1 Kings 22:23

Ahab — Israel's wicked and wilful king — wanted to go to war with Syria to recover Ramoth-gilead. His misguided ally Jehoshaphat, king of Judah — godly but weak — wanted to know what the Lord would say about the plan. In time they brought faithful Micaiah out of prison, and in a few words he described a scene in heaven. The Lord was seated on His throne surrounded by the host of heaven. His patience with Ahab was now exhausted. He called for a volunteer who would push the doomed man into a war that would ruin him. A spirit then proposed to go down and put a lie in the mouths of all the king's prophets. "Go out and do so," said the great God. Israel's war with Syria was arranged in the spirit world, as many a war since.

Ahab's humiliation was soon forgotten; it bore no real and lasting fruit. In the next war with Syria we find him with false prophets again. He had gained nothing from the testimony given on Mount Carmel. There were four hundred false prophets and one true prophet. "But," says Ahab, "I hate him." This one prophet told the truth, and Ahab did not love the truth. God sends a lying spirit to him, proof that Ahab was given up. He loved a lie, and the lie led him to destruction.

The prophet does not stop there. He points out the satanic lying spirit that has taken hold of all the prophets in order to make Ahab go up to Ramoth. The Lord had said: "Who will entice Ahab, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?" This was the judgment of God, prepared beforehand against Ahab. It was an indirect judgment: the demonic spirits he had worshipped became the instruments of their victim's doom.

The term "lying spirit" is significant. In the scene already mentioned, the false prophets prophesy before Ahab and Jehoshaphat. Scripture says plainly that the Lord put a "lying spirit" in their mouths. That is, He left them, or as an act of judgment placed them, in the power of Satan, so that they might lure Ahab on to his destruction. But here is the point we want the reader to notice. A "lying spirit" drives false prophets. They are not just ignorant of the truth, following the bent of their own evil hearts. They are completely in the power and control of the evil one.

Here we see what conscience is, even a hardened one. It speaks within the heart, telling Ahab: what Micaiah is saying cannot be his real opinion! And even though Ahab is looking for a lie, his conscience forces him to want the truth. He will not follow it or obey it. But the unease his conscience produces gives him no rest until he hears, knows and sees it. He is like a murderer who is drawn back to the scene of his crime despite himself.

The king of Israel was happy with what the lying prophets said. God punished Pharaoh by giving him up to a delusion, and He did the same to Ahab. The same thing will happen to many others at the end of this age. Men will preach "peace, peace," and judgment will break out on them. Here is a solemn truth. This is why we should first be very grateful that the Lord has revealed Himself to us. Then we should take care not to become like Jehoshaphat, who allied himself with Ahab.

Ahab's four hundred prophets and the Lord's one prophet are an example of the conflict of spirits. The Christian is now called on to test that conflict.