Day 318 – Faithful

1 Kings 22:1 Now three years passed without war between Syria and Israel.

 2 Then it happened, in the third year, that Jehoshaphat the king of Judah went down to visit the king of Israel.

 3 And the king of Israel said to his servants, “Do you know that Ramoth in Gilead is ours, but we hesitate to take it out of the hand of the king of Syria?”

 4 Then he said to Jehoshaphat, “Will you go with me to fight at Ramoth Gilead?”

  Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses.” 5 Also Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “Please inquire for the word of JEHOVAH today.”

 6 Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, about four hundred men, and said to them, “Should I go against Ramoth Gilead to fight, or should I refrain?”

  They said, “Go up, for JEHOVAH will deliver it into the hand of the king.”

 7 Jehoshaphat said, “Is there not still a prophet of JEHOVAH here, that we may inquire of Him?”

 8 Then the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “There is still one man, Micaiah the son of Imlah, by whom we may inquire of JEHOVAH; but I hate him, because he does not prophesy good concerning me, but evil.”

  Jehoshaphat said, “Let not the king say such things!”

 9 Then the king of Israel called an officer and said, “Bring Micaiah the son of Imlah quickly!”

 10 The king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, having put on their robes, sat each on his throne, at a threshing floor at the entrance of the gate of Samaria; and the prophets prophesied before them.

 11 Now Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah had made horns of iron for himself; and he said, “Thus says JEHOVAH: ‘With these you will gore the Syrians until they are destroyed.’”

 12 The prophets prophesied so, saying, “Go up to Ramoth Gilead and prosper, for JEHOVAH will deliver it into the king’s hand.”

 13 Then the messenger who had gone to call Micaiah spoke to him, saying, “Now listen, the words of the prophets with one accord encourage the king. Please, let your word be like the word of one of them, and speak encouragement.”

 14 Micaiah said, “As JEHOVAH lives, whatever JEHOVAH says to me, I will speak.”

 15 Then he came to the king; and the king said to him, “Micaiah, should we go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or should we refrain?”

  He answered him, “Go and prosper, for JEHOVAH will deliver it into the hand of the king!”

 16 Then the king said to him, “How many times will I make you swear that you tell me nothing but the truth in the name of JEHOVAH?”

 17 Then he said, “I saw Israel scattered on the mountains, as sheep without a shepherd. JEHOVAH said, ‘These have no master. Let each return to his house in peace.’”

 18 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Did I not tell you he would not prophesy good concerning me, but evil?”

 19 Then Micaiah said, “Therefore, hear the word of JEHOVAH: I saw JEHOVAH sitting on His throne, and the host of heaven standing by, on His right hand and on His left. 20 JEHOVAH said, ‘Who will persuade Ahab to go up, that he may fall at Ramoth Gilead?’ Then one spoke in this manner, and another spoke in that manner. 21 Then a spirit came forward and stood before JEHOVAH, and said, ‘I will persuade him.’ 22 JEHOVAH said to him, ‘In what way?’ He said, ‘I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.’ JEHOVAH said, ‘You will persuade him, and prevail. Go out and do so.’ 23 Therefore, look! JEHOVAH put a lying spirit in the mouth of these prophets of yours, and JEHOVAH declared disaster against you.”

 24 Now Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah went near and struck Micaiah on the cheek, and said, “Which way did the spirit from JEHOVAH go from me to speak to you?”

 25 Micaiah said, “Indeed, you will see on the day when you go into an inner chamber to hide!”

 26 Then the king of Israel said, “Take Micaiah, and return him to Amon the governor of the city and to Joash the king’s son; 27 and say, ‘Thus says the king, “Put this fellow in prison, and feed him with bread of affliction and water of affliction, until I come in peace.”’”

 28 However, Micaiah said, “If you ever return in peace, JEHOVAH has not spoken by me.” And he said, “Take heed, you people!”

 29 Then the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah went up to Ramoth Gilead.

 30 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “I will disguise myself and go into battle; but you put on your robes.” Thus, the king of Israel disguised himself and went into battle.

 31 Now the king of Syria had commanded the thirty-two captains of his chariots, saying, “Fight with no one small or great, but only with the king of Israel.”

 32 Thus, it happened, when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, they said, “Surely, it is the king of Israel!” Therefore, they turned aside to fight against him, and Jehoshaphat cried out.

 33 It happened, when the captains of the chariots saw it was not the king of Israel, they turned back from pursuing him.

 34 Now a certain man drew a bow at random and struck the king of Israel between the joints of his armor. Then he said to the driver of his chariot, “Turn around and take me out of the battle, for I am wounded.”

 35 The battle increased that day; and the king was propped up in his chariot, facing the Syrians, and died at evening. The blood ran out from the wound onto the floor of the chariot.

 36 Then, as the sun went down, a shout went throughout the army, saying, “Every man to his city, and every man to his own country!”

 37 Thus, the king died and was brought to Samaria. They buried the king in Samaria.

 38 Then someone washed the chariot at a pool in Samaria, and the dogs licked up his blood while the harlots bathed, according to the word of JEHOVAH which He had spoken.

 39 Now the rest of the acts of Ahab, and everything he did, the ivory house which he built and the cities he built, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?

 40 Ahab rested with his fathers. Then Ahaziah, his son reigned in his place.

 41 Jehoshaphat the son of Asa had become king over Judah in the fourth year of Ahab king of Israel.

 42 Jehoshaphat was thirty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned twenty-five years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Azubah, the daughter of Shilhi.

 43 He walked in the ways of his father Asa. He did not turn aside from them, doing what was right in the eyes of JEHOVAH. Nevertheless, the high places were not taken away, for the people offered sacrifices and burned incense on the high places.

 44 Also Jehoshaphat made peace with the king of Israel.

 45 Now the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, the might he showed, and how he made war, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?

 46 The rest of the perverted persons, who remained in the days of his father Asa, he banished from the land.

 47 There was then no king in Edom, only a deputy of the king.

 48 Jehoshaphat made merchant ships to go to Ophir for gold; but they never sailed, for the ships were wrecked at Ezion Geber.

 49 Then Ahaziah the son of Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, “Let my servants go with your servants in the ships.” However, Jehoshaphat would not.

 50 Jehoshaphat rested with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the City of David his father. Then Jehoram, his son reigned in his place.

 51 Ahaziah the son of Ahab became king over Israel in Samaria in the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah and reigned two years over Israel.

 52 He did evil in the sight of JEHOVAH and walked in the way of his father and in the way of his mother and in the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who had made Israel sin; 53 for he served Baal and worshiped him, and provoked JEHOVAH Elohiym of Israel to anger, according to everything his father did.

God’s names:

JEHOVAH – Self-existent, Eternal

Elohiym – Supreme God

Yeshuwa – Jesus

Theos – Supreme Divinity

Iesous – Jesus

Christos – Anointed One, Messiah

God’s character:

Promise Keeper

Do you trust everything people tell you? Or are you a sceptic and need to see the truth in what you hear?

Ahab and Jehoshaphat agreed to go to war against Syria, However, Jehoshaphat wanted to know what JEHOVAH said about their going to war against Syria. Ahab called his prophets who only prophesied good for Ahab. Jehoshaphat wanted to hear what a true prophet of JEHOVAH said about going to war. Ahab told Jehoshaphat he didn’t like JEHOVAH’S prophet because he never prophesied anything good about him. Jehoshaphat insisted on hearing what Micaiah prophesied. When he came before the kings, Micaiah prophesied the same thing as the other prophets did. When Ahab told him to prophesy the truth, he told how a lying spirit came before JEHOVAH with the intention of giving a false prophecy in the mouths of Ahab’s prophets. JEHOVAH agreed to send the lying spirit to Ahab’s prophets. Then Micaiah told the kings what JEHOVAH intended in the war.

When you accepted Yeshuwa as Savior and Lord, you committed yourself to spend time with Him, study His Word, and gather with other believers, for the benefit of learning everything you could about Yeshuwa. However, what many new Christians committed to and what they do are two different things. They fail to open their Bibles, go to church, or study JEHOVAH’S Word. You can’t know what Elohiym intends for your life, if you don’t spend time with Him. Therefore, people can easily persuade you to believe lies instead of the truth.

You might also think that what you believe and what you read here is a contradiction. It’s not. Consider Job. He believed in JEHOVAH with his entire heart. However, Satan believed he could break him and cause him to sin by cursing Elohiym if something went wrong in his life. Elohiym knew Job’s heart and gave permission to Satan to test Job’s faith. Job held fast no matter what Satan did to him.

Job 1:6 Now there was a day when the sons of Elohiym came to present themselves before JEHOVAH, and Satan also came among them.

 7 JEHOVAH said to Satan, “From where do you come?”

 Then Satan answered JEHOVAH and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it.”

 8 Then JEHOVAH said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears Elohiym and shuns evil?”

 9 Satan answered JEHOVAH and said, “Does Job fear Elohiym for nothing? 10 Have You not made a hedge around him, around his household, and around everything he has on every side? You blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. 11 However, now, stretch out Your hand and touch everything he has, and he will surely curse You to Your face!”

 12 JEHOVAH said to Satan, “Behold, everything he has is in your power; only do not lay a hand on his person.” Then Satan went out from the presence of JEHOVAH.

Revelation 12:7 War broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, 8 but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer.

 9 Then the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

 10 Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, “Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our Theos, and the power of His Christos have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our Theos day and night, has been cast down.

Satan is in heaven right now bringing accusations against you to the Father. When the lying spirit came before JEHOVAH with his plan to persuade Ahab to go to war against Syria, it was JEHOVAH’S intention to kill Ahab, therefore He agreed with the plan of the lying spirit.

Consider your life. Is JEHOVAH testing you? Or have you strayed from Him and the trouble you face is of your choosing?

If it’s a test, praise Yeshuwa because He counts you faithful.

Peter and John performed miracles in Yeshuwa’s name and preached the gospel to the people, causing alarm among the Sadducees and chief priests who told them not to do so and cast them in prison, yet they continued to do so. When confronted about what they did in Yeshuwa’s name, Peter, with boldness, told them they were witnesses to Yeshuwa’s resurrection and could do no less than teach and preach in Yeshuwa’s name.

Acts 5:34 Then one in the council stood up, a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law held in respect by the people and commanded them to put the apostles outside for a little while.

 35 He said to them, “Men of Israel, take heed to yourselves what you intend to do regarding these men. 36 For some time ago Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody. Several men, about four hundred, joined him. He was slain, and everyone who obeyed him scattered and came to nothing. 37 After this man, Judas of Galilee rose up in the days of the census and drew away many people after him. He also perished, and everyone who obeyed him dispersed. 38 Now I say to you, keep away from these men and let them alone; for if this plan or this work is of men, it will come to nothing; 39 but if it is of Theos, you cannot overthrow it—lest you even be found to fight against Theos.”

 40 They agreed with him, and when they had called for the apostles and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Iesous and let them go.

 41 Then they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name.

 42 Daily in the temple, and in every house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Iesous as the Christos.

1 Peter 1:6 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Iesous Christos, 8 whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, 9 receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls.

Your faith will be tested every day. Praise Yeshuwa for the test. If it’s not a test, but you strayed from Yeshuwa, return to Him and He will restore you to fellowship with Him.

Ahab sinned against JEHOVAH by worshiping idols and turning the hearts of the people away from JEHOVAH. JEHOVAH prophesied against him and told him what would happen to Ahab’s descendants. When Ahab died in battle, dogs licked his blood, just as JEHOVAH said would happen.

Elohiym keeps His promises. It is you who needs to remain faithful to Him so that you can count it joy when Yeshuwa tests you and He finds you faithful.

Let’s pray: Father, help me to remain faithful to You, so that when You test me, I pass the test and can rejoice in my salvation. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Copyright © 2 December 2024 by Valerie Routhieaux