Fri.’s Devo - Ahab’s End

Read: 1 Kings 22:1-53; Acts 13:16-41; Psalm 138:1-8; Proverbs 17:17-18 In Jehoshaphat’s third year of reigning over Judah, he went to visit Ahab, king of Israel. Ahab brought up the fact that Ramoth-gilead belonged to Israel, but Aram controlled it. Ahab asked if Jehoshaphat would help him get it back. Jehoshaphat agreed to help him but before they went to war, Jehoshaphat wanted to ask what the Lord had to say in the matter and if they would succeed. *** Ahab had found him some new false prophets after Elijah killed all of his. They all agreed he would succeed. Jehoshaphat asked if there was a prophet of God and reluctantly Ahab sent for Micaiah. Ahab’s prophets had gone to dramatic antics to prophecy Ahab’s victory and Micaiah sarcastically agreed with them. Ahab rebuked him and told him to tell the truth. Micaiah then told Ahab he saw Israel scattered with no shepherd because Ahab had died in battle. Ahab told Jehoshaphat that that was why he didn’t ask Micaiah anything because it was always bad for him. *** Micaiah went on to tell Ahab that God had sent a lying spirit to speak through his prophets to convince Ahab to go to war so he would be killed. Ahab had Micaiah sent to prison until he returned. Micaiah said, that would never happen because he would not return. *** The next day Ahab and Jehoshaphat went to war with Aram and Ahab disguised himself as a regular soldier. The commanders of the chariots of the Arameans were told to only fight with Ahab. They couldn’t find him, but one of the foot soldiers released an arrow into the midst of the Israelites and the arrow found the crease in Ahab’s armor. He bled to death on the battlefield. They washed his chariot in the pool of Samaria and the dogs came and licked his blood just like Elijah had prophesied. *** Jehoshaphat was a good king who followed God. He didn’t remove all the shrines where people worshiped idols, though he did banish the male and female shrine prostitutes. He made peace with the king of Israel, Ahab. When Ahab died, his son Jehoram became king. He worshipped Baal just like his father Ahab had done. *** In Acts, Paul and Barnabas were at the synagogue in Antioch. Paul spoke of the history of the nation of Israel. God led them out of Egypt to the land of Canaan to destroy the seven nations of Canaan. God then gave them judges and prophets to rule them. The people begged for a king, so God gave them Saul for 40 years. God replaced him with David who had his heart. John the Baptist prepared them for one who was coming, who would be a descendant of David. God sent the Messiah, but his people didn’t recognize him. They killed him on the cross and placed him in a tomb. God raised him from the dead and he appeared to his followers. These people are now his witnesses to the people of Israel. Paul and Barnabas are the result of God’s witnesses. They believed and had come to share their good news with the people of Antioch. Through believing in Jesus, they could be made right in God’s sight. This was something Moses’ law could never do. This is the salvation that Habakkuk and many of the prophets foretold. *** Lord, thank you that your Salvation has spread all over the world and we are living witnesses of what you can do in a person’s heart. Thank you that we have been made right with You and we can boldly come before you anytime. May our lives reflect this glorious privilege.