1 Kings - Lesson 22B

• Last week, we only had time to go through the first 29 verses, but tonight we will conclude the last chapter of 1 Kings.

  • As a quick review, we were able to see both the King of the North and the King of the South and their respective responses to the word of the Lord by the prophet, Micaiah.

    • Jehoshaphat wanted to be cautious to if this war was necessary or not according to the wisdom of God, so he sought a prophet to confirm.

    • We were able to see that Jehoshaphat’s desire to see if the Lord was pleased with this pursuit was an indication of his “way before the Lord”.

  • Jehoshaphat was considered a good king as well as a king of reform in Judah because his heart was towards the Lord.

    • On the other hand we had King Ahab who continued in the ways of idolatrous worship seeking to satisfy himself and his ways.

    • And instead of seeking to pursue what the Lord said regarding Ramoth-gilead, he provided himself with 400 prophets who spoke what he wanted.

  • Once Micaiah came onto the scene, he “plays the fool” and in a sarcastic manner initially tells the king what he wants to hear.

    • After realizing the prophet was playing him, he forces Micaiah to tell him the truth which led to a vision from the Lord regarding a terrible end for Ahab.

    • The question we were left with last week was, what will Ahab do now?

  • Tonight’s session continues this narrative regarding Ahab’s decision on if they will take on Ramoth-gilead or not.

    • And us knowing Ahab’s ways, it is safe to assume that we see where his end is going.

  • If I were to outline our time in the text, we will see the following:

    • Disguise and Decoy (vv.30-33)

    • The “gig” is up (vv.34-40)

    • Jehoshaphat’s reign (vv.41-50)

    • Ahaziah’s reign (vv.51-53)

  • If I were to put a tag on our text tonight, it would simply be: The Whole Truth and Nothing But The Truth: Part 2.

    • With that being said, I invite you to meet me in 1 Kings 22 beginning with verses 30-33 for the reading of the word of the Lord.

1 Kings 22:30 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “I will disguise myself and go into the battle, but you put on your robes.” So the king of Israel disguised himself and went into the battle.
1 Kings 22:31 Now the king of Aram had commanded the thirty-two captains of his chariots, saying, “Do not fight with small or great, but with the king of Israel alone.”
1 Kings 22:32 So when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, they said, “Surely it is the king of Israel,” and they turned aside to fight against him, and Jehoshaphat cried out.
1 Kings 22:33 When the captains of the chariots saw that it was not the king of Israel, they turned back from pursuing him.

• We find at the start of verse 30 that Ahab is looking to do what he does best – finding a way to avert accountability for the sake of his own gain.

  • So, rather than going into the battle as king to take over a territory which is currently occupied by Ben-Hadad, Ahab seeks to disguise himself as a soldier.

    • I think this not only speaks to the character flaw of Ahab, but I think it reveals a spiritual issue as well.

    • In an applicational sense, when considering Ahab “lowering” himself to get what he wants, it further speaks to what sin does in our lives too.

    • Meaning, the very nature of sin causes us to act/live beneath who we truly are in Christ!

    • That when we realize we are image bearers of Christ, to lower who we are for the sake of temporary gain begins to sound quite frivolous.

  • So while King Ahab tells Jehoshaphat that he’ll disguise himself as a soldier, Jehoshaphat is to remain in his royal kingly robes.

    • Here is where we see the deception and “ways of King Ahab”.

    • If you recall, it was only 2 chapters ago that Ahab and Ben-Hadad established a treaty with one another.

    • And now because the tides have turned and Ahab has access to a bigger army, his pride flares up and he discounts the treaty altogether.

  • But even more than this, we find that Ahab has no concern as to the life of his son-in-law.

    • Keep in mind that, if Ahab breaks the treaty with Ben-Hadad then Ben-Hadad is going to be intensely looking to destroy Ahab.

    • So, Ahab sets it up in a way where there only looks like “one king” (King of Israel) with a large army.

  • It’s then in verse 31 that we see Ben-Hadad’s rationale plays out: He isn’t concerned with the soldiers – simply the king who is breaking the treaty (Ahab).

    • So when Ben-Hadad’s people see the king’s royal robes, they instantly assume that it was none other than the king of Israel, King Ahab.

  • As the Arameans pursue the king, the text suggests that as they got within striking distance, either a physical feature or vocal recognition gave way that this was not Ahab.

    • Immediately, the writer records that the men turned away from striking who they suspected was Ahab.

    • For a moment, Ahab might have though he had gotten away with his “duck and dodge” trick.

    • However, he would see soon enough that the “jig was up”. Check out verses 34-40.

1 Kings 22:34 Now a certain man drew his bow at random and struck the king of Israel in a joint of the armor. So he said to the driver of his chariot, “Turn around and take me out of the fight; for I am severely wounded.”
1 Kings 22:35 The battle raged that day, and the king was propped up in his chariot in front of the Arameans, and died at evening, and the blood from the wound ran into the bottom of the chariot.
1 Kings 22:36 Then a cry passed throughout the army close to sunset, saying, “Every man to his city and every man to his country.”
1 Kings 22:37 So the king died and was brought to Samaria, and they buried the king in Samaria.
1 Kings 22:38 They washed the chariot by the pool of Samaria, and the dogs licked up his blood (now the harlots bathed themselves there), according to the word of the Lord which He spoke.
1 Kings 22:39 Now the rest of the acts of Ahab and all that he did and the ivory house which he built and all the cities which he built, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?
1 Kings 22:40 So Ahab slept with his fathers, and Ahaziah his son became king in his place.

• Ahab’s deceptive ways quickly come to an end when “a certain” unnamed man strikes the king in the joint of his armor.

  • In other words, this was a skilled shot that ends up severely wounding Ahab.

    • Ahab is immediately withdrawn from the battlefield and is propped up in his chariot in front of the Arameans and dies.

  • This was a fatal blow by an un-named man. Perhaps there is something bigger to be seen here.

    • Because, you would want to know who was the one that took the victory shot of King Ahab.

    • However, I believe what the writer is showing us is that there is none that can escape from God’s final say – His Word!

  • It was in 1 Kings 21:19, that the Lord made known that Ahab would face his demise… “in the place where the dogs licked up the blood of Naboth”. (v.38)

    • Furthermore, it was the prophet Micaiah in verse 28 of this chapter that again confirmed the coming death of Ahab.

    • So, in both instances, Ahab figured he could somehow wiggle himself outside the decree of the Lord.

    • And unfortunately, this mentality persists within the hearts of the unbelieving world – that somehow they can escape the rightful judgement of God.

  • So, the Lord, using a random soldier, directly guides him to target with great precision a fatal blow.

    • Well, with this final fatal blow, we find in verse 36-38 that the Lord’s prophecy is fulfilled and both armies return to their homes.

    • And along with their return came the burial of king Ahab in Samaria, again, prophesied by the word of the Lord.

  • As we’ve witnessed before regarding the writer’s concluding summary of the kings, we see the same closing for Ahab.

    • We’re told the rest of his acts, as well as an ivory house he built, are all recorded in the book of Chronicles of the Kings of Israel.

    • We find in Amos 3:15 a mentioning of “houses of Ivory”.

  • Amos lived near the southern border of Israel, yet his prophetic messages were directed towards the coming judgement of the Northerners for their idolatry.

    • The timeframe in which Amos ministered was during King Jeroboam the second (793-753 BC, Northen Kingdom) and King Uzziah (Azariah, Southern Kingdom) (792-740 BC).

    • So there was a gap in time from Amos’s ministerial timeframe versus that of Elijah’s.

    • And what this tells us is that even during Amos’ day, the ramifications of the sin of the kings continued to persist.

    • So Amos, in Amos 3:13-15, by the decree of the Lord, warns them of the impending judgement coming for them.

    • Even on the things that they have built – from attempts of claiming “asylum” (v.14) to their commercial labor abuses on immigrant workers.

  • This tearing down of their altars and mansions included the ivory house built by Ahab. Check out the text.

Amos 3:15 “I will also smite the winter house together with the summer house; The houses of ivory will also perish And the great houses will come to an end,” Declares the Lord.

• Finally, after the passing of King Ahab, we find in verse 40 that Ahab’s son Ahaziah, became king in his place.

  • So, a new ruler of the Northern Kingdom would come forth in whom we will see in verses 51-53.

  • And just in case you are hopeful for potential change…spoiler alert – the apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree.

  • The writer of kings is now going to pivot to the reign of Jehoshaphat and his reform within the southern kingdom of Judah in verses 41-50. Check out the text.

1 Kings 22:41 Now Jehoshaphat the son of Asa became king over Judah in the fourth year of Ahab king of Israel.
1 Kings 22:42 Jehoshaphat was thirty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned twenty-five years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Azubah the daughter of Shilhi.
1 Kings 22:43 He walked in all the way of Asa his father; he did not turn aside from it, doing right in the sight of the Lord. However, the high places were not taken away; the people still sacrificed and burnt incense on the high places.
1 Kings 22:44 Jehoshaphat also made peace with the king of Israel.
1 Kings 22:45 Now the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, and his might which he showed and how he warred, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah?
1 Kings 22:46 The remnant of the sodomites who remained in the days of his father Asa, he expelled from the land.
1 Kings 22:47 Now there was no king in Edom; a deputy was king.
1 Kings 22:48 Jehoshaphat made ships of Tarshish to go to Ophir for gold, but they did not go for the ships were broken at Ezion-geber.
1 Kings 22:49 Then Ahaziah the son of Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, “Let my servants go with your servants in the ships.” But Jehoshaphat was not willing.
1 Kings 22:50 And Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the city of his father David, and Jehoram his son became king in his place.

• We’re given background as to the start, length, and type of reign which Jehoshaphat, son of Asa had. (Summary format)

  • The writer tells us that it was in King Ahab’s 4th year of his reign in which Jehoshaphat became king. Jehoshaphat was 35 years of age at that time.

    • And he reigned 25 years in Jerusalem, from about 873-848 BC and was considered one of the Southern Kingdom’s good kings.

    • And as I mentioned before, he was deemed one of the four reformers of the Southern Kingdom.

  • Verse 43 becomes a key verse in Chapter 23 regarding who Jehoshaphat was and the type of rule he had.

    • The text states that he “walked in the way of Asa and did not turn aside from it, doing right in the sight of the Lord.”

  • We were able to witness this sense of pursuit of holiness and wisdom in how Jehoshaphat dealt with Ahab’s request to take over Ramoth-gilead.

    • Rather than agreeing to go into war aimlessly, Jehoshaphat sought to seek the Lord’s wisdom on what should be done.

    • You may notice in verse 43b, that the writer mentions once again that all the high places weren’t removed.

    • The first time is with Jehoshaphat’s father, Asa in 1 Kings 15:14 and now he mentions it regarding Jehoshaphat himself in 1 Kings 22:43.

  • Again, this may present some confusion because 2 Chronicles 17:6 does mention that the high places were removed.

    • However, because the people’s ways were set against the Lord, they established these high places and in turn Jehoshaphat did not destroy them.

    • In other words, their behavior was so persistent that he ultimately left it alone.

  • Herein lies a powerful applicational point: That although Jehoshaphat was implementing this spiritual cleansing through tearing down the high places, he could not tear down the idolatry rooted in the hearts of the people.

    • This is the difference between gospel transformation and behavioral modification.

  • Until the heart has been transformed by the word of God, the behavior won’t change or conform to the word of God.

    • As I have mentioned before, your orthodoxy (what you believe) will always inform you orthopraxy (what you do).

    • Meaning what you believe will inform how you live!

    • And in this case, the people remained in their ignorance because they did not want to give up the idols they had.

  • In verse 44 we’re told that Jehoshaphat made peace with the king of Israel (Ahab).

    • And this was done by way of marriage between Ahab’s daughter and Jehoshaphat.

    • Although not included in the Kings narrative, we find in 2 Chronicles 19:2 that this marriage was not favored by the prophet, Jehu.

    • Check out the text:

2 Chronicles 19:2 Jehu the son of Hanani the seer went out to meet him and said to King Jehoshaphat, “Should you help the wicked and love those who hate the Lord and so bring wrath on yourself from the Lord?

• So, although peace was brought about between the North and the South it would ultimately cost the South, greatly.

  • So, when you boil this down, was it really peace? I think the answer to that is no.

  • The reality is, establishing a false sense of peace only gets you so far. True peace that one can experience comes from the Lord!

  • In verses 45-49, we are given other acts of Jehoshaphat regarding his reign which consisted of some reformative matters while the others served as a consequence of compromise.

    • Verses 45-46 speaks to the many acts of Jehoshaphat and his reforming focus in the land.

    • These acts are mainly found in 2 Chronicles 17-20 which consist of ordering the teaching of Torah and tearing down the high places, etc.

  • Furthermore, in verse 46 we are told that he drove out the remnant of the sodomites which speaks to his focus on spiritual reform.

    • You may notice that verses 47 and 48 are connected regarding Edom and the destruction of the ships.

  • We’re told that there was no king in Edom. The reason being was because Edom was under Judah’s control.

    • This was more than likely the case, historically, because Jehoshaphat was feared by surrounding nations due to his obedience to the Lord.

  • Unfortunately, because of Judah’s control of Edom, there were some Edomites who sought to sabotage Judah’s commercial efforts at the port of Ezion-geber.

    • And as a result, Jehoshaphat’s efforts at retrieving gold from Ophir, in partnership with Ahaziah, ended frustratingly because of the Edomites destroying Judah’s ships at Ezion-geber. (v.49)

  • Ultimately, the majority of Jehoshaphat’s reign consisted of great reform and focus on getting back to the worship of Yahweh in Judah.

    • However, within his great moments, there were times in which Jehoshaphat fell victim to trusting human resources and wisdom rather than submitting to the Lord’s ways and will.

    • And isn’t that indicative of how the life of the believer can sometimes look: We have our good days and our not-so-great days.

    • The way to live a blessed life is submitting our daily decisions to the One who is truly in control – God and God alone!

  • Lastly, we see that Jehoshaphat dies in the end, as all men do, and is buried in the city of David, and his son Jehoram takes his place.

    • Finally, in the last three verses, the spotlight shifts back to the Northern Kingdom of Israel, where Ahaziah’s rule is summed up relatively quickly.

    • Check out the text.

1 Kings 22:51 Ahaziah the son of Ahab became king over Israel in Samaria in the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and he reigned two years over Israel.
1 Kings 22:52 He did evil in the sight of the Lord and walked in the way of his father and in the way of his mother and in the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who caused Israel to sin.
1 Kings 22:53 So he served Baal and worshiped him and provoked the Lord God of Israel to anger, according to all that his father had done.

• Ahaziah’s reign began in the 17th year of Jehoshaphat’s 25 years as king of Judah. And we’re told that his reign lasted 2 years.

  • It doesn’t take us long to see why his reign was so quick – he continued in the ways of his father, King Ahab.

    • Not only is he described as having walked in the ways of his father, but the writer includes that he carried on in the ways of his mother, Jezebel and the ways Jeroboam.

  • The apple truly didn’t fall far from the tree. Ahab’s son continued in Baal worship which means that the people of the North continued in the same manner.

    • And with this constant defilement of Torah and disregard for the Lord, it would not be too much longer until the Lord brought about divine discipline.

• What we have been able to see throughout the entirety of 1 Kings is that the Lord had set in motion the requirements and expectations for His ideal king.

  • Torah was to guide the king and his decisions as he submitted himself unto the Lord.

    • However, because of the ways of men and our divided hearts, compromises over time led to both a divided kingdom and divided hearts.

    • And through the Lord’s prophets, the Lord’s words would go forth to bring the people back into alignment with the Lord so that the people may be blessed.

  • Although this concludes our teaching in First Kings, I encourage you to read on to 2 Kings because the story and drama of sin continues to unfold.

    • But through it all, the Lord will continue to provide for His prophets and sustain His remnant to stand on truth and not compromise for the sake of others.

    • Let’s Pray.