves to fellowship with His own! Jesus to the Samaritan woman: "True worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him." John 4:23, "seeketh," in Greek "zeteo," means "to crave, to desire, to aim at, to strive after!"

LESSON 4, VERSE 20:

It's just one Verse of Scripture. And a strange one at that! But, like all of God's Word, it's loaded with meaning and truth.

The Prophet Micaiah, bold and heroic, is preaching a Sermon to wicked King Ahab. Really it's the last Sermon Ahab will ever hear. This one announces his impending death!

The event we are about to observe occurred in Heaven. Before the very Throne of God! It involves the Lord, one of His angels, and a very creative idea!

"Then there came out a spirit, and stood before the LORD, and said, I will entice him. And the LORD said unto him, Wherewith?" 2nd Chronicles 18:20

The Lord communicating with a "spirit" is, I understand, just another way of saying that He is talking to one of his innumerable helpers or servants, better known as angels.

Notice that this spirit volunteered for the job of deceiving King Ahab. Several times in the Bible we see this kind of action, in the Presence of this Awesome God!

Isaiah volunteered, after seeing that great vision of the Glory of God! "In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple." Then, soon: "Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me. And he said, Go, and tell this people ...." Isaiah 6:1 and 6:8, what willingness!

Even before that, Jesus "volunteered" to come to earth and die for our sins! Peter talks about the event. "Christ, as of a Lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you." 1st Peter 1:19-20, God the Father certainly did not force Jesus to come!

Now this unnamed spirit or angel volunteers!

Each of us Christians needs that kind of attitude. The one Mary advised the servants to have, those at the wedding feast in John 2:5. "Whatsoever He saith unto you, do it."

Next in our Verse notice that, while some angels are given to the safety and deliverance of God's children, others are assigned even more surprising tasks. Such as judgment and retribution and condemnation! Yes, angels will help with the "reaping" at the time of judgment! "The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world." That's Jesus explaining to the disciples the Parable of the tares, Matthew 13:39-40.

The angel in today's Verse is certainly volunteering to deceive apostate King Ahab! "Then there came out a spirit, and stood before the LORD, and said, I will entice him. And the LORD said unto him, Wherewith?" 2nd Chronicles 18:20

Those are the only two avenues open to mankind, salvation and damnation! "And unto this people thou shalt say, thus saith the LORD; Behold, I set before you the way of life, and the way of death." Jeremiah 21:8

Next, the angel had an idea! And God was interested in it! He is not an unreasonable Sovereign! "Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD," That's Isaiah 1:18.  Truth be told, our noble ideas, our best thinking, undoubtedly originates in God anyway! My proof is found in Proverbs 16:1. "The preparations of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue, is from the LORD." Wow! Here's an idea God eventually approves, too!

Lastly, hear God ask a question! Note again the very last word in our Verse. "Then there came out a spirit, and stood before the LORD, and said, I will entice him. And the LORD said unto him, Wherewith?" 2nd Chronicles 18:20

The Hebrew here reads "Unto what?" What is your plan, spirit? Share your idea, angel! Tell Me, saith the Lord!

Just think. The God we know is all-wise! "Omniscient," the theologians say. He was not asking that angel such information out of necessity! God already knew what He was going to do concerning King Ahab.

I suspect He asked because He so enjoys fellowship with His creatures. Some of you might still be objecting to my using "angels" and "spirits" interchangeably. The psalmist does! "O LORD my God ... Who maketh His angels spirits; His ministers a flaming fire." Psalm 104:4

God delights in our company! In our fellowship! In our communion with Him! After all, He has already been in eternal harmony with Himself, Triune in Being, conversing Internally!

Remember what Jesus, in John 4:23, told the Samaritan woman about worship. "But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him." Our Lord is as much as saying here that the Father "craves" that kind of worship!

I must close this Lesson.

But what varied and beautiful points of truth it contains!

I sincerely believe the Bible is the greatest Book ever written. It equips us with everything we need to live for Jesus. Paul worded it this way, still talking about Scripture: It's "given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works." Amen to 2nd Timothy 3:16-17. Note the Bible's profitability, perfection and thoroughness!

Thank you Lord, for Thy precious Word!

                                                                                --- Dr. Mike Bagwell

LESSON 5, VERSE 21:

Admittedly it's a hard Verse of Scripture. But it's in the Bible and must be studied! As with all Scriptural truth, we must take the "whole counsel of God" into consideration here. "Balance" is a key word in the Christian life.

Today's Verse: "And he said, I will go out, and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And the LORD said, Thou shalt entice him, and thou shalt also prevail: go out, and do even so." 2nd Chronicles 18:21

And lest you think we've come across a one-time-only idea, go to the New Testament and read 2nd Thessalonians 2:11. "And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: that they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness."

Now, we must remember that the Bible also says that it is "impossible for God to lie." Hebrews 6:18

And that "God cannot lie" in Titus 1:2.

Then, what's going on here?

I answer: merely the working of sin!

In 2nd Chronicles 18:21 King Ahab, the most wicked leader Israel had ever known up to that time, had so rebelled against God, lying and stealing and murdering and worshiping numerous idols, that his sins had finally taken a deadly toll. "The wages of sin is death" and King Ahab was nearing his time of departure!

If a person follows the "father of lies" very long, that's the devil, he or she will become addicted to lying! Trapped in a mesh of deceit! Deluded into believing anything!

1st Peter 2:6 says of the saints of God: "He that believeth on Him (the Lord) shall not be confounded." In other words, those who believe not ... will be confounded, confused, mixed-up, disoriented!

Willing to believe a lie!

The New Testament Verse we've used, from 2nd Thessalonians 2, is clearly set during the coming Tribulation period. Anti-Christ is ruling the land! God here calls him that "wicked" one! "And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: that they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness."

Some folks say that they will just wait until after the Rapture to be saved! I'd be careful with that idea! One who has rejected Christ in this age of Grace ... will apparently face potent deception when the "man of sin" is on the throne!

But in both the cases we've cited today, Chronicles and Thessalonians, God did not lie! He just allowed sin to take its natural course!

He "assisted" the rebels in their chosen path!

Remember, way back in Genesis 6:3 God said: "My spirit shall not always strive with man." And God meant that!

Romans 1 illustrates it all again! "And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, backbiters, haters of God ...." Romans 1:28-30

Reject the Truth repeatedly, incessantly, boldly, actively, violently ... and face the consequences!

King Ahab did!

Word citizens during the Tribulation will!

Hardened sinners this very day will too!

Bottom line: "Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap." Galatians 6:7

Don't misunderstand. To lost, broken sinners, God's Grace is still available! Abundantly so!

But to God-haters and the like ... "a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation." Hebrews 10:27

There is a place called Hell.

                                                                            --- Dr. Mike Bagwell

LESSON 6, VERSE 22:

The Verse is quite plain!

"Now therefore, behold, the LORD hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of these thy prophets, and the LORD hath spoken evil against thee." 2nd Chronicles 18:22

The Prophet Micaiah spoke these words to ungodly King Ahab of Israel. Ahab's 400 "prophets," hirelings really, had just approved his plan to attack the Syrian city of Ramothgilead. The battle led to the death of King Ahab!

Here's a case where listening to the wrong preachers led to man's premature death!

The verb "hath put" in our Verse for today is really "nathan" in Hebrew, meaning "to give, grant or deliver."

God "gave" an apostate King a spirit of confusion and error!

But look at the kind of Spirit He gives His children! "And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth." John 14:17, the Holy Spirit!

We Preachers today want to "edit" any ideas that suggest God would really send a lying spirit anywhere. We say the Lord might "allow" it. Or, He might not "prevent" it. But certainly our God would not be the first Cause of such a thing!

Would He?

All I know is what the Verse says! And Micah is indeed a genuine Prophet of God! "Now therefore, behold, the LORD hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of these thy prophets, and the Lord hath spoken evil against thee." 2nd Chronicles 18:22

Here's what I'm wondering today.

Since God sent a lying spirit to Ahab.

And an evil spirit to Saul, among others.

And since we also know God is going to send "strong delusion" to the world population during the Tribulation.

Could God send such confusion to America, spiritually bankrupt America, especially during times of national decision?

During election times?

Could we consent to something that would eventually do us much harm?

I wonder.

I do know this. God has at times given folks their desires, only to allow those desires to be detrimental to their recipients!

Here's an example.

"And He gave them their request; but sent leanness into their soul." Psalm 106:16

God, help us we pray!

                                                                            --- Dr. Mike Bagwell

LESSON 7, CONCLUSION:

The Prophet's name is Micaiah.

He is a little-known hero of the faith!

Coming out of nowhere, he bursts upon the scene during the final days of King Ahab's evil reign.

The background of this incident can be found in either 2nd Chronicles 18 or 1st Kings 22, both relate the same facts.

Good King Jehoshaphat of Judah and ungodly King Ahab of Israel have joined affinity to fight the Syrians.

Ahab has 400 of his own so-called "prophets," just hired "yes" men, employed to preach whatever is "politically correct" in those dark days.

These cowards always "approved" the King's plans, whatever they were.

But King Jehoshaphat wanted to hear from a real Man of God. And one was available!

Enter Micaiah!

Although King Ahab "hated" Micaiah for his truthfulness, he nonetheless summoned him at Jehoshaphat's insistence.

At first Micaiah was sarcastic!

He said to Ahab, in essence, "Go ahead and fight the Syrians! Do what your little self-appointed ministerial association has suggested! I'm sure things will be fine!"

This is about the same strategy as God turning reprobates over to their own base desires! Desires that will inevitably lead to their destruction!

Then Micaiah began his real sermon! "Then he said, I did see all Israel scattered upon the mountains, as sheep that have no shepherd: and the LORD said, These have no master; let them return therefore every man to his house in peace." 2nd Chronicles 18:16

Go to battle, Sir! You, the "Shepherd" of Israel, a common term for their King, will be killed! Your nation will be leaderless! With "no master!"

Such straight preaching upset Ahab!

He ordered Micah to jail!

And then ... as is the case with every true prophecy of Scripture ... the day of fulfillment came!

"And it came to pass."

During the battle that day we are told: "And a certain man drew a bow at a venture, and smote the king of Israel between the joints of the harness: therefore he said to his chariot man, Turn thine hand, that thou mayest carry me out of the host; for I am wounded. And the battle increased that day: howbeit the king of Israel stayed himself up in his chariot against the Syrians until the even: and about the time of the sun going down he died." 2nd Chronicles 18:33-34

Micaiah, a giant of the faith!

Micaiah, a model for bold preachers yet today!

Micaiah, a unique Man of God!

There's just not another like him in all the Bible.

Who else would have ever preached this? "Therefore hear the word of the LORD; I saw the LORD sitting upon his throne, and all the host of heaven standing on his right hand and on his left. And the LORD said, Who shall entice Ahab king of Israel, that he may go up and fall at Ramothgilead? And one spake saying after this manner, and another saying after that manner. Then there came out a spirit, and stood before the LORD, and said, I will entice him. And the LORD said unto him, Wherewith? And he said, I will go out, and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And the LORD said, Thou shalt entice him, and thou shalt also prevail: go out, and do even so. Now therefore, behold, the LORD hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of these thy prophets, and the LORD hath spoken evil against thee." 2nd Chronicles 18:18-22

The most frightening thing of all is that this scenario, perhaps, could happen yet again!

In America?

Maybe so.

                                                                           --- Dr. Mike Bagwell

                             Thank God for this bold truthful Prophet!