2 Chronicles 18:28

2 Chronicles 18:28 says, So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah went up to Ramothgilead.  Having listened to the false prophets, Jehosaphat and Ahab went to fight against Ramoth-Gilead.  Ahab was doing what he wanted to do, and Jehosaphat, in spite of Micaiah's warning, was going along with him.  It does us no good for God to reveal the truth to us if we don't listen to Him.  Verse twenty-five adds, And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, I will disguise myself, and I will go to the battle; but put thou on thy robes. So the king of Israel disguised himself; and they went to the battle.  Ahab told Jehoshaphat to dress in his robes so he could be identified as king and then said he would disguise himself and go into the battle.  I don't know if Ahab was attempting to make Jehoshaphat more of a target and himself less of one, but that would seem to be the case.  Matthew Henry says there never was a greater example of treachery.  I do know that we as followers of Christ should never attempt to hide who we are in our relationship to God, even if it might be safer to do so, and especially if we put someone else in danger by doing so.  Verse thirty continues, Now the king of Syria had commanded the captains of the chariots that were with him, saying, Fight ye not with small or great, save only with the king of Israel.  The King of Syrian had ordered the captain of the Syrian army not to fight with anyone but the king of Israel.  This exposed Jehoshaphat to great danger, since he would have been seen as the king of Israel.  If we go against the word of God and follow the people of the world, we will always expose ourselves to great danger.  Verse thirty-one states, And it came to pass, when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, that they said, It is the king of Israel. Therefore they compassed about him to fight: but Jehoshaphat cried out, and the Lord helped him; and God moved them to depart from him.   When the Syrian troops saw Jehosaphat in his royal robes, they thought he was the king of Israel and surrounded him.  He called out, and God protected him.  Matthew Henry says it isn't clear if he called out to God or if he called out to his troops, but I believe he called out to God.  It would have been too late for his troops to help him.  Even if we have gone against God's word, if we find ourselves surrounded by danger in the world, if we as Christians call out to Him, He will hear us and rescue us.  That doesn't mean that we will never die for our faith though.  Verse thirty-two adds, For it came to pass, that, when the captains of the chariots perceived that it was not the king of Israel, they turned back again from pursuing him.  The captains of the chariots realized he wasn't Ahab, so they stopped pursuing Jehosaphat.  I won't say that if we identify as followers of Christ that we will always be spared in this lifetime, but I will say that we will always be forever safe spiritually.  Verse thirty-three continues, And a certain man drew a bow at a venture, and smote the king of Israel between the joints of the harness: therefore he said to his chariot man, Turn thine hand, that thou mayest carry me out of the host; for I am wounded.  A Syrian archer fired an arrow at no one in particular, just hoping to hit someone, and hit Ahab in where he had no armor.  His deception had not worked.  Ahab asked his chariot man to carry him out of the battle since he was wounded.  I have to wonder if he was wishing at this time that he had listened to Michaiah.  The only thing that is going to protect us spiritually in the world is listening to God's word and putting on His armor.  Verse thirty-four concludes, And the battle increased that day: howbeit the king of Israel stayed himself up in his chariot against the Syrians until the even: and about the time of the sun going down he died.  The battle raged on, but Ahab was not a part of it.  Later that day, he died as Michaiah had said he would.  God's word is always going to be the truth.  It is up to us whether we believe it or not.