1 Kings 22:29 says, So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah went up to Ramothgilead. Verse thirty adds, And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, I will disguise myself, and enter into the battle; but put thou on thy robes. And the king of Israel disguised himself, and went into the battle. Ahab and Jehoshaphat went to Ramoth Gilead where the battle was being fought. At least they were willing to engage in the battle and didn't just hide while others fought. We as followers of Christ, even if we are in positions of power in the world, must be willing to engage in the battle against evil and not just allow others to do the fighting. Ahab proposed to Jehoshaphat that he wear the king's robes while Ahab disguised himself and engaged in the battle. Verse thirty-one continues, But the king of Syria commanded his thirty and two captains that had rule over his chariots, saying, Fight neither with small nor great, save only with the king of Israel. The king of Syria told his troops to not fight with anyone except the king of Israel himself. This would not have been a good time to be wearing the king's robes. Matthew Henry says Ahab did this to make a liar of God's prophet and to fool the good king. Sometimes, what may seem like a sign of honor in the world may actually lead us to more problems if we are not acting under the leadership if God. Verse thirty-two states, And it came to pass, when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, that they said, Surely it is the king of Israel. And they turned aside to fight against him: and Jehoshaphat cried out. When the people of Syria saw Jehoshaphat, they declared that he must certainly be the king of Israel, so they turned aside to fight against him, and he cried out. Verse thirty-three adds, And it came to pass, when the captains of the chariots perceived that it was not the king of Israel, that they turned back from pursuing him. Somehow, even though Jehoshaphat was wearing the king's robes, the people of Syria realized that he wasn't the king of Israel and turned away from pursuing him. Ahab's plan did not work, and neither will any plan that we devise to make God out to be a liar. Verse thirty-four continues, And a certain man drew a bow at a venture, and smote the king of Israel between the joints of the harness: wherefore he said unto the driver of his chariot, Turn thine hand, and carry me out of the host; for I am wounded. Though he had disguised himself, Ahab was still injured when a soldier of Syria shot him between the shoulders with an arrow. Ahab asked the chariot driver to take him out of the battle because he was injured. I have to wonder if he was beginning to see the truth of the words of God's prophet now that it was basically too late. People are one day going to see the truth of God's word, but for too many it will be too late. Verse thirty-five says, And the battle increased that day: and the king was stayed up in his chariot against the Syrians, and died at even: and the blood ran out of the wound into the midst of the chariot. The battle continued that day, and that evening Ahab died, and his blood ran out into the chariot. All his plans at deceit had failed, as will the plans of anyone who attempts to fool God or prove His word wrong. Verse thirty-six adds, And there went a proclamation throughout the host about the going down of the sun, saying, Every man to his city, and every man to his own country. When the people realized that Ahab was dead, a proclamation was made, though we aren't told who by, that the people were to return to their homes. They had been following Ahab and not God, and now Ahab was dead so there was no reason to continue the battle. If we are following anyone other than God into battle spiritually today, they are going to lose and so are we ultimately. Verse thirty-seven continues, So the king died, and was brought to Samaria; and they buried the king in Samaria. The fact that Ahab had died is repeated along with the fact that his body was returned to Samaria and buried. The four-hundred false prophets had proven to be wrong, and God's one prophet had proven to be right. No matter how many people stand against us today and say that God's word is wrong, it will always be proven to be right. Verse thirty-eight states, And one washed the chariot in the pool of Samaria; and the dogs licked up his blood; and they washed his armour; according unto the word of the Lord which he spake. All of the prophecy had not yet been fulfilled, but when the Ahab's blood was washed from the chariot in which he was killed and the dog's licked it up, the rest of the prophesy was also fulfilled. God's word is never going to fulfilled in part but will always be fulfilled in full. Verse thirty-nine adds, Now the rest of the acts of Ahab, and all that he did, and the ivory house which he made, and all the cities that he built, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? Verse forty continues, So Ahab slept with his fathers; and Ahaziah his son reigned in his stead. We are told that the rest of the acts of Ahab are told in the chronicles of the kings and that his son Ahaziah reigned in his place. Whether good or bad, no one is going to reign forever in God's kingdom spiritually. Still as one leader dies, God will always have another one in place to take over the work.
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