1 Kings 22:19-23

19 Micaiah continued, "Therefore hear the word of the LORD : I saw the LORD sitting on his throne with all the host of heaven standing around him on his right and on his left. 20 And the LORD said, 'Who will entice Ahab into attacking Ramoth Gilead and going to his death there?'
"One suggested this, and another that. 21 Finally, a spirit came forward, stood before the LORD and said, 'I will entice him.'
22 " 'By what means?' the LORD asked.
" 'I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouths of all his prophets,' he said.
" 'You will succeed in enticing him,' said the LORD . 'Go and do it.'
23 "So now the LORD has put a lying spirit in the mouths of all these prophets of yours. The LORD has decreed disaster for you." (NIV)

Could someone pleas explain this passage to me.

Thanks in advance,

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cbc

 

Specifically verse 23 "So now the LORD has put a lying spirit in the mouths of all these prophets of yours. The LORD has decreed disaster for you."

It seems to me that this could be construed as saying that the Lord caused the prophets to lie. While I see it as sort of saying how evil things happen inside of God's will it seems to be inferring that God sometimes causes evil to happen. See my dilemma???

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cbc

 

My dilemma is not with Ahab deserving what he got, he did. But it is rather with how he got it. It seems to me that the 'lying spirit' must be a demon. And while God is sovereign and surely has control over demons He never causes one to sin or even tempts them to sin:

"James 1:13 When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone;"

However, If He commanded a demon to cause the prophets to lie this would seem as if He directly caused the prophet to break the 9th commandment.

Of course perhaps I need to interpret this passage in context of:

Romans 12:2
Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is–his good, pleasing and perfect will.

YIC,

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cbc

 

Matthew Henry says:

"He informed the king how it was that all his prophets encouraged him to proceed, that God permitted Satan by them to deceive him into his ruin, and he by vision knew of it; it was represented to him, and he represented it to Ahab, that the God of heaven had determined he should fall at Ramoth-Gilead (v. 19, 20), that the favour he had wickedly shown to Ben-hadad might be punished by him and his Syrians, and that he being in some doubt whether he should go to Ramoth-Gilead or no, and resolving to be advised by his prophets, they should persuade him to it and prevail (v. 21, 22); and hence it was that they encouraged him with so much assurance (v. 23); it was a lie from the father of lies, but by divine permission. This matter is here represented after the manner of men. We are not to imagine that God is ever put upon new counsels, or is ever at a loss for means whereby to effect his purposes, nor that he needs to consult with angels, or any creature, about the methods he should take, nor that he is the author of sin or the cause of any man’s either telling or believing a lie; but, besides what was intended by this with reference to Ahab himself, it is to teach us"

That makes sense to me.

Thanks for your guys help.

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cbc

 

Henry also says of this:
"(5.) That there are malicious and lying spirits which go about continually seeking to devour, and, in order to that, seeking to deceive, and especially to put lies into the mouths of prophets, by them to entice many to their destruction. (6.) It is not without the divine permission that the devil deceives men, and even thereby God serves his own purposes. With him are strength and wisdom, the deceived and the deceivers are his, Job 12:16. When he pleases, for the punishment of those who receive not the truth in the love of it, he not only lets Satan loose to deceive them (Rev. 20:7, 8), but gives men up to strong delusions to believe him, 2 Th. 2:11, 12."

That seems to line up with what both of you are saying.

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cbc

 

North Carolina Tentmaker said:
"Verse 14 is the verse that God spoke to me with several years ago when I was first called to preach and has become my covenant verse with Him.
quote:
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And Micaiah said, As the LORD liveth, what the LORD saith unto me, that will I speak.
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I made the Lord that same promise, to speak what he saith unto me. Sadly today we see many pulpits, even in Baptist churches, where that is not so. "

That is true and I commend you on being a preacher of the Word of the One Living True God!!! There are too many pulpits who are either "lukewarm--neither hot nor cold" or "have forsaken your[their] first love".

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cbc