2 Chronicles 18:1-27 (October 5, 2025)

Jehoshaphat Allies with Ahab

18 Now Jehoshaphat had great riches and honor, and he made a marriage alliance with Ahab. 2 After some years he went down to Ahab in Samaria. And Ahab killed an abundance of sheep and oxen for him and for the people who were with him, and induced him to go up against Ramoth-gilead. 3 Ahab king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat king of Judah, “Will you go with me to Ramoth-gilead?” He answered him, “I am as you are, my people as your people. We will be with you in the war.”

4 And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “Inquire first for the word of the Lord.” 5 Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, four hundred men, and said to them, “Shall we go to battle against Ramoth-gilead, or shall I refrain?” And they said, “Go up, for God will give it into the hand of the king.” 6 But Jehoshaphat said, “Is there not here another prophet of the Lord of whom we may inquire?” 7 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 always evil.” And Jehoshaphat said, “Let not the king say so.” 8 Then the king of Israel summoned an officer and said, “Bring quickly Micaiah the son of Imlah.” 9 Now the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah were sitting on their thrones, arrayed in their robes. And they were sitting at the threshing floor at the entrance of the gate of Samaria, and all the prophets were prophesying before them. 10 And Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah made for himself horns of iron and said, “Thus says the Lord, ‘With these you shall push the Syrians until they are destroyed.’” 11 And all the prophets prophesied so and said, “Go up to Ramoth-gilead and triumph. The Lord will give it into the hand of the king.”

12 And the messenger who went to summon Micaiah said to him, “Behold, the words of the prophets with one accord are favorable to the king. Let your word be like the word of one of them, and speak favorably.” 13 But Micaiah said, “As the Lord lives, what my God says, that I will speak.” 14 And when he had come to the king, the king said to him, “Micaiah, shall we go to Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall I refrain?” And he answered, “Go up and triumph; they will be given into your hand.” 15 But the king said to him, “How many times shall I make you swear that you speak to me nothing but the truth in the name of the Lord?” 16 And he said, “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.’” 17 And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Did I not tell you that he would not prophesy good concerning me, but evil?” 18 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 on his right hand and on his left. 19 And the Lord said, ‘Who will entice Ahab the king of Israel, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?’ And one said one thing, and another said another. 20 Then a spirit came forward and stood before the Lord, saying, ‘I will entice him.’ And the Lord said to him, ‘By what means?’ 21 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.’ 22 Now therefore behold, the Lord has put a lying spirit in the mouth of these your prophets. The Lord has declared disaster concerning you.”

23 Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah came near and struck Micaiah on the cheek and said, “Which way did the Spirit of the Lord go from me to speak to you?” 24 And Micaiah said, “Behold, you shall see on that day when you go into an inner chamber to hide yourself.” 25 And the king of Israel said, “Seize Micaiah and take him back to Amon the governor of the city and to Joash the king's son, 26 and say, ‘Thus says the king, Put this fellow in prison and feed him with meager rations of bread and water until I return in peace.’” 27 And Micaiah said, “If you return in peace, the Lord has not spoken by me.” And he said, “Hear, all you peoples!”

Truth Against the Tide

Summary

Jehoshaphat, who had walked faithfully before the Lord, made a tragic compromise by allying himself with Ahab, king of Israel, through marriage (v. 1). Ahab, the notoriously wicked king married to Jezebel, invited Jehoshaphat to join him in battle against Ramoth-gilead. When asked, Jehoshaphat agreed too quickly:

Though Jehoshaphat suggested that they first “inquire of the Lord,” Ahab gathered four hundred prophets who, as expected, unanimously promised victory:

But Jehoshaphat, discerning something hollow in their assurances, asked,

Ahab reluctantly summoned Micaiah, son of Imlah, a true prophet of the Lord. The messenger who brought Micaiah tried to persuade him to agree with the other prophets. Yet Micaiah answered with uncompromising conviction:

When brought before the kings, Micaiah first spoke sarcastically, echoing the flattery of the false prophets, but Ahab demanded the truth. Then Micaiah declared the true word of the Lord:

He revealed that a lying spirit had gone out to deceive Ahab’s prophets so that Ahab would meet his appointed end. Enraged, Ahab imprisoned Micaiah until he would “return safely.” Micaiah replied,

Who is God?

God is the sovereign Lord of truth and history. He governs kings and prophets alike. Even when surrounded by false voices, God ensures that His word is proclaimed faithfully. God is not manipulated by political alliances or human agendas. God allowed a lying spirit to expose Ahab’s hardened rebellion, showing that God rules even over deceit to fulfill His righteous purposes. While Ahab sought confirmation of his desires, God sent confrontation through His prophet. The Lord honors those who fear Him and speak truth, even when it costs them.

What is our guilt?

Our guilt is the same as Jehoshaphat’s and Ahab’s, though in different ways. Like Jehoshaphat, we sometimes value peace and cooperation over truth. We ally ourselves with ungodly influences under the guise of unity, forgetting that compromise in spiritual matters is disobedience. Like Ahab, we seek voices that affirm rather than challenge us. We prefer smooth words over hard truth. We are quick to silence conviction and slow to humble ourselves before God’s rebuke. Our guilt lies in treating truth as negotiable and prophetic correction as optional.

How does grace shine?

Grace shines in God’s mercy to still send a true prophet. Though Ahab deserved silence, God graciously sent Micaiah to warn him once more. The faithful witness of Micaiah points to Christ, the ultimate Prophet, who stood alone before hostile rulers and spoke only what the Father commanded. Jesus, too, was mocked, struck, and condemned by those who rejected truth. Yet through His suffering, God’s redemptive plan was fulfilled. The cross is the supreme revelation that truth may be hated, but it cannot be silenced. In Christ, God’s Word triumphs over every lie. By His Spirit, He grants us courage to stand firm in truth against the tide of deception and compromise.

Prayer

O Lord, you are the God of truth and the ruler of kings.

We confess that we often compromise to please others, preferring approval to obedience.

Forgive us for listening to flattering voices instead of your Word.

Thank you for sending Jesus Christ, the faithful and true Prophet,

who spoke your Word without fear and bore our sins upon the cross.

Give us hearts that love truth, lips that speak it boldly, and faith that stands firm when the world turns away.

In the name of Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.

Additional Notes:

Jehoshaphat was one of Judah’s best kings. In chapter 17, he strengthened Judah militarily, removed idols, and sent Levites to teach God’s Law throughout the land. As a result, “the fear of the Lord fell upon all the kingdoms” around Judah (17:10), and he enjoyed peace, riches, and honor. His kingdom was secure because God Himself established it.

But in chapter 18, the tone shifts. Jehoshaphat “made a marriage alliance with Ahab” (18:1). This was not just a political arrangement. It tied Judah to the most wicked dynasty in Israel’s history. Ahab had married Jezebel, daughter of the Sidonian king. Under her influence, he built a temple to Baal, erected Asherah poles, and “did more to provoke the Lord to anger than all the kings of Israel before him” (1 Kings 16:33). Jezebel personally sponsored hundreds of false prophets and persecuted the prophets of the Lord. Aligning with Ahab was aligning with covenant treachery.

Why would Jehoshaphat, a godly king, do this? The text does not explicitly state them, but we can infer possible motives. He may have feared Judah’s vulnerability as a small kingdom, surrounded by stronger neighbors. He may have desired greater wealth and prestige through a partnership with Israel. Or perhaps he longed for unity between north and south, attempting to heal the national fracture through marriage ties. Whatever his reasoning, it was not faith. He sought security and opportunity in the wrong place.

Ramoth-gilead

Ramoth-gilead (ramoth gil‘ad, meaning “Heights of Gilead”) was a fortified city east of the Jordan, originally given to the tribe of Gad (Deut. 4:43; Josh. 20:8). It was one of Israel’s cities of refuge, controlling crucial trade and military routes.

In Ahab’s time, it lay under Syrian occupation. To reclaim it seemed patriotic. However, Ahab’s motive was political ambition, not covenant faithfulness. Jehoshaphat’s cooperation exposed the danger of worldly alliances. Joining forces with the unfaithful in pursuit of seemingly “good causes” is not justified. Ramoth-gilead ultimately became the place of Ahab’s death. This serves as a tragic warning that human plans without divine direction lead to ruin.