Words in italic type have been added for clarity. They are not found in the original Hebrew or Aramaic.

I Kings 22

About the title: Ahab is the known king of Israel, but his title is left off. If the name Ahab is used, his title is not used. If his title is used, his name is left out.
The k’NO’wn king is NO king, and I KNOW NO king.

What should we learn from this chapter?

• 1. The number two means “there is another”. In this case, there are two kings of the Jews; one in the North, Judah – and one in the South, Israel.
• 2. There are also two cities: Samaria is the city of the palace of Ahab. Jerusalem is the city of Jehoshaphat. The first is strong in Politics and the second is strong in Spirit. Jehoshaphat was one of the few “good” kings as regarded by God.
• 3. The number two also means “It is decided and it is done”. There is no negotiation.

Micaiah Warns Ahab

I Kings 22:¹ Now three years passed without war between Syria and Israel. ² Then it came to pass, in the third year, that Jehoshaphat the king of Judah went down to visit the king of Israel.

• See Topic: The Pattern of 3-1-3
• God has unfinished business with Ahab
• 3-years without war
• 1- year Jehoshaphat went to visit the king of Israel
• No other 3 is given. 3-1-? interrupted is a pattern indicating there is unfinished business

I Kings 22:³ And the king of Israel said to his servants, “Do you know that Ramoth in Gilead is ours, but we hesitate to take it out of the hand of the king of Syria?” ⁴ So he said to Jehoshaphat, “Will you go with me to fight at Ramoth Gilead?”

Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses.”

I Kings 22:⁵ Also Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “Please inquire for the word of the Lord (Yᵊhōvâ) today.”

I Kings 22:⁶ Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets (The false prophets) together, about four hundred men, and said to them, “Shall I go against Ramoth Gilead to fight, or shall I refrain?”

So they said, “Go up, for the Lord (‘ăḏōnāy) will deliver it into the hand of the king.”

I Kings 22:⁷ And Jehoshaphat said, “Is there not still a prophet of the Lord (Yᵊhōvâ) here, that we may inquire of Him (Or him)?”

I Kings 22:⁸ So the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “There is still one man, Micaiah the son of Imlah, by whom we may inquire of the Lord (Yᵊhōvâ); but I hate him, because he does not prophesy good concerning me, but evil.”

• If the king of Israel believed Micaiah was a prophet, why wouldn’t he listen to his words? Men who refuse to listen to God make their own religion. The religion that the king of Israel wanted was to have a “god” who would let him get his way. Man wants to be his own “god”, where he ends up worshiping himself, the “god” he always wanted.
• Jehoshaphat, on the other hand, wanted to inquire of the Lord. Jehoshaphat goes down in history as one of the “good” kings.
• The king of Israel is Ahab, BUT the author goes out of his way to not even mention his name. When his name IS actually mentioned (ie v.20), the title “king” is not used, insinuating God’s disdain.

And Jehoshaphat said, “Let not the king say such things!”

I Kings 22:⁹ Then the king of Israel called an officer and said, “Bring Micaiah the son of Imlah quickly!”

I Kings 22:¹⁰ The king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, having put on their robes, sat each on his throne, at a threshing floor at the entrance of the gate of Samaria; and all the prophets prophesied before them.

• A threshing floor is a place to separate the wheat and the chaff, the good and the evil. The word for threshing is the same word as “thrashing” or “tribulation”.

I Kings 22:¹¹ Now Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah had made horns of iron for himself; and he said, “Thus says the Lord (Yᵊhōvâ): ‘With these you shall gore the Syrians until they are destroyed.’ ”

I Kings 22:¹² And all the prophets prophesied so, saying, “Go up to Ramoth Gilead and prosper, for the Lord (Yᵊhōvâ) will deliver it into the king’s hand.”

I Kings 22:¹³ Then the messenger who had gone to call Micaiah spoke to him, saying, “Now listen, the words of the prophets with one accord encourage the king. Please, let your word be like the word of one of them, and speak encouragement.”

I Kings 22:¹⁴ And Micaiah said, “As the Lord (Yᵊhōvâ) lives, whatever the Lord (Yᵊhōvâ) says to me, that I will speak.”

I Kings 22:¹⁵ Then he came to the king; and the king said to him, “Micaiah, shall we go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or shall we refrain?”

And he answered him, “Go and prosper, for the Lord (Yᵊhōvâ) will deliver it into the hand of the king!”

I Kings 22:¹⁶ So the king said to him, “How many times shall I make you swear that you tell me nothing but the truth in the name of the Lord (Yᵊhōvâ)?”

I Kings 22:¹⁷ Then he said, “I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains, as sheep that have no shepherd. And the Lord (Yᵊhōvâ) said, ‘These have no master. Let each return to his house in peace.’ ”

• The Lord said “Israel”, nothing about “Judah”.

I Kings 22:¹⁸ And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Did I not tell you he would not prophesy good concerning me, but evil?”

I Kings 22:¹⁹ Then Micaiah said, “Therefore hear the word of the Lord (Yᵊhōvâ): I saw the Lord (Yᵊhōvâ) sitting on His throne, and all the host of heaven standing by, on His right hand and on His left.

• The Lord is in the middle: See Topic: Jesus in the Middle

I Kings 22:²⁰ And the Lord (Yᵊhōvâ) said, ‘Who will persuade Ahab to go up, that he may fall at Ramoth Gilead?’ So one spoke in this manner, and another spoke in that manner.

• This is the first time the king’s name is mentioned, but the word “king” was not mentioned nor associated with his name.

I Kings 22:²¹ Then a spirit came forward and stood before the Lord (Yᵊhōvâ), and said, ‘I will persuade him.’

I Kings 22:²² The Lord (Yᵊhōvâ) said to him, ‘In what way?’ So he said, ‘I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.’ And He (the Lord Yᵊhōvâ) said, ‘You shall persuade him, and also prevail. Go out and do so.’

I Kings 22:²³ Therefore, look! The Lord (Yᵊhōvâ) has put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these prophets of yours, and the Lord (Yᵊhōvâ) has declared disaster against you.”

I Kings 22:²⁴ Now Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah went near and struck Micaiah on the cheek, and said, “Which way did the spirit from the Lord (Yᵊhōvâ) go from me to speak to you?”

I Kings 22:²⁵ And Micaiah said, “Indeed, you shall see on that day when you go into an inner chamber to hide!”

I Kings 22:²⁶ So the king of Israel said, “Take Micaiah, and return him to Amon the governor of the city and to Joash the king’s son;

• To return Micaiah would insinuate he was taken from prison and returned to prison … except with a deeper punishment of bread and water of affliction. Ahab insisted Micaiah tell the truth, and then punished him for it.
• The signature of “the king’s son” for Joash cannot be determined. A “son” in this sense could be understood by having a close relationship of authority with Ahab – or, an extant relative in some way.

I Kings 22:²⁷ and say, ‘Thus says the king: “Put this fellow in prison, and feed him with bread of affliction and water of affliction, until I come in peace.” ’ ”

I Kings 22:²⁸ But Micaiah said, “If you ever return in peace, the Lord (Yᵊhōvâ) has not spoken by me.” And he said, “Take heed, all you people!”

Ahab Dies in Battle

I Kings 22:²⁹ So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah went up to Ramoth Gilead.

• The Hebrew meaning of Ramoth Gilead is “Heights of Gilead”.

I Kings 22:³⁰ And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “I will disguise myself and go into battle; but you put on your robes.” So the king of Israel disguised himself and went into battle.

I Kings 22:³¹ Now the king of Syria had commanded the thirty-two captains of his chariots, saying, “Fight with no one small or great, but only with the king of Israel.”

• Note again that Judah is not mentioned.
• Jehoshaphat was a good king in the eyes of the Lord; however he had a bad habit of aligning himself with wicked men.
• When Jehoshaphat returned to Jerusalem: II 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? Therefore, the wrath of the Lord is upon you. ³ Nevertheless, good things are found in you, in that you have removed the wooden images from the land, and have prepared your heart to seek God.”

• “Know this today and take to your heart, that Hashem (meaning “the Name”) is the only God” (Deuteronomy 4:39). Thirty-two is the most passionate of all numbers, because in Hebrew it is written lamed bet, meaning “heart”. By Rabbi Naftali Schiff November 1, 2019.”
  The Number 32 Jewish News

I Kings 22:³² So it was, when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, that they said, “Surely it is the king of Israel!” Therefore they turned aside to fight against him, and Jehoshaphat cried out.

I Kings 22:³³ And it happened, when the captains of the chariots saw that it was not the king of Israel, that they turned back from pursuing him.

• II Chronicles 18:³¹ So it was, when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, that they said, “It is the king of Israel!” Therefore they surrounded him to attack; but Jehoshaphat cried out, and the Lord helped him, and God diverted them from him. ³² For so it was, when the captains of the chariots saw that it was not the king of Israel, that they turned back from pursuing him. ³³ Now a certain man drew a bow at random, and struck the king of Israel between the joints of his armor. So he said to the driver of his chariot, “Turn around and take me out of the battle, for I am wounded.”

I Kings 22:³⁴ Now a certain man drew a bow at random, and struck the king of Israel between the joints of his armor. So he said to the driver of his chariot, “Turn around and take me out of the battle, for I am wounded.”

• God thrives in that which is considered “random”.
• Who is that “certain” man who drew the bow at random? An unknown, unnamed person in scripture is said to be the Holy Spirit. God is in the process of directing HIS will.
• The battle belongs to the Lord who fights not with bow and arrow but with the bow of His covenant and the arrow of His will to cut and divide. An arrow in Hebrew literally means to cut and divide.

• A “bow” is literally a covenant (Treaty, Vow, or Oath). God’s covenant is with those who seek Him out, but not with Ahab, who persecuted God’s prophet.

I Kings 22:³⁵ The battle increased that day; and the king was propped up in his chariot, facing the Syrians, and died at evening. The blood ran out from the wound onto the floor of the chariot.

I Kings 22:³⁶ Then, as the sun was going down, a shout went throughout the army, saying, “Every man to his city, and every man to his own country!”

• They were lost in their darkness.

I Kings 22:³⁷ So the king died, and was brought to Samaria. And they buried the king in Samaria.

I Kings 22:³⁸ Then someone washed the chariot at a pool in Samaria, and the dogs licked up his blood while the harlots bathed (they washed his armor), according to the word of the Lord (Yᵊhōvâ) which He had spoken.

• I Kings 21:19 “You shall speak to him (Ahab), saying, ‘Thus says the LORD: “Have you murdered and also taken possession?” ’ And you shall speak to him, saying, ‘Thus says the LORD: “In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth, dogs shall lick your blood, even yours.” ’ ”

• See Topic: Their Just Due

I Kings 22:³⁹ Now the rest of the acts of Ahab, and all that he did, the ivory house which he built and all the cities that he built, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?

• Archaeologists from Harvard digging at Samaria have found a palace that Ahab built which contained within it a room where ivories were stored.
  • Amos 3:15
    I will destroy the winter house along with the summer house; The houses of ivory shall perish, And the great houses shall have an end,” Says the Lord.
    
• In the Bible, King Ahab’s palace is called an “ivory house” (II Kings 22:39). We know from other Biblical passages that Ahab—and successive kings of the northern kingdom of Israel—ruled from Samaria. Ahab’s father, King Omri, had established Samaria as his capital and built an elaborate palace there in the ninth century BC. In his lifetime, King Ahab further adorned the palace with intricately carved ivories.

• It seems that at some point between the Assyrian conquest in 722 BC and the Late Hellenistic period, the ivories had been moved from the palace to a storeroom in an ancillary building, presumably either because they had begun to deteriorate from age or simply because they were no longer fashionable. There they remained until the site was remodeled in the Late Hellenistic period. When Antiochus IV Epiphanes constructed the fortress and burnt the ancient furniture, he deposited the remains in a hole – where archaeologists later discovered them.

• [Note: Antiochus IV Epiphanes is a strong “type” of the Antichrist to come]

Archeology: The House of Ivory

I Kings 22:⁴⁰ So Ahab rested with his fathers (Died and joined his ancestors). Then Ahaziah his son reigned in his place.

Jehoshaphat Reigns in Judah

I Kings 22:⁴¹ Jehoshaphat the son of Asa had become king over Judah in the fourth year of Ahab king of Israel.

I Kings 22:⁴² Jehoshaphat was thirty-five (35) years old when he became king, and he reigned twenty-five (25) years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Azubah the daughter of Shilhi.

I Kings 22:⁴³ And he walked in all the ways of his father Asa. He did not turn aside from them, doing what was right in the eyes of the Lord. Nevertheless the high places were not taken away, for the people offered sacrifices and burned incense on the high places.

I Kings 22:⁴⁴ Also Jehoshaphat made peace with the king of Israel.

I Kings 22:⁴⁵ Now the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, the might that he showed, and how he made war, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?

I Kings 22:⁴⁶ And the rest of the perverted persons (Heb. qadesh, one practicing sodomy and prostitution in religious rituals), who remained in the days of his father Asa, he banished from the land.

I Kings 22:⁴⁷ There was then no king in Edom, only a deputy of the king.

I Kings 22:⁴⁸ Jehoshaphat made merchant ships (Or ships of Tarshish) to go to Ophir for gold; but they never sailed, for the ships were wrecked at Ezion Geber.

I Kings 22:⁴⁹ Then Ahaziah the son of Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, “Let my servants go with your servants in the ships.” But Jehoshaphat would not.

I Kings 22:⁵⁰ And Jehoshaphat rested with his fathers (Died and joined his ancestors), and was buried with his fathers in the City of David his father. Then Jehoram his son reigned in his place.

Ahaziah Reigns in Israel

I Kings 22:⁵¹ Ahaziah the son of Ahab became king over Israel in Samaria in the seventeenth (17^th) year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and reigned two (2) years over Israel.

I Kings 22:⁵² He did evil in the sight of the Lord (Yᵊhōvâ), 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 had made Israel sin;

I Kings 22:⁵³ for he served Baal and worshiped him, and provoked the Lord God (Yᵊhōvâ ‘ĕlōhîm) of Israel to anger, according to all that (In the same way that) his father had done.