1Ki 22:5-28 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for 1Kgs 22:5-9: 22:5-9 In accordance with ancient Near Eastern custom, Jehoshaphat requested that the two kings determine the will of the Lord before going into battle. Examples of this custom are common in Aramean, Moabite, and Assyrian inscriptions as well as in the Old Testament (1 Sam 23:2-4 ; 2 Sam 5:19-25 ). Despite Ahab’s misgivings, Jehoshaphat insisted on summoning Micaiah, a genuine prophet of the Lord .

Summary for 1Kgs 22:5-9: 22:5-9 ^a In accordance with ancient Near Eastern custom, Jehoshaphat requested that the two kings determine the will of the Lord before going into battle. Examples of this custom are common in Aramean, Moabite, and Assyrian inscriptions as well as in the Old Testament (1 Sam 23:2-4 ^b; 2 Sam 5:19-25 ^c). Despite Ahab’s misgivings, Jehoshaphat insisted on summoning Micaiah, a genuine prophet of the Lord.
22:10 ^d In the ancient Near East, important business was often conducted at the threshing floor near the city gate. David secured the threshing floor of Araunah and built an altar there (2 Sam 24:18-25 ^e; 1 Chr 21:26 ^f); it later became the site for the Temple in Jerusalem (2 Chr 3:1 ^g).
Summary for 1Kgs 22:13-14: 22:13-14 ^h The messenger who went to get Micaiah warned that he had better agree with the false prophets. However, Micaiah promised only that he would faithfully deliver the Lord’s word (see Num 22:38 ⁱ; 24:13 ^j).
Summary for 1Kgs 22:15-16: 22:15-16 ^k The word sarcastically does not occur in the Hebrew text; the NLT simply makes explicit what Ahab sensed in Micaiah’s tone of voice (18:27 ^l; Job 12:1-2 ^m; 16:2 ⁿ).
22:17 ^o Like God himself (Ps 23 ^p; Isa 40:10-11 ^q), Israel’s kings and leaders were charged with care of the people much as a shepherd cares for his sheep (Num 27:16-17 ^r; Ezek 34:2 ^s, 11-16 ^t). The motif of the shepherd and the sheep, applied to the coming Messiah (Ezek 34:23-24 ^u), was fulfilled in Christ the Good Shepherd (John 10:1-11 ^v). Although he laid down his life for the sheep (John 10:14-18 ^w; 1 Pet 2:24-25 ^x), he still lives (Heb 13:20 ^y) and will come again for them (1 Pet 5:4 ^z).
Summary for 1Kgs 22:19-23: 22:19-23 ^aa Micaiah explained that God had allowed a lying spirit of prophecy to mislead Ahab to bring about his death. In his sovereignty, God used the counsel of Ahab’s false prophets to accomplish his will.
Summary for 1Kgs 22:24-25: 22:24-25 ^ab An indignant Zedekiah, one of the false prophets, insisted that he and the others were telling the truth. Like Ahab, they would one day find out the real truth when the prophecy against them was fulfilled in Jehu’s purge of Baal worship (2 Kgs 10:18-28 ^ac).