Useful Bible Studies > 1 Kings Commentary > chapter 22
While Jehoshaphat waited for Micaiah, he and Ahab continued to listen to Ahab’s prophets. These were men who believed themselves to have the power to hear from the spirit world. They did not think that they were merely speaking from their own ideas or their own imagination. They may have spoken in a trance – that is, unaware of what was happening round them.
Zedekiah may have been a leader of these prophets. Certainly, his message was especially impressive. From iron, he had made horns, like the bony points on the heads of some animals. Like bold and strong wild animals, the two kings and their armies would destroy the enemy. That was what he said.
Originally, in verse 6, the prophets did not use the holy name of the true God, YHWH in the Hebrew language. Instead, they used the word ADONAI, which means Lord, or a master. However, that did not satisfy Jehoshaphat, who served only the true God. Jehoshaphat realised that people used the word ADONAI, Lord, to refer to false gods too. So now Zedekiah and all the other prophets began to use the word YHWH, the holy name of the true God. In that way, they hoped to persuade Jehoshaphat that they were speaking messages from the true God.
In fact, as we discover in verses 20-23, these prophets really were speaking messages from the spirit world. However, that fact did not make their messages true, or correct. Rather, an evil spirit was causing them to speak lies, so that Ahab would go to die in the battle for Ramoth-Gilead.
Next part: Ahab's official urges Micaiah to support Ahab's plan (1 Kings 22:13-14)
Please use the links at the top of the page to find our other articles in this series. You can download all our articles if you go to the download page for our free 1000+ page course book.
© 2024, Keith Simons.