Text: 2 Chronicles 18 & 2 Kings 3.
What happens when the Kingdom of God and the kingdom of Satan merge? We sometimes fail to recognize the enemy and allow him entrance into our lives.
Jehoshaphat was one of the better kings of Judah, but he made one big mistake: He aligned himself with the evil king of Israel, Ahab. He gave his daughter in marriage to Ahab's son.
They start hanging out and making plans to go to war. Before they take any steps, Jehoshaphat tells the king of Israel to inquire of the Lord. So, Ahab gathers together 400 men and asks them, "Shall we go to Ramothgilead to battle, or shall I forbear?" The 400 men tell him to go ahead for God will deliver it into the king's hand. Note: They use the word, "Jehovah," for God in the original.
Jehoshaphat isn't convinced and asks, "Is there not here a prophet of the Lord besides, that we might inquire of him?" In the original the word, "Adonai," is used for God. He wants to make sure they're getting a real prophet.
Ahab is a bit annoyed and says there is another prophet, but he only has bad things to say. Jehoshaphat says, "Let not the king say so." So, they send for Micaiah, the son of Imla.
The messenger goes to Micaiah and urges him to speak good things to Ahab. When he gets before Ahab, he's asked the same question as the 400 men. In the account we can't hear his tone of voice or see his body language. He gives the king the message he wants to hear, but Ahab knows he's not giving him the word of the Lord. He demands that Micaiah give him only what the Lord says.
As expected, the news isn't good. He's told if he goes into this battle, he'll die. Micaiah is thrown in prison for his trouble, and Ahab makes plans. He tells Jehoshaphat that he'll disguise himself, while Jehoshaphat should wear his kingly robes. Amazingly, Jehoshaphat agrees. He'll be going into battle with a target on his back.
To hear the remainder of this fascinating story and how it all ended, please visit our website, and click on the Sermon Player. You can also download the message to your MP3 player or podcast FREE.
If you're visiting the area or looking for a church home, we invite you to our Sunday Morning Service at 10 A.M. We're located at 1111 Easton Rd. (Route 611), in Warrington, PA. The church telephone number is (215) 343-7686. You can also get directions and information from the website.
No comments:
Post a Comment