Lying Spirits
And Micaiah said, “Therefore hear the word of the Lord: I saw the Lord sitting on his throne, and all the host of heaven standing beside him on his right hand and on his left; and the Lord said, ‘Who will entice Ahab, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?’ And one said one thing, and another said another. Then a spirit came forward and stood before the Lord, saying, ‘I will entice him.’ And the Lord said to him, ‘By what means?’ And he said, ‘I will go out, and will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.’ And he said, ‘You are to entice him, and you shall succeed; go out and do so.’ Now therefore behold, the Lord has put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these your prophets; the Lord has declared disaster for you.”
1 Kings 22:19-23
How do we resist being swept up and carried along in the wave surrounding us of those worshiping gods of their own making? How do we discern God’s voice and His will apart from the myriad of messages that, if followed, would lead us down the wrong path? Questions like these are of critical importance today, but they are not new. They enveloped God’s chosen people throughout the days recorded in Scripture also. Recognizing the questions are of critical importance and are also extremely common, let’s consider an example of how people sorted through real issues such as these recorded in Scripture. This single story might change how you view the world around you because in it we see God enacting judgment through evil lying spirits sent to speak through men holding themselves out as prophets.
I will repeat that shocking thought. God allowed evil lying spirits to do what they do out in the world and through their evil activity His holy will was accomplished – His judgment was enacted. God allowed evil lying spirits to speak through prophets with the express purpose of luring King Ahab to his destruction, and the people of God knew the prophets were lying. In at least this one instance, God allowed evil lying spirits to be in the world to enact His holy judgment. We must at least consider whether that was a one-time event, or whether we are experiencing His judgment being unleashed before us in the same way. Further, how do we distinguish what is true from what is false?
Are you familiar with the prophet Micaiah? He appears in the last chapter of 1 Kings, at the end of King Ahab’s reign, and his story provides a striking example of how Godly people should act when addressing corrupt leaders and evil influences surrounding them. He also recounts a very interesting heavenly vision that has extreme significance for us, here, today. Let’s consider Micaiah’s story as presented in 1 Kings 22, and some of the ways it relates to us.
But first, let’s remind ourselves about King Ahab, because Scripture tells us he was a bad guy. We see his story in 1 Kings 16-22. God’s holy word says,
And Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the Lord, more than all who were before him. And as if it had been a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, he took for his wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and went and served Baal and worshiped him. He erected an altar for Baal in the house of Baal, which he built in Samaria. And Ahab made an Asherah. Ahab did more to provoke the Lord, the God of Israel, to anger than all the kings of Israel who were before him. In his days Hiel of Bethel built Jericho. He laid its foundation at the cost of Abiram his firstborn, and set up its gates at the cost of his youngest son Segub, according to the word of the Lord, which he spoke by Joshua the son of Nun. 1 Kings 16:30-34
King Ahab worshiped Baal and Asherah and built places expressly for the purpose of worshiping pagan gods. He also sacrificed two of his children to appease the gods so they might bless construction in Jericho. He clearly did evil in the sight of God, and God planned judgment on him; nonetheless, God allowed King Ahab to reign for twenty-two years providing him ample time to repent.
With that, let’s look at 1 Kings 22. The Holy Land had enjoyed three years of peace. Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, traveled to meet with Ahab, the king of Israel. Ahab asked if Jehoshaphat would join him starting a war with Syria to get back some land Syria had seized from Israel. Jehoshaphat said he would but suggested that they first inquire with God about it. Ahab gathered 400 prophets and each of them said God would give Israel and Judah victory. Jehoshaphat was suspicious. He asked whether Ahab had any other prophets. The ESV translation records the exchange as follows:
But Jehoshaphat said, “Is there not here another prophet of the Lord of whom we may inquire?” And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “There is yet one man by whom we may inquire of the Lord, Micaiah the son of Imlah, but I hate him, for he never prophesies good concerning me, but evil.” 1 Kings 22:8 (ESV)
In the ESV translation, Jehoshaphat asks whether there is “another” prophet of the Lord, suggesting the first 400 were also prophets of the Lord. In his translation of the Hebrew Bible based on all available original manuscripts, Robert Alter suggests eliminating the word “another.” His translation quotes Jehoshaphat as saying, “Is there no prophet of the Lord left here, that we might inquire of him?” This suggests that Jehoshaphat knew the 400 did not speak for God. Dr. Alter includes the following footnote:
7. Is there no prophet of the Lord left here. The precise cultic identity of the four hundred prophets is ambiguous. Jehoshaphat’s words here suggest that he does not regard them as prophets of the Lord. In their own words, they invoke “the Master” which could be YHWH or another deity. Three possibilities emerge: they are actually pagan prophets; they are syncretistic prophets, alternately turning to YHWH and to other gods; they are purported prophets of the Lord, claiming to speak in the name of YHWH with no actual access to him. It is plausible that this king of Israel, whether Ahab or his son, would keep a throng of dubious court prophets around him. Alter, R, The Hebrew Bible, p.523
King Ahab says that he hates Micaiah because Micaiah always prophesies evil regarding the king. Given King Ahab’s life of evil activity, and God allowing him twenty-two years to repent and change, it makes sense that God would have sent at least one person to speak the truth to him. Underscoring the king’s bent toward evil, he hated Micaiah for speaking the truth, God’s holy word, to him.
The two kings summons Micaiah. The messenger tells Micaiah that all the other prophets supported the king’s desires, and he urged Micaiah to repeat their message. When taken to the kings, the King Ahab asks whether he should start the war. Micaiah says that he should, and that God will give him victory. The king doesn’t believe Micaiah. He asks Micaiah to swear he is saying God’s word. In response, Micaiah explains what God showed him saying,
“I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains, as sheep that have no shepherd. And the Lord said, ‘These have no master; let each return to his home in peace.’” And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Did I not tell you that he would not prophesy good concerning me, but evil?” 1 Kings 22:17-18 (ESV)
In Micaiah’s vision, Israel’s leader had been killed. They had no leader, they were wandering astray, and God told them to go home in peace. Then Ahab looks at Jehoshaphat and essentially says, “see? That’s why I hate that guy.” But Micaiah explains more of his vision, and this is extremely interesting:
And Micaiah said, “Therefore hear the word of the Lord: I saw the Lord sitting on his throne, and all the host of heaven standing beside him on his right hand and on his left; and the Lord said, ‘Who will entice Ahab, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?’ And one said one thing, and another said another. Then a spirit came forward and stood before the Lord, saying, ‘I will entice him.’ And the Lord said to him, ‘By what means?’ And he said, ‘I will go out, and will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.’ And he said, ‘You are to entice him, and you shall succeed; go out and do so.’ Now therefore behold, the Lord has put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these your prophets; the Lord has declared disaster for you.” 1 Kings 22:19-23 (ESV)
It was time for God to enact His holy judgment on King Ahab, and He asked members of His heavenly council to devise a plan to entice King Ahab to attack Syria so that he would die there. An evil lying spirit offered a plan to God. The spirit suggested that he would “be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets” and entice the king into war with Syria. God approved the plan and sent the evil lying spirit on the mission.
Micaiah saw the heavenly council meeting, knew what had happened, and reported the vision to Jehoshaphat and Ahab. He told them they were being enticed by an evil lying spirit speaking through the 400 prophets. How did they respond?
King Ahab ordered guards to throw Micaiah in prison. Ahab said,
“Put this fellow in prison and feed him meager rations of bread and water, until I come in peace.” 1 Kings 22:27
Then they attacked Syria and King Ahab was killed by an arrow. The story ends with Micaiah in prison and his prophesy fulfilled. Micaiah was truly a man of God. He truly spoke God’s holy word. He was afforded a remarkable heavenly vision. And in this world he was rewarded with a prison sentence of unknown duration.
While God allowed and used evil spirits to accomplish His holy will, which is beyond counterintuitive, they did not lead the king astray. They merely affirmed his desire to pursue the path he had already chosen. He wanted to start a war and they lied to him, saying if he started the war he would win. They said what he wanted to hear, but it was a lie.
Unfortunately, the story of King Ahab’s destruction is not an isolated event. Scripture records many descriptions of people choosing lies over God’s holy word. Can you imagine living in a time and place where people had access to God, His sacred spaces, His holy word, and His prophets ready and willing to explain His holy word, yet they willingly chose to isolate themselves from God? Paul tells Timothy that he will encounter people who reject God’s holy word and those who teach it and choose instead messages promoting pursuit of their personal desires. Paul writes,
I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. 2 Timothy 4:1-5
His warning sounds as if he is repeating God’s holy word to wicked people recorded in Psalm 50:
But to the wicked God says: “What right have you to recite my statutes or take my covenant on your lips? For you hate discipline, and you cast my words behind you. If you see a thief, you are pleased with him, and you keep company with adulterers. Psalm 50:16-18
Paul’s warning to Timothy also sounds as if he is predicting a recurrence of the events leading to King Ahab’s destruction. Ahab refused to listen to a prophet from God, choosing instead the message of 400 prophets who said exactly what he wanted to hear, and they led him to his destruction. While the story is bad enough on its face, it is even darker and more sinister than that, because under the surface we see God approving the delivery of an evil lying spirit to his prophets so that they would lead King Ahab to his destruction. In at least one situation recorded in Scripture, God allows an evil lying spirit to do its thing in the world, and God’s holy will, His judgment, is accomplished through it.
What are we to do with this? A footnote in The New Interpreters’ Study Bible says the following:
1 Kings 22 illustrates most of the ways in which the community was able to make judgments about the truth or falsity of a prophetic message. The sheer number of prophets reported to be attached to the court of the Northern Kingdom of Israel in the days of Ahab (see 1 Kings 18) is an indication that prophets who regularly provided the message sought by those in authority should be viewed with suspicion. Isaiah speaks of those who call on the prophets to speak “smooth things” (Isaiah 30:10), and Jeremiah tells of prophets who “speak visions of their own minds” (Jeremiah 30:10). A first guide for distinguishing true prophets from false is this: If a prophet prophesies just what the community wants to hear, beware! The corollary is that if the prophet’s message goes against what the community most wants to hear, one should tend to trust that the prophet is true (see Amos 7:12).
Such criterion is not, of course, infallible, for there may be prophets who are never happier than when they prophesy doom. On the other hand, the majority view is not necessarily always wrong. Even so, this guide is valuable. New Interpreters’ Study Bible at 522.
Jesus says,
“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits.” Matthew 7:15-16 (ESV)
Jesus also warns us saying,
“And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray.” Matthew 24:11 (ESV); and
“For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.” Matthew 24:24 (ESV)
What criteria do you use to distinguish truth from lies? Jesus explains that the goal of false prophets is to lead people away from God, and we can know them by their fruit.
In the days of King Ahab and the prophet Micaiah, God sent an evil lying spirit to ensure men regarded as prophets would speak lies, and God did this to accomplish His holy will, which was enacting His judgment on King Ahab. Is it possible God is enacting His judgment on us, here, today using the same method?
May you know God through His holy word, may you engage in genuine relationship with God, may you truly be His disciple out in the world. Amen.