Amen, so we're wrapping up first Kings tonight, and it's been a great book, but we got a longer chapter here
We'll just jump right into it
It says there in verse 1 and they continued three years without war between Syria and Israel and it came to pass in the third
Year that Jehoshaphat the king of Judah came down to the king of Israel and of course he's talking about
You know this this league that Jehoshaphat kind of ends up making with Ahab and it was really you know
It's a mistake on Jehoshaphat's part
you know Jehoshaphat, you know did a lot of good things that we see in Scripture and
He was by and large. You know he was a good king
It kind of ends there telling us about some of the good things
They did, but you know that doesn't mean he was perfect
And you know the Bible is great because it doesn't just chronicle all the good things that men do it also chronicles
You know the bad things that they do so that we can you know take heed to those things
You know we have to remember that these are real people just like me and you you know they're flawed
Characters and Jehoshaphat's no different we see in the story
Where he has kind of a lapse in judgment, or he's just flattered
But he ends up making a league with Ahab, and it's almost to his hurt
And if you would keep something there tonight in in in first Kings 22
But if you would go over to 2nd Chronicles chapter number 17
There's a couple chapters there that give us some more detail about the story and that you know our parallel passage
Passages so that they'll help us to you know get a little bit more out of this story here tonight
And one of the first things you know I wanted to point out
You know that one was that Jehoshaphat was a good king if you look there in a 2nd Chronicles chapter 17 it says in
Verse 1 it said a Jehoshaphat his son reigned in a stead and strengthened himself against Israel
And he played forces in all the fenced cities of Judah and said garrisons in the cities of in the land of Judah and the
Cities of Ephraim which Asa his father had taken and the Lord was with
Jehoshaphat because he walked in the first ways of his father David and
Sought not unto Balaam, but sought to the Lord the God of his fathers and walk in his commandments
not after the doings of Israel
Therefore the Lord established the kingdom in his hand and all Judah brought to Jehoshaphat presence
And he had riches and honor and abundance and his heart was lifted up in the ways of the Lord
Moreover he took away the high places and groves out of Judah also in the third year of his reign
he sent to his princess even to
Benhail and to Obadiah and to Zechariah and to Nethaneel and to Micaiah to teach in the cities of Judah
So there's this revival taking place in that southern kingdom of Judah through Jehoshaphat
and you know the Lord is blessing him the Lord is using him and
You know it is there's just this concept that I want to get across real quick
Is that you know whenever you know people are doing well when you're doing well in life
There's gonna be people that are gonna come along that kind of want to leech off of you
They want to use that success that you've had to their advantage, and that's kind of what's taking place in the story
You know Ahab he makes this league with Jehoshaphat because he's too weak to stand on his own
He can't go out and fight his own battles
He's got to go and get Jehoshaphat who as we just read you know is putting forces and garrisons throughout the land
He's out and teaching people in the Lord the kingdom is established
You know he has great strength Ahab sees that and he comes along and says well
I want to use that you know I want to use that to accomplish my own ends
He has his own designs in mind
And he sees somebody that's doing well
And he wants to use that person and this is something that we have to look out for in life
Is that you know when we're succeeding often other people will try to attach themselves to us
For the sole purpose of just using us
Not because you know obviously some people are gonna follow and get involved and they're gonna attach you to you if you're doing well
Because they want to help you they want to be a blessing to you
They want to support you they want to be loyal
But then you have other people who just see success and they say well
I just want that for myself they have their own designs. They have their own ambitions
They can't accomplish that on themselves so what they have to do is find somebody who is being blessed
Who is who is doing well and attach themselves to that person and use them, and there's a very particular way
That they do this and it's called flattery the Bible says in Proverbs 14 that the poor is hated of his own neighbor
But the rich hath many friends
Bible says that the poor is hated of his own neighbor, but what the rich hath many friends
You know whenever you start to do well and and and are successful
Or maybe you even come into some kind of a windfall of money in some way all of a sudden
You know those relatives that didn't like you so much start liking you
You know all those friends you didn't know you had start to show up
They kind of come out of the woodwork. You know I remember when I was in high school. I had you know
You know a friend like this. You know there was somebody that we hung around
And when he turned 18 you know he came into you know a large
Portion of money you know at least for an 18 year old and all of a sudden man
Yeah, he was the most popular guy
He went from being just this weirdo to one of the most popular guys that we knew and it wasn't because he had this you
Know sudden abrupt change in his personalities because he came into a lot of money
And that's you know the Bible is telling us is that when we succeed when we're doing well
You know what you can expect to have many so-called friends. You know fair-weather friends
And if you look there in verse 3 keep something again in 2nd Chronicles go back to 1st Kings 22
It says in verse 3 and the king of Israel sent unto his servants
Knowing that Ramoth and Gilead is ours and we be still and take it not out of the hand of the king of Syria
So really what's going on here? Is that?
Ahab the king of Israel is
What you know has his own designs he wants to get Gilead back
And he sees Jehoshaphat who is somebody that has power. You know I won't take the time to read all of
2nd chronicle 17
But if you read that it goes into detail about all the power that Jehoshaphat had at this time
He was very powerful his art
He was being very successful Ahab sees that and he tries to he wants to make that his own
He wants to use that for himself
Now you would say you know that would be pretty obvious
You know and a lot of times these people are obvious
But there is one thing that they use in order to kind of pull the wool over our eyes
To make them think that make us think that you know they just love us
They're just on our side
They're with us and the way that the that the that they work is the way Ahab works here
And if you would go back to 2nd chronicles go to 18 is that they use
Flattery and flattery is something that you have to look out for
You know flattery people use flattery for all kinds of different reasons
People have all kinds of different motives things that they want to accomplish things that they want to get out of people
Things that they want to do to people and what they'll often use is flattery
They'll start to tell you all these great things about yourself
they'll start to tell you how you know you're just the smartest and the and
Just the most athletic and the best-looking and just so intelligent you know and and and a lot of times
It can be you know very subtle and obviously people are gonna pay us genuine compliments
I get that but you know when people start to lay it on really thick
You know that's when you have to understand you have to look out and until it actually happens to you
You're probably not gonna even notice it happening, but it's out there people use flattery
That's what Ahab does there if you look there in 2nd Chronicles chapter 18 in verse number 1 it says now
Jehoshaphat had riches and honor in abundance and a joined
Affinity with Ahab and after certain years he went down to Ahab to Samaria and notice how Ahab
Kind of gets him and Ahab killed sheep and oxen for him in abundance, so you know maybe
Jehoshaphat was a Baptist. I don't know that's probably what worked on him right. That's that's kind of what works on us
You know he says oh come on down
And he just kills all these animals and they had this great feast and what he's doing in a way
This is a form of flattery
It's not because Ahab just loves how godly Jehoshaphat is he doesn't love his righteous stand for the Lord
And how he's having this revival
It's because Jehoshaphat is blessed and he has great power Ahab wants that for himself
So that he can go get Gilead and take it out of the hands of the kings of Syria
You know that's what he wants so he's gonna use
Jehoshaphat to accomplish that and the way he kind of gets Jehoshaphat over on his side is through flattery
You know kind of just laying it on thick oh come on down. We're gonna have this great feast in your honor
We're gonna go ahead and kill all these animals look. This is how people work they use flattery
You so why do they use flattery because it works look flattery works, otherwise people wouldn't use it, right?
It works people fall for flattery all the time and we have to keep our guard up
Okay
You know when that young man comes to you young lady and just starts telling you how you're the most beautiful girl
And you're the only one you know he's usually got something else in mind and once he gets what he wants
You know what all that was you find out all that was just talk
You know and vice-versa you know young ladies will do this to young men as well
You know the bot and I won't take the time to go to problems and prove that but the Bible talks about how you know
the the adulterous seeketh for the what the the precious life and
How she pressed upon that young man who was void of wisdom and she says what she with the she forced him with her words
You know she used her words. She used her flattery to get what she wanted out of him. It works both ways
And this is out there
That and it's used because of the fact that it works. That's why people flatter other people
If you would again keep something there in 2nd Chronicles all night, but go back to 1st Kings chapter 22
We'll see carry on the story
It says and he said on Jehoshaphat wilt thou go with me to the battle to Ramoth Gilead
So you're not getting this whole picture from just 1st Kings. What's going on is Jehoshaphat's coming down there
Ahab is flattering him. We're seeing why he wants to flatter him and then Jehoshaphat, you know, it's being told
Hey, will you go to battle and now it comes out the real motive. What it what is it that you want Ahab?
What are you really, you know flattering me for why is it that you're killing all these animals?
Why is it that you're putting on this great feast?
What is it that you want? And what he wants is he wants him to go to battle to Ramoth Gilead and
Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel and I shake my head every time I read this I am as thou art
My people as thy people my horses as thy horses
Look Ahab is one of the most wicked Kings that's ever been recorded in Scripture
He's one of the most wicked Kings that's ever lived and here he had this godly King saying oh I am as you are
He's making an affinity with a wicked
Worshiper of the devil. That's what he was. He was a he followed Belial Baal Beelzebub the devil and
He is saying look I'm as thy people, you know, we should never say that to the wicked we should never
There ought to be a clear distinction between the righteous and the wicked, okay
And what we see from the story is that you know Ahab doesn't care about Jehoshaphat
He's not worried about you know, Jehovah what what's best for Jehoshaphat?
He only cares about himself and this is what people do when they want to use other people for whatever reason
They'll flatter them. They'll do whatever they have to do to get what they want out of them. They have something else in mind
And they'll lie to them. The Bible says that a lying tongue hateth those that are afflicted by it
You're the person that's gonna flatter you and lie about you to get what they wanted
They don't they don't care about you
The Bible says that a lying tongue in Proverbs 26 hateth those that are afflicted by it
It says that a flattering mouth worketh ruin a man that flattereth his neighbor spread at the net for his feet
He's like laying a trap for him a man that flattereth his neighbor spread at the net for his feet
That's what the Bible says
They're flattering you they're smooth-talking you they're buttering you up and the whole time
They're just slowly walking you into that big X. They painted on the ground, right and then they're just gonna drop an anvil
You know, they've got that net spread underneath your feet so they can catch you
You know the guy that cares about you the person that cares about you is the person that will tell you the truth is
The person that will just you know, tell you that you're wrong even that's the person that cares about you
Bible sees says he that rebuketh a man, you know a rebuke to rebuke somebody to say you're wrong
It's to tell somebody what they're doing is wrong what they think is wrong. It's telling them that they're wrong
That's what means to rebuke somebody right and that's what we're to do as preachers
The Bible says to rebuke reprove and exhort with all longsuffering in doctrine
But it says he that rebuketh a man afterwards shall find more favor than he that flattereth with the tongue
Because you know the person that's gonna flatter you with the tongue eventually it's gonna come out what they are
Eventually, it's gonna become obvious that they only cared about themselves. They were just trying to you know, pump you for something
They're just trying to get something out of you and you know, I eventually that just comes to light and it's like well
This person doesn't care about me. They're just trying to use me
You know, but the person that will come to you and say hey you're wrong
You're doing wrong you need to fix this the person that will rebuke you
You know if eventually what you'll come you'll come to realize is that person actually cares about you
You know when your parents are coming to you and telling you you're wrong. Don't do this
Don't do that fall in line obey when they're getting after you it's because they love you
It's because they know something that you don't it's because they know better than you do they know
Where you know that sin leads they know about the pitfalls of life, you know, your brain's mush. You haven't figured it out yet
and
They're rebuking you because they love you
Not because they just want to ruin your good time not just because they want to be a downer
Not just because they're an old stick in the mud
You know and here the sad thing is is that people eventually get mature and they grow up and they figure out that's that's the truth
And they go oh
They actually love me
That's why the person who rebukes shall find more favor than he that flattereth with his tongue
Oh those all those friends and everybody I was running with that told me I was so great how cool I was
You know and they were just using me for whatever
You know, they didn't love me. They don't care about me. It was actually you know, it was my it was my preacher
It was my parents. It was you know, the guides of my youth that were actually trying to you know from time to time
Yes had to rebuke me. They were the ones that actually helped me
You know what? They're gonna find more favor with me now because I understand that they cared about me
You know people who care about you, they'll tell you the truth no matter what not just what you want to hear
There's a lot of people out there today
That's all they want all they want is to be told what they want to hear
They go to church just to be told what they want to hear
They just want to go to church wherever it were, you know sins cold sins or hell's cold sins
Not bad. God loves you. God's not angry with you. That's what they want. Look churches like that are filled to the brim today
Because Pete that's all people want today. They just want to be told what they want to hear
You know all the you know, the Bible, you know has some good guidelines in life
But we don't have to pay too much attention to what it says
That's what people want to hear today
And
There's a kind of an example of this in the story if you go back to
First Kings 22 it says in verse 5 and Jehoshaphat said unto the king of Israel inquire
I pray thee at the word of the Lord today. So he's saying hey if we're gonna go do this
Let's let's go see what the man of God has to say
Let's get the preachers out and see what they think about this whole thing of
Leaking up and going to war and the king of Israel gathered all gathered the prophets together about 400 men
He gets 400 prophets together. He says oh you want to inquire of the Lord?
Well, let's get these I know these 400 prophets
And he said unto them shall I go up to Ramoth Gilead to battle or shall I forbear and they said
Go up for the Lord shall deliver it into the hand of the king
What is it? What are these 400 guys doing? They're telling them what they want to hear
You think the king wants to be told you're gonna fail miserably
Oh, I wouldn't do that Ahab because later something's gonna be washing your blood out of the chariot and the dogs are gonna lick it up
That's what happened that's what Elijah told them that's the that's what was prophesied to him earlier in the book
You know, that's not what these 400 guys are gonna say. They're just gonna be like, hey, it's success prosperity
Everything's fine. Go ahead. God bless you
You know what there's 400 people that are willing 400 men of God that are willing to do that
You know, it tells me that you know, nothing has changed
You know, there's probably 400 prophets so called in this city alone
That are willing to stand up and just tell people whatever they want to hear rather than thus sayeth the Lord
You know, that's not the job of the man of God
That's not the job of the preacher to get up and scratch your ears and tickle your back and and you know
Just massage your earlobes and just say you special little thing you
Everything's fine. Don't worry about it. Just do whatever you want
That's not our job
Our job is to reprove and to rebuke and to exhort with all long-suffering and doctrine
And there's a lot of gnarly things the Word of God that go against the grain and that will chap our hide
But you know what? That's the job to reprove and to rebuke
But there's plenty of people out there today. That'll just tell you what you want to hear
And you know Jehoshaphat you could tell he's got some wisdom because he sees through this
He looks at verse 7 and Jehoshaphat said is there not a prophet of the Lord besides that we might inquire of him
It's like dude. You just had 400 guys show up
Well, there's 400. Well, yeah, but isn't there just one more it's because he kind of already knows the truth
You know and at least he's got enough integrity enough honesty to know that's not the case. These guys are lying to me
You know that you know what that tells me about the people that are being told what they want to hear
They know that they're being lied to a lot of them know people go to churches and they're just told
Oh, you're adultery and your fornication and your drunkenness is fine. God's not angry about that. That's not a sin
They know it's a sin
Everyone knows what the Bible says everyone knows the Ten Commandments
Everyone knows that you should honor your father and mother that you shouldn't lie and steal and cheat and fornicate
I mean, it's the Bible says that the law of God is written in our hearts
That even the Gentiles which have not the law when they do the things contained in the law are a law unto themselves
Which to show the work the the law of God written in their hearts
So it says in Romans 2 that's something we all know instinctually no one had to come and tell me that stealing was wrong
I knew that from birth
We knew that when we grow up that taking things from other people is wrong that you know going out and just being a fornicator
And a drunk is wrong. Most people know that
But not everyone has is as you know, it has as much integrity as a Jehoshaphat say
Yeah
That guy's lying to me right now because most people just want to be told
What they want to hear and they're gonna say well, you know the preacher said I went to that church and they said that everything
Was fine. I didn't have to change anything
That my sin there's nothing wrong with it
Yeah, because they know that's what you want to hear and there's plenty of people that just go along with it
But every now and then you'll get a Jehoshaphat who will say that guy's a liar
That guy's not telling me the truth
Isn't there another prophet besides that we can acquire of somebody's actually gonna tell us the truth and the good news is is that you know?
Out of the 400 guys
there was at least one guy left that was willing to get up before the king and God and everybody and say thus saith the
Lord this is how it really is
You know
But that tells me from the story when he got one guy out of 400 that's willing to do that
men like that are few and far between
You know, I could I could throw a rock in this town and hit some false prophet
That's one of just it's just gonna scratch your ears and tell you what you want to hear
You know what finding a guy who's actually is gonna get up and say thus saith the Lord
It's getting rarer and rarer to find even in Baptist churches, you know, I was listening this preacher this local guy here
You know at a Baptist Church probably nobody in here knows who I'm talking about
But you know, I listen this guy sermons every so often because I just you know
I don't have anything against you know, I'm not in competition with other Baptist churches in this town
You know, I'm not trying to draw people away from other Baptist churches
I want them to do. Well, you know if they're King James only if they're salvation by grace through faith, you know
I want those churches to succeed but you know
It's it's so frustrating when you hear a guy get up in front of a congregation with hundreds of people in it
He's got the Word of God in front of him and the you know, he can never just say thus saith the Lord
You'll kind of start to elude and sometimes I'm listening like oh, this is it. He's gonna rip some face
He's finally gonna say it and goes
Things are so bad in this country. I'm like, uh-huh. Yeah, things are bad. What's so bad about it?
Things are just bad this culture the way it is. What's wrong with the culture?
But they won't say that they won't just say what's wrong with the country. They'll just say oh things are bad
Whoo
You're gonna really upset some people with that aren't you you're gonna make some waves by saying if things are bad
But what does that mean to you out there? What does that mean if I just get up say hey, you know
Things have gotten really bad in our country
You know things are just not good
Things are terrible
You know, I could use all these adjectives to describe how bad things are but unless I actually get up and say exactly what's wrong
How are you, you know, how are you to know?
Unless you're reading your Bible and you have a brain in your head, you know
That's kind of what these guys are counting on it's like for you out there just kind of connect the dots
You know if things are bad, it's the homos
They don't want to say that because you know what people will leave people won't go to a church like that
Is it that's not what they want to hear. They're okay with hearing things are bad
My pastor he rips face man. He got up and told us things are bad
You
Know that that's it that they're fine with that they'll say oh that's that's good. Yeah. Okay enough said
But you know if a preacher actually gets up and say start saying what?
Specifically is bad. It's gonna be an exodus people are gonna head for the door
You know, but there's you know, that's that's the lesson here that's what you see with this guy Micaiah
This is what it takes to be a man of God that's actually gonna be used of the Lord
So verse 8 it says the king of Israel sent to Jehoshaphat
Is there yet one man just one guy is there at least one guy in all of Israel and Judas willing to tell us the truth
Can we just find one guy? No, you got these four hundred
But can we just find one guy that's not just gonna lie to my face and tell me what I want to hear
It's actually just gonna say it the way it is just one
And the king of Israel sent on Jehoshaphat
There is yet one man Micaiah the son of Imlah by whom we may inquire of the Lord and notice what he says
But I hate him
For he doth prophesy not prophesy good concerning me, but evil so I have says yeah, there's one guy
Micaiah the son of Imlah, but you know what? I hate him
That's why he wasn't invited. Well, what is it that you hate about him so much Ahab? He doesn't prophesy good concerning me
He doesn't get up and just tell me what I want to hear he doesn't just get up and say everything's fine
Or it were things are just bad
He actually prophesies evil he actually calls me out of my sin
He actually puts his finger on it and says this what is what is wrong with this country
This is what's wrong with their life
He actually breaks out the Bible and says turn to chapter, you know verse so and so chapter so and so and let's read thus
Sayeth the Lord
That's why I don't like Micaiah the son of Imlah because he did not prophesy good concerning me, but evil
Because Ahab as we saw earlier is this little snowflake
You know when when Naboth wouldn't sell him the vineyard and he went home heavy and and lay down in his bed and turn
His face toward the wall
Because he didn't get his way that's the what the Bible says about this guy and his wife had to come in Oh
Poor little bunny, I'll get you your vineyard and she killed and you know and frames Naboth and has him killed
This is the snowflake Ahab
this flattering fake, you know
snowflake
And he doesn't like Micaiah because Micaiah he was actually somebody who's gonna tell you the way it is
He's not not the most popular guy
It's not gonna draw a crowd, but you know what if you want to hear the truth you go to Micaiah
And it says there and Jehoshaphat said let not the king say so
You know, whatever he means by that. I still haven't figured out exactly what the context is there, but he's kind of saying oh
You know Ahab just go stop Ahab. It's not that bad. Let's get him up here though
then notice verse 9
Then the king of Israel called an officer and said hasten hither Micaiah the son of Imlah
And the king of Israel Jehoshaphat the king of Judah sat
each on his throne
having put their robes on their robes and a void place in the entrance of the gate of Samaria and all the
Prophecy prophets prophesied before them. So it kind of you know, that gives you the setting the kings are sitting on their throne
They got their kingly garments on they're sitting in the void place in the gates of Samaria. They're out in the public concourse, right?
They're out sitting where everybody is and all the prophets all 400 prophets are coming and prophesying before them
You know, it's this big ecumenical meeting. It's the presidential prayer breakfast
Right, we're all they get they get you know, the Buddhists there. They get the Hindu there
They get the Episcopalian and the Methodist they get everybody except the fire-breathing independent fundamental Baptist preacher
They want everybody but the Micaiah who's actually just gonna say thus saith the Lord they get all these other
400 false prophets to just get up and give these nice flowery speeches, you know, nothing new under the Sun
You know, it's the local pastors meet up
You know every now and then I'll bump into a pastor. He'll you know, they they'll say hey, you know
We had this local pastors breakfast every week. We're just several of the pastors from the different areas, you know, not even Baptist
We just all get together and we just have a breakfast together at a restaurant and we talk
And I and I always politely say no and I'm not interested and I always turn it down but inside I'm just like
Because I already know what it's gonna be like
You know, let's give me about it's me a bunch of guys sitting around putting jam on their toes saying things are really bad
Don't think bad things are
Or they're just gonna talk about what they saw in Fox News, you know
They're just gonna regurgitate a bunch of Republican talking points or something
It's like no, thanks, I'd rather just stay at home and read my Bible and actually prepare a sermon of thus saith the Lord
You know, that's kind of what's going on here this big ecumenical meeting and everyone's showing up
They're out doing it in the open
It says in verse 11 and Zedekiah the son of Chenaena came
Excuse made him horns of Kenaena made him horns of iron
So this one prophet Zedekiah the son of Kenaena made him horns of iron
So he makes these big iron horns, right one of these prophets and he said thus sayeth the Lord with these
Thou shalt push the Syrians
Until us consume them. So he's given his object lesson, right and you know, he's just this over-the-top preacher
It's like well this guy look he's got metal horns. He went to the great lengths
I mean don't you think that was you look you didn't it's not just some prop that he bought at Ace Hardware like I do
From time to time, you know, this was just like he went and made these horns
Look this is how into it these prophets these false prophets are
They want to make an impression and they get in front of the right people
They really want to lay it on thick. What are they doing? The same thing that Ahab and Jehoshaphat. They're flattering them
You know, there's a lot of false prophets that are just gonna flatter people because they perceive
Oh, you have some position of power. Oh, you could put some money in the plate. Oh, you could you know, increase our numbers
Well, let me just flatter you and tell you how everything's gonna go great
In fact, I got these horns of iron
I'll just make this over-the-top sermon to just try and persuade you how everything's just fine
You know, we'll do 40 days of grace on Sunday
and then we'll just talk about how God is love for another 90 Sundays and we'll never turn to the
Harrier passages in the Word of God
we'll just always focus on the nice little things that are just gonna give you a message of prosperity and peace as
Long as you know, I can you know, keep you here
That's what some people that's all they're interested in like this Zedekiah
Now verse 13 it says and the messenger that was gone to call Micaiah spake unto him
Saying so the messenger comes to Micaiah right the son of Imlod the real man of God and he comes to him and the messenger
Says behold now for the words of the Lord of the excuse me
The words of the Prophet declare good unto the king with one mouth. He's saying look they are they're all prophesying good Micaiah
Because this guy knows how Micaiah is Micaiah has already got a reputation
Remember Ahab has already said I don't like this guy, right?
So he's already got a reputation as being the guy who's just gonna say it like it is
So the messenger comes says look for these foreign prophets are there and they're all prophesying with one mouth saying good unto the king
Let thy word. I pray thee be like the word of one of them
He's saying will you just go and just tell the king what everybody else is telling him that they're gonna defeat the Syrians
We just be like these other prophets Micaiah just this one time. I pray thee don't cause any trouble today
You just shut up and fall in line
You know, and this is the message that the man of God gets this is the message that the world is preaching
This is what you know
This is what the world wants the man of God to do just shut up and fall in line and just say what everybody else
is saying
Just go along with the philosophy of the world. Just what everybody else wants to hear
Just will you just tell them that that's what the world does to the preacher
This is the look. This is the pressure that is on the preacher
Constantly there is constantly pressure to get the preacher to just conform
And when he does it there's backlash as we'll see here in a minute. There's there's consequences when he doesn't fall in line
You know and we've seen that with some of our pastor friends that they you know people put pressure on them
They say take back what you said don't say that about this community
don't you know don't say anything like that anymore and and and apologize and knock it off and then they don't they double down and
Then it's like okay. Well now we're gonna throw a bomb in your building now
We're gonna protest for weeks years on end now. We're gonna run you out of town on a rail
This is the pressure that is always put on the man of God to just shut up and fall in line
To let your word be like one of the false prophets and speak only that what which is good
And to not say anything negative the problem with false prophets is not what they say. It's what they don't say
It's what they don't say
They say a lot of good things, but they never say the hard things the closest they get is things are bad
Let you figure out what that means on your own
And
Micaiah said as the Lord liveth what the Lord has said unto me that will I speak I
Love that. I love my car is one of my favorite characters in the Old Testament
He's not he's gives his brief story, but he's so bold
He's saying look. I'm gonna go say what God said to say
And I don't care what the king thinks. I love this guy, you know in Jeremiah
He was told he that hath my word. Let him speak my word faithfully
You know, I I would rather upset every single person in Pima County and make them mad at me than upset God
If getting up and saying thus say the Lord upset every single person in the state of Arizona
I would rather do that than upset God
Because that's what Jeremiah was told he that hath my word let him speak my word
Faithfully and that's what Micaiah is doing. He's saying look as the Lord liveth
What the Lord has said unto me that will I speak and he says in verse 15
So he came to the king and the servants just like oh great
Here we go again. Yeah, and the king said unto him Micaiah shall we go up to Ramoth Gilead to battle?
Or shall we forbear and he answered him and this seems at first like a contradiction with Micaiah
But I'll explain this and Micaiah and his first answer said go and prosper
So he ends up saying what everybody else was saying
He's saying go and prosper for the Lord shall deliver it into the hand of the king now between verses 14 and verse 15
You know verse 14
He's saying look I'm gonna go and say what the Lord has said and we already know that
Ahab's a wicked king. We already know how the story is gonna turn out for a have he's gonna die in this battle
they're gonna lose and
Then you get the verse 15, you know verse 14 a Micaiah sounds so bold
I'm gonna say what God said and then verse 15 he's saying go and prosper
You know and you could scratch your head and see like well
What did he did he did he back out? Did he do you have a change of heart?
Did he end up cowering, you know, and maybe that was the case
Maybe it's it's easy to say it to one guy, but when you're actually there in front of everybody in the king
Maybe it's a little bit harder to be as bold
But I don't think that's what's going on here because of the context of the story
I could be wrong about this, but yeah, I don't think he's contradicting himself Micaiah
When he says go and prosper in verse 15
Because it says in verse 14 that he said he would speak only what the Lord hath said
Okay, and we have to remember that the Lord in this story
Wants to deceive Ahab if you were paying attention when the scripture is being read that was made abundantly clear
If you look at verse 19, it said hear thou fear the word of the Lord. I saw the Lord sitting on the throne
This is Micaiah and he said and all the hosts of heaven standing by him on his right hand and on his left and the Lord
Said who shall persuade Ahab that he may go up and fall to Ramoth at Ramoth Gilead
so the Lord's will in this whole situation is that Ahab would be deceived and then he would go and die and
Fulfill what he had prophesied earlier. That's what the what God wants. So what I think happened here is that Micaiah
Says hey
I'm gonna say what the Lord as the Lord has said and maybe on the way he kind of gets a word from the Lord
He discerns what God is trying to do here in the situation. So he just goes along with it and
He just says go and prosper and he knows that's not at all. What's gonna happen
He's but he's going along with what God wants, you know, that's the way, you know, I could be wrong about that
But that's how I interpret this story. I
Think he's just kind of going along with the fact that God wants Ahab to be deceived
because if you remember verse 21 the spirit came forth and said I will persuade him and be a lying spirit in the mouth of
Prophets so by the time Micaiah gets there he sees what's really going on and says yeah go and prosper. Oh, you'll be fine
Now let's look at the story real quick about what Micaiah saw it says there in verse 19
He said here therefore the word of the Lord
I saw the Lord sitting on his throne and all the hosts of heaven standing by him on his right side
Excuse me on his right hand and on his left and the Lord said who shall persuade Ahab
that he may go up and
fall at Ramoth Gilead and one said on this manner and another said on that manner and
there came forth the spirit and stood before the Lord and said I will persuade him and the Lord said unto him wherewith
And he said I will go forth and I will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets
And he said thou shalt persuade him and prevail also go forth and do so now
Therefore behold the Lord hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these thy prophets and the Lord hath spoken evil
concerning thee this is what Micaiah is telling Ahab that hey all the angels were there before God and
what and then God said hey who's gonna deceive Ahab and one came forth said I'll go be a lying spirit and cause him to
fall at Ramoth Gilead
Now people, you know again could kind of scratch their heads over the story and say well, wait a minute
How is it that God could allow an angel from heaven to come and be a lying spirit?
Because the Bible says that God cannot lie. Okay, but we have to remember is
That this whole idea that all the angels in the devil and are in hell and all the good angels are in heaven is false
Okay, you watch too many Looney Tunes growing up, you know
You saw a porky pig down in hell with his little pitchfork too many times
Look the Bible teaches that the angels and Satan are not in hell right now
They're not down there ruling and reigning in hell nobody reigns in hell, you know who reigns in hell Jesus Christ
The Bible says in Revelation that there's gonna be people who are cast in the lake of the fire and they shall be what?
Tormented in the presence of the Lamb and before his holy angels
They're gonna be in hell being tormented in the presence of the Lamb, which is Jesus Christ
Even this notion. Well, I'm just gonna go to hell and have and party and hang out with the devil
the devil is gonna be in every bit as
Every bit as much anguish and torment as everybody else
the Bible says that a hell was created by God for the devil's and and his angels and
Not so they could go have a place to hang out in eternity, but as a place to punish them eternally
The by you know, the Bible is real clear that that Satan and the angels still have access to heaven
Okay, and I'll go through this very quickly
But keep something where you are go over to Revelation chapter 12 Revelation chapter number 12
The Bible says in Job chapter 1 now
There was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord and those were you know
Those were literal sons of God. Those were sons of Adam
He's were men
I don't want to get into all that and Satan also came also among them and the Lord's said unto Satan whence comest thou
He's saying where did you come from Satan Oh hell I
Was down at hell hanging out, you know playing cards with you know
Aleister Crowley or you know, the Beatles or something. I don't know who's whoever's dead in in hell already
I don't know right who all the cool people in hell are that's where I was
That's not what he said when God asked Satan and job. Where did you come from? What are you doing here?
Where have you been is what he's saying whence comest thou where you been?
Then Satan answered and said from going to and fro in the earth
That's why Satan is called the prince of the power of the air
But he's the one of the rulers of the darkness of this world, he's the present little G
Lowercase G. God of this world. That's what the Bible teaches
and
The Bible shows us in job that he could actually still come before the presence of God and come down into earth
He does not reign in hell. He hasn't even been to hell yet
That's why in Revelation an angel has to come and bind him and cast him into hell. He doesn't want to go to hell
Another you know another
Proof of this is the fact that Jesus, you know saw Satan fall from heaven right and he was speaking in Luke
He said behold I saw Satan as lightning fall from heaven and he was speaking, you know prophetically about what was going to take place
But it looked there in Revelation chapter 12 verse 9
It's a great proof text of this it says and the great dragon which you know that old serpent called the devil and Satan
Which deceiveth the whole world was cast out into earth and his angels work was cast were cast out with him
This is talking about when there's war in heaven in the end times
There's going to come a point where Satan and his angels are no longer permitted in heaven. This is this isn't happened yet
this is something that's going to take place and
I heard a loud voice saying in heaven now has come salvation and strength in the kingdom of our God and the power of his
Christ for the accuser of our brethren is cast down which accused them before our God day and night
So this angels saying look this loud voice from heaven is saying that the accuser of our brethren is cast down to earth
Who did what who accused our brethren before God day and night? We all know God's in heaven
So if the accuser that old serpent the devil is accusing the brethren before God day and night
Accusing the brethren before God day and night he's got it. He has to have access to the throne. That's where he does that
Okay, so this is another proof text
And look, I don't want to go on and on about all that
The point is this is that God uses wicked people to punish wicked people
God said that's what I believe that that spirit that came before God in our story in second Kings or first Kings 22
But said I'll go be a lying spirit my belief personally my opinion is that that was one of these fallen angels that have sided
With the devil and God said, you know what go do your yo do your dirty work then?
I'll go be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets
Right, and that's something that still takes place today
You know these these there's false prophets out there that they're demonic in their very nature. I mean good night
Have you ever seen Kenneth Copeland?
That guy is demonic
I mean the faces he makes the the way he talks
I mean, just that's scary isn't one of the scariest looking guys I've ever seen right? He's a false prophet
He's a tongue-talking
Pentecostal works based salvation, you know false prophet is in it for the money
And you know, that's the same thing today that you know
These people that are preaching false Gospels that are fleecing the flock that are just trying to you know, deceive people
It's demonic and they had that same lying spirit that is of the devil
but you know that doesn't mean God's, you know beyond or
Incapable of using wicked people to punish other wicked people and look there's so many examples of this in Scripture
You know
There's so how many how many times you read about the Assyrians the Babylonians?
Coming and punishing God's people when they got backslidden and got away from God
They would use some heathen country some heathen foreigners to cut God would use them and say I'm gonna bring this heathen
King and he's gonna destroy your land God constantly uses wicked people to punish wicked people
People say why does God let wicked people exist to punish other wicked people?
And I think this is a great this story is a great example of that if you would
Well, we'll just continue on I got to wrap up
See where am I at here
Okay
So the fallen angels he's one of Satan's that still have access to God's throne and
Then you know, and of course, this is all what Micaiah is telling him this he's explaining this whole situation
He's saying look I I was I came here to tell you what that what the Lord has said, but you know what?
what's really going on here is that you're trying is that God wants you to be deceived and
God's gonna punish you and
He's using these false prophets to do so
And I'm trying to find this let's look at verse 16 the king said unto him because I do want to cover this part
because you remember in verse 15
Micaiah says, you know go and prosper
Yeah
You'll be fine and the king said unto him so many times shall I journey that they'll tell me nothing
But that was just true in the name of the Lord and I love that Micaiah has this reputation
He's like this is so out of character for Micaiah for him to tell me what I wanted to hear
he's like look how many times when I can get up here and tell you to tell me the truth and
Then verse 17 in Micaiah said finally he just says all right
You really want to know the truth says in verse 17?
I saw all Israel scattered upon the hills as sheep that have not a shepherd and the Lord said
These have no master
Let them return every man to his house and the king of Israel Ahab sent him to Joseph
Did I not tell thee that he would not he would prophesy no good concerning me, but evil
He's saying isn't this exactly what I said was gonna happen
I told you if he got Micaiah here that he was just gonna prophesy evil concerning us
And you know you would think at this point the light would have come on over
Jehoshaphat's head and been like hmm
You know, this is what I wanted a real man of God and he's telling me the truth. Maybe I shouldn't do this
But of course we know the story he ends up going along with it
and
And you know Micaiah explains how everything's playing out
Saying look these are all false prophets that are lying to you you're going to be destroyed
And it says in verse 24, but Zedekiah the son of Canaena went near that was the guy that made the big iron horns
Remember him?
And saying you're gonna push the Syrians with these horns go you're gonna prosper king and he hears Micaiah finally just come out and say
You know what? I saw Israel scattered as sheep having no shepherd. Let every man return to his own house
He's saying don't go
It's it's gonna be a massacre. It's gonna be a bloodbath
It's it's gonna be a massacre. It's gonna be a bloodbath. You're not gonna live
And Zedek is so what he's basically saying is that all these other guys are lying to you
These other 400 prophets are a bunch of liars is what is what he's saying
Look that I mean how he's not just saying look these guys are lying
He's that's but that's what he's saying by saying what he's saying
If you understand what i'm saying
Right, he's getting up and saying look you're not going to succeed
It's the opposite message of what these 400 prophets are saying
What he's calling them what he's inferring what he's insinuating is that these guys are lying to you
And look the false prophets don't like to be called liars
They don't like to be exposed
They don't like to be told
They don't like other people to to be told the truth about them, you know, the Zedekiahs of this world
That are just trying to get influenced with with people in positions that are just trying to use flatter
They're just trying to you know
Gain something from people or just want to tell people what they want to hear for their own benefit
They don't like to get called out
That's why when you know, uh, uh
Micaiah gets done speaking zedekiah it says in verse 24 wit and ear and smoke micaiah on the cheek
You know, he walks up and just slaps him right in the face
And he said which way with the spirit of the lord for me to speak unto thee
Say, oh, here's some kind of prophet
Well, tell me, you know, which way with the spirit for me to speak under thee which spirit told me to do that to you
Smart guy
You know some spiritual answer
You know, this is another thing that the real man of god has to contend with
Is that other so-called men of god other, you know, so-called christians other so-called prophets?
They're going to get mad and they're going to say well, that's not what god said
You know, look I hear that all the time, you know, someone will take a clip out of my sermon
Some god-hating atheist will put it up on his twitter feed
You know, and then a bunch of people will leave google reviews and they'll write the church and leave me voicemails
And say how i'm christian of you. That's not what the bible says. I'm like you've never obviously you've never read the bible
Jesus would never say anything. Jesus would never call anybody names like go just go read matthew 23. Just go read one chapter
Where jesus is calling people vipers?
He's calling them. They're in a den of iniquity. I mean jesus called people all kinds of names said they were going to hell
God calls this an abomination calls that an abomination
I mean god just tears people up one side down the other throughout the scripture
But then you know a makaya gets up and just says thus saith the lord and some, you know
Super spiritual some fake some phony just comes on goes
That's not what god said
You don't know what god said you've never read the bible you don't know what you're talking about you have some fake jesus
You know, you got some you got some surfer looking guy
That you call jesus some long-haired looking hippie
Like him like he just rolled in off the beach somewhere that you call jesus
That is just all about love. You got john lennon for that. You called that's your jesus
You know, my jesus is the jesus of the bible
And people the bible says that people are going to be tormented in the presence of the lamb
forever
That jesus is going to say to people depart from me. I never knew you you workers of inequity
He's going to set them headlong into hell
That's the jesus of the bible friend
And it's the makayas of this world
I have to get up and say this is thus saith the lord and just sit there and just take it on the chin
from the world
And I love makaya's answer
Because makaya gets kind of snarky here and I can really relate to this
I mean sometimes I you know, i'll I I have to really constrain myself and sometimes, you know, i'm human
I slip up i'll reply
But typically I I just try not to reply to the comments on youtube
I don't reply to the unless i've got a real snarky comeback, you know, maybe i'm thinking of being clever, you know
You know, but by and large I just try not to reply just take it
But makaya here kind of he's had what he's having one of those days
You know where he's just like he sees that comment. He's just like
You know, he's just got to reply right
So he comes and slaps him and says which way went the spirit lord from god to me to speak under the and makaya said
Behold thou shalt see it in that day and thou shalt go into an inner chamber to hide thyself
You know
You'll find out when the hissirians are running you over when you're gonna when you're gonna be hiding from the enemy
And the king of israel said take makaya
And carry him under the amnon the governor of the city into and joash the king's son
And thus say and say thus saith the king put this fellow in the prison
And feed him with bread of affliction with water of affliction until I come in peace
So ahab says, you know what just take makaya and go lock him up in prison
He's being punished and what has makaya done?
Did makaya did makaya
Just show up uninvited
Did he just intrude did he just bomb their little prayer breakfast there in samaria?
Just and just say shut up. Shut up. Listen to me. No, they came and found him
They came to him
You know, they came to his youtube channel and listen to the sermon
You know, they came to where he was
They they came down there to see what he had wanted to hear what he had to say
And then they just they're all up in arms over it
Oh, can you believe what this guy said?
Kick him off youtube
You know, and I don't want to you know, you know comparing getting kicked off youtube being locked up in prison is you know
It's not a very fair comparison. No offense to makaya. Okay, he's actually suffered
But you know, it's kind of an analogy
But makaya, you know, he's he's like look you invited me
I told you what you wanted to hear and then you pressed me for info, you know
You you insisted that I tell you the truth and now i've told you the truth
It's like paul said am I become your enemy because i've told you the truth
Yes, you have makaya
How dare you actually say what the bible says lock this guy up get rid of him throw away the key
Feed him with bread give him crust of bread and water until he dies until I come in. Peace
And I love his response here because makaya at this point he's just going for broke
He's like, well, you're gonna lock me up. Anyway, i'm just gonna i'm just gonna let her rip now
Because the king says, you know put him in the and put him in prison feed him with bread of affliction
Until I come in peace, this is ahab saying until I get back from this poor in peace
And makaya, I love this my favorite verses in the whole bible
I just love makaya's response to verse 28 and makaya said if thou at all to return it all in
Peace the lord hath not spoken by me
That's such a great response because ahab's like
Lock him up until I come back in peace. He says look if you if you even if you even make it back then
Yeah, the lord hasn't spoken by me
But what he's saying is the lord has spoken behind me my ahab and you're not coming back in peace, buddy
You're going to come back in pieces
But you're not coming back in peace
So
And he turns and says harken. Oh people every one of you
And this is what it means to be bold. This is this is you know
This is mike makaya's boldness on display
Look people want to be bold people want to get up
And they think oh if I ever get behind the help of it if I ever get a pastor
If I ever get you know, i'm just going to rip everyone's face
It's like well, I hope so. I hope you're willing to say what needs to be said
But I hope you also understand that you know, it's going to come at a price
That it's going to upset people the world's going to slap you try to shut you up
And it might even be that people try to take away your literal physical freedom at some point
You got to be willing to suffer the consequences
You know when when when he hears hey lock this guy up makaya and say oh i'm sorry. I take that back
You know, I just got another vision from the lord. It turns out everything's going to be fine
Yeah
Getting all nervous
Changing his message. He says, you know what?
If you return to all in peace, the lord hasn't spoken by me harken unto me every one of you
He just keeps he just keeps his integrity and they're I mean, they're putting the cuffs on him and he's still preaching it
And this is the attitude that you have to have as a man of god
Is you can't back down when there's adversity you have to be willing to pay it all to pay the price
That's what real boldness is
Is when you're when you're it's it's easy to be bold when everyone's like, yeah, amen. All right
But when you're there with 400 other false, you know false prophets lying against you you got the kings staring you down
You know seeing what you're going to have to say and then you're being thrown in prison. You just keep on preaching it anyway
That's real boldness
He says in verse 29
So the king of israel and jehoshaphat the king of judah went up to ramoth gilead and the king of israel sat on jehoshaphat
And this is where it comes out
This is this is what I was saying earlier in the sermon that people that flatter you don't care about you
They just want to use you for whatever
They want to use you for whatever it is that they want to get out of you. Okay, you know
And there's a lot of different ways you could apply that
But it comes out here where jehoshaphat or the king of israel ahab said on joe's fat. I will disguise myself and enter the battle
But put thou on thy robes
He's like i'm just going to look like any ordinary soldier
You go into the battle looking like a king though
Because who do you think everyone's going to shoot at
the king
He's the number one target
So ahab's just like now that i've got you doing my dirty work
Fighting this battle, you know, how can I how can I minimize the risk, you know for me? How can I save my own skin?
And jehoshaphat's just like okay
You know, he's still picking the oxen out of his teeth, you know, or whatever that feast was he was eating
Oh, all right, you know, he's all he's maybe he's carb crashing and his thoughts are a little muddled or something
He can't figure it out. But ahab's like hey put on your robes and we'll both go into the battle
But i'm just going to dress like everybody else
It's like duh
And the king of israel disguised himself and went in the battle and i'll wrap this up
And it says and it came to pass
But no verse 31, but the king of syria commanded his 32 captains
They had rule over his chariot saying fight neither with smaller gate save only with the king of israel
So the enemy is saying hey just kill the king
Don't worry about trying to fight with everybody else. Just find the king and kill him
And it came to pass when the captains the chariot saw jehoshaphat. They said surely it is the king of israel
They're mistaking him for ahab
And they turned aside to fight with him and jehoshaphat cried out
So jehoshaphat's in there in his kiggly garment. It's kind of a funny story
And he's fighting this battle. He's the only guy looks like a king and then he notices they're all coming after him
This is why I don't play paintball with the teenagers
Because I know the only reason they want there is so they can shoot the deacon
It's like they're gonna they're all just gonna be like fight not with smaller great or with the small just only at the deacon
Right only shoot him they just want because and it's not just because i'm a slow moving target
It's because they're tired of me lecturing them every sunday they're like now's our chance, right?
It's this same situation. But see i'm smarter than jehoshaphat. I know how people are
So that's why i'm never going to play
If I do i'm going to go full ahab on you you won't know it's me
You know, i'm going to be out there in the ghillie suit disguised anyway
But notice, you know when god, you know, and i'll close with this is that you know
If you're somebody who's wicked if you're not right with god and you can't just hide from god
If god wants to punish you
He's going to punish you. There's no escaping that I don't care how conniving you are
I don't care how an elaborate of a plan you make
How careful you are to cover all your tracks the bible says be sure your sin will find you out
The bible says the eyes of the lord go, you know, search throughout the whole earth going
Beholding both the evil and the good god sees everything
He that planted the eye shall he not see he that formed the ear shall he not hear
God sees all god knows all there's no hiding from him and ahab. He's got this whole scheme planned out
Flatter jehoshaphat get him down here use his power his army to fight my battle
Get him to go out there and make himself into a target while I kind of just hang back
But it says in verse 33 and it came to pass when the captains of the chariot perceived that it was not the king of
Israel they turned back from pursuing him
So this is this isn't a have this isn't who we're here after maybe it was something about you say how did they figure out?
Well, it says he cried out. Maybe he had a
Maybe he had a particular cry. Maybe maybe he actually cried out like a man, you know, he's like
You know, like I don't know something like that, you know, I don't cry out very often
They're like, that's not that sounded like a man. That's not ahab ahab would be like
Because ahab's this little snowflake right this wussy they're like, wait a minute
This isn't ahab
Somehow they figured it out, but notice ahab all the scheming it says in verse 34
And a certain man drew a bow at adventure. I mean, he's just like he's not like oh, there's a hat
It says he drew it at adventure. Like he's just he's just winging one back. He's just gonna let her rip
I know I got it closed, but it reminds me of the story when I lived in northern Michigan
I rented this house and I had this roommate and we lived kind of outside of town
But there was like a main road that went right in front of our house
Like we were just outside the city limits. It's this little two-lane road, but it was very busy
And across the the the street there was this open field and we're sitting in the in the in the living room one day
And I look out and there's all these these deer across the street and this guy my roommate was this big time
He loved hunting bow hunting
So he runs out there. It's like the middle of the afternoon on a weekday
Like people are going by like business is going on people are going to and from work everything
And I look at my window and he's he's like because he's like from here
He's like at least you know, 50 to 100 yards away from which is a long shot with a bow
And it's and you can't just shoot straight. So I see him. He's just like
He's like pulled back and he's like trying to he's gonna like just fling a bow across a busy two-lane road
He was drawing a bow at a venture eventually he he didn't take the shot
He let he didn't let it go whenever I read this. I always think of that that roommate of mine
Who's just maybe maybe one will just land on the deer maybe if I just fling one over traffic
In broad daylight, I don't even think it was hunting season. He's just out in broad daylight poaching in front of everybody
You know and this is but this is what that's what it means. See he's drawing a bow at a venture
Right, you know like I venture to guess, you know
I'm just gonna take a stab in the dark kind of a saying
So he's venturing he just draws a bow at a venture and it says when he let go that he smote the king of Israel
between the joints of the harness
Now, do you think that's a coincidence? That's just all coincidence the ahab who's trying to disguise himself hide himself who's wicked
You know, if you knew know the rest of the story of ahab, you know, you know, he's very wicked
God is angry with him. God has already determined
That he's going to fall at this battle that he's sent
A lot, you know lying spirits have gone to be lying spirits in the in the mouth of all the prophets like god is determined
To destroy ahab but ahab's trying all these little maneuvers to get himself out of harm's way and just add adventure
A guy just draws bow and lets it rip into the battle and it hits ahab. Where does it hit him?
It says it smote the king of israel between the joints of the harness
So he's covered in armor, but you know, he had that one spot where he had that one spot where he had that one spot
Where a guy who just at random just flung a bow into there and it hits him right where it counts and it kills him
Oh coincidence. No, it's god that did that
Just like, you know, god, you know, god guided that arrow
Right to where it needed to land
Just like, you know with uh, david and goliath
David let that rock fling and it went right and sunk right into the forehead of that of goliath and killed him
And it just goes to show you that, you know
If god wants to punish you look i'm not saying, you know, god's
Look god isn't just out to kill everybody
But god is out to change the bible says in hebrews chapter 12 that he chasteneth every son whom receiveth
And there's no son whom he chasteneth not and the bible says if you be without chastisement
Then you're bastards and not sons meaning god is not your father
You know, if you can go on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on
You know, if you can go out and just live a wicked life and god never punishes you for it
You know, I would I would at that point i'd be afraid of my salvation
Because the bible says that he chastens every son whom he receiveth
Every single person that gets saved is a son of god a child of god when they god will chasten them
And look we all have sins. We're all going to be chasing of god to some degree another at some point in our lives
If god wants to punish us
It doesn't matter how careful we are. We can just try to blend in with everybody else. We can try to disguise ourselves
God will make sure
That that punishment finds its mark every time and punish us
And of course it's smotes him and he and he said unto his driver's chariot turn nine hand and carry me out of the host
I am wounded and the battle increased and the king of israel was stayed
Upon his chariot against the syrians and died at even and the blood ran out of the wound into the midst of the chariot
So he's he's getting out of the battle and he's just bleeding to death in his chariot. It's running out
It's filling up, you know, the floor of the chariot is getting filled with his blood
And there came a proclamation throughout the host about the going down to the sun saying every man to a city
And every man to his own country, so it came to the past just like makiah said they got beat
They were scattered like sheep with no they everyone had to go back to their own home and it says in verse
37 so the king died and was brought to samaria and they buried the king in samaria and one washed out the chariot and the
In the pool of samaria and the dogs licked up his blood and they washed his armor according under the word of lord
Which he spake
because remember previously god had prophesied against
Ahab and said the the dogs are going to lick up your blood
And look when god says he's going to do something he's going to do it
And if god says that he'll chasten every child whom he receiveth
God will chasten every child whom he receiveth mark it down
God follows through he's not he's not up there. Just god doesn't just make empty threats
And look it's not like we have to go through that, you know, we can be blessed of god if we wanted to
But you know what if we're wrong if we're doing wrong you can mark it down that god's not just going to let us get away
with it
And then of course, you know, it kind of wraps up the chapter talks about
You know verse 39 the rest of the acts of ahab and all that he did in the ivory house
Which he made in all the cities that he built are they not written the books of the chronicles the kings of israel
And he have slept with his fathers and asi his son reigned into stead and jehoshaphat the son of asa
Began to reign over jude in the fourth year king of uh, israel
Jehoshaphat was 30 and five years old he began to reign and he reigned 20 and five years in jerusalem
And his mother name was azuba the daughter of shilai
And he walked and then I want to close on this thought i'm just going to point this out. Okay
And he walked in the ways of asa of his father. He turned not the side
Not aside from from uh from it
And it bible this is the bible saying this the narrator of scripture. The holy spirit said that that uh, jehoshaphat
Walked in the ways of asa's father
Doing that which was right in the eyes of the lord. Okay, it's important to remember
He said this is what the this is the bible is giving us, you know
What god thought of jehoshaphat's reign?
He's saying look jehoshaphat, you know other than this thing with asa
Or ahab rather, you know other than that matter, you know, he did that which is right in the lord. He wasn't perfect
But you know, he did that which is right in the eyes of the lord
So now we're going to read what he did
And we have to remember that what we just read is that he did that which was right in the eyes of the lord
God saw what jehoshaphat did and said that's right
I approve
That pleases me. That's what the bible's saying. Okay now keep that in mind
Because it said and the joseph that made peace with the king of israel
Now the rest of the acts of jehoshaphat and that and the might his might that he showed
And how he wore it or they not written the book of the chronicles of the kings of judah
And the remnant of the sodomites which remained in the days of his father asa he took out of the land
So what was it that he did that was right the side of the lord?
Taking the sodomites out of the land
That's what he did and god said that's right
That's good. That's pleasing in my sight when he took the sodomites out of the out of the land
Because you know sodomites are an abomination unto god
Say what's a sodomite? Well, they're you know, they're from they're all they behave as those of sodom and gomorrah
They commit the act of sodomy
They're the homos
Okay, and the bible's saying asa took him out of land and god said that's good
so, you know i'm going to point that out because
you know
When I so what I do find that when I do preach again against the sodomites and I will
In fact, i'm holding back right now because I got to close
But when I do don't go there
I just can't believe you say that
Don't be one of these idiots on the internet. That's not what god would say the bible says
That god saw what jehoshaphat didn't said that's good
He saw him take the sodomites out and said I like that
That's what the bible says
So go ahead and get mad at me all you want
But just understand it if you get mad at me, which you're really mad at is this book
And I didn't write this book news flash
I'm, not this smart
Probably caught on to that
Right. God wrote this book
Now I got and you know what it kind of closes here
It kind of wraps up the whole story to host fat and sets the stage for the next book
But you know, there's a great lessons out of this chapter. I know it's a longer chapter
I I you know, I could have milked it for probably several more sermons, but I didn't
But you know, what did we learn tonight that wicked people use flattery to get what they want out of good people?
They're not just they don't just walk up and say hey I want to use you
They they they're just they deceive you they flatter you and that wicked people get what's coming to them
You know that people get punished. God punishes people
And you know, that's not a popular message
To get up and say that god is upset by certain things. But you know what? That's the message that has to be preached
You know, not just things are bad
You know, it's what's bad. It's the sodomites in the land, you know that you know
And that's what boldness is that people need to preach what the bible actually says
And if you're in a place that isn't you know, if you're in a church
That's not just going to flatter you if you have people in your life that aren't just going to flatter you
But actually rebuke you and tell you what you need to hear
Whether you realize it or not those people love you
And when you wise up you'll actually show that person more favor
In the long run and not just the people that want to tell you what you want to hear
We need to be told what we what we need to be told
Okay, and what we need to hear is not always what we want to hear
And thank god for people that are willing to do it because they're few and far between in this world
Most people are just going to tell you what you want to hear
Thank god if you have somebody in your life who's willing to tell you like it is. Let's go ahead and pray