HealingStrong's Around the Word

Episode 29 - The Jehoshaphat Series: Fatal Disguises (2 Chronicles 18:28-34 NIV)

• HealingStrong • Episode 8

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The story from 2 Chronicles 18 dramatically unfolds as King Ahab's attempt to escape divine judgment through disguise fails when a "random" arrow finds the gap in his armor, fulfilling the prophecy of his death.

• King Ahab convinces Jehoshaphat to wear royal robes while he disguises himself
• Jehoshaphat nearly dies due to this foolish arrangement
• God rescues Jehoshaphat when he cries out for help
• A seemingly random arrow strikes Ahab in the tiny vulnerable spot between armor pieces
• The prophecy of Micaiah is fulfilled precisely as foretold within a single day
• Even the wisest people can make poor decisions when in bad company
• No human scheme can thwart divine judgment when it comes
• God shows mercy to those who call on Him, even after poor decisions

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Suggested Resources:

BIBLE PLAN - Trusting God's Plan in the Battle: Lessons from the Life of Jehoshaphat

PODCAST - Genesis to Revelation Bible Reading

TOOLS - Refresh Your Spirit through God's Word



Please visit our website at healingstrong.org to learn more about our mission and community groups.

HELP US GROW:

Your donation enables us to continue offering this podcast and other resources for free supporting those facing cancer and chronic illness, caregivers and others. Every donation makes a big difference. Please donate here.

Speaker 1:

and all of this takes place in one day, and before night comes, King Ahab is dead. Sometimes the word of the Lord works just that fast and sometimes it doesn't.

Speaker 2:

Well, hello everybody. This is Cheryl and you're listening to Healing Strongs Around the Word. We're friends sitting around a table that love God's word and we love talking about it and digging deep into it. So each day you'll hear me reading a Bible passage and then you'll hear us chatting about what we're learning from it. Today I'll be reading 2 Chronicles, 18, verses 28 through 34 from the NIV version of the Bible. So join us Around the Word version of the Bible. So join us Around the Word. 2 Chronicles 18, verses 28 through 34.

Speaker 2:

So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, went up to Ramoth, gilead. The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat I will enter the battle in disguise, but you wear your royal robes. But you wear your royal robes. So the king of Israel disguised himself and went into battle. Now the king of Aram had ordered his chariot commanders do not fight with anyone, small or great, except the king of Israel. When the chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat, they thought saw Jehoshaphat. They thought this is the king of Israel. So they turned to attack him. But Jehoshaphat cried out and the Lord helped him. God drew them away from him, for when the chariot commanders saw that he was not the king of Israel. They stopped pursuing him, but someone drew his bow at random and hit the king of Israel between the breastplate and the scale of armor. The king told the chariot driver "'Wheel around and get me out of the fighting. I've been wounded'".

Speaker 2:

All day long the battle raged and the king of Israel propped himself up in his chariot facing the Arameans until evening. Then, at sunset, he died. That was our Bible passage for today. So now let's listen in on what Susie, angie, jeff and myself were learning around the word. The battle has started, not the big one we're going to learn about, but this is one of the other ones. So what's going on here?

Speaker 1:

Be careful who you hang out with, because you just can get as stupid as they are. So the king of Israel, the northern kingdom, king Ahab, and the king of Judah, king Jehoshaphat, they're going into battle together and they say king of Israel says that's Ahab. Says to Jehoshaphat I know what we'll do. I'll disguise myself so that no one will recognize me, but you put on your royal robes. How stupid. And Jehoshaphat did it.

Speaker 2:

That's what's scary to me.

Speaker 1:

Oh my gosh, you hang out with stupid, you get stupid.

Speaker 3:

And the guy he had aligned with says you know, you gotta um, why don't you dress up as the king and I'll disguise myself, you know it's like you're?

Speaker 2:

how about you just put a big target on yourself, a big bullseye, how about that?

Speaker 1:

they're. They're trying to kill you, so why don't you look like me? You know I mean. Why would that? Why would you do that?

Speaker 2:

And this is after a true prophet, by the way, whom Jehoshaphat saw this, told the truth and said they would not be successful.

Speaker 3:

So he's wondering. Ahab is obviously taking to heart a little bit that he's trying to thwart the will of God, and so he's trying to disguise himself so he doesn't die. But he doesn't care about Jehoshaphat. And so when things start turning bad for Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat turns to the Lord and cries out and says help, and the Lord helps him survive.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, by the way, Ahab could have done that. At any point Ahab could have called out to God.

Speaker 3:

Yeah there was a random shot of a bow and arrow that just randomly found the right person, and it was the will of God to take judgment on this awful, awful king, and no disguise would hide him from the Lord.

Speaker 1:

And it says that that arrow struck Ahab at the opening where the lower armor and the breastplate meet, one little tiny spot. So this random arrow hits this tiny little spot in Ahab. Random arrow hits this tiny little spot in Ahab and my translation says Ahab said get me out of here. He groaned, for I am badly wounded. Yeah, you badly wounded.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, did not work out well for. Ahab no it didn't no bueno.

Speaker 3:

And so whose prophet was right? I mean, my goodness, Micaiah was basically the word of the Lord. Because Ahab had invoked the word of the Lord, it came to pass, just as Micaiah had described, that he would die.

Speaker 1:

Well, and the scripture says the battle grew hotter and hotter all that day and King Ahab went back in, propped up in his chariot to fight the Syrians, but just as the sun sank into the western skies, he died. So this all happened in one day. The 400 prophets, the false ones, said one thing the one guy with truth comes forward, says what's going to happen. And all of this takes place in one day, and before night comes, King Ahab is dead. Sometimes the word of the Lord works just that fast and sometimes it doesn't.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, this was not one of Jehoshaphat's best days. It really wasn't. But look at God's mercy and grace and what he did for him, even when Jehoshaphat made mistakes, just like we all do. These people we're reading about in the Bible they are real people. They are not fictitious. They really lived. They make mistakes, like we do, and I'm so glad that we can learn from them, even if that happened thousands of years ago. Thank, and I'm so glad that we can learn from them, even if that happened thousands of years ago. Thank you so much for joining us for Healing Strong's Around the Word podcast. I hope you were encouraged to dig deeper into God's Word and find the treasures that are there. Join us next time for more discussion around the Word and consider liking, subscribing and telling your friends about our podcast. We would be so grateful. You can also find out about the mission of Healing Strong at healingstrongorg. Until next time, remember, faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.