Bible in a Year Series - Day #180 - This post is
part
of a year-long series where we are reading chronologically through the
Bible. Click here to learn more. You are most welcome to
join along at any time.
Today's
text from the ESV Study Bible: 1 Kings 22, & 2 Chronicles 18.
After the death of King Solomon's son, King Rehoboam, the Bible has us fairly quickly sprinting through a number of Israel's monarchs until we get to the evil King Ahab.
With King Ahab, we find six whole chapters dedicated to his story, and in particular his interactions with Elijah.
Today, Elijah is absent and we find ourselves viewing King Ahab and another prophet by the name of Micaiah.
Most interestingly, we are here permitted another rare view into the heavenly throne room of God:
"And Micaiah said, “Therefore hear the word of the Lord: I saw the Lord sitting on his throne, and all the host of heaven standing beside him on his right hand and on his left; 20 and the Lord said, ‘Who will entice Ahab, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?’ And one said one thing, and another said another. 21 Then a spirit came forward and stood before the Lord, saying, ‘I will entice him.’ 22 And the Lord said to him, ‘By what means?’ And he said, ‘I will go out, and will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.’ And he said, ‘You are to entice him, and you shall succeed; go out and do so.’ 23 Now therefore behold, the Lord has put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these your prophets; the Lord has declared disaster for you.”"This whole scene is reminiscent of a similar scene in the book of Job where God allows Satan to torment Job. The difference here is that King Ahab is an adversary to Yahweh in that he has placed his faith in the false god Baal.
There is a small part of me that recoils at the recalling of this throne room scene, but we must be reminded, as Paul seeks to have us understand in the first chapters of Romans, that we are all worthy of being God's adversary, save for his merciful grace, and the regenerating calling of his elect.
It is impossible for the thinking student of the Bible to zoom past this scene without a fair bit of chin scratching.
What strikes you with this peculiar vision of God's throne room?
