Sun.’s Devo - Ahab’s Last Battle

Read: 2 Chronicles 17:1-18:34; Romans 9:25:10-13; Psalm 20:1-9: Proverbs 20:2-3 Jehoshaphat followed in his father’s early footsteps when he was following the Lord. Because he worshiped the Lord, God established his kingdom and prospered the land. Jehoshaphat sent priests and Levites throughout his kingdom to teach them the Law of the Lord. Other nations feared Judah and brought them gold, silver, rams and goats. He fortified his nation and built treasuries for all the excess. He built up his army and his people lived in peace. Jehoshaphat was wealthy and respected. He made peace with Israel and made a covenant of marriage with Ahab. One of Ahab’s daughter married his son. He went to Samaria to visit Ahab and was asked to fight with Ahab against Aram to recover the city of Ramoth-Gilead. Jehoshaphat never did anything without asking God first so he asked if they could call the prophets and ask them what God was saying about their battle. Ahab called in all the prophets of Baal and they went to elaborate dramatic antics to tell him that he would win. Jehoshaphat then asked if he had a prophet of God and Ahab summoned Micaiah. He told Jehoshaphat that he hated him because he never had anything good to say. Jehoshaphat rebuked him saying that that was no way for a king to talk. Michaiah sarcastically agreed with the prophets of Baal but when he got serious, he told Ahab that he saw all Israel scattered and defeated and he, Ahab would die in the battle. Ahab got so mad he had him sent back to Samaria and put in prison. In the battle, the command of Aram’s officers was to only attack the king of Israel. Ahab had disguised himself as a normal warrior. An Armean soldier randomly shot an arrow and it hit right in the seam of Ahab’s armor and killed him. God’s Word is always true. In Romans, Paul quoted the prophet Hosea who prophesied the call of the Gentiles to come into the kingdom of God. In the past, there were Gentiles who converted to Judaism but never as a people. But, Paul explained that they were living in the fulfillment of this prophecy. Isaiah had prophesied that only a remnant of Jews would believe and the rest would be taken out by God’s army. The Jews of Paul’s day had a zeal to follow rules but their hearts were far from Him because they stumbled over Jesus, God’s son. Paul explained that salvation was a heart matter, not a ritual. Anyone who called on the Lord in Jesus’ name would be saved. Lord, may we trust in the name of the Lord, our strong tower of defense and love.