I am using One Year Bible Online for my daily Bible study. For today, One Year Bible Online links here. I have found that by writing this daily blog of what I see when I read these scriptures, I get more out of them. I hope that by posting these ruminations others may get some benefit as well. If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them.
After defeating Ben-hadad’s attacks, Ahab was at peace with Aram for three years. At this point, King Jehoshophat of Judah allies with King Ahab of Israel. This leads King Ahab to decide to go to war for a border town. Ahab asks Jehoshaphat to help him in this endeavor. Jehoshaphat says that they should find out the Lord’s will first. The passage says that Ahab summoned the prophets, who numbered 400. These prophets tell Ahab that he should go right ahead and attack. Jehoshaphat asks for a prophet of the Lord. This suggests to me that the 400 prophets that Ahab first summoned were prophets of Baal since the number is the same as the number of prophets of Baal that Elijah defeated at Mt Carmel. The next exchange I find interesting. When Jehoshaphat asks Ahab if there is a prophet of the Lord they can consult, Ahab replies that there is one, but that he hates him because he doesn’t tell him what he wants to hear. Jehoshaphat tells Ahab that kings should not talk like that. This reminds me of what I noticed yesterday, that King Ahab behaves like a spoiled child. Jehoshaphat insists that they hear from the prophet of God. So, King Ahab summons Micaiah.
There are a couple of things about this exchange that I want to comment on. The first is that when Jehoshaphat asks to what the Lord thinks of their plan, Ahab summons 400 prophets who tell them that the Lord will give him victory. Jehoshaphat is not satisfied with these prophets and asks if there isn’t a prophet of the Lord they can consult. Even though the passage seems to say that these 400 prophets are prophets of God, Jehoshaphat does not accept them as such. The second is the exchange between Jehoshaphat and Ahab about summoning Micaiah. When Ahab says that he hates Micaiah because Micaiah always prophesies bad things for Ahab, Jehoshaphat tells Ahab that kings should not talk that way. Part of that may have been that Jehoshaphat was telling Ahab that kings should not behave like spoiled children. But part of it was Jehoshaphat telling Ahab that kings should not discourage their courtiers from telling them things that they do not want to hear. This is something that anyone who is in charge needs to keep in mind. If you are in charge, you want your subordinates to tell you what they really think about your plans, not just what they think you want to hear. If you discourage your subordinates from telling you things you do not want to hear, you will make bad decisions because they will not tell you things you need to know to make a good decision.
When the messengers arrive to deliver the summons to Micaiah they tell him that all of the prophets are telling Ahab that he will be victorious and that he should be sure to do the same. When Micaiah arrives before Ahab and Jehoshaphat he tells them, “Yeah, sure, go ahead, the Lord will give you victory.” Bet he says it in such a tone of voice that Ahab knows that he does not mean it. Ahab demands that Micaiah tell him what the Lord really says. Micaiah then tells Ahab that if he goes to war against Aram, he will be killed. Ahab orders Micaiah jailed until his return. Micaiah tells him, and everyone there, that if Ahab returns then God has not spoken through him (Micaiah). Ahab goes to war against Aram despite Micaiah’s prediction. But Ahab devises what he thinks is a clever plan to avoid the fate prophesied by Micaiah. Ahab decides to disguise himself so that he will not be recognized, but tells Jehoshaphat to dress as a king. When battle is joined, Ahab’s plan seems to work. The Aramean commanders initially pursue Jehoshaphat, until he cries out and they realize that he is not Ahab. Unfortunately for Ahab, one of the Aramean soldiers happened to fire an arrow at him at random and hit him. Ahab dies from his wounds.
After Paul’s confrontation with the Jewish sorcerer on the island of Cyprus, Paul and Barnabas sailed to what is now Turkey and began their missionary work there. At the first city they stop at they attend the synagogue, where they are invited to share. Paul stands up and speaks. He presents a basic background of God’s work with Israel. Then he points out that John the Baptist explicitly said that he was not the Messiah, but that the Messiah was coming soon. Paul tells them that Jesus was the Messiah and talks about some of the Old Testament scripture that was fulfilled by Jesus. Paul tells them that Jesus was crucified and then raised from the dead and that there were people who had seen Him after His resurrection. Paul concludes his sermon by quoting the Septuagint translation of Habakuk. The book of Habakuk starts out with the prophet crying out to God because he is surrounded by those doing evil deeds and the courts fail to deliver justice, complaining that God has not acted. The passage Paul quotes is God’s reply. Paul quotes Habakuk saying that God has indeed acted to address the evil in the world and to correct the injustice in the courts. I think there are two elements to what Paul is saying with this quote. The first is that there are mockers who will not believe what God is doing even when they are told about it, even when it is right in their face. The other part though is that Paul is saying that Jesus is God’s answer and solution to the evil that surrounds us and to a society that accepts injustice.
All the earth will praise the Lord.
for your faithful love, O Lord, endures forever.”
No matter what things look like, God has a plan for us that He will bring to fruition. God’s love endures and His plan is to bring us joy, if we will accept that joy.
A friend will always be loyal. If you are someone’s friend you will stand beside them, no matter who stands against them. Your siblings are those you can turn to in time of need and know they will help out. You should only cosign for someone if you are willing to pay the debt off yourself.
