1. Doing Micaiah’s Job Who could do it better than him?
Was Micaiah a “real” prophet of God?
Micaiah was a sarcastic jailbird?

2. I Kings 16:30-33 Ahab did evil in the sight of the Lord, more than all who were before him.
As though it had been a trivial thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam, he took as wife Jezebel the daughter of the king of Sidon
He served Baal and worshiped him. He set up an altar for Baal in the temple of Baal, which he had built in Samaria and made a wooden image.
He did more to provoke the Lord God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel who were before him.
34 In his days Hiel of Bethel built Jericho. He laid its foundation with Abiram his firstborn, and with his youngest son Segub he set up its gates, according to the Word of the Lord, which He had spoken through Joshua the son of Nun.

3. Joshua 6:26 Then Joshua charged them at that time, saying, "Cursed be the man before the Lord who rises up and builds this city Jericho; he shall lay its foundation with his firstborn, and with his youngest he shall set up its gates.“ NKJV
"At the cost of his firstborn shall he lay its foundation, and at the cost of his youngest son shall he set up its gates.“ ESV

4. Micaiah
is brought onto
the scene

5. [Note: 2 Chronicles 18 // I Kings 22]
2 Chronicles 18:1-5 Jehoshaphat had great riches & honor
Allied to Ahab by marriage
Years later he went to visit Ahab in Samaria
Ahab persuaded him to join fight for Ramoth Gilead.
Jehoshaphat asks Ahab to inquire of the Lord.
Ahab gathered the 400 prophets and they all said, "Go up, for God will deliver it into the king's hand.”
[Note: 2 Chronicles 18 // I Kings 22]

6. 2 Chronicles 18:6 But Jehoshaphat said, "Is there not still a prophet of the Lord here, that we may inquire of Him?" 7 …"There is still one man by whom we may inquire of the Lord; but I hate him, because he never prophesies good concerning me, but always evil. …Jehoshaphat said, "Let not the king say such things!"

7. 2 Chronicles 18:8-9
Ahab & Jehoshaphat in their robes
Each on his throne
At entrance of the gate of Samaria
All the prophets prophesied before them.

8. 2 Chronicles 18:10-11 Zedekiah, son of Chenaanah, had made horns of iron for himself.
"The Lord says: 'With these you shall gore the Syrians until they are destroyed.‘” (That opportunity had passed)
All the prophets said, "Go up to Ramoth Gilead and prosper, for the Lord will deliver it into the king's hand."

9. 2 Chronicles 18:12-17
Micaiah: ~ ‘I can only say what God tells me.’
~ ‘Go prosper, it’s in the bag!’
Ahab said, "How many times shall I make you swear that you tell me nothing but the truth in the name of the Lord?“
Micaiah tells Ahab he will die if he goes to battle.
Ahab to Jehoshaphat, ~ ‘I told you he’d say something ugly about me!’

10. 2 Chronicles 18:18 Micaiah said, "Therefore hear the Word of the Lord: I saw the Lord sitting on His throne, and all the host of Heaven standing on His right hand and His left. 19 And the Lord said, 'Who will persuade Ahab king of Israel to go up, that he may fall at Ramoth Gilead?' So one spoke in this manner, and another spoke in that manner. 20 Then a spirit came forward and stood before the Lord, and said, 'I will persuade him.' The Lord said to him, 'In what way?' 21 So he said, 'I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.' And the Lord said, 'You shall persuade him and also prevail; go out and do so.' 22 Therefore look! The Lord has put a lying spirit in the mouth of these prophets of yours, and the Lord has declared disaster against you."

11. 2 Chronicles 18:23-24 Zedekiah struck Micaiah, ‘How did the spirit of the Lord go from me to speak to you?’

12. 2 Chronicles 18:25-27 Ahab puts Micaiah in prison
In care of Joash the king's son
"If you ever return in peace, the Lord has not spoken by me." And he said, "Take heed, all you people!”
Joash, son of Ahaziah, was a good king (at first) having come from a bad father, but this was not him. Joash was King of Judah.

13. 2 Chronicles 18:28-32 The kings went up to Ramoth Gilead.
Ahab: You dress kingly; I wear a disguise.
King of Syria commanded his 32 chariot captains ‘Fight with no one but the king of Israel ONLY.’
They surrounded Jehoshaphat but the Lord helped him, and God diverted them from him.
The captains turned back from pursuing him.

14. The king died, and was brought to Samaria.
2 Chronicles 18:33-34 A certain man drew a bow at random, and struck the king of Israel between the joints of his armor. So he died.
I Kings 22:36-37 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!”
The king died, and was brought to Samaria.
Someone washed the chariot at a pool in Samaria, and the dogs licked up his blood while the harlots bathed, according to the Word of the Lord which He had spoken.

15. I Kings 22:39-40
Ahab’s ivory house
Ahab built
several cities

16. Was Micaiah a Failure? Ahab was not excited to hear him.
He did not have Ahab’s confidence (did he?)
Even Jehoshaphat didn’t seem impressed enough to object to the death of his in-law and friend.
He could not persuade Ahab to stay away from Ramoth Gilead.
His king was dead and Israel were like sheep lost across the mountains.

17. What About Elijah?

18. Elijah was sent to Ahab (Israel):
I Kings 17 – He went to meet Ahab, “no dew or rain these years except at my word.”
3 ½ year drought.
Very little exchange with Ahab.
Elijah spent his time hiding…where God sent him
the brook Cherith, fed by ravens
then Zarephath, fed by a widow and her son.
Flour & oil last entire drought.
Brings her son from dead.

19. Elijah was sent to Ahab (Israel):
I Kings 18 – God sends Elijah to Ahab. Elijah did not speak with Ahab very often.
Ahab sought every surrounding country. Intense manhunt headed up by the KING!
Obadiah knew Elijah well enough to trust his word for a matter of life and death.
Elijah lays out the charges against Ahab: V. 18 And he answered, "I have not troubled Israel, but you and your father's house have, in that you have forsaken the commandments of the Lord and have followed the Baals.
Elijah asks for: all 450 prophets of Baal of Asherah at Mt Carmel ‘showdown’.
When fire consumed the sacrifice, including rocks & water, the people fell on their faces and said, “the Lord, He is God!” They captured Baal’s prophets so Elijah could slay all Were the people converted?
Ahab rode off to ‘party,’ for the drought was ending.

20. Elijah was sent to Ahab (Israel):
I Kings 19 – Ahab ran home and told Jezebel.
The prophets was her focus. Promises to kill Elijah.
Ran for his life. “It is enough! Now, Lord, take my life, for I am no better than my fathers.”
Goes 40 days & nights on that food to cave on Mt. Horeb.
Anoint leaders of Damascus, Israel and Elisha.
7,000 not yet bowed to Baal.
Elisha seems to know exactly who Elijah is and he gladly butchers his oxen to celebrate becoming Elijah’s servant.

21. What Would They Say of Him Now?
2 Kings 1:7 Then he said to them, "What kind of man was it who came up to meet you and told you these words?" 8 So they answered him, "A hairy man wearing a leather belt around his waist." And he said, "It is Elijah the Tishbite.“
Elijah had a distinctive appearance and distinctive apparel.
Much of his time was spent in hiding!
He would eat from the birds or a widow (who had a son to support)!
The KING called him the “Troubler of Israel,” so you know he must have been bad!
He was so vindictive that he murdered the 450 prophets of Baal…in cold blood!
Elijah thought so highly of himself that he thought he was the only one still standing for God!

22. Then there was
This Prophet

23. An Anonymous Prophet of God to Ahab
I Kings 20:11-13, 22: Ahab said, "Tell him, 'Let not the one who puts on his armor boast like the one who takes it off.‘” Suddenly a prophet approached Ahab king of Israel, saying, "Thus says the Lord: 'Have you seen all this great multitude? Behold, I will deliver it into your hand today, and you shall know that I am the Lord.‘” …22 And the prophet came to the king of Israel…"Go, strengthen yourself; …for in the spring …the king of Syria will come up against you."

24. Then THIS one:

25. Another Anonymous Man of God sent to Ahab
I Kings 20:28 Then a man of God came and spoke to the king of Israel, …"Thus says the Lord: 'Because the Syrians have said, "The Lord is God of the hills, but He is not God of the valleys," therefore I will deliver all this great multitude into your hand, and you shall know that I am the Lord.'"

26. Next a Son of the Prophets

27. I Kings 20:35-43 A certain man of the sons of the prophets said to his neighbor by the word of the Lord, "Strike me, please." The man refused. "Because you have not obeyed the voice of the Lord, surely, as soon as you depart from me, a lion shall kill you."
Prophet disguised himself and waited. Tells Ahab how he lost a prisoner in his charge. Ahab says he must die or pay dearly.
(Ben-Hadad)
He quickly took the bandage away and the king of Israel recognized him as one of the prophets.
You let slip those I marked for destruction. Your life for his. Your people for his people.
The king of Israel went to his house sullen and displeased, and came to Samaria.

28. But then, don’t forget
THESE prophets, too!

29. I Kings 18:4 For so it was, while Jezebel massacred the prophets of the Lord, that Obadiah had taken one hundred prophets and hidden them… I Kings 19:10 (14) …the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left; and they seek to take my life.” 2 Kings 9:7 ~ You shall strike down the house of Ahab your master to avenge the blood of My prophets, and blood of all the servants of the Lord at the hand of Jezebel. (Jehu, so of Nimshi)

30. What about New Testament times?

31. John 4:1 …When the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John 2 (though Jesus Himself did not baptize, but His disciples), 3 He left Judea and departed again to Galilee.

32. I Corinthians 1:14 I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius …I also baptized the household of Stephanas. Besides, I do not know whether I baptized any other. 17 For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the Gospel, not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect. 18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

33. Were Jesus, Paul, Micaiah, Elijah and other messengers of God blunt and “offensive” to some with their words?
Did any of them worry about how to soft pedal the Word?
Did they worry that some might not enjoy their every word?
Did any of them ‘accentuate the positive’ and ‘downplay the negative’ to make the message more appealing?
Did they worry about conforming to preconceived notions of what a prophet of God should be like?
Did they think they were a failure when someone was offended at their words?
I Thessalonians 4:8 Therefore he who rejects this does not reject man, but God, Who has also given us His Holy Spirit.

34. Luke 4:24 Then He (Jesus) said, "Assuredly, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own country. 25 But I tell you truly, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, and there was a great famine throughout all the land; 26 but to none of them was Elijah sent except to Zarephath, in the region of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. 27 And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian." 28 So all those in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath, 29 and rose up and thrust Him out of the city; and they led Him to the brow of the hill on which their city was built, that they might throw Him down over the cliff.

35. Would people criticize Jesus for not fitting their preconceived notion of what the Messiah “should be”? The Gospels are full of just such accounts. Would people criticize Apostle Paul for not fitting what they thought an apostle of the Lord should be like? The New Testament shows plenty of that as well. Where did Jesus fall short of being the perfect Lamb of Sacrifice? …the perfect Example to the world? …the perfect Redeemer? Where did Apostle Paul fall short of being an example to us? Where did he fall short as a Gospel preacher? While all people have fallen short of the glory of God, Romans 3:23, there have always been people that want to tear down and destroy the Lord and His people because they object to the message, in part or in whole.

36. Our Success in Serving God:
If people don’t want to hear from a faithful servant of God, whose fault is that?
If people don’t want to heed the word of a faithful servant of God, whose fault is that?
If people reject the Word of God from His faithful servant, whose fault is that?
Micaiah delivered the word of the Lord with his own personal touch. He was sarcastic, but he got his point across. It was clear and rang true.
Elijah definitely had his own “style” and was very blunt with his words. He was clearly understood and he was accurate.
If we are not able to turn people to the Lord, but we are the Lord’s faithful servants, whose fault is that?

37. Instead of hating the messenger because we hate the message they bring, we need to escape the timeless pattern of ‘self-serving’ self- destruction.
Examine the message and see its credibility outside of preconceived notions and prejudices. Weigh the Word with the greatest of care, regardless of what your life is and what you’ve made of it.
It is only when we see the Gospel for what it is that we have access to the power it offers. And...
If we turn against the messenger because we are “offended” at the message, we must be absolutely sure that the Lord God Almighty finds the “offense,” and not just ourselves.

38. Nobody can not afford such carelessness!
Consider the cost to Ahab, Jehoshaphat, their armies, the nation…because people did not carefully examine the facts to discern the true Word of the Lord God Almighty, they paid a terrible price.
Nobody can not afford such carelessness!

39. “What Must I Do To Be Saved?”
Hear The Gospel (John 5:24; Romans 10:17)
Believe it (John 3:16-18; John 8:24)
Repent Of Your Sins (Luke 13:1-5; Acts 2:38)
Confess Jesus as Christ (Mt 10:32; Rom 10:10)
Be Baptized (Acts 22:16; Galatians 3:27)
Remain Faithful for Life (John 8:31; Rev. 2:10)
For The Erring Child of God:
Repent (Acts 8:22), Confess (I John 1:9),
Pray (Acts 8:22)