The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in 1 Kings 22:19-22,
"I [Micaiah] saw the Lord sitting on his throne with all the multitudes of heaven standing around him on his right and on his left. And the Lord said, 'Who will entice Ahab into attacking Ramoth Gilead and going to his death there?' One suggested this, and another that. Finally, a spirit came forward, stood before the Lord and said, 'I will entice him.' 'By what means?' the Lord asked. 'I will go out and be a deceiving spirit in the mouths of all his prophets,' he said. 'You will succeed in enticing him,' said the Lord. 'Go and do it.'"
Here is a fascinating view of God's court through the prophet Micaiah. The Lord is seated on his throne "with all the multitudes of heaven" surrounding him. I suspect this multitude is not made up of the faithful who had passed on from this life, as at this time, when the godly died, they went to that place called "Abraham's bosom", "Paradise", the place where the beggar, Lazarus, went when he died that we read of in Luke 16:19-31. It wouldn't be until Jesus ascended into heaven when the faithful accompanied him there that humans arrived.
The "multitudes of heaven" in this passage makes me think of Revelation 5:11 where we read of "ten thousand times ten thousand" angels that encircled the throne in heaven together with "living creatures" and "elders". These angels surely are those we read of in the account of Jacob's dream. "He [Jacob] had a dream in which he saw a stairway resting on the earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it." Genesis 28:12. That account causes one to muse on the purpose of these angels traversing to and from earth to heaven.
In the assembly of God's court he asks who will entice the wicked Ahab to attack Ramoth Gilead-- to go to his death. Of the many in heaven who had suggestions for the Lord to consider, the one God sent to accomplish this is one who said he would do it through deceit. He would be "a deceiving spirit in the mouths of all his [Ahab's] prophets". These are the false prophets of idols Ahab consulted, "So the king of Israel brought together the prophets—about four hundred men—and asked them, 'Shall I go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or shall I refrain?' 'Go,' they answered, 'for the Lord will give it into the king's hand.' But Jehoshaphat asked, 'Is there no longer a prophet of the Lord here whom we can inquire of?'" 1 Kings 22:7. The Lord used Ahab's own rebellious ways against him in using these false prophets.
"I [Micaiah] saw the Lord sitting on his throne with all the multitudes of heaven standing around him on his right and on his left. And the Lord said, 'Who will entice Ahab into attacking Ramoth Gilead and going to his death there?' One suggested this, and another that. Finally, a spirit came forward, stood before the Lord and said, 'I will entice him.' 'By what means?' the Lord asked. 'I will go out and be a deceiving spirit in the mouths of all his prophets,' he said. 'You will succeed in enticing him,' said the Lord. 'Go and do it.'"
Here is a fascinating view of God's court through the prophet Micaiah. The Lord is seated on his throne "with all the multitudes of heaven" surrounding him. I suspect this multitude is not made up of the faithful who had passed on from this life, as at this time, when the godly died, they went to that place called "Abraham's bosom", "Paradise", the place where the beggar, Lazarus, went when he died that we read of in Luke 16:19-31. It wouldn't be until Jesus ascended into heaven when the faithful accompanied him there that humans arrived.
The "multitudes of heaven" in this passage makes me think of Revelation 5:11 where we read of "ten thousand times ten thousand" angels that encircled the throne in heaven together with "living creatures" and "elders". These angels surely are those we read of in the account of Jacob's dream. "He [Jacob] had a dream in which he saw a stairway resting on the earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it." Genesis 28:12. That account causes one to muse on the purpose of these angels traversing to and from earth to heaven.
In the assembly of God's court he asks who will entice the wicked Ahab to attack Ramoth Gilead-- to go to his death. Of the many in heaven who had suggestions for the Lord to consider, the one God sent to accomplish this is one who said he would do it through deceit. He would be "a deceiving spirit in the mouths of all his [Ahab's] prophets". These are the false prophets of idols Ahab consulted, "So the king of Israel brought together the prophets—about four hundred men—and asked them, 'Shall I go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or shall I refrain?' 'Go,' they answered, 'for the Lord will give it into the king's hand.' But Jehoshaphat asked, 'Is there no longer a prophet of the Lord here whom we can inquire of?'" 1 Kings 22:7. The Lord used Ahab's own rebellious ways against him in using these false prophets.
Imagine the Lord deceiving a rebellious man [Ahab], to lead him to his death, through the instruments of his own idolatry! The irony!
The book of Kings (both 1 and 2) is such a treasure trove of fascination into the heart, the mind, the dealings, and the throne of our Lord!
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
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