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NASB | 1 Kings 22:1 Three years passed without war between Aram and Israel. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | 1 Kings 22:1 Aram (Syria) and Israel continued without war for three years. |
Bible Question: In 1 Kings 22:7 Jehoshaphat asks the King of Israel to inquire of a prophet of the Lord concerning whether or not they should go and fight the King of Aram. The prohpet comes and prophecies defeat. Why did Jehoshaphat still go to battle? I know a lot of the dumb things people do in the old testament actually show us the dumb things we do in our own lives. I just can't figure this one out. If a prophet of the Lord..or a Pastor or elder..came and told me something obvious like this I wouldn't just go ahead and do it. What is the lesson here? |
Bible Answer: Greetings wannaknow and welcome to the Forum! This is an interesting passage. Note that Jehoshaphat desired a Word from the Lord about whether to go and fight against the king of Aram, the outcome was not the determining factor - THAT Jehoshaphat entrusted to God! verse 15 says, "Go up and succeed, and the LORD will give it into the hand of the king." Recall that the prophet of the Lord was entreated to speak in one accord with the other prophets.(v13) And he did this in a very clever way. His pronouncement had a conditional overtone to it which might be interpreted thus: "Go up and IF you succeed, the Lord will give it into the hand of the king." By this rendering, the prophet seemed to agree with the others but he did not predict success. I suspect that Ahab also smelled a ploy here as he demanded to be told the truth. The prophecy of the Lord (v 17) concerned Ahab, king of Israel, not Jehoshaphat, king of Judah. Why did Jehoshphat go into battle with Ahab? Note that the prophet of the Lord did NOT tell him NOT to go. He had purposed this in his heart and sought to inquire of God if this was in accordance with HIS will. Good lesson here! There is a way that "seems" right, but unless God is directing our steps, we will be on the wrong path.(Prov 12:15; Prov 14:12; Pro 16:9; Prov 3:5-6) Remember that even if we suffer along the way, it does not mean that we are on the wrong road! Jesus said, in this life you will have "trouble!" (John 16:33) A caveat for you to consider: Always seek the Lord yourself first. Godly counsel should affirm what God is telling you through His Word, through prayer, circumstances and His Holy Spirit. When everything is in unison, you can more ahead with the confidence that God is leading the way for you. I hope this helps! mommapbs |
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Questions and/or Subjects for 1 Kin 22:1 | Author | ||
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angelface | ||
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wannaknow | ||
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Mommapbs |