Day 23

Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, met w/ Ahab and decided to fight the king of Aram together. All 400 prophets were asked if it was a good plan and they got approval. God would give them victory over this king. Jehoshaphat wasn't satisfied w/ only 400 prophet's opinions, so he asked if anyone else could advise him. Ahab mentioned Micaiah, but he forewarned Jehoshaphat of his hatred towards him and how he never received any positive feedback from him. One of Ahab's men reported back that Micaiah said yes to going to war against the king of Aram; there was a 'but' involved though. The messenger said Micaiah said, "As surely as God lives, what God says, I'll say. Go ahead. An easy victory. God's gift to the king. " Ahab pressed harder for the absolute truth. Paraphrasing, Micaiah told Ahab God asked how He could seduce Ahab into attacking Ramoth Gilead and an angel volunteered by getting all 400 prophets to lie. Micaiah said, "And that's what happened. God filled the mouths of your puppet prophets with seductive lies. God has pronounced your doom." Zedekiah, a prophet, punched Micaiah in the nose asking when God's spirit left him and transferred to him. Ahab was very frustrated and turned Micaiah over to the judicial officer of the city and his son and told them to lock him up. He was only to have bread and water until Ahab returned. Micaiah shot right back and said IF Ahab returned, he wasn't a real prophet.

The kings and their men went to war w/ the king of Aram. Ahab, dressed in a disguise, used Jehoshaphat as a decoy in battle and dressed him up in kings attire. The king of Aram ordered 32 chariot commanders to Jehoshaphat and Ahab's side and they were to only go after the king of Israel. When they spotted Johoshaphat, they chased after him but the commander realized he wasn't the right man. Just then a soldier shot an arrow randomly into the crowd and it hit Ahab. God really has a sense of humor :) Ahab died watching the battle on the sidelines. Ahazaiah was the heir to the throne of Israel.

Jehoshaphat was 35 when because king of Judah and ruled 25 years. He continued in his father's footsteps by honoring God, unfortunately he didn't remove the sex and religion shrines. He and the king of Israel, Ahaziah, remained allies. Jehoram, Jehoshaphat's son was heir to the throne of Judah. Ahaziah ruled for 2 years in the 17th year of Jehoshaphat's reign. He lived as his parents did, which God viewed as an evil life. He also worshiped Baal shrines.

Started 2 Kings...

Ahaziah injured himself by falling through the railing of the balcony on his house. His messengers were sent to consult Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron. Meanwhile, God's angel told Elijah to hurry and meet the king's messengers and confront them. Elijah asked them if they were consulting Baal-Zebub because there was no God is Israel and said to them, "You're not going to get out of that bed you're in-you're as good as dead already!" They described the man to Ahaziah and he knew the man was Elijah. Fifty men went to find Elijah, who was atop a hill. The captain said, "O Holy Man! King's orders: Come down!" Elijah said if he was a holy man, they'd get struck by lightning. Just then a blue lightning bolt stuck and killed them all. A new set of 50 men were sent by Ahaziah and said the same thing to Elijah. They too were toast just like the previous 50. A third set of 50 men went to Elijah and the captain asked him to respect his life and his 50 men. Elijah told Ahaziah that because he sent the messengers to Baal-Zebub, he would never get out of bed alive and was as good as dead. He died immediately and because he had no heir, his brother, Joram, was appointed king. Joram ruled over Israel in Samaria and was king for 12 years. God viewed him as a mediocre king but better than his parents. He still held onto sinful practices though.

Elijah was going to be taken up to heaven by God and told Elisha to stay in Gilgal, for he had an errand to run in Bethel. Elisha refused to part ways so they went together. When asked by prophets, Elisha said he knew God was going to take Elijah and to keep it hush hush. Elijah had to go to Jericho so again, the two men went together. Prophets from Jericho approached Elisha and asked him the same question and Elisha told them to keep it quiet. Elijah and Elisha went to the Jordan river and 50 prophets from Jericho gathered a short distance away. The river divided when Elijah took his rolled up cloak and hit the water with it. They crossed and Elisha told Elijah he wanted his life to mirror his and be a holy man. Elijah responded by telling Elisha to watch when he was taken to heaven and his request would be granted. All the sudden fiery horses carrying chariots blazed between the men and in a whirlwind like fashion went up to heaven. Elisha grieved by ripping his robe and took Elijah's robe to the Jordan and stood there. He hit the river and asked, "Now where is the God of Elijah? Where is he?" The river parted and the prophets watched close by. They honored Elisha and said they were at his service. They suggested Elisha send them out to look for Elijah and found nothing after 3 days.

A man from Jordan told Elisha their water was bad. Elisha told him to bring a new bowl of water and put salt in it, then went to the spring and proclaimed God's word, "I've healed this water. It will no longer kill you or poison your land." On Elisha's way to Bethel, kids were making fun of him; taunting him and calling him skinhead. Elisha looked at them and cursed them in the name of God. Two bears came out of the bushes and knocked all 42 of them down, ripping them limb from limb. Yikes!

King Mesha of Moab rebelled against Israel back when Ahab died. King Joram prepared Israel for war and asked Jehoshaphat to be his ally. The kings and their armies set out to war against Mesha but they went through the badlands of Edom. They were out of water for soldier and animal in a weeks worth of time. Joram, Jehoshaphat, and the king of Edom went to meet Elisha. Side note: when a minstrel played, God's power came to Elisha. God's word through Elisha was to dig ditches in the valley. Rain water would be available to them. He said God would hand the city of Moab over to them and they were to destroy the support of the city, wipe out villages/orchards, block springs, and put stones in the fields. By morning, a flash flood filled the valley. Moab heard of the impending attack and gathered his able bodied men. Only the capital of Moab, Kir Hareseth, was left after the battle with the Israelites and Judah. It was soon surrounded and destroyed. Mesha took 700 swordsmen to fight the king of Edom, but he was unsuccessful. Mesha then took his 1st born son and sacrificed him at the city wall. Israel was angered by this and returned home.