June 24, 2025 • 20 mins
In this Bible Story, Jehoshaphat becomes king over Judah and rules righteously. He sends out teachers and priests to care for the people, and teach them God’s ways. However, his alliance with Ahab the King of Israel proves to be unwise, as Ahab leads them into an unwinnable battle. This story is inspired by 1 Kings 22 & 2 Chronicles 17-19:3. Go to BibleinaYear.com and learn the Bible in a Year.
Today's Bible verse is 2 Chronicles 17:10 from the King James Version.
Episode 126: Jehoshaphat, King of Judah, spent his time fortifying cities and tearing down idols. He also sent teachers and priests to the surrounding territories so that they might know God. What the King was doing became so influential that even other nations such as the Philistines took notice and sent tribute. Jehoshaphat wanted to extend this peace to his brothers in Israel, so he made an alliance with King Ahab. During their celebration, King Ahab requested Jehoshaphat’s help in reclaiming some territory. But Jehoshaphat wanted to hear from the Lord first. So Micaiah was called in and prophesied that this battle would be King Ahab’s last.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Let us pray, and the fear of the Lord fell
upon all the kingdoms of the lands that were round
about Judah, so that they made no war against jehosephat
Second Chronicles seventeen ten. Before I start my day, I
will first spend it in your presence. Through this decision,
(00:22):
your truth spoken to me in to day's reading has
set me up for success. Thank you that through the
story of Jehosaphat and Ahab, I see the importance of
not moving on a matter until I get your word
on it. Protect me from the advice of others that
would have me die on the battlefield of my dreams
(00:44):
because I did not wait for the true answer of
the Lord, stick my feet to the ground until I
have clearly heard from you. Help me to recognize people
pleasers who just want to be yes men and yes
women in my life. Your word, your yes is the
(01:05):
final say in my life. Therefore, I will thank you
in advance, because when I get my yes from you,
I can trust that my outcome will be glorious and
filled with your favor in Jesus name, Amen. Listening to
(01:26):
these daily prayers strengthens your relationship with God. Continue hearing
from the Lord by listening to today's Bible in a
Year brought to you by Bible in a Year dot.
Speaker 2 (01:38):
Com Jehoseph, Fat and a half.
Speaker 3 (01:51):
In our last story, we dove more into the mind
of the witch Queen Jezebel. Her evil and twisted ways
had a hold on King Ahaf and she would enact
cruelty on his behalf. After she had a farmer killed
for his land, Elijah confronted Ahab and he repented before
the Lord. Now we learn about the righteous rule of
(02:12):
King Jehosaphat over Judah in his unlikely alliance with King
Ahab from Israel. Their alliance proved to be a deadly
one for Ahab as they pursued the Syrians inspired by
the Book of First Kings and Second Chronicles.
Speaker 4 (02:31):
Hello, this is Pastor Jack Graham with today's episode of
the Bible in a Year podcast. In our previous episode,
we saw just how evil and conniving and calculating Jezebel,
the witch of a queen was. She held Ahab in
her power and acted with great wickedness on his behalf.
And with his silent consent, Elijah, the Great Man of God,
(02:54):
finally confronted Ahab for his unfaithfulness and pronounced God's judgment
on him and his wife. Jeshus Ahab was moved to
repentance and sorrow for his actions, and the Lord showed
mercy on the king, But Jezebel died in judgment. Today
we'll hear how Judah's righteous king Jehosephat formed an alliance
(03:16):
with Ahab. These two kingdoms so often at odds and
at war, were now working together. But it will spell
disaster for Ahab. So let's listen to God's word.
Speaker 3 (03:27):
Now in the land of Judah, a new king was emerging. Jehosephat,
a young man from the line of David, had taken
over as king after his father Atha. Jehosephad was not
a man to go looking for war and conflict. However,
he knew that Judah had many enemies, mainly their neighboring
(03:47):
nation Israel. So Jehosephad strengthened Judah's borders and fortified its cities.
He stationed troops in every town and created garrisons to
stand in defense of the farmlands and villages. All Jehosephad
did was pleasing in the sight of the Lord. Similar
to his father Atha during his younger years, Jehosephad was
(04:07):
faithful and kind. He worshiped the Lord and shunned the
popular images of bail. Meanwhile, Israel under King Ahab was
known for its idolatry and wicked practices. Word had spread
of their run ins with Elijah. Jojosephad took their conflict
as a warning to continually seek the Lord and obey him.
(04:28):
He even sent men to remove the pagan shrines that
remained in the wilderness of Judah. Because of this, the
Lord blessed him with wisdom, riches, and influence. Jehosephad also
desired that other people know the Lord deeply. He knew
that without knowledge, the people would perish. Joosephad's goal was
to allow the entire nation of Judah to truly understand
(04:50):
the law and love of God, as their ancestors once
did so. He sent out teachers, priests, and prophets into
the land to spread the Word of God and teach
its meanings. He sent ben hiel Obadiah, Zechariah, Nathaniel, and
Meciah to teach the people the depths of God's word
(05:10):
and his love for the people. He also sent out
levites to perform sacrifices on behalf of the villages and
cities that could not afford to do so themselves. The
fear and love of the Lord blew through the nation
of Judah like a pleasant breeze, so much so that
even surrounding nations began to take notice. Some of the Philistines,
(05:31):
sworn enemies of God's people, would send gifts of silver
and livestock to make peace. Many nations refused to declare
war on Judah solely because the presence of God was
known to dwell there. So Jehosaphat became loved and respected
in the whole land. The wealth of Judah began to grow,
and there were great reserves for times of famine. In addition,
(05:55):
the armies of Judah amassed in great numbers. They were
well fed, well trained, and well treated soldiers. Even more,
they loved their king. Jehosephad had earned the love and
favor of his men as David once did. Yet he
believed the time for war was over, and now it
was time for alliances to be made and partnerships to
(06:16):
be formed. Jehosephad extended an alliance to King Ahab of Israel,
so Jehosephat's son and Ahab's daughter were married as a
sign of solidarity between nations. Their warring against one another
was to be ended through their union. A few years
had passed and Jehosephad had enjoyed peace with Israel and
(06:36):
the other surrounding nations. One day he went to Samaria
to visit a Haveb, who had prepared a great feast
in his honor. Jehosephad sat at the large banquet table
with his officials, enjoying the company of their allies. Ahab
was sitting on the opposite end of the table. He
was much more quiet than usual. Jehosephad knew something was
(06:56):
slightly off about Ahab's demeanor. He needed to say something,
He needed to ask something. Jehosephad watched as Ahab finished
his plate, set it aside, and cleared his throat. My friend,
Ahab began, did you know that Raimuth Gilead belongs to Israel,
but the Syrians took it over quite some time ago.
(07:17):
Ahab looked intently at the King of Judah. There was
desperation in his eyes. Please, will you go into battle
with us to take it back? Some of our people
are still there and our resources. Jehosephad took a moment
to think he had made a point to avoid war
in the past few years. Did he want to go
into battle for land that was not his? Did he
(07:38):
want to march his men to fight to right or
wrong that was not done to them. It was a
difficult decision, but ultimately Jehosephad knew what needed to be done.
What good were alliances if you did not hold your
end of the bargain. You and I are one, the
king said, your people are my people, and my horses
are your horses. Ahab was elated at his tame words.
(08:01):
The two of them embraced, and the whole room continued
to celebrate. Jehosephad raised his hand to silence them for
a moment and said, however, let us first consult the
Lord to see if we have his favor in this.
After that, Ahab summoned some of his pagan prophets in
the land. Four hundred men from Israel filtered into the
palace gates and came to Ahab's halls. Jehosephad watched as
(08:24):
the idle worshiping men of Israel gave their words, each
and every one of them gave the king permission to
go into battle. Yes, they all said, God will give
the king victory. They all replied. However, Jehosephad was not
convinced they spoke for the Lord. He turned to Ahab
and said, are there any men of God in your
(08:45):
land that could speak with us? Ahab thought long and
hard about Jehosephad's question. He knew that there was another
man who would speak faithfully for the Lord, but he
often rebuked Ahab for his wicked ways. Ahab spoke and said, yes,
there is another. His name is Machiah. However, I hate
the man. He never prophesies in my favor. He only
(09:08):
means trouble for me. The King of Judah began to
worry about the man he had aligned with. He knew
that Ahab had pagan tendencies and had led Israel astray
once before, but he thought he had repented from that. However,
now Jehosephad was beginning to wonder if a lining with
Ahab was a wise decision. That is not how a
(09:29):
king should speak. Jehosephad rebuked, let us hear what the
prophet has to say. The King of Israel nodded and
sent for Machiah. While they waited, Ahab had more of
his false prophets spin stories of victory for them. They
sat on their thrones and listened to the tickling words
of self serving men. They had made it their habit
(09:49):
to say anything that pleased Ahab, but not Macaiah. Much
like Elijah, he would always tell the truth, no matter
how brutal. A messenger finally came to Machiah to summon
him to the palace. The messenger pulled Makaiah in close
and said, every prophet is promising the king victory in battle.
Make sure you agree with them and promise the king success.
(10:12):
Makiah laughed at the request and shook his head. He
patted the messenger on the shoulder and said, I will
say what God says, no more, no less, and with
that he made his way to the palace. Makiah entered
into the palace doors. The four hundred prophets lined the
walls like flies to sugar. The torches were lit and
there was music playing. Clearly Ahab wanted to gain favor
(10:36):
from his new friend, the King of Judah. Makiah looked
around and saw the king sitting on his throne. His
robes were draped over the throne, and he was clothed
in fine linens and gold. His flashiness disgusted Makiah. The
king glared at him. No doubt, Makaiah had only been
summoned because King Jehosaphat was a man of integrity. Why
(10:56):
else would he be asked to give counsel. Ahabs upright
and asked a question for all to hear, Macaiah, shall
we go to war against Raemuth Gilead or should I
stay back. Machiah was entertained by the question. He smiled
and did his best to initiate the pandering tone of
the other prophets, and said, ah yes, my Lord and King,
(11:19):
you shall be victorious as you are in all your ways.
Go and be brave. Then he bowed as a close
to his small performance. Ahab teemed with anger. How many
times must I demand you speak the truth to me
with these matters, Ahab replied sharply. Machiah's entertained face grew darker.
(11:41):
He sighed and pointed intently at Ahab. I have seen
a vision in Israel, he said. I saw the children
of Israel scattered on the mountains like sheep without a shepherd.
The Lord then spoke to me and said, their master
has been killed. Send them home in peace. Machiah then
shrugged his shoes and began to turn back. Ahab leaned
(12:03):
over to the King of Judah and said, what did
I tell you? He never prophesies in my favor. This
instance is no different from the rest. Upon hearing Ahab,
Machiah turned around and said, listen to me. Now I
saw the Lord sitting on his throne with the armies
of heaven surrounding him. The Lord spoke clearly and asked
(12:23):
all of his armies, who will go forth and entice
King Ahab to be killed. So a spirit came and said,
I will send him prophets to tell him a victory.
So believe me when I say that the Lord has
put lying mouths in these prophets of yours to lead
you into your death. As Machiah was speaking, another prophet
(12:45):
came up to him and slapped him across the face.
Since when did God's spirit leave me to speak to you,
he said. Machaiah spat out some blood from his mouth
and peered up at him. You will see soon enough,
when you are hiding like a dog in your dead.
Arrest him, Ah, have yelled, Put him in prison and
feed him nothing but bread and water until I return
(13:06):
from my battle. That's if you return, Machiah yelled, as
he was being bound by the palace guards. Mark my words,
if you return from that battle, it means the Lord
does not speak through me. And with those last words,
Machiah was taken away. Despite Jehosaphat's reservation, the two armies
(13:27):
marched into battle. The next week. When the two armies
met to descend into Raymouth, Gilead Ahab turned to Jehosaphat
and said, you continue to wear your royal armor, but
I will disguise myself so nobody knows I am king.
So a haveb disguised himself, knowing full well the Syrians
would want to kill him. Meanwhile, on the other side
(13:49):
of the battlefield, the King of Syria said to his commanders,
I do not want much bloodshed today. Attack only the
King of Israel. Do not bother with anyone else. So
the battle began. The alliance of Judah and Israel charged
at the Syrians. Metal and bone clashed on the battlefield,
and the Syrians were intent on getting to the back
(14:09):
of the battle to get the king. When they saw
Jehosaphad and his royal armor, they mistook him for King
Ahab and charged. Jehosaphad's eyes widened as he saw a
sea of soldiers pursuing him. He planted his feet in
the ground and prepared for their attack. But the lord
saved him, and as soon as the chariots drew close
to him, they realized it was not a half, it stopped. Meanwhile,
(14:33):
Ahab was disguised as a normal soldier at the back
of the battlefield. He fought very little, making sure to
preserve his own safety. A barrage of arrows were suddenly
shot in Ahab's direction and he was struck in his side.
Ahab writhed in pain on the floor. He called to
his chariot and yelled, get me out of here. I
am wounded. So the servant propped him up on the
(14:55):
chariot and began to weave through the battle to escape.
The battle raged on violently as the Syrians looked for
ae have However, as the sun was setting and the
battle was raging, Ahab died in his chariot.
Speaker 4 (15:13):
In today's scripture, we read of a story of two
kingdoms and two very different kings. Jehosephat was the son
of Asa, king of Judah, and like his father and
his forefather David before him, Jehosephad was a righteous king
who earnestly sought the Lord's favor, and he not only
(15:33):
sought favor for himself. He acted in the best interest
of the people of Judah, tearing down idols, not only
in the prominent cities, but in the dark recesses of
the desert where evil tried to hide. His example is
one we should follow, seeking to root out any idolatry
in our life, all false gods and false ideologies, even
(15:55):
those that we try to hide in our own life.
God looked favorably upon Jehosephat and blessed him and his
nation with peace, prosperity, and prominence. Among the neighboring nations.
Jehosaphat and Judah stood in stark contrast to Israel and
King Ahab to the north. Any change of heart or
repentance from Ahab seemed to be now gone, and he
(16:19):
continued to lead people in the worship of bail in,
giving his ear to false prophets. Once again, he disobeys God.
King Jehosaphat desired peace, especially with his northern neighbors, so
he forged an alliance with Aheb through the marriage of
his son to Ahab's daughter. Thus ended the conflict between
(16:39):
these two nations, Israel and Judah. Ahab knew that Judah's
army was strong and capable, and after a few years
he approached Jehosaphat for help defeating Syria and reclaiming land
and possessions the Syrians had taken from Israel. And though
Jehosaphat wanted peace and to avoid war, he knew it
(17:00):
would be right to support his ally, so he agreed
to help. But he wisely told Ahab that they must
first seek the lord's guidance, to seek God's counsel to
see if the battle was one God would give victory.
For Ahab, the battle seemed to be no problem, for
he had hundreds of men who would gladly tell him
whatever he wanted to hear. A Have then summoned these
(17:23):
pagan prophets, and as he sat with Jehosephad, these men
came before him and spoke only of victory, saying God
would be the king. But Jehosephad had a discerning heart,
and he wanted to be sure these were in fact
God's words. So he says in First King twenty two seven,
is there not here another prophet of the Lord of
(17:45):
whom we may inquire? This is a huge reminder for
us today that we must always be discerning and wise
concerning so called spiritual advice. The Bible says we are
to test the spirits to see if they are from God.
Ahab surely was frustrated because he knew his prophetic yes
(18:05):
men did not convince Jehosaphat. He knew of a prophet
who indeed spoke from God and for God, but he
didn't want to hear this, so he called for Makaiah
to come to him, even though he never gave him
a favorable word from God. As they waited for his arrival,
(18:25):
more false prophets continued their spectacle, trying to prop up
the king. But when the prophet arived the real prophet,
the word he brought was ultimately much different. He revealed
a vision from God of sheep scattered on the hill
and their master having been killed. After Ahab rejected this prophet,
Makaiah turned around and spoke in clear terms, telling him,
(18:49):
God had sent him false prophets to entice him to
war so that he would be killed. Yet even with
this knowledge, Ahab insisted on going to war, but rather
than bravely entering the battle as king, he tried to
disguise himself while he made Jehosephat dress in royal garb
and mount his horse. In the end, however, none of
(19:12):
his schemes mattered, because the Lord's plans will never fail. Jehosephat,
the Righteous King, was spared from death, while Ahab was
struck down by the enemy's eras and died in his chariot.
Next time, we'll learn more about this god fearing righteous
king of Judah, whose name is Jehosaphat. Dear Lord, help
(19:34):
us always to listen to you, and not to others
who may speak for you but in fact tell lies.
You have told us that we should discern truth from error,
righteousness from unrighteousness, and your word the word of God
for the words of men. Help us always to test
the spirits to see that they are from you, and
(19:54):
trust and obey your counsel as we fight spiritual battles
in your name. Amen, Thank you for listening to today's
Bible in a Year podcast. I'm Pastor Jack Graham from Dallas, Texas.
Let me encourage you to download the Prey dot com
app and always make Bible reading and Bible study a
priority in your life along with prayer. If you enjoyed
(20:18):
this podcast, share it with someone you love. Let someone
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grow in your Christian life, then go to Jack Graham
dot org. That's Jack Graham dot org. God bless you.
Let us pray, and the fear of the Lord fell
upon all the kingdoms of the lands that were round
about Judah, so that they made no war against jehosephat
Second Chronicles seventeen ten. Before I start my day, I
will first spend it in your presence. Through this decision,
(00:22):
your truth spoken to me in to day's reading has
set me up for success. Thank you that through the
story of Jehosaphat and Ahab, I see the importance of
not moving on a matter until I get your word
on it. Protect me from the advice of others that
would have me die on the battlefield of my dreams
(00:44):
because I did not wait for the true answer of
the Lord, stick my feet to the ground until I
have clearly heard from you. Help me to recognize people
pleasers who just want to be yes men and yes
women in my life. Your word, your yes is the
(01:05):
final say in my life. Therefore, I will thank you
in advance, because when I get my yes from you,
I can trust that my outcome will be glorious and
filled with your favor in Jesus name, Amen. Listening to
(01:26):
these daily prayers strengthens your relationship with God. Continue hearing
from the Lord by listening to today's Bible in a
Year brought to you by Bible in a Year dot.
Speaker 2 (01:38):
Com Jehoseph, Fat and a half.
Speaker 3 (01:51):
In our last story, we dove more into the mind
of the witch Queen Jezebel. Her evil and twisted ways
had a hold on King Ahaf and she would enact
cruelty on his behalf. After she had a farmer killed
for his land, Elijah confronted Ahab and he repented before
the Lord. Now we learn about the righteous rule of
(02:12):
King Jehosaphat over Judah in his unlikely alliance with King
Ahab from Israel. Their alliance proved to be a deadly
one for Ahab as they pursued the Syrians inspired by
the Book of First Kings and Second Chronicles.
Speaker 4 (02:31):
Hello, this is Pastor Jack Graham with today's episode of
the Bible in a Year podcast. In our previous episode,
we saw just how evil and conniving and calculating Jezebel,
the witch of a queen was. She held Ahab in
her power and acted with great wickedness on his behalf.
And with his silent consent, Elijah, the Great Man of God,
(02:54):
finally confronted Ahab for his unfaithfulness and pronounced God's judgment
on him and his wife. Jeshus Ahab was moved to
repentance and sorrow for his actions, and the Lord showed
mercy on the king, But Jezebel died in judgment. Today
we'll hear how Judah's righteous king Jehosephat formed an alliance
(03:16):
with Ahab. These two kingdoms so often at odds and
at war, were now working together. But it will spell
disaster for Ahab. So let's listen to God's word.
Speaker 3 (03:27):
Now in the land of Judah, a new king was emerging. Jehosephat,
a young man from the line of David, had taken
over as king after his father Atha. Jehosephad was not
a man to go looking for war and conflict. However,
he knew that Judah had many enemies, mainly their neighboring
(03:47):
nation Israel. So Jehosephad strengthened Judah's borders and fortified its cities.
He stationed troops in every town and created garrisons to
stand in defense of the farmlands and villages. All Jehosephad
did was pleasing in the sight of the Lord. Similar
to his father Atha during his younger years, Jehosephad was
(04:07):
faithful and kind. He worshiped the Lord and shunned the
popular images of bail. Meanwhile, Israel under King Ahab was
known for its idolatry and wicked practices. Word had spread
of their run ins with Elijah. Jojosephad took their conflict
as a warning to continually seek the Lord and obey him.
(04:28):
He even sent men to remove the pagan shrines that
remained in the wilderness of Judah. Because of this, the
Lord blessed him with wisdom, riches, and influence. Jehosephad also
desired that other people know the Lord deeply. He knew
that without knowledge, the people would perish. Joosephad's goal was
to allow the entire nation of Judah to truly understand
(04:50):
the law and love of God, as their ancestors once
did so. He sent out teachers, priests, and prophets into
the land to spread the Word of God and teach
its meanings. He sent ben hiel Obadiah, Zechariah, Nathaniel, and
Meciah to teach the people the depths of God's word
(05:10):
and his love for the people. He also sent out
levites to perform sacrifices on behalf of the villages and
cities that could not afford to do so themselves. The
fear and love of the Lord blew through the nation
of Judah like a pleasant breeze, so much so that
even surrounding nations began to take notice. Some of the Philistines,
(05:31):
sworn enemies of God's people, would send gifts of silver
and livestock to make peace. Many nations refused to declare
war on Judah solely because the presence of God was
known to dwell there. So Jehosaphat became loved and respected
in the whole land. The wealth of Judah began to grow,
and there were great reserves for times of famine. In addition,
(05:55):
the armies of Judah amassed in great numbers. They were
well fed, well trained, and well treated soldiers. Even more,
they loved their king. Jehosephad had earned the love and
favor of his men as David once did. Yet he
believed the time for war was over, and now it
was time for alliances to be made and partnerships to
(06:16):
be formed. Jehosephad extended an alliance to King Ahab of Israel,
so Jehosephat's son and Ahab's daughter were married as a
sign of solidarity between nations. Their warring against one another
was to be ended through their union. A few years
had passed and Jehosephad had enjoyed peace with Israel and
(06:36):
the other surrounding nations. One day he went to Samaria
to visit a Haveb, who had prepared a great feast
in his honor. Jehosephad sat at the large banquet table
with his officials, enjoying the company of their allies. Ahab
was sitting on the opposite end of the table. He
was much more quiet than usual. Jehosephad knew something was
(06:56):
slightly off about Ahab's demeanor. He needed to say something,
He needed to ask something. Jehosephad watched as Ahab finished
his plate, set it aside, and cleared his throat. My friend,
Ahab began, did you know that Raimuth Gilead belongs to Israel,
but the Syrians took it over quite some time ago.
(07:17):
Ahab looked intently at the King of Judah. There was
desperation in his eyes. Please, will you go into battle
with us to take it back? Some of our people
are still there and our resources. Jehosephad took a moment
to think he had made a point to avoid war
in the past few years. Did he want to go
into battle for land that was not his? Did he
(07:38):
want to march his men to fight to right or
wrong that was not done to them. It was a
difficult decision, but ultimately Jehosephad knew what needed to be done.
What good were alliances if you did not hold your
end of the bargain. You and I are one, the
king said, your people are my people, and my horses
are your horses. Ahab was elated at his tame words.
(08:01):
The two of them embraced, and the whole room continued
to celebrate. Jehosephad raised his hand to silence them for
a moment and said, however, let us first consult the
Lord to see if we have his favor in this.
After that, Ahab summoned some of his pagan prophets in
the land. Four hundred men from Israel filtered into the
palace gates and came to Ahab's halls. Jehosephad watched as
(08:24):
the idle worshiping men of Israel gave their words, each
and every one of them gave the king permission to
go into battle. Yes, they all said, God will give
the king victory. They all replied. However, Jehosephad was not
convinced they spoke for the Lord. He turned to Ahab
and said, are there any men of God in your
(08:45):
land that could speak with us? Ahab thought long and
hard about Jehosephad's question. He knew that there was another
man who would speak faithfully for the Lord, but he
often rebuked Ahab for his wicked ways. Ahab spoke and said, yes,
there is another. His name is Machiah. However, I hate
the man. He never prophesies in my favor. He only
(09:08):
means trouble for me. The King of Judah began to
worry about the man he had aligned with. He knew
that Ahab had pagan tendencies and had led Israel astray
once before, but he thought he had repented from that. However,
now Jehosephad was beginning to wonder if a lining with
Ahab was a wise decision. That is not how a
(09:29):
king should speak. Jehosephad rebuked, let us hear what the
prophet has to say. The King of Israel nodded and
sent for Machiah. While they waited, Ahab had more of
his false prophets spin stories of victory for them. They
sat on their thrones and listened to the tickling words
of self serving men. They had made it their habit
(09:49):
to say anything that pleased Ahab, but not Macaiah. Much
like Elijah, he would always tell the truth, no matter
how brutal. A messenger finally came to Machiah to summon
him to the palace. The messenger pulled Makaiah in close
and said, every prophet is promising the king victory in battle.
Make sure you agree with them and promise the king success.
(10:12):
Makiah laughed at the request and shook his head. He
patted the messenger on the shoulder and said, I will
say what God says, no more, no less, and with
that he made his way to the palace. Makiah entered
into the palace doors. The four hundred prophets lined the
walls like flies to sugar. The torches were lit and
there was music playing. Clearly Ahab wanted to gain favor
(10:36):
from his new friend, the King of Judah. Makiah looked
around and saw the king sitting on his throne. His
robes were draped over the throne, and he was clothed
in fine linens and gold. His flashiness disgusted Makiah. The
king glared at him. No doubt, Makaiah had only been
summoned because King Jehosaphat was a man of integrity. Why
(10:56):
else would he be asked to give counsel. Ahabs upright
and asked a question for all to hear, Macaiah, shall
we go to war against Raemuth Gilead or should I
stay back. Machiah was entertained by the question. He smiled
and did his best to initiate the pandering tone of
the other prophets, and said, ah yes, my Lord and King,
(11:19):
you shall be victorious as you are in all your ways.
Go and be brave. Then he bowed as a close
to his small performance. Ahab teemed with anger. How many
times must I demand you speak the truth to me
with these matters, Ahab replied sharply. Machiah's entertained face grew darker.
(11:41):
He sighed and pointed intently at Ahab. I have seen
a vision in Israel, he said. I saw the children
of Israel scattered on the mountains like sheep without a shepherd.
The Lord then spoke to me and said, their master
has been killed. Send them home in peace. Machiah then
shrugged his shoes and began to turn back. Ahab leaned
(12:03):
over to the King of Judah and said, what did
I tell you? He never prophesies in my favor. This
instance is no different from the rest. Upon hearing Ahab,
Machiah turned around and said, listen to me. Now I
saw the Lord sitting on his throne with the armies
of heaven surrounding him. The Lord spoke clearly and asked
(12:23):
all of his armies, who will go forth and entice
King Ahab to be killed. So a spirit came and said,
I will send him prophets to tell him a victory.
So believe me when I say that the Lord has
put lying mouths in these prophets of yours to lead
you into your death. As Machiah was speaking, another prophet
(12:45):
came up to him and slapped him across the face.
Since when did God's spirit leave me to speak to you,
he said. Machaiah spat out some blood from his mouth
and peered up at him. You will see soon enough,
when you are hiding like a dog in your dead.
Arrest him, Ah, have yelled, Put him in prison and
feed him nothing but bread and water until I return
(13:06):
from my battle. That's if you return, Machiah yelled, as
he was being bound by the palace guards. Mark my words,
if you return from that battle, it means the Lord
does not speak through me. And with those last words,
Machiah was taken away. Despite Jehosaphat's reservation, the two armies
(13:27):
marched into battle. The next week. When the two armies
met to descend into Raymouth, Gilead Ahab turned to Jehosaphat
and said, you continue to wear your royal armor, but
I will disguise myself so nobody knows I am king.
So a haveb disguised himself, knowing full well the Syrians
would want to kill him. Meanwhile, on the other side
(13:49):
of the battlefield, the King of Syria said to his commanders,
I do not want much bloodshed today. Attack only the
King of Israel. Do not bother with anyone else. So
the battle began. The alliance of Judah and Israel charged
at the Syrians. Metal and bone clashed on the battlefield,
and the Syrians were intent on getting to the back
(14:09):
of the battle to get the king. When they saw
Jehosaphad and his royal armor, they mistook him for King
Ahab and charged. Jehosaphad's eyes widened as he saw a
sea of soldiers pursuing him. He planted his feet in
the ground and prepared for their attack. But the lord
saved him, and as soon as the chariots drew close
to him, they realized it was not a half, it stopped. Meanwhile,
(14:33):
Ahab was disguised as a normal soldier at the back
of the battlefield. He fought very little, making sure to
preserve his own safety. A barrage of arrows were suddenly
shot in Ahab's direction and he was struck in his side.
Ahab writhed in pain on the floor. He called to
his chariot and yelled, get me out of here. I
am wounded. So the servant propped him up on the
(14:55):
chariot and began to weave through the battle to escape.
The battle raged on violently as the Syrians looked for
ae have However, as the sun was setting and the
battle was raging, Ahab died in his chariot.
Speaker 4 (15:13):
In today's scripture, we read of a story of two
kingdoms and two very different kings. Jehosephat was the son
of Asa, king of Judah, and like his father and
his forefather David before him, Jehosephad was a righteous king
who earnestly sought the Lord's favor, and he not only
(15:33):
sought favor for himself. He acted in the best interest
of the people of Judah, tearing down idols, not only
in the prominent cities, but in the dark recesses of
the desert where evil tried to hide. His example is
one we should follow, seeking to root out any idolatry
in our life, all false gods and false ideologies, even
(15:55):
those that we try to hide in our own life.
God looked favorably upon Jehosephat and blessed him and his
nation with peace, prosperity, and prominence. Among the neighboring nations.
Jehosaphat and Judah stood in stark contrast to Israel and
King Ahab to the north. Any change of heart or
repentance from Ahab seemed to be now gone, and he
(16:19):
continued to lead people in the worship of bail in,
giving his ear to false prophets. Once again, he disobeys God.
King Jehosaphat desired peace, especially with his northern neighbors, so
he forged an alliance with Aheb through the marriage of
his son to Ahab's daughter. Thus ended the conflict between
(16:39):
these two nations, Israel and Judah. Ahab knew that Judah's
army was strong and capable, and after a few years
he approached Jehosaphat for help defeating Syria and reclaiming land
and possessions the Syrians had taken from Israel. And though
Jehosaphat wanted peace and to avoid war, he knew it
(17:00):
would be right to support his ally, so he agreed
to help. But he wisely told Ahab that they must
first seek the lord's guidance, to seek God's counsel to
see if the battle was one God would give victory.
For Ahab, the battle seemed to be no problem, for
he had hundreds of men who would gladly tell him
whatever he wanted to hear. A Have then summoned these
(17:23):
pagan prophets, and as he sat with Jehosephad, these men
came before him and spoke only of victory, saying God
would be the king. But Jehosephad had a discerning heart,
and he wanted to be sure these were in fact
God's words. So he says in First King twenty two seven,
is there not here another prophet of the Lord of
(17:45):
whom we may inquire? This is a huge reminder for
us today that we must always be discerning and wise
concerning so called spiritual advice. The Bible says we are
to test the spirits to see if they are from God.
Ahab surely was frustrated because he knew his prophetic yes
(18:05):
men did not convince Jehosaphat. He knew of a prophet
who indeed spoke from God and for God, but he
didn't want to hear this, so he called for Makaiah
to come to him, even though he never gave him
a favorable word from God. As they waited for his arrival,
(18:25):
more false prophets continued their spectacle, trying to prop up
the king. But when the prophet arived the real prophet,
the word he brought was ultimately much different. He revealed
a vision from God of sheep scattered on the hill
and their master having been killed. After Ahab rejected this prophet,
Makaiah turned around and spoke in clear terms, telling him,
(18:49):
God had sent him false prophets to entice him to
war so that he would be killed. Yet even with
this knowledge, Ahab insisted on going to war, but rather
than bravely entering the battle as king, he tried to
disguise himself while he made Jehosephat dress in royal garb
and mount his horse. In the end, however, none of
(19:12):
his schemes mattered, because the Lord's plans will never fail. Jehosephat,
the Righteous King, was spared from death, while Ahab was
struck down by the enemy's eras and died in his chariot.
Next time, we'll learn more about this god fearing righteous
king of Judah, whose name is Jehosaphat. Dear Lord, help
(19:34):
us always to listen to you, and not to others
who may speak for you but in fact tell lies.
You have told us that we should discern truth from error,
righteousness from unrighteousness, and your word the word of God
for the words of men. Help us always to test
the spirits to see that they are from you, and
(19:54):
trust and obey your counsel as we fight spiritual battles
in your name. Amen, Thank you for listening to today's
Bible in a Year podcast. I'm Pastor Jack Graham from Dallas, Texas.
Let me encourage you to download the Prey dot com
app and always make Bible reading and Bible study a
priority in your life along with prayer. If you enjoyed
(20:18):
this podcast, share it with someone you love. Let someone
know because by sharing this podcast you can truly make
a difference in someone's life. And if you want more
resources from me, Jack Graham as to how you can
grow in your Christian life, then go to Jack Graham
dot org. That's Jack Graham dot org. God bless you.
Host
Jack Graham
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