1st Kings 22:2 And it came to pass in the third year, that Jehoshaphat the king of Judah came down to the king of Israel. 3 And the king of Israel said unto his servants, know you that Ramoth in Gilead is ours, and we be still, and take it not out of the hand of the king of Syria?
This leads us to our case study for today, in which a deluded king Ahab is encased in deliberate lies, in so much that he has gone so far as to actually hire 400 of his personal liars to tell him only what he wants to hear. They are on his payroll simply to tell lies, as the main function of their job description. On their resumes, they have to commit to telling lies whenever and wherever needed and they must also repeat the lies, conjure up, and invent new lies, as the need arises.
So, after a time, deliberately telling and believing lies would reach pandemic levels in the kingdom of Ahab, and thus, anyone who dares to speak truth becomes the enemy of the state. Here was a matter of grave national importance, in which persons would be put in danger. The red lights are flashing, but, just as before, the habit of craving and believing lies has become endemic in the nation, so that truth, and facts are shuttered, and those liars on Ahab’s payroll are immediately sent for.
1st Kings 22:4 And he said unto Jehoshaphat, Wilt thou go with me to battle to Ramoth-Gilead? And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, I am as thou art, my people as thy people, my horses as thy horses. 5 And Jehoshaphat said unto the king of Israel, Enquire, I pray thee, at the word of the Lord to day.
1st Kings 22:6 Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, about four hundred men, and said unto them, Shall I go against Ramoth-Gilead to battle, or shall I forbear? And they said, Go up; for the Lord shall deliver it into the hand of the king.
May God add His blessing to the study of His word. “Good night” and God bless!