November 24, 2024 • 31 mins
In this episode, from a chapel service held on Tuesday 29 October 2024, Dan Wu, lecturer in Old Testament, takes a closer look at 1 Kings 22 verses 1 to 40 and the end of the reign of the Israelite king, King Ahab.
He reminds us that our all-powerful God often works in ways that seem weak and unimpressive, but in the end, his ways demonstrate his complete control over everything, and point to his unstoppable plan to conquer sin and save his people.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:09):
Welcome to the Moore College Podcast.
A podcast of biblically sound, thought-provoking and challenging talks from Moore
Theological College in Sydney, Australia.
In this episode, from a chapel serviceheld on Tuesday 29 October 2024.
Dan Wu, lecturer in Old Testament, takes a closerlook at 1 Kings 22, verses 1 40 and the end
(00:32):
of the reign of the Israelite king, King Ahab.
He reminds us that our all powerful Godoften works in ways that seem weak and
unimpressive, but in the end, His waysdemonstrate his complete control over
everything and point to his unstoppableplan to conquer sin and save his people.
We hope you find the episode helpful.
(01:01):
Good morning, brothers and sisters.
I am reading the Elijah narrative at themoment, prepping for a conference, and I'm
up to the end of One Kings, One Kings 22.
Uh, which is also the end of King Ahab'srule over the Northern Kingdom, Israel.
And given that it's also the end ofthe college year, I thought that is
providential guidance right there.
(01:21):
Uh, God wants us to lookat 1 Kings 22 this morning.
So, there is this World War II movie,Force 10, from Navarone, with Harrison
Ford, Carl Weathers, I think there'sa picture of it coming up in a second.
Um, and I was channel flipping one nightand came across it, decided to watch it.
Uh, it's basically a behind enemy linesmovie, and it centers around an impregnable
(01:43):
bridge that the undergun heroes have totake out before the massive German army
crosses it and flattens the resistance.
And it seems impossible until theyget the Hail Mary idea of destroying
a dam a few miles upstream.
And so, uh, Miller, who's the guy rightat the front, he's the munitions guy, he
sets it all up and he sends two of theteam on essentially a suicide mission.
(02:06):
Uh, to plant a bomb in the dam.
They get there, and they set it off,but to their surprise, it's tiny.
It doesn't blow them up, andnothing happens to the dam.
But in their confusion, uh, theymake their escape, cursing Miller for
sending them on such a useless mission.
Then cuts to the opposite hill, where the othersare watching the German tanks now rolling across
(02:29):
the bridge, and they're furious with Miller.
And they start throttling him, but thenthe dam alarm sounds and water trickles
from just a tiny crack in the wall.
It then gets bigger, chunks fall out, and then thewhole thing bursts, sending millions of tons of
water down, taking out the bridge and the tanks.
(02:52):
And everyone goes from strangling Miller tocelebrating how he not only masterminded it with
a few tiny explosives, but was so in control.
He got them all out unharmed.
Uh, not the greatest movie.
But some striking parallels to One Kings 22.
(03:14):
That is our all powerful God often works inways that seem initially weak and unimpressive,
But in the end, testify all the more to hiscomplete control over everything and his
unstoppable plan to conquer sin and save.
And he challenges us this morning fromthis passage to both guard our hearts
(03:38):
from sin and persevere in faith when weexperience the attacks of the evil one.
So let's get into it.
I've got three points.
Uh, Ahab tries to manipulate God's word.
Uh, that's verses 1 to 14.
God's word manipulates Ahab.
That's verses 15 and 28.
And then Ahab ends.
(03:58):
God's plan continues.
That's uh, 29 to the end.
And then God's word in you.
So first, Ahab tries to manipulate God's word.
Uh, you might know that the, uh, As thefirst third of the Book of 1 Kings is
devoted to Solomon's rule, pretty much thelast third is devoted entirely to Ahab.
(04:19):
He is like the anti Solomon, uh, whoseungodly rule signals the beginning of the
downfall of the northern kingdom, Israel.
And to really get why, uh, rememberin Deuteronomy 17, God sets out
three key requirements for his king.
Number one, he must live inhumble obedience to God's Word.
(04:42):
Number two, he must use his power toserve not himself but his subjects.
And three, he must not be greedy for his own gain.
And one King's chapter 20 to 22 reallypresents Ahab as a direct failure, in fact,
intentional rejection of all those three things.
(05:04):
Now you can cut it up differentways, but essentially.
Uh, 1 Kings chapter 20 expresses hisdefiance of God's direct command to him.
1 Kings 21 shows his abuse ofpower in the murder of Naboth.
And 1 Kings 22, which we have here, shows himtrying to manipulate God's word for his own gain.
(05:26):
Now, our chapter concerns particularlyAhab's attack on Ramoth Gilead.
Uh, which was part of the promisedland just east of the Jordan, but had
been lost to Syrian or Aramean control.
And so technically it was, uh,Ahab's duty to retake it for God.
But actually Ahab's motivation seemsmore because Ramoth Gilead, uh, was the
(05:48):
intersection of two major trade routes.
And so whoever controlled it, uh, Iguess it'd be like, I don't know, owning
the bridge and tunnel toll points.
Okay.
That's it.
Every beep of the e tag, music to your ears.
Now, in verse 1, Jehoshaphat, who is theking of Judah, comes for a visit, probably
because one of his sons, Jehoram, has justgotten engaged to Ahab's daughter, Athaliah.
(06:11):
Uh, you're gonna find howdisastrous that is in 2 Kings.
But actually in verse 3, it's Ahab'sopportunity to ask Jehoshaphat for his help.
And Jehoshaphat, who's presentedin this chapter as, uh, naive, but
godly, initially agrees in verse 4.
He says, I am as you are.
My people as your people,my horses as your horses.
(06:32):
I think an Aussie translationwould be, uh, yeah, for sure.
But then he throws a slightspanner in the works in verse five.
Jehoshaphat also said to the King ofIsrael, first seek the counsel of the Lord.
In other words, Hang on, God'speople really should check their
(06:53):
plans with him before proceeding.
Which I think is a helpful applicationpoint for us all, isn't it?
But initially that is no problem at all for Ahabbecause he has got a stack of back pocket prophets
ready to go for just this sort of occasion.
Verse 6.
So the king of Israel brought togetherthe prophets, about 400 men, and
asked them, Shall I go to war againstRamoth Gilead or shall I refrain?
(07:17):
Go, they answered, for the Lordwill give it into the king's hand.
And you can almost imagine Ahab saying,there you go, Joshua, you got God's approval.
Let's go.
But of course, this pictureis all wrong, isn't it?
And in fact, there are lots of signsof how Israel's worship And morality
have become a complete sham under Ahab.
(07:38):
Let me point out two.
Uh, first, uh, just a quick one.
400 prophets versus one true prophet.
We are gonna meet in a moment.
should remind us of one Kings chapter18, the prophets of Bal in their hundreds
against the one true prophet Elijah.
Uh, second in verses five to six, theseprophets actually put up a bit of a bit
(07:59):
of a theological smoke and mirror show.
To try and get it past Jehoshaphat.
So you notice the two spellingsof Lord in verses five and six.
In verse 5, Jehoshaphat asksto consult with the LORD.
That's Yahweh, small caps.
But then in verse 6, the prophets reply,Go for the LORD, which is all lowercase.
(08:21):
Adonai, which is the generic word for a masteror a lord, could apply to any divine being.
We'll give it into your hand.
You see the sleight of hand going on here?
I guess it's a little bit likeif you're planning a party.
And you want to keep it classy.
So you give a friend money to get aslab of like proper Coke for the party.
(08:43):
Uh, but at the shops, no nameCola is on special, right?
So they know it's wrong, but they buy thatinstead and then blow the rest on snacks
for themselves or something like that.
And you ask them, did you get the Coke?
And they say, Cola.
Yeah, yeah.
We got the Cola you asked for.
Yep, absolutely.
Jehoshaphat says, can we check with Yahweh?
(09:04):
Ahab pulls out his prophets to sayon demand, Adonai says, yep, go.
Now, later in the chapter, these falseprophets will actually claim to speak for
Yahweh, and they will without realizing it.
But can you see what a farce it has become?
God's word should lead Ahab.
To godliness, but Ahab is trying to manipulateGod's word Into a tool for his own gain and
(09:30):
in verses 10 to 12, you see the sick spectacleit is Complete with dress ups dancing and a
chorus of yes men and sadly this Repeats itselftoo often doesn't it in christian history?
I took my boys for a haircut the other day andI found in the parlor magazines a book history
history's greatest scandals Which included twochristian leaders jimmy baker and jimmy swaggart
(09:55):
Uh, both American televangelists in the 80s.
And, uh, as I read their stories ofscandal and corruption, it was almost point
for point with Ahab here in 1 Kings 22.
You know, spectacle, posturing, surfacegodliness and respectability, but behind it all,
corruption, manipulation, exploitation, and greed.
(10:20):
Uh, and, and tragically, if you have listenedto certain podcasts or read articles in the
last couple of years, you will know it stillgoes on today in circles very close to our own.
And so this passage should really drivehome to us how critical it is to keep
simple, genuine engagement with Godand humble submission to his word.
(10:45):
At the heart of all we are and do.
And I think it is a reallypressing issue, isn't it?
Because I don't know about you, but ifI'm honest, um, I sense more than just
a bit of Ahab in my heart, don't you?
And I think we Christian leaderscan be especially susceptible to it.
(11:08):
Can't we?
Because in a sense, our vocation, our jobis to put on that surface sheen, um, of
professional ministry respectability constantly.
But that can so easily become a smokescreenfor us harboring sin in our hearts.
(11:29):
Carnot, that gap between who we are upfront in public ministry and who we are
really inside here can become quite large.
Carnot, it is in all of us.
So we need to know how to deal with it.
How do we do that?
Well, it's not rocket science, isn't it?
(11:50):
But I've found a writer likeJerry Bridges so helpful.
Uh, he, like many others, uh, it was aguy that I read, uh, first read that said,
preach the gospel to yourself every day.
And again, you know, it's motherhoodand apple pie for us, but so easy to
forget and so important to do, isn't it?
(12:11):
Start each day by just soaking your heartin the fact that God loves you, and you know
this for sure, simply because Jesus died androse to save you from your sins, and that
is all that finally matters in your life.
(12:32):
I think if you start each day with those truths,I find that keeps me just centered on God, and
gives me the assurance and strength that I need.
To quite often come clean, uh, beforeGod, to confess what I've been harboring
in my heart and to be able to commitmyself to God again in good conscience,
feeling like there's nothing between us.
(12:56):
So I want to ask, have you got a specificmethod For staying on track with God yourself.
Uh, if you don't, um, I do recommendJerry Bridges, you know, uh, there's two
books I read in particular disciplinesof grace and respectable sins.
They're a bit old school, uh, but I think they'revery, very solid for giving you just a really
good way to assess how you're going in your heart.
(13:17):
And really come back to thegospel in a genuine way every day.
Make new every morning, the wonderful truthsof the gospel and never move from Jesus alone.
That's the first thing welearned from this passage.
Uh, now secondly, we learn in verses13 to 28, that actually you try to
manipulate God's word and you find thatGod's word in fact will manipulate you.
(13:41):
Uh, we see everything Ahab does.
Completely backfire.
Instead of controlling God's word for hisown gain, God's word controls him to his end.
See, Jehoshaphat isn't completely taken inand so in verse seven he still asks, no, no.
Are there any proper prophets of Yahweh?
Left And Ahab's response in verseeight is just so childish, isn't it?
(14:05):
There is still one prophet throughwhom we can inquire of Yahweh.
But I hate him because he never prophesiesanything good about me, but always bad.
He's my Kaya son of Imla.
It's comical, isn't it?
But again, so like us in our sinfulness sometimes.
Uh, don't anybody here love criticism?
(14:28):
We hate it, don't we?
Um, even when, and probablyespecially when, it is true.
Um, you know, I, I try to dad coach mykids in basketball, and you know, it gets
to certain points great, they, they lapup everything I'm saying like I'm the
greatest coach in the history of basketball,and then there's that turning point.
(14:49):
It's like, yeah, whatever dad, I know this, right?
And it's so frustrating, isn't it, whenyou're trying to help them improve,
when you can say what they need.
And whatever you say, you just knowthey're going to reject it and push back.
Uh, then I think back to when my dad triedto teach me golf and I realized, uh, what
(15:09):
goes around comes around, you know, uh,and it is, again, it's, it's, it's amusing.
And yet a leader, a Christian leader whocannot take criticism and correction.
is all too common, isn't it?
And all too dangerous and damaging.
Brothers and Sisters, it is actuallya necessary mark of Christian maturity
(15:30):
and leadership to be able to humblyaccept correction when it is warranted.
And again, if we're honest with ourselves,It is often warranted, isn't it?
So I want to challenge you.
Is there an area that you need towork on in stopping, resenting people
(15:51):
confronting and correcting you and humblyaccept that correction of God's word?
Again, I know I certainly do.
Now to get Jehoshaphat to sign on thedotted line, Ahab ends up summoning Micaiah.
There is clearly bad blood betweenthem as verses 13 to 16 shows, but
(16:11):
eventually Micaiah gives Ahab the answer.
Uh, God's answer to whether or nothe should attack Ramoth Gilead.
Verse 17, then Micah answered, Isaw all Israel scattered on the
hills like sheep without a shepherd.
And the Lord that Yahweh said,these people have no master.
Let each one go home in peace.
(16:32):
In other words, Ahab, Yahweh says if you goup, Israel will be defeated, and you will die.
So, you reckon you should go or not?
Ahab's response in verse 18 is tragic, isn't it?
The king of Israel said toJehoshaphat, Didn't I tell you?
He never prophesies anythinggood about me, but only bad.
(16:55):
Right, again, he's missed the whole point.
It's God's gracious warning to youthat the endeavor you're about to
embark on is doomed to failure and yourresponse is, see, he doesn't like me.
Now Micaiah keeps on going in verse 19,23 with his vision of God's heavenly
court and the deceiving spirit thatGod is going to send to entice Ahab.
(17:18):
It's a bit of a strange episode and in fact somescholars actually, um, uh, Cast question on God's
character that he could use deception like this.
But actually, if you read the versescarefully, there is no deception on God's part.
God tells Ahab exactly what he is going todo and exactly what the lying spirit will do.
(17:41):
Um, it's a little bit likea laid down Mazare in 500.
I don't actually play 500, uh, so Idon't really know what I'm talking about.
Uh, but I do get the idea of a laydown mazere.
The idea is that your hand, like, youknow, it's one of those games where you
win hands by having the better cards.
And a laydown mazere, like, usually you keepthem hidden because you want to, you know, not
(18:03):
tell people what you have so you can beat them.
But a laydown mazere is when your hand is sostrong, you have no need to hide it at all.
You can just lay it out flat onthe table for everybody to see.
You That you are going towin absolutely every hand.
And here God lays it out before Ahab onthe table and says, think about it, Ahab.
My prophet says things you don'tlike, but always come true.
(18:28):
Your prophets say what you want to hear, butthey are speaking through a lying spirit sent
to deceive you, and I am in, so in control ofit, it had to ask my permission to lie to you.
So, what do you think you should do?
Listen to their lies and go?
Or listen to the truth?
(18:51):
And not go.
Now, can you see this passage is notjust God's just judgment on Ahab.
It is also his last desperate, graciousappeal to a sinner to humble himself
and listen before it is too late.
(19:13):
Again, we should learn from this.
When God puts obstacles in our way, WhenHe makes things difficult for us, it is not
necessarily a sign that He is dead set against us.
In fact, it is often a sign of His kindness tous, warning us that we may be headed for disaster.
Now, of course, you can't always say that.
(19:33):
We live in a fallen and broken world, but itis always worth just taking that opportunity
when you do rub up against the plans of God,when things go pear shaped, how you'd hoped,
To take that opportunity to have an honestlook and to see if God is in fact stopping you
from a sin Before it wreaks havoc on your life
(19:58):
Sadly ahab doesn't and so he ends andgod's plan continues in verses 29 to
40 Um Ahab throws Micaiah in prisonand goes up and attacks Ramoth Gilead.
But even as he defies God's word, you cansee his insecurity and cowardice, can't you?
So he says he's going to ignore Micaiah,but in verse 30 he sends Jehoshaphat in his
(20:23):
royal robes while he says, I'm just going todisguise myself, you know, because I don't care.
But it does seem clever, doesn't it?
Right?
Fly under the radar, put a kingly human meatshield in front of you, And you should be
right, but you can't get around God's word.
Galatians six, seven, do not be deceived.
(20:44):
God cannot be mocked.
A man reaps what he sows.
Whoever sows to please their fleshfrom their flesh will reap destruction.
Whoever sows to please the spirit fromthe spirit will reap paternal life.
Ahab sowed to please his flesh.
And in doing so, he playedroulette with God's word.
(21:05):
He took it on and found out the hard way.
God always wins.
Sin never does.
And in fact, the very thing he putin place to avoid God's word ends
up bringing it about verse 31.
Now the king of Syria had orderedhis 32 chariot commanders.
(21:29):
Don't fight with anyone greatersmall, except the king of Israel.
When the chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat,they thought, surely this is the king of Israel.
So they turned to attack him.
But when Jehoshaphat cried out, thechariot commander saw that he was not the
king of Israel and stopped pursuing him.
But someone drew his bow at random and hit theking of Israel between the sections of the armour.
(21:53):
The king told his chariot driver, wheel around,get me out of the fighting, I've been wounded.
All Ahab's scamming and plotting, all hiswheeling and dealing, every attempt to dodge
around the word of God, his entire twenty yearreign, and a random archer firing a random
arrow, probably thinking, I've lost the grandprize of the king of Israel, I'll just pick
(22:19):
off a common soldier as they go, brings downon Ahab all the judgment of God promised.
He dies, the dogs lick his blood, andhis dynasty begins to crumble around him.
And, and the irony is just sodevastatingly beautiful, isn't it?
(22:41):
He tried to dodge God's word by deceitand disguise, and it's that very deceit.
That brings him down.
One Kings 22 shows us such a vital truth abouthow God often deals with sin, and that is
by giving sinners exactly what they desire.
(23:02):
Now, Romans one, remember how it describes it.
God gave them over to thesinful desires of their hearts.
Initially, it might seem like Godlets sinners get away with their sin.
But he doesn't, uh, it may take time.
It may look like they sin withoutconsequence, but eventually and inevitably
(23:25):
God will bring our sins home to roost.
Uh, let me give you a littlefacetious illustration of this.
Um, it's a fictitious story, but let's saythere was a minister who loved fishing.
Uh, so much so that oneSunday I was just too perfect.
The conditions were all there and the desire toskip church and head out was just too strong.
(23:47):
So he called his assistant.
Chuck Tasicki got him to take church for him andthen headed out secretly to his favorite spot.
Uh, in heaven, an angel comes up to God andsays, God, to see what this guy's doing,
are you going to let him get away with this?
God says, leave it to me.
So the guy sets up, uh, first cast.
(24:07):
Boom.
He's on, right?
Uh, fish on, he reels it in and it's a huge fish.
Cast it out again.
He's on like that.
This time it's even bigger.
By the time he's finished.
He's broken records.
It's unbelievable.
Uh, back in heaven, the angel turns toGod and says, God, what is going on here?
(24:28):
I thought you were going to punish him.
Instead, you've just given himthe fishing trip of a lifetime.
God turns to the angel andhe smiles and he says, yep.
And you know the best part?
He can never tell anyone about it.
Yeah, very facetious example,but I hope you get the point.
(24:49):
Do not be deceived.
God cannot be mocked.
You reap what you sow.
You sow in selfishness or infidelity.
You think you gain by those things.
What do you reap?
Desperate loneliness, broken family.
You sow in greed, you reapinsecurity, fear, discontentment.
(25:16):
You sow in humility, repentance, and faith.
What do you reap?
Forgiveness.
Security.
Glory with God.
So this section challenges us.
Who are we sowing to please?
Our flesh or God's Spirit?
(25:40):
Let me conclude.
God's Word and us.
So what we see in 1 Kings 22, Ahab's end,shows us that our sovereign, all powerful God,
So often works in ways that seem initiallyunimpressive and weak, but in the end testify
all the more clearly to his complete powerand control over all things and therefore
(26:03):
his unbreakable plan to conquer sin and save.
And in the end, that's a wonderful foretaste.
Jesus, isn't it?
I mean, could God's true King andSavior appear any weaker or pathetic
than a man strung up to die on a cross?
(26:27):
But you look under the surface and what isreally going on is that the bomb is being laid in
just the right place to do just what is needed.
What seems so weak and innocuous, a random Jewexecuted by the mighty Roman Empire, created
(26:50):
that crack in the damn wall that allowed God'sgrace to shatter sins hold over the world
and flood through to save sinners like us.
That's the wonderful message 1Kings 22 finally points us to.
So I want to conclude by asking, whatdo you need to take from this chapter?
(27:11):
Do you need to take its warning?
We cannot avoid the word and judgment of God.
So are you ready?
Or are you Ahab?
Do you need to hear its comfort?
Sin will not prevail over God's promise.
You may be called to endure a time underthe rule of an Ahab, and it can be awful.
(27:38):
Hard to persevere, isn't it?
But the Lord Jesus died so that nothingmight snatch you from his hands.
And he has won the victory So hold on tohim and let his love carry you Until he
(27:58):
brings you home to join victory with him.
Let's pray
father.
You are the holy Saving god the all powerfulgod whose power took the form of weakness
(28:18):
and suffering, so that you might destroythe power of sin and save us, your people.
So, help us live for you andproclaim you every day of our lives.
In Jesus name, Amen.
(28:42):
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(29:04):
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(29:47):
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Until next time.
Welcome to the Moore College Podcast.
A podcast of biblically sound, thought-provoking and challenging talks from Moore
Theological College in Sydney, Australia.
In this episode, from a chapel serviceheld on Tuesday 29 October 2024.
Dan Wu, lecturer in Old Testament, takes a closerlook at 1 Kings 22, verses 1 40 and the end
(00:32):
of the reign of the Israelite king, King Ahab.
He reminds us that our all powerful Godoften works in ways that seem weak and
unimpressive, but in the end, His waysdemonstrate his complete control over
everything and point to his unstoppableplan to conquer sin and save his people.
We hope you find the episode helpful.
(01:01):
Good morning, brothers and sisters.
I am reading the Elijah narrative at themoment, prepping for a conference, and I'm
up to the end of One Kings, One Kings 22.
Uh, which is also the end of King Ahab'srule over the Northern Kingdom, Israel.
And given that it's also the end ofthe college year, I thought that is
providential guidance right there.
(01:21):
Uh, God wants us to lookat 1 Kings 22 this morning.
So, there is this World War II movie,Force 10, from Navarone, with Harrison
Ford, Carl Weathers, I think there'sa picture of it coming up in a second.
Um, and I was channel flipping one nightand came across it, decided to watch it.
Uh, it's basically a behind enemy linesmovie, and it centers around an impregnable
(01:43):
bridge that the undergun heroes have totake out before the massive German army
crosses it and flattens the resistance.
And it seems impossible until theyget the Hail Mary idea of destroying
a dam a few miles upstream.
And so, uh, Miller, who's the guy rightat the front, he's the munitions guy, he
sets it all up and he sends two of theteam on essentially a suicide mission.
(02:06):
Uh, to plant a bomb in the dam.
They get there, and they set it off,but to their surprise, it's tiny.
It doesn't blow them up, andnothing happens to the dam.
But in their confusion, uh, theymake their escape, cursing Miller for
sending them on such a useless mission.
Then cuts to the opposite hill, where the othersare watching the German tanks now rolling across
(02:29):
the bridge, and they're furious with Miller.
And they start throttling him, but thenthe dam alarm sounds and water trickles
from just a tiny crack in the wall.
It then gets bigger, chunks fall out, and then thewhole thing bursts, sending millions of tons of
water down, taking out the bridge and the tanks.
(02:52):
And everyone goes from strangling Miller tocelebrating how he not only masterminded it with
a few tiny explosives, but was so in control.
He got them all out unharmed.
Uh, not the greatest movie.
But some striking parallels to One Kings 22.
(03:14):
That is our all powerful God often works inways that seem initially weak and unimpressive,
But in the end, testify all the more to hiscomplete control over everything and his
unstoppable plan to conquer sin and save.
And he challenges us this morning fromthis passage to both guard our hearts
(03:38):
from sin and persevere in faith when weexperience the attacks of the evil one.
So let's get into it.
I've got three points.
Uh, Ahab tries to manipulate God's word.
Uh, that's verses 1 to 14.
God's word manipulates Ahab.
That's verses 15 and 28.
And then Ahab ends.
(03:58):
God's plan continues.
That's uh, 29 to the end.
And then God's word in you.
So first, Ahab tries to manipulate God's word.
Uh, you might know that the, uh, As thefirst third of the Book of 1 Kings is
devoted to Solomon's rule, pretty much thelast third is devoted entirely to Ahab.
(04:19):
He is like the anti Solomon, uh, whoseungodly rule signals the beginning of the
downfall of the northern kingdom, Israel.
And to really get why, uh, rememberin Deuteronomy 17, God sets out
three key requirements for his king.
Number one, he must live inhumble obedience to God's Word.
(04:42):
Number two, he must use his power toserve not himself but his subjects.
And three, he must not be greedy for his own gain.
And one King's chapter 20 to 22 reallypresents Ahab as a direct failure, in fact,
intentional rejection of all those three things.
(05:04):
Now you can cut it up differentways, but essentially.
Uh, 1 Kings chapter 20 expresses hisdefiance of God's direct command to him.
1 Kings 21 shows his abuse ofpower in the murder of Naboth.
And 1 Kings 22, which we have here, shows himtrying to manipulate God's word for his own gain.
(05:26):
Now, our chapter concerns particularlyAhab's attack on Ramoth Gilead.
Uh, which was part of the promisedland just east of the Jordan, but had
been lost to Syrian or Aramean control.
And so technically it was, uh,Ahab's duty to retake it for God.
But actually Ahab's motivation seemsmore because Ramoth Gilead, uh, was the
(05:48):
intersection of two major trade routes.
And so whoever controlled it, uh, Iguess it'd be like, I don't know, owning
the bridge and tunnel toll points.
Okay.
That's it.
Every beep of the e tag, music to your ears.
Now, in verse 1, Jehoshaphat, who is theking of Judah, comes for a visit, probably
because one of his sons, Jehoram, has justgotten engaged to Ahab's daughter, Athaliah.
(06:11):
Uh, you're gonna find howdisastrous that is in 2 Kings.
But actually in verse 3, it's Ahab'sopportunity to ask Jehoshaphat for his help.
And Jehoshaphat, who's presentedin this chapter as, uh, naive, but
godly, initially agrees in verse 4.
He says, I am as you are.
My people as your people,my horses as your horses.
(06:32):
I think an Aussie translationwould be, uh, yeah, for sure.
But then he throws a slightspanner in the works in verse five.
Jehoshaphat also said to the King ofIsrael, first seek the counsel of the Lord.
In other words, Hang on, God'speople really should check their
(06:53):
plans with him before proceeding.
Which I think is a helpful applicationpoint for us all, isn't it?
But initially that is no problem at all for Ahabbecause he has got a stack of back pocket prophets
ready to go for just this sort of occasion.
Verse 6.
So the king of Israel brought togetherthe prophets, about 400 men, and
asked them, Shall I go to war againstRamoth Gilead or shall I refrain?
(07:17):
Go, they answered, for the Lordwill give it into the king's hand.
And you can almost imagine Ahab saying,there you go, Joshua, you got God's approval.
Let's go.
But of course, this pictureis all wrong, isn't it?
And in fact, there are lots of signsof how Israel's worship And morality
have become a complete sham under Ahab.
(07:38):
Let me point out two.
Uh, first, uh, just a quick one.
400 prophets versus one true prophet.
We are gonna meet in a moment.
should remind us of one Kings chapter18, the prophets of Bal in their hundreds
against the one true prophet Elijah.
Uh, second in verses five to six, theseprophets actually put up a bit of a bit
(07:59):
of a theological smoke and mirror show.
To try and get it past Jehoshaphat.
So you notice the two spellingsof Lord in verses five and six.
In verse 5, Jehoshaphat asksto consult with the LORD.
That's Yahweh, small caps.
But then in verse 6, the prophets reply,Go for the LORD, which is all lowercase.
(08:21):
Adonai, which is the generic word for a masteror a lord, could apply to any divine being.
We'll give it into your hand.
You see the sleight of hand going on here?
I guess it's a little bit likeif you're planning a party.
And you want to keep it classy.
So you give a friend money to get aslab of like proper Coke for the party.
(08:43):
Uh, but at the shops, no nameCola is on special, right?
So they know it's wrong, but they buy thatinstead and then blow the rest on snacks
for themselves or something like that.
And you ask them, did you get the Coke?
And they say, Cola.
Yeah, yeah.
We got the Cola you asked for.
Yep, absolutely.
Jehoshaphat says, can we check with Yahweh?
(09:04):
Ahab pulls out his prophets to sayon demand, Adonai says, yep, go.
Now, later in the chapter, these falseprophets will actually claim to speak for
Yahweh, and they will without realizing it.
But can you see what a farce it has become?
God's word should lead Ahab.
To godliness, but Ahab is trying to manipulateGod's word Into a tool for his own gain and
(09:30):
in verses 10 to 12, you see the sick spectacleit is Complete with dress ups dancing and a
chorus of yes men and sadly this Repeats itselftoo often doesn't it in christian history?
I took my boys for a haircut the other day andI found in the parlor magazines a book history
history's greatest scandals Which included twochristian leaders jimmy baker and jimmy swaggart
(09:55):
Uh, both American televangelists in the 80s.
And, uh, as I read their stories ofscandal and corruption, it was almost point
for point with Ahab here in 1 Kings 22.
You know, spectacle, posturing, surfacegodliness and respectability, but behind it all,
corruption, manipulation, exploitation, and greed.
(10:20):
Uh, and, and tragically, if you have listenedto certain podcasts or read articles in the
last couple of years, you will know it stillgoes on today in circles very close to our own.
And so this passage should really drivehome to us how critical it is to keep
simple, genuine engagement with Godand humble submission to his word.
(10:45):
At the heart of all we are and do.
And I think it is a reallypressing issue, isn't it?
Because I don't know about you, but ifI'm honest, um, I sense more than just
a bit of Ahab in my heart, don't you?
And I think we Christian leaderscan be especially susceptible to it.
(11:08):
Can't we?
Because in a sense, our vocation, our jobis to put on that surface sheen, um, of
professional ministry respectability constantly.
But that can so easily become a smokescreenfor us harboring sin in our hearts.
(11:29):
Carnot, that gap between who we are upfront in public ministry and who we are
really inside here can become quite large.
Carnot, it is in all of us.
So we need to know how to deal with it.
How do we do that?
Well, it's not rocket science, isn't it?
(11:50):
But I've found a writer likeJerry Bridges so helpful.
Uh, he, like many others, uh, it was aguy that I read, uh, first read that said,
preach the gospel to yourself every day.
And again, you know, it's motherhoodand apple pie for us, but so easy to
forget and so important to do, isn't it?
(12:11):
Start each day by just soaking your heartin the fact that God loves you, and you know
this for sure, simply because Jesus died androse to save you from your sins, and that
is all that finally matters in your life.
(12:32):
I think if you start each day with those truths,I find that keeps me just centered on God, and
gives me the assurance and strength that I need.
To quite often come clean, uh, beforeGod, to confess what I've been harboring
in my heart and to be able to commitmyself to God again in good conscience,
feeling like there's nothing between us.
(12:56):
So I want to ask, have you got a specificmethod For staying on track with God yourself.
Uh, if you don't, um, I do recommendJerry Bridges, you know, uh, there's two
books I read in particular disciplinesof grace and respectable sins.
They're a bit old school, uh, but I think they'revery, very solid for giving you just a really
good way to assess how you're going in your heart.
(13:17):
And really come back to thegospel in a genuine way every day.
Make new every morning, the wonderful truthsof the gospel and never move from Jesus alone.
That's the first thing welearned from this passage.
Uh, now secondly, we learn in verses13 to 28, that actually you try to
manipulate God's word and you find thatGod's word in fact will manipulate you.
(13:41):
Uh, we see everything Ahab does.
Completely backfire.
Instead of controlling God's word for hisown gain, God's word controls him to his end.
See, Jehoshaphat isn't completely taken inand so in verse seven he still asks, no, no.
Are there any proper prophets of Yahweh?
Left And Ahab's response in verseeight is just so childish, isn't it?
(14:05):
There is still one prophet throughwhom we can inquire of Yahweh.
But I hate him because he never prophesiesanything good about me, but always bad.
He's my Kaya son of Imla.
It's comical, isn't it?
But again, so like us in our sinfulness sometimes.
Uh, don't anybody here love criticism?
(14:28):
We hate it, don't we?
Um, even when, and probablyespecially when, it is true.
Um, you know, I, I try to dad coach mykids in basketball, and you know, it gets
to certain points great, they, they lapup everything I'm saying like I'm the
greatest coach in the history of basketball,and then there's that turning point.
(14:49):
It's like, yeah, whatever dad, I know this, right?
And it's so frustrating, isn't it, whenyou're trying to help them improve,
when you can say what they need.
And whatever you say, you just knowthey're going to reject it and push back.
Uh, then I think back to when my dad triedto teach me golf and I realized, uh, what
(15:09):
goes around comes around, you know, uh,and it is, again, it's, it's, it's amusing.
And yet a leader, a Christian leader whocannot take criticism and correction.
is all too common, isn't it?
And all too dangerous and damaging.
Brothers and Sisters, it is actuallya necessary mark of Christian maturity
(15:30):
and leadership to be able to humblyaccept correction when it is warranted.
And again, if we're honest with ourselves,It is often warranted, isn't it?
So I want to challenge you.
Is there an area that you need towork on in stopping, resenting people
(15:51):
confronting and correcting you and humblyaccept that correction of God's word?
Again, I know I certainly do.
Now to get Jehoshaphat to sign on thedotted line, Ahab ends up summoning Micaiah.
There is clearly bad blood betweenthem as verses 13 to 16 shows, but
(16:11):
eventually Micaiah gives Ahab the answer.
Uh, God's answer to whether or nothe should attack Ramoth Gilead.
Verse 17, then Micah answered, Isaw all Israel scattered on the
hills like sheep without a shepherd.
And the Lord that Yahweh said,these people have no master.
Let each one go home in peace.
(16:32):
In other words, Ahab, Yahweh says if you goup, Israel will be defeated, and you will die.
So, you reckon you should go or not?
Ahab's response in verse 18 is tragic, isn't it?
The king of Israel said toJehoshaphat, Didn't I tell you?
He never prophesies anythinggood about me, but only bad.
(16:55):
Right, again, he's missed the whole point.
It's God's gracious warning to youthat the endeavor you're about to
embark on is doomed to failure and yourresponse is, see, he doesn't like me.
Now Micaiah keeps on going in verse 19,23 with his vision of God's heavenly
court and the deceiving spirit thatGod is going to send to entice Ahab.
(17:18):
It's a bit of a strange episode and in fact somescholars actually, um, uh, Cast question on God's
character that he could use deception like this.
But actually, if you read the versescarefully, there is no deception on God's part.
God tells Ahab exactly what he is going todo and exactly what the lying spirit will do.
(17:41):
Um, it's a little bit likea laid down Mazare in 500.
I don't actually play 500, uh, so Idon't really know what I'm talking about.
Uh, but I do get the idea of a laydown mazere.
The idea is that your hand, like, youknow, it's one of those games where you
win hands by having the better cards.
And a laydown mazere, like, usually you keepthem hidden because you want to, you know, not
(18:03):
tell people what you have so you can beat them.
But a laydown mazere is when your hand is sostrong, you have no need to hide it at all.
You can just lay it out flat onthe table for everybody to see.
You That you are going towin absolutely every hand.
And here God lays it out before Ahab onthe table and says, think about it, Ahab.
My prophet says things you don'tlike, but always come true.
(18:28):
Your prophets say what you want to hear, butthey are speaking through a lying spirit sent
to deceive you, and I am in, so in control ofit, it had to ask my permission to lie to you.
So, what do you think you should do?
Listen to their lies and go?
Or listen to the truth?
(18:51):
And not go.
Now, can you see this passage is notjust God's just judgment on Ahab.
It is also his last desperate, graciousappeal to a sinner to humble himself
and listen before it is too late.
(19:13):
Again, we should learn from this.
When God puts obstacles in our way, WhenHe makes things difficult for us, it is not
necessarily a sign that He is dead set against us.
In fact, it is often a sign of His kindness tous, warning us that we may be headed for disaster.
Now, of course, you can't always say that.
(19:33):
We live in a fallen and broken world, but itis always worth just taking that opportunity
when you do rub up against the plans of God,when things go pear shaped, how you'd hoped,
To take that opportunity to have an honestlook and to see if God is in fact stopping you
from a sin Before it wreaks havoc on your life
(19:58):
Sadly ahab doesn't and so he ends andgod's plan continues in verses 29 to
40 Um Ahab throws Micaiah in prisonand goes up and attacks Ramoth Gilead.
But even as he defies God's word, you cansee his insecurity and cowardice, can't you?
So he says he's going to ignore Micaiah,but in verse 30 he sends Jehoshaphat in his
(20:23):
royal robes while he says, I'm just going todisguise myself, you know, because I don't care.
But it does seem clever, doesn't it?
Right?
Fly under the radar, put a kingly human meatshield in front of you, And you should be
right, but you can't get around God's word.
Galatians six, seven, do not be deceived.
(20:44):
God cannot be mocked.
A man reaps what he sows.
Whoever sows to please their fleshfrom their flesh will reap destruction.
Whoever sows to please the spirit fromthe spirit will reap paternal life.
Ahab sowed to please his flesh.
And in doing so, he playedroulette with God's word.
(21:05):
He took it on and found out the hard way.
God always wins.
Sin never does.
And in fact, the very thing he putin place to avoid God's word ends
up bringing it about verse 31.
Now the king of Syria had orderedhis 32 chariot commanders.
(21:29):
Don't fight with anyone greatersmall, except the king of Israel.
When the chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat,they thought, surely this is the king of Israel.
So they turned to attack him.
But when Jehoshaphat cried out, thechariot commander saw that he was not the
king of Israel and stopped pursuing him.
But someone drew his bow at random and hit theking of Israel between the sections of the armour.
(21:53):
The king told his chariot driver, wheel around,get me out of the fighting, I've been wounded.
All Ahab's scamming and plotting, all hiswheeling and dealing, every attempt to dodge
around the word of God, his entire twenty yearreign, and a random archer firing a random
arrow, probably thinking, I've lost the grandprize of the king of Israel, I'll just pick
(22:19):
off a common soldier as they go, brings downon Ahab all the judgment of God promised.
He dies, the dogs lick his blood, andhis dynasty begins to crumble around him.
And, and the irony is just sodevastatingly beautiful, isn't it?
(22:41):
He tried to dodge God's word by deceitand disguise, and it's that very deceit.
That brings him down.
One Kings 22 shows us such a vital truth abouthow God often deals with sin, and that is
by giving sinners exactly what they desire.
(23:02):
Now, Romans one, remember how it describes it.
God gave them over to thesinful desires of their hearts.
Initially, it might seem like Godlets sinners get away with their sin.
But he doesn't, uh, it may take time.
It may look like they sin withoutconsequence, but eventually and inevitably
(23:25):
God will bring our sins home to roost.
Uh, let me give you a littlefacetious illustration of this.
Um, it's a fictitious story, but let's saythere was a minister who loved fishing.
Uh, so much so that oneSunday I was just too perfect.
The conditions were all there and the desire toskip church and head out was just too strong.
(23:47):
So he called his assistant.
Chuck Tasicki got him to take church for him andthen headed out secretly to his favorite spot.
Uh, in heaven, an angel comes up to God andsays, God, to see what this guy's doing,
are you going to let him get away with this?
God says, leave it to me.
So the guy sets up, uh, first cast.
(24:07):
Boom.
He's on, right?
Uh, fish on, he reels it in and it's a huge fish.
Cast it out again.
He's on like that.
This time it's even bigger.
By the time he's finished.
He's broken records.
It's unbelievable.
Uh, back in heaven, the angel turns toGod and says, God, what is going on here?
(24:28):
I thought you were going to punish him.
Instead, you've just given himthe fishing trip of a lifetime.
God turns to the angel andhe smiles and he says, yep.
And you know the best part?
He can never tell anyone about it.
Yeah, very facetious example,but I hope you get the point.
(24:49):
Do not be deceived.
God cannot be mocked.
You reap what you sow.
You sow in selfishness or infidelity.
You think you gain by those things.
What do you reap?
Desperate loneliness, broken family.
You sow in greed, you reapinsecurity, fear, discontentment.
(25:16):
You sow in humility, repentance, and faith.
What do you reap?
Forgiveness.
Security.
Glory with God.
So this section challenges us.
Who are we sowing to please?
Our flesh or God's Spirit?
(25:40):
Let me conclude.
God's Word and us.
So what we see in 1 Kings 22, Ahab's end,shows us that our sovereign, all powerful God,
So often works in ways that seem initiallyunimpressive and weak, but in the end testify
all the more clearly to his complete powerand control over all things and therefore
(26:03):
his unbreakable plan to conquer sin and save.
And in the end, that's a wonderful foretaste.
Jesus, isn't it?
I mean, could God's true King andSavior appear any weaker or pathetic
than a man strung up to die on a cross?
(26:27):
But you look under the surface and what isreally going on is that the bomb is being laid in
just the right place to do just what is needed.
What seems so weak and innocuous, a random Jewexecuted by the mighty Roman Empire, created
(26:50):
that crack in the damn wall that allowed God'sgrace to shatter sins hold over the world
and flood through to save sinners like us.
That's the wonderful message 1Kings 22 finally points us to.
So I want to conclude by asking, whatdo you need to take from this chapter?
(27:11):
Do you need to take its warning?
We cannot avoid the word and judgment of God.
So are you ready?
Or are you Ahab?
Do you need to hear its comfort?
Sin will not prevail over God's promise.
You may be called to endure a time underthe rule of an Ahab, and it can be awful.
(27:38):
Hard to persevere, isn't it?
But the Lord Jesus died so that nothingmight snatch you from his hands.
And he has won the victory So hold on tohim and let his love carry you Until he
(27:58):
brings you home to join victory with him.
Let's pray
father.
You are the holy Saving god the all powerfulgod whose power took the form of weakness
(28:18):
and suffering, so that you might destroythe power of sin and save us, your people.
So, help us live for you andproclaim you every day of our lives.
In Jesus name, Amen.
(28:42):
Thank you for listening tothe Moore College Podcast.
Our vision as a College is to see Godglorified by men and women living for
and proclaiming Jesus Christ, growinghealthy churches and reaching the lost.
We invite you to attend any of ourupcoming events, including this one
from the Priscilla & Aquila Centre.
The Priscilla and Aquila Centre is a Centre ofMoore Theological College that aims to encourage
(29:04):
the ministries of women in partnership with men.
Every two years, the Centre holds a researchconference for women with the aim of
growing an academic learning community ofevangelical Reformed Complementarian women.
This conference takes place the day afterthe Priscilla & Aquila Annual Conference
to make it easy for women to attend both.
(29:25):
The next research conference will beheld on Tuesday, the 4th of February,
2025, at Moore Theological College.
Nicole Starling, lecturer in Christianity andHistory at Morling College, will be speaking
on the topic of women, 19th century and today,and other talks will also be presented by
Claire Smith, Jocelyn Loane, and Kate Snell.
(29:47):
To find out more and to register, visit thePriscilla & Aquila Centre website, paa.
moore.
edu.
au.
That's paa.
moore.
edu.
au.
You can find out more about our events andregister by going to the Moore College website.
(30:08):
That's moore.
edu.
au.
moore.edu.au.
If you have not already done so, weencourage you to subscribe to our podcast
through your favourite podcast platform,so that you'll never miss an episode.
For past episodes, further resources, and tomake a tax deductible donation to support the
work of the College and its mission, pleasevisit our website at moore.edu.au.
(30:33):
If you found this episode helpful,please share it with a friend and leave
a review on your platform of choice.
We always benefit from feedback from ourlisteners, so if you'd like to get in touch,
you can email us at comms@moore.
edu.
au.
The Moore College Podcast was edited andproduced by me, Karen Beilharz, and the
(30:56):
Communications team at Moore Theological College.
The music for our podcast wasprovided by MarkJuly from Pixabay.
Until next time.
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