Chapter 22
This is the last chapter of 1Kgs.
There is peace between Israel and Syria three years. Then Ahab and Jehoshaphat team up to retake Ramoth-Gilead from Ben-Hadad. Jehoshaphat insists that Ahab first inquire of God as to whether they should do this. 400 Northern prophets say yes, go. J asks if there isn't just one more prophet. Ahab knows of a prophet named Micaiah, but he hates the man. Micaiah is summoned. While they wait the 400 carry on and prophesy and show off.
Micaiah is warned by the officer who comes to get him that all the other prophets have predicted victory. So Micaiah first says the same. But Ahab, knowing that Micaiah never prophesies good for him, and according to MSB perhaps picking up on the sarcasm in Micaiah's prophecy, doubts his word and challenges him. Then Micaiah tells the truth and says that Israel will be scattered like sheep on the mountains by Syria. He further says that a spirit in heaven comes before the Lord with a plan to deceive Ahab and make him go to battle. God wants him to do so in order to destroy Ahab. So the spirit says he will be a lying spirit in the mouths of Ahab's prophets, so they will predict victory when in fact disaster awaits. This is a very odd story. MSB says the spirit that stepped forward offering to make the 400 prophets lie was Satan himself. Why though, would Satan work to destroy Ahab, who was clearly and solidly in Satan's camp? Except...remember that once Ahab was told he and all his descendants would be wiped out like Jeroboam's and Baasha's were, he repented, sincerely. But that can't be right, because the story here has it that it was God looking for a way to destroy Ahab. Why would Satan do God's work???
One of the false prophets strikes Micaiah. Ahab has Micaiah sent home, and thrown in prison and fed nothing but bread and water. He is to stay there until Ahab comes in peace. Micaiah says that will never happen.
Despite all this, Ahab and Jehoshaphat go to battle in Ramoth-Gilead. There is some deception on Ahab's part, that seems cowardly to me. But Jehoshaphat escapes, and Ahab is wounded by an archer who doesn't even realize that he has shot the King of Israel. Ahab manages to stay alive until the evening, but then dies. The army hears of it, and runs home. An interesting note in MSB. Ben-Hadad, who is King of the Syrian army defending R-G, was spared from death by Ahab many years earlier. In return, Ben-Hadad at this battle, tells his soldiers to specifically seek out the King of Israel and kill him. Not a very nice man, this Ben-Hadad.
Ahab is returned to Samaria and buried. His chariot is washed out and the blood gets in the pool of Samaria. Dogs drink it, prostitutes wash in it, as prophesied earlier. Ahab is dead, and his son Ahaziah now reigns in his place.
Jehoshaphat reigns 25 years in Judah. He does right, as Asa his father had done, yet even J does not pull down the high places, and some in Judah continue to sacrifice there. J also makes peace with Israel. It says again that he "exterminated" the remnant of the male cult prostitutes who remained in the days of his father Asa. Jehoshaphat dies, and his son Jehoram reigns in his place.
Jehoshaphat was the son of Asa, whom we have not seen since Chapter 15. 16 through almost the end of 22 is all about the northern Kingdom, Elijah, Ahab, and Jezebel. These get a lot of print in 1Kgs.
Also this little summary verse:
46 And from the land he exterminated the remnant of the male cult prostitutes who remained in the days of his father Asa. [1Ki 22:46 ESV]. This was a big enough deal to get mentioned again. The NASB95 calls them "sodomites", not male cult prostitutes. The word is Strong 6945, pronounced "kaw-dashe". It is translated sodomite five times and unclean once in the KJV. Gesenius is referenced as using the word "sodomite". This has to be homosexual sodomy, not just males who "service" female worshipers in the Temple of Astarte. Sodomy in this context is male to male...meaning these male homosexual prostitutes found enough "customers" in Israel to make a living. That's not a very good thought.
Ahaziah reigns in Israel as Ahab and Jeroboam had done. He is a bad king.