2 Chronicles 18

This is the second of the four chapters of 2 Chronicles (chapters 17–20) that cover the reign of Jehoshaphat, king of the southern kingdom of Judah. After 2 Chronicles 17 describes his prosperity and strength, this chapter recounts his alliance with Ahab, king of the northern kingdom of Israel, and its consequences. Its content is nearly identical to that of 1 Kings 22.

Outline

• Verses 1–3: Jehoshaphat, who enjoys riches and honor, allies himself with Ahab by marriage. A few years later he visits Samaria, where Ahab holds a feast for him and asks him to join in attacking Ramoth-gilead. Jehoshaphat agrees.
• Verses 4–11: When Jehoshaphat asks that they first inquire of the LORD, Ahab gathers four hundred prophets, who all say, "Go up." When Jehoshaphat asks for another prophet, Ahab has Micaiah, whom he hates, summoned. Zedekiah makes horns of iron and prophesies victory.
• Verses 12–17: Micaiah swears that he will speak only what God says. At first he says the same thing as the other prophets, but when pressed, he relates a vision of Israel scattered like sheep without a shepherd.
• Verses 18–22: Micaiah describes a vision of the heavenly throne. A spirit comes forward and offers to be a lying spirit in the mouths of the prophets.
• Verses 23–27: Zedekiah strikes Micaiah on the cheek. Ahab has Micaiah imprisoned and fed "with bread of affliction and with water of affliction."
• Verses 28–34: Ahab goes into battle in disguise, while Jehoshaphat wears his royal robes. The Syrian chariot captains pursue Jehoshaphat but turn away when he cries out. Ahab is struck between the joints of his armor by an arrow shot at random, and he dies at sunset.

Key Verses

• 2 Chronicles 18:13 "Even what my God saith, that will I speak": shows Micaiah's stand against the opinion of the majority.
• 2 Chronicles 18:16 "I did see all Israel scattered upon the mountains, as sheep that have no shepherd": figuratively foretells Ahab's death.
• 2 Chronicles 18:31 "And the LORD helped him": a phrase absent from 1 Kings, reflecting the Chronicler's focus on Jehoshaphat.

People and Places

• Jehoshaphat: King of the southern kingdom of Judah.
• Ahab: King of the northern kingdom of Israel. See the article Ahab and Jezebel.
• Micaiah: The son of Imlah, a prophet who prophesied evil concerning Ahab.
• Zedekiah: The son of Chenaanah, a prophet in Ahab's court. He is not the same person as Zedekiah, the last king of Judah.
• Amon and Joash: The governor of the city and the king's son, into whose custody Micaiah is given.
• Ramoth-gilead: A city east of the Jordan River, contested between Aram and Israel.
• Samaria: The capital of the northern kingdom of Israel.

Points for Reflection

• The lying spirit (verses 21–22): Interpreters differ on how to understand the language of God permitting or using falsehood.
• Some read it as God holding even evil under His sovereignty and using it as an instrument of judgment.
• Others regard it as the language of a vision that Micaiah related in order to warn Ahab.
• Views also differ on the identity of the spirit: some see it as an evil spirit, others as a member of the heavenly council. The heavenly council scene is often compared with Job 1:6.
• True and false prophets: Because the unanimous word of the majority is not necessarily the word of God, this chapter is often read alongside Deuteronomy 18, which teaches that a prophet is discerned by whether his prophecy comes to pass.
• Parallel wording: "Hearken, all ye people" in verse 27 is the same expression that opens Micah 1:2 (rendered in the KJV as "Hear, all ye people").
• Connection to the New Testament: The expression "sheep having no shepherd" appears again in Matthew 9:36, where Jesus is moved with compassion for the multitudes.
• Connection to the next chapter: In the very next chapter, 2 Chronicles 19, Jehu (son of Hanani) rebukes Jehoshaphat for helping the ungodly. This chapter provides the background for that rebuke.

In Korean Churches

In Korean preaching, Micaiah is often presented as one who faithfully proclaimed God's word despite the pressure of the majority and in the face of power. Verse 13 is frequently cited as an example of this.