Randy Green's Blog - Posts Tagged "yhwh"
Heights and Highs – Part 2
Moreover, Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “Please inquire first for the word of the LORD.” Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, about four hundred men, and said to them, “Shall I go against Ramoth-gilead to battle or shall I refrain?” And they said, “Go up, for the Lord will give it into the hand of the king.” But Jehoshaphat said, “Is there not yet a prophet of the LORD here that we may inquire of him?” [1 Kings 22:5-7]
King Ahab wanted Jehoshaphat to go with him to Ramoth-gilead, so as to take back his territory from the king of Aram. That king was a bad dude, you see, so Ahab wanted some moral support…and some extra fire power on Jehoshaphat’s part.
And that is where King Jehoshaphat entered the story. He was visiting his buddy Ahab at his palace in Samaria. King Ahab decided to take advantage of the opportunity by putting Jehoshaphat on the spot.
Hey, Josh! Now that you’re here, maybe you can give me a hand. That no good sidewinder in Damascus is occupying my territory in Gilead at Ramoth. I want it back. Care to come along with me and take it away from him?
Jehoshaphat was on the spot. If he declined he’d look like a scaredy-cat. The alternative was to go fight Ahab’s war for him. Hard choice, huh? Not! Jehoshaphat didn’t want anyone to think he was a wuss, so he jumped right into the fray like a real dufus.
Yes, by all means. Let’s go kick the scalawag’s heinie and take back Ramoth-gilead! But first let’s consult the Lord. Let the prophets give us His Word about the matter.
Well, back in the day folks knew better than to get on the king’s wrong side. Any self-styled prophet who wanted a life worth living knew to tell the king what he wanted to hear…or else! So Ahab’s four hundred flunkeys gathered in the throne room before the two kings. “O King. Go up to Ramoth and take back what is yours. The Lord gives the king of Aram into your hands. You’re the man!”
But wait a sec! King Jehoshaphat didn’t much fancy those smarmy pagan prophets. They didn’t speak the Word of God. They uttered their own malarkey in the name of the heathen idols. So Jehoshaphat waxed bold and objected,
Hold your horses, Nellie, er, I mean Ahab! I want to hear the Word of the Lord, not the words of man under pretense of being words of the gods. Isn’t there a prophet of the Lord in Samaria?
Ahab was taken aback by Jehoshaphat’s rebuttal. He was used to seeing the king of Judah playing the role of yes-man to him. So Ahab was a bit slow in responding. He had to compose himself first, so as not to lay the lumber to Jehoshaphat for his display of temerity.
Oh, of course. I almost forgot. You’re from Judah and they like to worship the Lord down there. Up here we prefer our own gods. Well, in answer to your inquiry, yes, there is still one prophet of the Lord left in my kingdom…unfortunately. But I hate to give him a pulpit because he never says one good thing about me. He always castigates me and banishes me to the deepest, darkest recesses of the nether world. But for you I will allow him to speak…but just this once! Guards! Go fetch that worthless Micaiah from the dungeon and bring him here at once.
Awkward for Ahab? Yes. But even more so for Jehoshaphat, who should never have had such close involvements with an idolater like Ahab. The Law of Moses specifically forbade it, but Jehoshaphat was a slow learner.
We’ll continue this theme in our next study. Jesus requests our presence now. Let’s not keep Him waiting.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Deuteronomy: Volume 5 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
King Ahab wanted Jehoshaphat to go with him to Ramoth-gilead, so as to take back his territory from the king of Aram. That king was a bad dude, you see, so Ahab wanted some moral support…and some extra fire power on Jehoshaphat’s part.
And that is where King Jehoshaphat entered the story. He was visiting his buddy Ahab at his palace in Samaria. King Ahab decided to take advantage of the opportunity by putting Jehoshaphat on the spot.
Hey, Josh! Now that you’re here, maybe you can give me a hand. That no good sidewinder in Damascus is occupying my territory in Gilead at Ramoth. I want it back. Care to come along with me and take it away from him?
Jehoshaphat was on the spot. If he declined he’d look like a scaredy-cat. The alternative was to go fight Ahab’s war for him. Hard choice, huh? Not! Jehoshaphat didn’t want anyone to think he was a wuss, so he jumped right into the fray like a real dufus.
Yes, by all means. Let’s go kick the scalawag’s heinie and take back Ramoth-gilead! But first let’s consult the Lord. Let the prophets give us His Word about the matter.
Well, back in the day folks knew better than to get on the king’s wrong side. Any self-styled prophet who wanted a life worth living knew to tell the king what he wanted to hear…or else! So Ahab’s four hundred flunkeys gathered in the throne room before the two kings. “O King. Go up to Ramoth and take back what is yours. The Lord gives the king of Aram into your hands. You’re the man!”
But wait a sec! King Jehoshaphat didn’t much fancy those smarmy pagan prophets. They didn’t speak the Word of God. They uttered their own malarkey in the name of the heathen idols. So Jehoshaphat waxed bold and objected,
Hold your horses, Nellie, er, I mean Ahab! I want to hear the Word of the Lord, not the words of man under pretense of being words of the gods. Isn’t there a prophet of the Lord in Samaria?
Ahab was taken aback by Jehoshaphat’s rebuttal. He was used to seeing the king of Judah playing the role of yes-man to him. So Ahab was a bit slow in responding. He had to compose himself first, so as not to lay the lumber to Jehoshaphat for his display of temerity.
Oh, of course. I almost forgot. You’re from Judah and they like to worship the Lord down there. Up here we prefer our own gods. Well, in answer to your inquiry, yes, there is still one prophet of the Lord left in my kingdom…unfortunately. But I hate to give him a pulpit because he never says one good thing about me. He always castigates me and banishes me to the deepest, darkest recesses of the nether world. But for you I will allow him to speak…but just this once! Guards! Go fetch that worthless Micaiah from the dungeon and bring him here at once.
Awkward for Ahab? Yes. But even more so for Jehoshaphat, who should never have had such close involvements with an idolater like Ahab. The Law of Moses specifically forbade it, but Jehoshaphat was a slow learner.
We’ll continue this theme in our next study. Jesus requests our presence now. Let’s not keep Him waiting.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Deuteronomy: Volume 5 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
Heights and Highs – Part 1
Moreover, Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “Please inquire first for the word of the LORD.” Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, about four hundred men, and said to them, “Shall I go against Ramoth-gilead to battle or shall I refrain?” And they said, “Go up, for the Lord will give it into the hand of the king.” But Jehoshaphat said, “Is there not yet a prophet of the LORD here that we may inquire of him?” [1 Kings 22:5-7]
Every year on October 31 masses of folks across America don costumes and pretend to be somebody they are not. Usually they don’t feign being a prominent contemporary figure. Most often they disguise themselves as a fictional character, say, for example, Frankenstein or Snow White. Famous historical personages receive their share of the attention too, like Napoléon or Caesar.
This annual rite of passage for the adolescent and the adolescent-at-heart goes by the name “Halloween”. The adolescents parade the streets, going from door to door with a big sack in their hands. When residents answer their doorbell, they are greeted with kiddies shouting, “Trick or treat!” If the folks living their know which side their bread is buttered on, they had best drop a copious supply of treats in the bag. Otherwise they might well discover a trick the following morning.
The adolescents-at-heart don’t practice the same routine. They prefer to gather at some party location and have an extravaganza. Each person there wants to receive special attention for his/her costume. To be the talk of the town is a prize highly coveted by adolescent hearts, it seems.
1 Kings 22 narrates a true historical account. The story revolves around six cast members, with miscellaneous supportive cast members tossed in for good measure. The six major members of the cast are these:
1. Yahweh (aka YHWH or Jehovah)
2. the Lord
3. King Ahab of Israel
4. King Jehoshaphat of Judah
5. Micaiah, the prophet of Yahweh
6. the prophets of the Lord
It seems old King Cole, er, I mean old King Ahab felt cheated by the king of Aram (Damascus). When the Israelites conquered the entire east bank lands under Moses’ leadership, the land of Gilead was included in the spoils of war. An area in the far northeastern part of Gilead known as Ramoth was a part of Israel’s domain.
Well, around three years prior, the King of Aram beat up on Israel and seized Ramoth-gilead. The name Ramoth-gilead means “the heights of Gilead” or “the high places of Gilead”. A “high place” refers to a lofty location where heathen idolatry was practiced.
Anyway, King Ahab wanted Ramoth back. He didn’t much relish the mortification of being a toady to the king of Aram. That bully came into his yard and stole something of his, and he was determined to get it back and give the bully a black eye in the process. Trouble was, the king of Aram was a bully because he was one of the big kids on the block. So giving him a black eye wasn’t going to be so easy.
We’ll find out what Ahab did about it in our next study. In the interim why not enjoy fellowship with the Lord?
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Deuteronomy: Volume 5 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
Every year on October 31 masses of folks across America don costumes and pretend to be somebody they are not. Usually they don’t feign being a prominent contemporary figure. Most often they disguise themselves as a fictional character, say, for example, Frankenstein or Snow White. Famous historical personages receive their share of the attention too, like Napoléon or Caesar.
This annual rite of passage for the adolescent and the adolescent-at-heart goes by the name “Halloween”. The adolescents parade the streets, going from door to door with a big sack in their hands. When residents answer their doorbell, they are greeted with kiddies shouting, “Trick or treat!” If the folks living their know which side their bread is buttered on, they had best drop a copious supply of treats in the bag. Otherwise they might well discover a trick the following morning.
The adolescents-at-heart don’t practice the same routine. They prefer to gather at some party location and have an extravaganza. Each person there wants to receive special attention for his/her costume. To be the talk of the town is a prize highly coveted by adolescent hearts, it seems.
1 Kings 22 narrates a true historical account. The story revolves around six cast members, with miscellaneous supportive cast members tossed in for good measure. The six major members of the cast are these:
1. Yahweh (aka YHWH or Jehovah)
2. the Lord
3. King Ahab of Israel
4. King Jehoshaphat of Judah
5. Micaiah, the prophet of Yahweh
6. the prophets of the Lord
It seems old King Cole, er, I mean old King Ahab felt cheated by the king of Aram (Damascus). When the Israelites conquered the entire east bank lands under Moses’ leadership, the land of Gilead was included in the spoils of war. An area in the far northeastern part of Gilead known as Ramoth was a part of Israel’s domain.
Well, around three years prior, the King of Aram beat up on Israel and seized Ramoth-gilead. The name Ramoth-gilead means “the heights of Gilead” or “the high places of Gilead”. A “high place” refers to a lofty location where heathen idolatry was practiced.
Anyway, King Ahab wanted Ramoth back. He didn’t much relish the mortification of being a toady to the king of Aram. That bully came into his yard and stole something of his, and he was determined to get it back and give the bully a black eye in the process. Trouble was, the king of Aram was a bully because he was one of the big kids on the block. So giving him a black eye wasn’t going to be so easy.
We’ll find out what Ahab did about it in our next study. In the interim why not enjoy fellowship with the Lord?
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Deuteronomy: Volume 5 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
Heights and Highs – Part 3
Moreover, Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “Please inquire first for the word of the LORD.” Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, about four hundred men, and said to them, “Shall I go against Ramoth-gilead to battle or shall I refrain?” And they said, “Go up, for the Lord will give it into the hand of the king.” But Jehoshaphat said, “Is there not yet a prophet of the LORD here that we may inquire of him?” [1 Kings 22:5-7]
King Jehoshaphat wanted to hear from a prophet of the LORD. King Ahab had no choice but to send for Micaiah, even though he hated the dude. So he dispatched the guards to the dungeon to fetch Micaiah from his jail cell. Before the guard left though, King Ahab bent over and whispered in the guard’s ear, “Be sure to warn him in no uncertain terms that he had best agree with what my own prophets have proclaimed.”
So the guards fetched Micaiah ben Imlah, the Lord’s prophet, from the dungeon and read him the riot act. Standing before the two august kings, Micaiah spoke the words of a sycophant…but he did so with the utmost sarcasm. “Go, O King Ahab, to Ramoth-gilead. The Lord gives it to you, like your toadies said.”
King Ahab snapped at him, “I told you to never tell me lies, Mike! Let’s hear the truth.”
So Micaiah ben Imlah gave him the unadulterated Word of God, “I saw all Israel on the heights of Gilead, wandering about without a shepherd.” Uh, the shepherd of Israel was old King Ahab. That didn’t sound to promising for the king’s longevity.
“See!” Ahab bellowed at Jehoshaphat. “I told you he never says anything good about me. Not even by accident! Why’d you have to ruin a perfectly good day by insisting on hearing from him anyway?”
Micaiah wasn’t finished with the Word of the Lord yet. He added,
I saw the throne room of God in heaven. The angels were gathered around the throne, and the Lord asked, “Who will go and convince King Ahab to march off to Ramoth to face his death there?”
Well, one angel had this idea and another angel had a different one. They couldn’t seem to come up with a plausible plan. Then this other angel stepped forward and boldly declared to the Lord, “I’ll do it!”
The Lord wanted to know the angel’s plan, so the angel told him, “I’ll go and be a lying spirit in the mouth of Ahab’s false prophets. He always listens to them because they always say what he wants to hear.”
The Lord responded, “Go. You’ll certainly succeed with that plan.”
Now be sure to take in the scenario in the throne room of Ahab in Samaria. There were the 400 false prophets and there was Micaiah, the lone true prophet. Did you catch what he said about all 400 of those rascals? Could you be so bold and audacious as to confront 400 deceivers and denounce their deception? Only the Lord Himself inside Ahab could instill such confidence, that Micaiah didn’t even flinch when the false prophets attacked him.
King Ahab ordered Micaiah sent back to the dungeon, and to be left there with his needs unattended to until Ahab returned from Ramoth. Micaiah got off a parting shot, “If you ever return from Ramoth, then the Lord didn’t speak through me!” Folks, that is holy boldness in the extreme!
And that spells a fine time to call it a day. We’ll return to this spot on the morrow. Now let’s betake ourselves to the prayer closet.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Deuteronomy: Volume 5 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
King Jehoshaphat wanted to hear from a prophet of the LORD. King Ahab had no choice but to send for Micaiah, even though he hated the dude. So he dispatched the guards to the dungeon to fetch Micaiah from his jail cell. Before the guard left though, King Ahab bent over and whispered in the guard’s ear, “Be sure to warn him in no uncertain terms that he had best agree with what my own prophets have proclaimed.”
So the guards fetched Micaiah ben Imlah, the Lord’s prophet, from the dungeon and read him the riot act. Standing before the two august kings, Micaiah spoke the words of a sycophant…but he did so with the utmost sarcasm. “Go, O King Ahab, to Ramoth-gilead. The Lord gives it to you, like your toadies said.”
King Ahab snapped at him, “I told you to never tell me lies, Mike! Let’s hear the truth.”
So Micaiah ben Imlah gave him the unadulterated Word of God, “I saw all Israel on the heights of Gilead, wandering about without a shepherd.” Uh, the shepherd of Israel was old King Ahab. That didn’t sound to promising for the king’s longevity.
“See!” Ahab bellowed at Jehoshaphat. “I told you he never says anything good about me. Not even by accident! Why’d you have to ruin a perfectly good day by insisting on hearing from him anyway?”
Micaiah wasn’t finished with the Word of the Lord yet. He added,
I saw the throne room of God in heaven. The angels were gathered around the throne, and the Lord asked, “Who will go and convince King Ahab to march off to Ramoth to face his death there?”
Well, one angel had this idea and another angel had a different one. They couldn’t seem to come up with a plausible plan. Then this other angel stepped forward and boldly declared to the Lord, “I’ll do it!”
The Lord wanted to know the angel’s plan, so the angel told him, “I’ll go and be a lying spirit in the mouth of Ahab’s false prophets. He always listens to them because they always say what he wants to hear.”
The Lord responded, “Go. You’ll certainly succeed with that plan.”
Now be sure to take in the scenario in the throne room of Ahab in Samaria. There were the 400 false prophets and there was Micaiah, the lone true prophet. Did you catch what he said about all 400 of those rascals? Could you be so bold and audacious as to confront 400 deceivers and denounce their deception? Only the Lord Himself inside Ahab could instill such confidence, that Micaiah didn’t even flinch when the false prophets attacked him.
King Ahab ordered Micaiah sent back to the dungeon, and to be left there with his needs unattended to until Ahab returned from Ramoth. Micaiah got off a parting shot, “If you ever return from Ramoth, then the Lord didn’t speak through me!” Folks, that is holy boldness in the extreme!
And that spells a fine time to call it a day. We’ll return to this spot on the morrow. Now let’s betake ourselves to the prayer closet.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Deuteronomy: Volume 5 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
Heights and Highs – Part 4
Moreover, Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “Please inquire first for the word of the LORD.” Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, about four hundred men, and said to them, “Shall I go against Ramoth-gilead to battle or shall I refrain?” And they said, “Go up, for the Lord will give it into the hand of the king.” But Jehoshaphat said, “Is there not yet a prophet of the LORD here that we may inquire of him?” [1 Kings 22:5-7]
The Lord’s prophet Micaiah warned King Ahab that he would die at Ramoth-gilead, if he went there to conduct war against Aram. But that smug idolater didn’t care what the Lord had to say about anything.
So off to Ramoth-gilead went Ahab and Jehoshaphat, leading their armies to the battle field. Now here’s where Halloween comes into the story. Ahab donned a disguise so that the Aramean soldiers wouldn’t recognize him as the king. He told Jehoshaphat to impersonate him, and Jehoshaphat was dufus enough to do so! Didn’t exactly flatter him, did he?
All the disguises in the world couldn’t thwart the Word of God. The Lord pronounced through Micaiah that Ahab would die on the heights of Gilead, so die Ahab must. The Aramean soldiers saw Jehoshaphat bedecked in his kingly garb and mistook him for Ahab. But try as they might, they failed to kill or even wound Jehoshaphat.
On the other hand, Ahab went into the battle looking like…well, not like a king, let’s put it that way. So the Aramean soldiers didn’t pay Ahab any mind. It didn’t affect God’s plan one iota though. By accident an Aramean archer shot his arrow and killed Ahab! The Word of the Lord came true, as we should know it always does.
Now I want to bring out a point of import from the story, one which the average English reader wouldn’t notice. But it bears the utmost importance in Biblical teaching, so we mustn’t miss it. This point has to do with the words spoken by Jehoshaphat and the true prophet Micaiah on the one hand, and by the false prophets on the other.
King Jehoshaphat said to Ahab, “Please inquire first for the word of the LORD.”
The false prophets claimed, “Go up, for the Lord will give it into the hand of the king.”
Jehoshaphat didn’t like what Ahab’s false prophets said, so he rejoined, “Is there not yet a prophet of the LORD here that we may inquire of him?”
Then Micaiah declared, “Therefore, hear the word of the LORD.”
Read those four quotations again, except very slowly. Do you see the difference in who they prayed to? Jehoshaphat wanted to hear the Word of the “LORD”. The false prophets spoke the word of the “Lord”. Micaiah proclaimed the Word of the “LORD”.
In the English Bible when you see the word “lord” in all capital letters (“LORD”), in the original Hebrew it is the actual name of God. God’s personal name is YHWH (aka Yahweh or Jehovah). The word “lord” with only the first letter capitalized (“Lord”) is not a name at all. It is a title which means “lord” or “master”.
Hmm. Interesting tidbits those. Except they’re not tidbits at all, and tomorrow we’ll learn why. For now let’s enjoy time alone with Jesus.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Deuteronomy: Volume 5 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
The Lord’s prophet Micaiah warned King Ahab that he would die at Ramoth-gilead, if he went there to conduct war against Aram. But that smug idolater didn’t care what the Lord had to say about anything.
So off to Ramoth-gilead went Ahab and Jehoshaphat, leading their armies to the battle field. Now here’s where Halloween comes into the story. Ahab donned a disguise so that the Aramean soldiers wouldn’t recognize him as the king. He told Jehoshaphat to impersonate him, and Jehoshaphat was dufus enough to do so! Didn’t exactly flatter him, did he?
All the disguises in the world couldn’t thwart the Word of God. The Lord pronounced through Micaiah that Ahab would die on the heights of Gilead, so die Ahab must. The Aramean soldiers saw Jehoshaphat bedecked in his kingly garb and mistook him for Ahab. But try as they might, they failed to kill or even wound Jehoshaphat.
On the other hand, Ahab went into the battle looking like…well, not like a king, let’s put it that way. So the Aramean soldiers didn’t pay Ahab any mind. It didn’t affect God’s plan one iota though. By accident an Aramean archer shot his arrow and killed Ahab! The Word of the Lord came true, as we should know it always does.
Now I want to bring out a point of import from the story, one which the average English reader wouldn’t notice. But it bears the utmost importance in Biblical teaching, so we mustn’t miss it. This point has to do with the words spoken by Jehoshaphat and the true prophet Micaiah on the one hand, and by the false prophets on the other.
King Jehoshaphat said to Ahab, “Please inquire first for the word of the LORD.”
The false prophets claimed, “Go up, for the Lord will give it into the hand of the king.”
Jehoshaphat didn’t like what Ahab’s false prophets said, so he rejoined, “Is there not yet a prophet of the LORD here that we may inquire of him?”
Then Micaiah declared, “Therefore, hear the word of the LORD.”
Read those four quotations again, except very slowly. Do you see the difference in who they prayed to? Jehoshaphat wanted to hear the Word of the “LORD”. The false prophets spoke the word of the “Lord”. Micaiah proclaimed the Word of the “LORD”.
In the English Bible when you see the word “lord” in all capital letters (“LORD”), in the original Hebrew it is the actual name of God. God’s personal name is YHWH (aka Yahweh or Jehovah). The word “lord” with only the first letter capitalized (“Lord”) is not a name at all. It is a title which means “lord” or “master”.
Hmm. Interesting tidbits those. Except they’re not tidbits at all, and tomorrow we’ll learn why. For now let’s enjoy time alone with Jesus.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Deuteronomy: Volume 5 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
Heights and Highs – Part 5
Moreover, Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “Please inquire first for the word of the LORD.” Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, about four hundred men, and said to them, “Shall I go against Ramoth-gilead to battle or shall I refrain?” And they said, “Go up, for the Lord will give it into the hand of the king.” But Jehoshaphat said, “Is there not yet a prophet of the LORD here that we may inquire of him?” [1 Kings 22:5-7]
The English Bible translates God’s personal name as “LORD” (all capital letters). The title “lord” or “master” is translated as “Lord” (only the L is capitalized).
With that understanding in mind, now read the four quotations a third time. Jehoshaphat doesn’t want to hear the false prophets proclaim so-called words from idols. He wants to hear what Yahweh has to say. Jehoshaphat is a good Hebrew. He knows there is only one real God and His name is Yahweh.
So Jehoshaphat says, “Let me hear what Yahweh has to say about us going to Ramoth-gilead.” Ahab sends for his false prophets, who claim their “master” (“Lord”) says… Jehoshaphat insists to Ahab that the supposed words of idols won’t suffice for him. Get him a prophet of Yahweh to speak. Micaiah obliges by proclaiming the Word of Yahweh to Kings Ahab and Jehoshaphat.
Now be honest. Knowing this distinction between “LORD” and “Lord” as used in the English translations of the Bible, doesn’t the tale of Micaiah ben Imlah come alive so much more? We can better understand the Old Testament interaction between the prophets of the LORD and the false prophets, when we look for these distinctive signs.
But there is something more we must needs emphasize about this distinction. The Lord revealed His personal name to Moses at the burning bush on Mount Sinai. He did so because Moses was to return to Egypt and be the Lord’s prophet, as He brought the Israelites out of Egyptian slavery and into the Promised Land.
This plan of the Lord was the fulfillment of His covenant with Abraham, the Abrahamic Covenant. A covenant is a personal relationship between the Lord and another or others, in this case Abraham’s progeny, the Israelites. A personal relationship entails knowing a person’s personal name. Hence when we see LORD, we should train ourselves to immediately recognize that covenant and personal relationship is involved.
Ahab and all those who practice idolatry are out of relationship with the LORD. They don’t know Him personally, so using His personal name is awkward and inappropriate on their part.
His name is higher than any other. Even though Ramoth-gilead was the heights of Gilead, God’s personal name is far far higher than Ramoth. We cannot rise higher than the name Jesus, dear friends. His name is special. It is precious. His name along with He Himself is HIGH above all else.
Do you know the Lord Jesus Christ personally? If you don’t, it is inappropriate for you to use His personal name, and it should be awkward to you if you did so.
I know the solution. Why not call on the Lord Jesus right this moment? Confess your sins to Him, ask Him to forgive you and be your Savior and Lord. Then spend time alone with Him daily, reading and musing over His Word and talking to Him in prayer. You’ll get to know Him real well in no time flat. And you’ll never be the same again.
So what are you waiting for already?
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Deuteronomy: Volume 5 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
The English Bible translates God’s personal name as “LORD” (all capital letters). The title “lord” or “master” is translated as “Lord” (only the L is capitalized).
With that understanding in mind, now read the four quotations a third time. Jehoshaphat doesn’t want to hear the false prophets proclaim so-called words from idols. He wants to hear what Yahweh has to say. Jehoshaphat is a good Hebrew. He knows there is only one real God and His name is Yahweh.
So Jehoshaphat says, “Let me hear what Yahweh has to say about us going to Ramoth-gilead.” Ahab sends for his false prophets, who claim their “master” (“Lord”) says… Jehoshaphat insists to Ahab that the supposed words of idols won’t suffice for him. Get him a prophet of Yahweh to speak. Micaiah obliges by proclaiming the Word of Yahweh to Kings Ahab and Jehoshaphat.
Now be honest. Knowing this distinction between “LORD” and “Lord” as used in the English translations of the Bible, doesn’t the tale of Micaiah ben Imlah come alive so much more? We can better understand the Old Testament interaction between the prophets of the LORD and the false prophets, when we look for these distinctive signs.
But there is something more we must needs emphasize about this distinction. The Lord revealed His personal name to Moses at the burning bush on Mount Sinai. He did so because Moses was to return to Egypt and be the Lord’s prophet, as He brought the Israelites out of Egyptian slavery and into the Promised Land.
This plan of the Lord was the fulfillment of His covenant with Abraham, the Abrahamic Covenant. A covenant is a personal relationship between the Lord and another or others, in this case Abraham’s progeny, the Israelites. A personal relationship entails knowing a person’s personal name. Hence when we see LORD, we should train ourselves to immediately recognize that covenant and personal relationship is involved.
Ahab and all those who practice idolatry are out of relationship with the LORD. They don’t know Him personally, so using His personal name is awkward and inappropriate on their part.
His name is higher than any other. Even though Ramoth-gilead was the heights of Gilead, God’s personal name is far far higher than Ramoth. We cannot rise higher than the name Jesus, dear friends. His name is special. It is precious. His name along with He Himself is HIGH above all else.
Do you know the Lord Jesus Christ personally? If you don’t, it is inappropriate for you to use His personal name, and it should be awkward to you if you did so.
I know the solution. Why not call on the Lord Jesus right this moment? Confess your sins to Him, ask Him to forgive you and be your Savior and Lord. Then spend time alone with Him daily, reading and musing over His Word and talking to Him in prayer. You’ll get to know Him real well in no time flat. And you’ll never be the same again.
So what are you waiting for already?
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Deuteronomy: Volume 5 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
Heights and Highs – Part 1
Moreover, Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “Please inquire first for the word of the LORD.” Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, about four hundred men, and said to them, “Shall I go against Ramoth-gilead to battle or shall I refrain?” And they said, “Go up, for the Lord will give it into the hand of the king.” But Jehoshaphat said, “Is there not yet a prophet of the LORD here that we may inquire of him?” [1 Kings 22:5-7]
Every year on October 31 masses of folks across America don costumes and pretend to be somebody they are not. Usually they don’t feign being a prominent contemporary figure. Most often they disguise themselves as a fictional character, say, for example, Frankenstein or Snow White. Famous historical personages receive their share of the attention too, like Napoléon or Caesar.
This annual rite of passage for the adolescent and the adolescent-at-heart goes by the name “Halloween”. The adolescents parade the streets, going from door to door with a big sack in their hands. When residents answer their doorbell, they are greeted with kiddies shouting, “Trick or treat!” If the folks living there know which side their bread is buttered on, they had best drop a copious supply of treats in the bag. Otherwise they might well discover a trick the following morning.
The adolescents-at-heart don’t practice the same routine. They prefer to gather at some party location and have an extravaganza. Each person there wants to receive special attention for his/her costume. To be the talk of the town is a prize highly coveted by adolescent hearts, it seems.
1 Kings 22 narrates a true historical account. The story revolves around six cast members, with miscellaneous supportive cast members tossed in for good measure. The six major members of the cast are these:
1. Yahweh (aka YHWH or Jehovah)
2. the Lord
3. King Ahab of Israel
4. King Jehoshaphat of Judah
5. Micaiah, the prophet of Yahweh
6. the prophets of the Lord
It seems old King Cole, er, I mean old King Ahab felt cheated by the king of Aram (Damascus). When the Israelites conquered the entire east bank lands under Moses’ leadership, the land of Gilead was included in the spoils of war. An area in the far northeastern part of Gilead known as Ramoth was a part of Israel’s domain.
Well, around three years prior, the King of Aram beat up on Israel and seized Ramoth-gilead. The name Ramoth-gilead means “the heights of Gilead” or “the high places of Gilead”. A “high place” refers to a lofty location where heathen idolatry was practiced.
Anyway, King Ahab wanted Ramoth back. He didn’t much relish the mortification of being a toady to the king of Aram. That bully came into his yard and stole something of his, and he was determined to get it back and give the bully a black eye in the process. Trouble was, the king of Aram was a bully because he was one of the big kids on the block. So giving him a black eye wasn’t going to be so easy.
We’ll find out what Ahab did about it in our next study. In the interim why not enjoy fellowship with the Lord?
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Deuteronomy: Volume 5 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
Every year on October 31 masses of folks across America don costumes and pretend to be somebody they are not. Usually they don’t feign being a prominent contemporary figure. Most often they disguise themselves as a fictional character, say, for example, Frankenstein or Snow White. Famous historical personages receive their share of the attention too, like Napoléon or Caesar.
This annual rite of passage for the adolescent and the adolescent-at-heart goes by the name “Halloween”. The adolescents parade the streets, going from door to door with a big sack in their hands. When residents answer their doorbell, they are greeted with kiddies shouting, “Trick or treat!” If the folks living there know which side their bread is buttered on, they had best drop a copious supply of treats in the bag. Otherwise they might well discover a trick the following morning.
The adolescents-at-heart don’t practice the same routine. They prefer to gather at some party location and have an extravaganza. Each person there wants to receive special attention for his/her costume. To be the talk of the town is a prize highly coveted by adolescent hearts, it seems.
1 Kings 22 narrates a true historical account. The story revolves around six cast members, with miscellaneous supportive cast members tossed in for good measure. The six major members of the cast are these:
1. Yahweh (aka YHWH or Jehovah)
2. the Lord
3. King Ahab of Israel
4. King Jehoshaphat of Judah
5. Micaiah, the prophet of Yahweh
6. the prophets of the Lord
It seems old King Cole, er, I mean old King Ahab felt cheated by the king of Aram (Damascus). When the Israelites conquered the entire east bank lands under Moses’ leadership, the land of Gilead was included in the spoils of war. An area in the far northeastern part of Gilead known as Ramoth was a part of Israel’s domain.
Well, around three years prior, the King of Aram beat up on Israel and seized Ramoth-gilead. The name Ramoth-gilead means “the heights of Gilead” or “the high places of Gilead”. A “high place” refers to a lofty location where heathen idolatry was practiced.
Anyway, King Ahab wanted Ramoth back. He didn’t much relish the mortification of being a toady to the king of Aram. That bully came into his yard and stole something of his, and he was determined to get it back and give the bully a black eye in the process. Trouble was, the king of Aram was a bully because he was one of the big kids on the block. So giving him a black eye wasn’t going to be so easy.
We’ll find out what Ahab did about it in our next study. In the interim why not enjoy fellowship with the Lord?
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Deuteronomy: Volume 5 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
Heights and Highs – Part 2
Moreover, Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “Please inquire first for the word of the LORD.” Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, about four hundred men, and said to them, “Shall I go against Ramoth-gilead to battle or shall I refrain?” And they said, “Go up, for the Lord will give it into the hand of the king.” But Jehoshaphat said, “Is there not yet a prophet of the LORD here that we may inquire of him?” [1 Kings 22:5-7]
King Ahab wanted Jehoshaphat to go with him to Ramoth-gilead, so as to take back his territory from the king of Aram. That king was a bad dude, you see, so Ahab wanted some moral support…and some extra fire power on Jehoshaphat’s part.
And that is where King Jehoshaphat entered the story. He was visiting his buddy Ahab at his palace in Samaria. King Ahab decided to take advantage of the opportunity by putting Jehoshaphat on the spot.
Hey, Josh! Now that you’re here, maybe you can give me a hand. That no good sidewinder in Damascus is occupying my territory in Gilead at Ramoth. I want it back. Care to come along with me and take it away from him?
Jehoshaphat was on the spot. If he declined he’d look like a scaredy-cat. The alternative was to go fight Ahab’s war for him. Hard choice, huh? Not! Jehoshaphat didn’t want anyone to think he was a wuss, so he jumped right into the fray like a real dufus.
Yes, by all means. Let’s go kick the scalawag’s heinie and take back Ramoth-gilead! But first let’s consult the Lord. Let the prophets give us His Word about the matter.
Well, back in the day folks knew better than to get on the king’s wrong side. Any self-styled prophet who wanted a life worth living knew to tell the king what he wanted to hear…or else! So Ahab’s four hundred flunkeys gathered in the throne room before the two kings. “O King. Go up to Ramoth and take back what is yours. The Lord gives the king of Aram into your hands. You’re the man!”
But wait a sec! King Jehoshaphat didn’t much fancy those smarmy pagan prophets. They didn’t speak the Word of God. They uttered their own malarkey in the name of the heathen idols. So Jehoshaphat waxed bold and objected,
Hold your horses, Nellie, er, I mean Ahab! I want to hear the Word of the Lord, not the words of man under pretense of being words of the gods. Isn’t there a prophet of the Lord in Samaria?
Ahab was taken aback by Jehoshaphat’s rebuttal. He was used to seeing the king of Judah playing the role of yes-man to him. So Ahab was a bit slow in responding. He had to compose himself first, so as not to lay the lumber to Jehoshaphat for his display of temerity.
Oh, of course. I almost forgot. You’re from Judah and they like to worship the Lord down there. Up here we prefer our own gods. Well, in answer to your inquiry, yes, there is still one prophet of the Lord left in my kingdom…unfortunately. But I hate to give him a pulpit because he never says one good thing about me. He always castigates me and banishes me to the deepest, darkest recesses of the nether world. But for you I will allow him to speak…but just this once! Guards! Go fetch that worthless Micaiah from the dungeon and bring him here at once.
Awkward for Ahab? Yes. But even more so for Jehoshaphat, who should never have had such close involvements with an idolater like Ahab. The Law of Moses specifically forbade it, but Jehoshaphat was a slow learner.
We’ll continue this theme in our next study. Jesus requests our presence now. Let’s not keep Him waiting.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Deuteronomy: Volume 5 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
King Ahab wanted Jehoshaphat to go with him to Ramoth-gilead, so as to take back his territory from the king of Aram. That king was a bad dude, you see, so Ahab wanted some moral support…and some extra fire power on Jehoshaphat’s part.
And that is where King Jehoshaphat entered the story. He was visiting his buddy Ahab at his palace in Samaria. King Ahab decided to take advantage of the opportunity by putting Jehoshaphat on the spot.
Hey, Josh! Now that you’re here, maybe you can give me a hand. That no good sidewinder in Damascus is occupying my territory in Gilead at Ramoth. I want it back. Care to come along with me and take it away from him?
Jehoshaphat was on the spot. If he declined he’d look like a scaredy-cat. The alternative was to go fight Ahab’s war for him. Hard choice, huh? Not! Jehoshaphat didn’t want anyone to think he was a wuss, so he jumped right into the fray like a real dufus.
Yes, by all means. Let’s go kick the scalawag’s heinie and take back Ramoth-gilead! But first let’s consult the Lord. Let the prophets give us His Word about the matter.
Well, back in the day folks knew better than to get on the king’s wrong side. Any self-styled prophet who wanted a life worth living knew to tell the king what he wanted to hear…or else! So Ahab’s four hundred flunkeys gathered in the throne room before the two kings. “O King. Go up to Ramoth and take back what is yours. The Lord gives the king of Aram into your hands. You’re the man!”
But wait a sec! King Jehoshaphat didn’t much fancy those smarmy pagan prophets. They didn’t speak the Word of God. They uttered their own malarkey in the name of the heathen idols. So Jehoshaphat waxed bold and objected,
Hold your horses, Nellie, er, I mean Ahab! I want to hear the Word of the Lord, not the words of man under pretense of being words of the gods. Isn’t there a prophet of the Lord in Samaria?
Ahab was taken aback by Jehoshaphat’s rebuttal. He was used to seeing the king of Judah playing the role of yes-man to him. So Ahab was a bit slow in responding. He had to compose himself first, so as not to lay the lumber to Jehoshaphat for his display of temerity.
Oh, of course. I almost forgot. You’re from Judah and they like to worship the Lord down there. Up here we prefer our own gods. Well, in answer to your inquiry, yes, there is still one prophet of the Lord left in my kingdom…unfortunately. But I hate to give him a pulpit because he never says one good thing about me. He always castigates me and banishes me to the deepest, darkest recesses of the nether world. But for you I will allow him to speak…but just this once! Guards! Go fetch that worthless Micaiah from the dungeon and bring him here at once.
Awkward for Ahab? Yes. But even more so for Jehoshaphat, who should never have had such close involvements with an idolater like Ahab. The Law of Moses specifically forbade it, but Jehoshaphat was a slow learner.
We’ll continue this theme in our next study. Jesus requests our presence now. Let’s not keep Him waiting.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Deuteronomy: Volume 5 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
Heights and Highs – Part 3
Moreover, Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “Please inquire first for the word of the LORD.” Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, about four hundred men, and said to them, “Shall I go against Ramoth-gilead to battle or shall I refrain?” And they said, “Go up, for the Lord will give it into the hand of the king.” But Jehoshaphat said, “Is there not yet a prophet of the LORD here that we may inquire of him?” [1 Kings 22:5-7]
King Jehoshaphat wanted to hear from a prophet of the LORD. King Ahab had no choice but to send for Micaiah, even though he hated the dude. So he dispatched the guards to the dungeon to fetch Micaiah from his jail cell. Before the guard left though, King Ahab bent over and whispered in the guard’s ear, “Be sure to warn him in no uncertain terms that he had best agree with what my own prophets have proclaimed.”
So the guards fetched Micaiah ben Imlah, the Lord’s prophet, from the dungeon and read him the riot act. Standing before the two august kings, Micaiah spoke the words of a sycophant…but he did so with the utmost sarcasm. “Go, O King Ahab, to Ramoth-gilead. The Lord gives it to you, like your toadies said.”
King Ahab snapped at him, “I told you to never tell me lies, Mike! Let’s hear the truth.”
So Micaiah ben Imlah gave him the unadulterated Word of God, “I saw all Israel on the heights of Gilead, wandering about without a shepherd.” Uh, the shepherd of Israel was old King Ahab. That didn’t sound to promising for the king’s longevity.
“See!” Ahab bellowed at Jehoshaphat. “I told you he never says anything good about me. Not even by accident! Why’d you have to ruin a perfectly good day by insisting on hearing from him anyway?”
Micaiah wasn’t finished with the Word of the Lord yet. He added,
I saw the throne room of God in heaven. The angels were gathered around the throne, and the Lord asked, “Who will go and convince King Ahab to march off to Ramoth to face his death there?”
Well, one angel had this idea and another angel had a different one. They couldn’t seem to come up with a plausible plan. Then this other angel stepped forward and boldly declared to the Lord, “I’ll do it!”
The Lord wanted to know the angel’s plan, so the angel told him, “I’ll go and be a lying spirit in the mouth of Ahab’s false prophets. He always listens to them because they always say what he wants to hear.”
The Lord responded, “Go. You’ll certainly succeed with that plan.”
Now be sure to take in the scenario in the throne room of Ahab in Samaria. There were the 400 false prophets and there was Micaiah, the lone true prophet. Did you catch what he said about all 400 of those rascals? Could you be so bold and audacious as to confront 400 deceivers and denounce their deception? Only the Lord Himself inside Micaiah could instill such confidence, that Micaiah didn’t even flinch when the false prophets attacked him.
King Ahab ordered Micaiah sent back to the dungeon, and to be left there with his needs unattended to, until Ahab returned from Ramoth. Micaiah got off a parting shot, “If you ever return from Ramoth, then the Lord didn’t speak through me!” Folks, that is holy boldness in the extreme!
And that spells a fine time to call it a day. We’ll return to this spot on the morrow. Now let’s betake ourselves to the prayer closet.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Deuteronomy: Volume 5 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
King Jehoshaphat wanted to hear from a prophet of the LORD. King Ahab had no choice but to send for Micaiah, even though he hated the dude. So he dispatched the guards to the dungeon to fetch Micaiah from his jail cell. Before the guard left though, King Ahab bent over and whispered in the guard’s ear, “Be sure to warn him in no uncertain terms that he had best agree with what my own prophets have proclaimed.”
So the guards fetched Micaiah ben Imlah, the Lord’s prophet, from the dungeon and read him the riot act. Standing before the two august kings, Micaiah spoke the words of a sycophant…but he did so with the utmost sarcasm. “Go, O King Ahab, to Ramoth-gilead. The Lord gives it to you, like your toadies said.”
King Ahab snapped at him, “I told you to never tell me lies, Mike! Let’s hear the truth.”
So Micaiah ben Imlah gave him the unadulterated Word of God, “I saw all Israel on the heights of Gilead, wandering about without a shepherd.” Uh, the shepherd of Israel was old King Ahab. That didn’t sound to promising for the king’s longevity.
“See!” Ahab bellowed at Jehoshaphat. “I told you he never says anything good about me. Not even by accident! Why’d you have to ruin a perfectly good day by insisting on hearing from him anyway?”
Micaiah wasn’t finished with the Word of the Lord yet. He added,
I saw the throne room of God in heaven. The angels were gathered around the throne, and the Lord asked, “Who will go and convince King Ahab to march off to Ramoth to face his death there?”
Well, one angel had this idea and another angel had a different one. They couldn’t seem to come up with a plausible plan. Then this other angel stepped forward and boldly declared to the Lord, “I’ll do it!”
The Lord wanted to know the angel’s plan, so the angel told him, “I’ll go and be a lying spirit in the mouth of Ahab’s false prophets. He always listens to them because they always say what he wants to hear.”
The Lord responded, “Go. You’ll certainly succeed with that plan.”
Now be sure to take in the scenario in the throne room of Ahab in Samaria. There were the 400 false prophets and there was Micaiah, the lone true prophet. Did you catch what he said about all 400 of those rascals? Could you be so bold and audacious as to confront 400 deceivers and denounce their deception? Only the Lord Himself inside Micaiah could instill such confidence, that Micaiah didn’t even flinch when the false prophets attacked him.
King Ahab ordered Micaiah sent back to the dungeon, and to be left there with his needs unattended to, until Ahab returned from Ramoth. Micaiah got off a parting shot, “If you ever return from Ramoth, then the Lord didn’t speak through me!” Folks, that is holy boldness in the extreme!
And that spells a fine time to call it a day. We’ll return to this spot on the morrow. Now let’s betake ourselves to the prayer closet.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Deuteronomy: Volume 5 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
Heights and Highs – Part 4
Moreover, Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “Please inquire first for the word of the LORD.” Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, about four hundred men, and said to them, “Shall I go against Ramoth-gilead to battle or shall I refrain?” And they said, “Go up, for the Lord will give it into the hand of the king.” But Jehoshaphat said, “Is there not yet a prophet of the LORD here that we may inquire of him?” [1 Kings 22:5-7]
The Lord’s prophet Micaiah warned King Ahab that he would die at Ramoth-gilead, if he went there to conduct war against Aram. But that smug idolater didn’t care what the Lord had to say about anything.
So off to Ramoth-gilead went Ahab and Jehoshaphat, leading their armies to the battle field. Now here’s where Halloween comes into the story. Ahab donned a disguise so that the Aramean soldiers wouldn’t recognize him as the king. He told Jehoshaphat to impersonate him, and Jehoshaphat was dufus enough to do so! Didn’t exactly flatter him, did he?
All the disguises in the world couldn’t thwart the Word of God. The Lord pronounced through Micaiah that Ahab would die on the heights of Gilead, so die Ahab must. The Aramean soldiers saw Jehoshaphat bedecked in his kingly garb and mistook him for Ahab. But try as they might, they failed to kill or even wound Jehoshaphat.
On the other hand, Ahab went into the battle looking like…well, not like a king, let’s put it that way. So the Aramean soldiers didn’t pay Ahab any mind. It didn’t affect God’s plan one iota though. By accident an Aramean archer shot his arrow and killed Ahab! The Word of the Lord came true, as we should know it always does.
Now I want to bring out a point of import from the story, one which the average English reader wouldn’t notice. But it bears the utmost importance in Biblical teaching, so we mustn’t miss it. This point has to do with the words spoken by Jehoshaphat and the true prophet Micaiah on the one hand, and by the false prophets on the other.
King Jehoshaphat said to Ahab, “Please inquire first for the word of the LORD.”
The false prophets claimed, “Go up, for the Lord will give it into the hand of the king.”
Jehoshaphat didn’t like what Ahab’s false prophets said, so he rejoined, “Is there not yet a prophet of the LORD here that we may inquire of him?”
Then Micaiah declared, “Therefore, hear the word of the LORD.”
Read those four quotations again, except very slowly. Do you see the difference in who they prayed to? Jehoshaphat wanted to hear the Word of the “LORD”. The false prophets spoke the word of the “Lord”. Micaiah proclaimed the Word of the “LORD”.
In the English Bible when you see the word “lord” in all capital letters (“LORD”), in the original Hebrew it is the actual name of God. God’s personal name is YHWH (aka Yahweh or Jehovah). The word “lord” with only the first letter capitalized (“Lord”) is not a name at all. It is a title which means “lord” or “master”.
Hmm. Interesting tidbits those. Except they’re not tidbits at all, and tomorrow we’ll learn why. For now let’s enjoy time alone with Jesus.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Deuteronomy: Volume 5 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
The Lord’s prophet Micaiah warned King Ahab that he would die at Ramoth-gilead, if he went there to conduct war against Aram. But that smug idolater didn’t care what the Lord had to say about anything.
So off to Ramoth-gilead went Ahab and Jehoshaphat, leading their armies to the battle field. Now here’s where Halloween comes into the story. Ahab donned a disguise so that the Aramean soldiers wouldn’t recognize him as the king. He told Jehoshaphat to impersonate him, and Jehoshaphat was dufus enough to do so! Didn’t exactly flatter him, did he?
All the disguises in the world couldn’t thwart the Word of God. The Lord pronounced through Micaiah that Ahab would die on the heights of Gilead, so die Ahab must. The Aramean soldiers saw Jehoshaphat bedecked in his kingly garb and mistook him for Ahab. But try as they might, they failed to kill or even wound Jehoshaphat.
On the other hand, Ahab went into the battle looking like…well, not like a king, let’s put it that way. So the Aramean soldiers didn’t pay Ahab any mind. It didn’t affect God’s plan one iota though. By accident an Aramean archer shot his arrow and killed Ahab! The Word of the Lord came true, as we should know it always does.
Now I want to bring out a point of import from the story, one which the average English reader wouldn’t notice. But it bears the utmost importance in Biblical teaching, so we mustn’t miss it. This point has to do with the words spoken by Jehoshaphat and the true prophet Micaiah on the one hand, and by the false prophets on the other.
King Jehoshaphat said to Ahab, “Please inquire first for the word of the LORD.”
The false prophets claimed, “Go up, for the Lord will give it into the hand of the king.”
Jehoshaphat didn’t like what Ahab’s false prophets said, so he rejoined, “Is there not yet a prophet of the LORD here that we may inquire of him?”
Then Micaiah declared, “Therefore, hear the word of the LORD.”
Read those four quotations again, except very slowly. Do you see the difference in who they prayed to? Jehoshaphat wanted to hear the Word of the “LORD”. The false prophets spoke the word of the “Lord”. Micaiah proclaimed the Word of the “LORD”.
In the English Bible when you see the word “lord” in all capital letters (“LORD”), in the original Hebrew it is the actual name of God. God’s personal name is YHWH (aka Yahweh or Jehovah). The word “lord” with only the first letter capitalized (“Lord”) is not a name at all. It is a title which means “lord” or “master”.
Hmm. Interesting tidbits those. Except they’re not tidbits at all, and tomorrow we’ll learn why. For now let’s enjoy time alone with Jesus.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Deuteronomy: Volume 5 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
Heights and Highs – Part 5
Moreover, Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “Please inquire first for the word of the LORD.” Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, about four hundred men, and said to them, “Shall I go against Ramoth-gilead to battle or shall I refrain?” And they said, “Go up, for the Lord will give it into the hand of the king.” But Jehoshaphat said, “Is there not yet a prophet of the LORD here that we may inquire of him?” [1 Kings 22:5-7]
The English Bible translates God’s personal name as “LORD” (all capital letters). The title “lord” or “master” is translated as “Lord” (only the L is capitalized).
With that understanding in mind, now read the four quotations a third time. Jehoshaphat doesn’t want to hear the false prophets proclaim so-called words from idols. He wants to hear what Yahweh has to say. Jehoshaphat is a good Hebrew. He knows there is only one real God and His name is Yahweh.
So Jehoshaphat says, “Let me hear what Yahweh has to say about us going to Ramoth-gilead.” Ahab sends for his false prophets, who claim their “master” (“Lord”) says… Jehoshaphat insists to Ahab that the supposed words of idols won’t suffice for him. Get him a prophet of Yahweh to speak. Micaiah obliges by proclaiming the Word of Yahweh to Kings Ahab and Jehoshaphat.
Now be honest. Knowing this distinction between “LORD” and “Lord” as used in the English translations of the Bible, doesn’t the tale of Micaiah ben Imlah come alive so much more? We can better understand the Old Testament interaction between the prophets of the LORD and the false prophets, when we look for these distinctive signs.
But there is something more we must needs emphasize about this distinction. The Lord revealed His personal name to Moses at the burning bush on Mount Sinai. He did so because Moses was to return to Egypt and be the Lord’s prophet, as He brought the Israelites out of Egyptian slavery and into the Promised Land.
This plan of the Lord was the fulfillment of His covenant with Abraham, the Abrahamic Covenant. A covenant is a personal relationship between the Lord and another or others, in this case Abraham’s progeny, the Israelites. A personal relationship entails knowing a person’s personal name. Hence when we see the word "LORD", we should train ourselves to immediately recognize that covenant and personal relationship is involved.
Ahab and all those who practice idolatry are out of relationship with the LORD. They don’t know Him personally, so using His personal name is awkward and inappropriate on their part.
His name is higher than any other. Even though Ramoth-gilead was the heights of Gilead, God’s personal name is far far higher than Ramoth. We cannot rise higher than the name Jesus, dear friends. His name is special. It is precious. His name along with He Himself is HIGH above all else.
Do you know the Lord Jesus Christ personally? If you don’t, it is inappropriate for you to use His personal name, and it should be awkward to you if you did so.
I know the solution. Why not call on the Lord Jesus right this moment? Confess your sins to Him, ask Him to forgive you and be your Savior and Lord. Then spend time alone with Him daily, reading and musing over His Word and talking to Him in prayer. You’ll get to know Him real well in no time flat. And you’ll never be the same again.
So what are you waiting for already?
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Deuteronomy: Volume 5 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
The English Bible translates God’s personal name as “LORD” (all capital letters). The title “lord” or “master” is translated as “Lord” (only the L is capitalized).
With that understanding in mind, now read the four quotations a third time. Jehoshaphat doesn’t want to hear the false prophets proclaim so-called words from idols. He wants to hear what Yahweh has to say. Jehoshaphat is a good Hebrew. He knows there is only one real God and His name is Yahweh.
So Jehoshaphat says, “Let me hear what Yahweh has to say about us going to Ramoth-gilead.” Ahab sends for his false prophets, who claim their “master” (“Lord”) says… Jehoshaphat insists to Ahab that the supposed words of idols won’t suffice for him. Get him a prophet of Yahweh to speak. Micaiah obliges by proclaiming the Word of Yahweh to Kings Ahab and Jehoshaphat.
Now be honest. Knowing this distinction between “LORD” and “Lord” as used in the English translations of the Bible, doesn’t the tale of Micaiah ben Imlah come alive so much more? We can better understand the Old Testament interaction between the prophets of the LORD and the false prophets, when we look for these distinctive signs.
But there is something more we must needs emphasize about this distinction. The Lord revealed His personal name to Moses at the burning bush on Mount Sinai. He did so because Moses was to return to Egypt and be the Lord’s prophet, as He brought the Israelites out of Egyptian slavery and into the Promised Land.
This plan of the Lord was the fulfillment of His covenant with Abraham, the Abrahamic Covenant. A covenant is a personal relationship between the Lord and another or others, in this case Abraham’s progeny, the Israelites. A personal relationship entails knowing a person’s personal name. Hence when we see the word "LORD", we should train ourselves to immediately recognize that covenant and personal relationship is involved.
Ahab and all those who practice idolatry are out of relationship with the LORD. They don’t know Him personally, so using His personal name is awkward and inappropriate on their part.
His name is higher than any other. Even though Ramoth-gilead was the heights of Gilead, God’s personal name is far far higher than Ramoth. We cannot rise higher than the name Jesus, dear friends. His name is special. It is precious. His name along with He Himself is HIGH above all else.
Do you know the Lord Jesus Christ personally? If you don’t, it is inappropriate for you to use His personal name, and it should be awkward to you if you did so.
I know the solution. Why not call on the Lord Jesus right this moment? Confess your sins to Him, ask Him to forgive you and be your Savior and Lord. Then spend time alone with Him daily, reading and musing over His Word and talking to Him in prayer. You’ll get to know Him real well in no time flat. And you’ll never be the same again.
So what are you waiting for already?
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Deuteronomy: Volume 5 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
