2 Chronicles 18:21
And he replied, 'I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouths of all his prophets.' 'You will surely entice him and prevail,' said the LORD. 'Go and do it.'
And he replied,
This phrase introduces the response of a spirit in the heavenly council. The context is a vision of the prophet Micaiah, who is revealing the divine deliberation regarding King Ahab's fate. The setting is a celestial court, a common motif in ancient Near Eastern literature, where divine beings discuss and decide earthly matters.

‘I will go out and be a lying spirit
The spirit volunteers to deceive Ahab's prophets. This reflects the biblical theme of God allowing deception as a form of judgment, seen also in 1 Kings 22:22. The concept of a "lying spirit" suggests a supernatural influence over human affairs, emphasizing the spiritual warfare theme present throughout Scripture.

in the mouths of all his prophets.’
Ahab's prophets were numerous, indicating the king's reliance on false prophecy. This highlights the contrast between true and false prophets, a recurring theme in the Old Testament. The prophets' collective deception underscores the severity of Ahab's impending judgment, as seen in Jeremiah 14:14, where false prophets speak lies in God's name.

‘You will surely entice him and prevail,’ said the LORD.
God's response indicates His sovereign control over the situation. The assurance of success ("prevail") reflects God's ultimate authority over both truth and deception. This aligns with Romans 1:24, where God gives people over to their desires as a form of judgment.

‘Go and do it.’
The divine command authorizes the spirit's mission, illustrating God's permissive will. This directive is part of the fulfillment of prophecy concerning Ahab's downfall, as foretold by Elijah in 1 Kings 21:19. It serves as a reminder of God's justice and the certainty of His prophetic word.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Jehoshaphat
- The King of Judah who sought an alliance with Ahab, King of Israel, through marriage and military cooperation.

2. Ahab
- The King of Israel, known for his idolatry and wickedness, who sought counsel from his prophets regarding a battle at Ramoth-gilead.

3. Micaiah
- A true prophet of the LORD who delivered an unpopular message to Ahab, revealing the deception of Ahab's prophets.

4. The Lying Spirit
- A spirit permitted by God to deceive Ahab's prophets, leading to Ahab's downfall.

5. Ramoth-gilead
- The location of the battle where Ahab sought to reclaim territory from the Arameans.
Teaching Points
God's Sovereignty Over Spiritual Realms
God is sovereign and permits certain actions for His purposes, even using evil for ultimate good.

Discernment in Seeking Counsel
Believers must seek godly counsel and discernment, ensuring that advice aligns with Scripture and truth.

The Danger of False Prophets
False prophets can lead people astray; it is crucial to test the spirits and hold fast to biblical truth.

The Consequences of Rejecting Truth
Ahab's rejection of Micaiah's true prophecy led to his downfall, illustrating the peril of ignoring God's warnings.

Spiritual Warfare Awareness
Christians should be aware of the spiritual battle and rely on God's armor to stand firm against deception.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does the account of the lying spirit in 2 Chronicles 18:21 challenge or affirm your understanding of God's sovereignty?

2. In what ways can we ensure that the counsel we receive is aligned with God's truth, as opposed to the false counsel Ahab received?

3. How does the account of Ahab and Micaiah encourage us to respond to unpopular truths in our own lives?

4. What are some modern-day examples of false prophets, and how can we guard against their influence?

5. How can Ephesians 6:12 and the concept of spiritual warfare inform our daily walk with Christ, especially in discerning truth from deception?
Connections to Other Scriptures
1 Kings 22
This parallel account provides additional context and details about the events surrounding Ahab, Jehoshaphat, and Micaiah.

Job 1:6-12
Similar to the lying spirit, this passage shows how God permits Satan to test Job, illustrating God's sovereignty over spiritual beings.

Ephesians 6:12
This verse reminds believers of the spiritual warfare and the reality of spiritual forces at work in the world.

John 8:44
Jesus describes Satan as the father of lies, connecting to the concept of deception and falsehood in spiritual matters.
Divine Truth and its Typical ReceptionJ. Wolfendale.2 Chronicles 18:4-34
Speaking for GodW. Clarkson 2 Chronicles 18:6-27
Micaiah, the Son of Imla - an Old Testament HeroT. Whitelaw 2 Chronicles 18:9-27
People
Ahab, Amon, Aram, Chenaanah, Imla, Imlah, Jehoshaphat, Joash, Micah, Micaiah, Syrians, Zedekiah
Places
Jerusalem, Ramoth-gilead, Samaria, Syria
Topics
Able, Deceit, Deceiving, Effect, Entice, Enticing, Falsehood, Forth, Lying, Mouth, Mouths, Prevail, Prophets, Spirit, Succeed, Trick
Dictionary of Bible Themes
2 Chronicles 18:1-27

     7774   prophets, false

2 Chronicles 18:9-27

     1469   visions

2 Chronicles 18:14-27

     7712   convincing

2 Chronicles 18:18-21

     4170   host of heaven

2 Chronicles 18:18-22

     6241   seduction

2 Chronicles 18:19-21

     4195   spirits

2 Chronicles 18:20-22

     8776   lies

2 Chronicles 18:21-22

     4132   demons, malevolence

Library
That the Employing Of, and Associating with the Malignant Party, According as is Contained in the Public Resolutions, is Sinful and Unlawful.
That The Employing Of, And Associating With The Malignant Party, According As Is Contained In The Public Resolutions, Is Sinful And Unlawful. If there be in the land a malignant party of power and policy, and the exceptions contained in the Act of Levy do comprehend but few of that party, then there need be no more difficulty to prove, that the present public resolutions and proceedings do import an association and conjunction with a malignant party, than to gather a conclusion from clear premises.
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

The Poor in Spirit are Enriched with a Kingdom
Theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:3 Here is high preferment for the saints. They shall be advanced to a kingdom. There are some who, aspiring after earthly greatness, talk of a temporal reign here, but then God's church on earth would not be militant but triumphant. But sure it is the saints shall reign in a glorious manner: Theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.' A kingdom is held the acme and top of all worldly felicity, and this honour have all the saints'; so says our Saviour, Theirs is the
Thomas Watson—The Beatitudes: An Exposition of Matthew 5:1-12

He Does Battle for the Faith; He Restores Peace among those who were at Variance; He Takes in Hand to Build a Stone Church.
57. (32). There was a certain clerk in Lismore whose life, as it is said, was good, but his faith not so. He was a man of some knowledge in his own eyes, and dared to say that in the Eucharist there is only a sacrament and not the fact[718] of the sacrament, that is, mere sanctification and not the truth of the Body. On this subject he was often addressed by Malachy in secret, but in vain; and finally he was called before a public assembly, the laity however being excluded, in order that if it were
H. J. Lawlor—St. Bernard of Clairvaux's Life of St. Malachy of Armagh

The Assyrian Revival and the Struggle for Syria
Assur-nazir-pal (885-860) and Shalmaneser III. (860-825)--The kingdom of Urartu and its conquering princes: Menuas and Argistis. Assyria was the first to reappear on the scene of action. Less hampered by an ancient past than Egypt and Chaldaea, she was the sooner able to recover her strength after any disastrous crisis, and to assume again the offensive along the whole of her frontier line. Image Drawn by Faucher-Gudin, from a bas-relief at Koyunjik of the time of Sennacherib. The initial cut,
G. Maspero—History Of Egypt, Chaldaea, Syria, Babylonia, and Assyria, V 7

Chronicles
The comparative indifference with which Chronicles is regarded in modern times by all but professional scholars seems to have been shared by the ancient Jewish church. Though written by the same hand as wrote Ezra-Nehemiah, and forming, together with these books, a continuous history of Judah, it is placed after them in the Hebrew Bible, of which it forms the concluding book; and this no doubt points to the fact that it attained canonical distinction later than they. Nor is this unnatural. The book
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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