From GONE WILD..previous blog. we found out......on making the wrong decisions with those who will agree with us......ultimately for the wrong thing is a terrible road to travel! It will take one to destruction . Here.........we conclude with this lucky ritual thing!
Read below about Zedekiah...........
2 Chronicles 18:6-22
6 But Jehoshaphat said, "Is there not still a prophet of the LORD here, that we may inquire of Him?" 7 So the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "There is still one man by whom we may inquire of the LORD; but I hate him, because he never prophesies good concerning me, but always evil. He is Micaiah the son of Imla." And Jehoshaphat said, "Let not the king say such things!" 8 Then the king of Israel called one of his officers and said, "Bring Micaiah the son of Imla quickly!" 9 The king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah, clothed in their robes, sat each on his throne; and they sat at a threshing floor at the entrance of the gate of Samaria; and all the prophets prophesied before them. 10 Now Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah had made horns of iron for himself; and he said, "Thus says the LORD: 'With these you shall gore the Syrians until they are destroyed.' " 11 And all the prophets prophesied so, saying, "Go up to Ramoth Gilead and prosper, for the LORD will deliver it into the king's hand."
12 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. Therefore please let your word be like the word of one of them, and speak encouragement." 13 And Micaiah said, "As the LORD lives, whatever my God says, that I will speak." 14 Then he came to the king; and the king said to him, "Micaiah, shall we go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or shall I refrain?" And he said, "Go and prosper, and they shall be delivered into your hand!" 15 So the king said to him, "How many times shall I make you swear that you tell me nothing but the truth in the name of the LORD?" 16 Then he said, "I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains, as sheep that have no shepherd. And the LORD said, 'These have no master. Let each return to his house in peace.' " 17 And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "Did I not tell you he would not prophesy good concerning me, but evil?"
18 Then Micaiah said, "Therefore hear the word of the LORD: I saw the LORD sitting on His throne, and all the host of heaven standing on His right hand and His left. 19 And the LORD said, 'Who will persuade Ahab king of Israel to go up, that he may fall at Ramoth Gilead?' So one spoke in this manner, and another spoke in that manner. 20 Then a spirit came forward and stood before the LORD, and said, 'I will persuade him.' The LORD said to him, 'In what way?' 21 "So he said, 'I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.' And the LORD said, 'You shall persuade him and also prevail; go out and do so.' 22 "Therefore look! The LORD has put a lying spirit in the mouth of these prophets of yours, and the LORD has declared disaster against you."
NKJV
Was Zedekiah making a "lucky ritual".........and placing it before the crowd, before the kings who sat in the judgement place where the main leaders came together to make their decisions concerning the country and that which the king of Israel wanted to fight, namely the Syrians. (Ramoth Gilead) He,the king of Israel wanted to gain back that which had been lost from Israel in earlier battles.
I point you back to what Micaiah spoke in verse 18........"I saw the LORD sitting on His throne, and all those of heaven standing on His right hand and His left." And then he said this: " And the LORD said, 'Who will persuade Ahab king of Israel to go up, that he may fall at Ramoth Gilead?'.......and none could agree, out of 400 men, not one could agree.......!
Micaiah had seen the LORD and spoke what was given him from heaven. Have we not read that of Stephen from the book of Acts in chapter 7:54-56......... "Look," he said, "I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God." NIV
2 Chronicles 18:23-27
23 Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah went near and struck Micaiah on the cheek, and said, "Which way did the spirit from the LORD go from me to speak to you?" 24 And Micaiah said, "Indeed you shall see on that day when you go into an inner chamber to hide!" 25 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; 26 and say, 'Thus says the king: "Put this fellow in prison, and feed him with bread of affliction and water of affliction until I return in peace." ' " 27 Then Micaiah said, "If you ever return in peace, the LORD has not spoken by me." And he said, "Take heed, all you people!"
NKJV
2 Chronicles 18:10-11
10 Now Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah had made horns of iron for himself; and he said, "Thus says the LORD: 'With these you shall gore the Syrians until they are destroyed.' " 11 And all the prophets prophesied so, saying, "Go up to Ramoth Gilead and prosper, for the LORD will deliver it into the king's hand."
NKJV
Then in verse 25....this is your lot..........the portion of your measures from Me, says the LORD. "Because you have forgotten Me and trusted in falsehood, therefore I will uncover your skirts over your face that your shame may appear. Yes another "yikes". He will cause any cover over their backside to be come up over their heads. Their nakedness would be revealed.
The first prophet was a false prophet in that he did not give the word of the Lord. Zedekiah, was probably wanting to make a statement with some grand performance. As the leader and probable spokesman of the entire 400 prophets presiding over this court when Ahab was king in Israel. With land to be conquered, it was evident that the king desired to gain back the land of Ramoth-Gilead.
Did Zedekiah dazzle the hearers in the court of king Ahab? Evidently not, for king Jehoshaphat of Judah asked for another prophet! And Micaiah was brought out to bring the word of the Lord! When you spend time talking with the Lord, you certainly know His voice.
In the instance of Jeremiah, he just did what he was told to do, by the LORD. And the people would take note. For God's purposes, the Word is evident that the sash being taken from the area of the prophet to the distant river Euphrates.........was that the people of Israel would be placed a greater distance from the LORD. What distance was the sash taken..........some two hundred fifty miles away. And there was no bus, no fast car to drive it there and then what..........go back and take the sash out of the hole that you dug for it, Jeremiah?
What would you have said about the man of God? Would you have called him a fanatic? What about calling him a "fool"? No, Jeremiah obeyed God!
It was not by any "LUCKY RITUAL" like displaying horns out of iron like Zedekiah did.
When God makes a statement of His Word all heaven backs that Word. Micaiah saw it!
What is the symbolic emblem that God would use to get our attention? He sent His Son to die on the Cross for us? He did not use theatrical devices. He did not use an actor, but the Son of His love.
Each of these had a choice and so do we. In our day to day walk we are to find truth that is wisdom of God. It is found in His Word. In Psalm 81 it tells us this: 10 I am the Lord your God, Who brought you up out of the land of Egypt. Open your mouth wide and I will fill it. 11 But My people would not hearken to My voice; and Israel would have none of Me. 12 So I gave them up to their own hearts' lust and let them go after their own stubborn will, that they might follow their own counsels.[Acts 7:42,43; Acts 14:16; Romans 1:24,26] 13 Oh, that my people would listen to Me, that Israel would walk in My Ways!
14 Speedily then I would subdue their enemies and turn My hand against their adversaries. 15 [ Had Israel listened to Me in Egypt, then ] those who hated the Lord would have come cringing before Him, and their defeat would have lasted forever.
If the people had obeyed God when they came out of Egypt, and clung to God, Egypt could never have a place in them again.
But alas, they kept going back to worshiping what they thought was the "LUCKY RITUALS'! It is Intimacy that we see in the walk of Micaiah and Jeremiah. As these two chose to blameless before the Lord, should their fruit be for another persons's good? YES!
Jesus said to his disciples, "but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit" (John 15:16). Therefore we are to go and bear fruit .........as the body of believer's and Jesus as our example to comfort others. He chose us in him before the creation of the world to be the holy and the blamelss in his sight. ( Ephesians 1:3-4)
Wisdom cries out today as it did in the day of Micaiah and Jeremiah!
Proverbs 8:12-14
12 "I, wisdom, dwell with prudence, And find out knowledge and discretion.
13 The fear of the LORD is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way
And the perverse mouth I hate.
14 Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom; I am understanding, I have strength. NKJV
Father, today in Jesus' name we ask for Your Wisdom as from James 5 that You give liberally. We desire Your knowledge and to be counseled by YOU. We understand that YOU hate pride and arrogance. And the perverse mouth, those things that speak against YOUR Word You hate. We choose to be in the fear of the LORD! Counsel us Holy Spirit by the Word of God. We desire to move in the sound wisdom of God, to be people of understanding that we would be people of strength. We bless the LORD, with our souls and forget not all His benefits (to us). He forgave all our iniquities, and healed all our diseases. He has redeemed us from destruction and crowned us with lovingkindness and tender mercies. OUR mouths are filled.............satisfied with good things. So that our youth is renewed like the eagle's. NKJV Psalm 103:2-5)
Father, thank You for all that YOU have done for us.........we believe we receive Your wisdom to move in strength today. It is Your counsel we desire. Amen.
You can also visit my Youtube channel The Voice of Prayer for more teaching at http://bit.ly/1tNyBhV
I point you back to what Micaiah spoke in verse 18........"I saw the LORD sitting on His throne, and all those of heaven standing on His right hand and His left." And then he said this: " And the LORD said, 'Who will persuade Ahab king of Israel to go up, that he may fall at Ramoth Gilead?'.......and none could agree, out of 400 men, not one could agree.......!
Micaiah had seen the LORD and spoke what was given him from heaven. Have we not read that of Stephen from the book of Acts in chapter 7:54-56......... "Look," he said, "I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God." NIV
23 Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah went near and struck Micaiah on the cheek, and said, "Which way did the spirit from the LORD go from me to speak to you?" 24 And Micaiah said, "Indeed you shall see on that day when you go into an inner chamber to hide!" 25 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; 26 and say, 'Thus says the king: "Put this fellow in prison, and feed him with bread of affliction and water of affliction until I return in peace." ' " 27 Then Micaiah said, "If you ever return in peace, the LORD has not spoken by me." And he said, "Take heed, all you people!"
NKJV
He who is of the world, wants the glory for himself. Zedekiah struck Micaiah on the cheek and spoke to diminish him before the court.(verse 23)
But he who speaks truth, does not back down from truth, but continues to speak it, no matter the outcome. And Micaiah also told the people to "take heed, all you people!"
10 Now Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah had made horns of iron for himself; and he said, "Thus says the LORD: 'With these you shall gore the Syrians until they are destroyed.' " 11 And all the prophets prophesied so, saying, "Go up to Ramoth Gilead and prosper, for the LORD will deliver it into the king's hand."
NKJV
Was it a theatrical display that Zedekiah devised to bring his point across? For we know the prophet of truth was Micaiah!
Now we know from other teachings about prophets, God had told some different ones to do something, or create something that would depict that which was occurring in Israel at the time a certain word of the Lord was given. We see below here in Jeremiah:
Jeremiah 13:1-14
13:1 Thus the LORD said to me: "Go and get yourself a linen sash, and put it around your waist, but do not put it in water." 2 So I got a sash according to the word of the LORD, and put it around my waist.
3 And the word of the LORD came to me the second time, saying, 4 "Take the sash that you acquired, which is around your waist, and arise, go to the Euphrates, and hide it there in a hole in the rock." 5 So I went and hid it by the Euphrates, as the LORD commanded me. 6 Now it came to pass after many days that the LORD said to me, "Arise, go to the Euphrates, and take from there the sash which I commanded you to hide there." 7 Then I went to the Euphrates and dug, and I took the sash from the place where I had hidden it; and there was the sash, ruined. It was profitable for nothing.
8 Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 9 "Thus says the LORD: 'In this manner I will ruin the pride of Judah and the great pride of Jerusalem. 10 This evil people, who refuse to hear My words, who follow the dictates of their hearts, and walk after other gods to serve them and worship them, shall be just like this sash which is profitable for nothing. 11 For as the sash clings to the waist of a man, so I have caused the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah to cling to Me,' says the LORD, 'that they may become My people, for renown, for praise, and for glory; but they would not hear.'
12 "Therefore you shall speak to them this word: 'Thus says the LORD God of Israel: "Every bottle shall be filled with wine." ' And they will say to you, 'Do we not certainly know that every bottle will be filled with wine?' 13 "Then you shall say to them, 'Thus says the LORD: "Behold, I will fill all the inhabitants of this land--even the kings who sit on David's throne, the priests, the prophets, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem--with drunkenness! 14 And I will dash them one against another, even the fathers and the sons together," says the LORD. "I will not pity nor spare nor have mercy, but will destroy them." NKJV
Yes, certain cases produced the most unusual things for people to see and heed of the Lord, but they just continued to harden their hearts. Jeremiah had taken the linen sash and wrapped around himself as the Lord told him to do. It was not to be washed. So as some time passed, and it was not washed, they then took note that it was not on his person. And they asked about it. God had wanted them to cling to Him for good. But the people would not listen or take note of what He was speaking to them.
In reading further down in Jeremiah 13, we discover something that God said He would do to those who would not listen or adhere to Him........they would be scattered like stubble. Ever seen a tumbleweed and how the wind carries it along for many miles and then only to be stopped by (yikes) a barbed-wire fence? Traveling in areas with many tumbleweeds, you can see them pile high against such a fence.
Their pride was bringing them to judgement!
Their pride was bringing them to judgement!
Their drunkenness in themselves was going to be seen.
Jeremiah 13:24-26
24 "Therefore I will scatter them like stubble
That passes away by the wind of the wilderness.
25 This is your lot,
The portion of your measures from Me," says the LORD,
"Because you have forgotten Me
And trusted in falsehood.
26 Therefore I will uncover your skirts over your face,
That your shame may appear.
NKJV
We read what they will be like: stubble!
We read what they will be like: stubble!
The first prophet was a false prophet in that he did not give the word of the Lord. Zedekiah, was probably wanting to make a statement with some grand performance. As the leader and probable spokesman of the entire 400 prophets presiding over this court when Ahab was king in Israel. With land to be conquered, it was evident that the king desired to gain back the land of Ramoth-Gilead.
Did Zedekiah dazzle the hearers in the court of king Ahab? Evidently not, for king Jehoshaphat of Judah asked for another prophet! And Micaiah was brought out to bring the word of the Lord! When you spend time talking with the Lord, you certainly know His voice.
In the instance of Jeremiah, he just did what he was told to do, by the LORD. And the people would take note. For God's purposes, the Word is evident that the sash being taken from the area of the prophet to the distant river Euphrates.........was that the people of Israel would be placed a greater distance from the LORD. What distance was the sash taken..........some two hundred fifty miles away. And there was no bus, no fast car to drive it there and then what..........go back and take the sash out of the hole that you dug for it, Jeremiah?
What would you have said about the man of God? Would you have called him a fanatic? What about calling him a "fool"? No, Jeremiah obeyed God!
It was not by any "LUCKY RITUAL" like displaying horns out of iron like Zedekiah did.
When God makes a statement of His Word all heaven backs that Word. Micaiah saw it!
What is the symbolic emblem that God would use to get our attention? He sent His Son to die on the Cross for us? He did not use theatrical devices. He did not use an actor, but the Son of His love.
Each of these had a choice and so do we. In our day to day walk we are to find truth that is wisdom of God. It is found in His Word. In Psalm 81 it tells us this: 10 I am the Lord your God, Who brought you up out of the land of Egypt. Open your mouth wide and I will fill it. 11 But My people would not hearken to My voice; and Israel would have none of Me. 12 So I gave them up to their own hearts' lust and let them go after their own stubborn will, that they might follow their own counsels.[Acts 7:42,43; Acts 14:16; Romans 1:24,26] 13 Oh, that my people would listen to Me, that Israel would walk in My Ways!
14 Speedily then I would subdue their enemies and turn My hand against their adversaries. 15 [ Had Israel listened to Me in Egypt, then ] those who hated the Lord would have come cringing before Him, and their defeat would have lasted forever.
If the people had obeyed God when they came out of Egypt, and clung to God, Egypt could never have a place in them again.
But alas, they kept going back to worshiping what they thought was the "LUCKY RITUALS'! It is Intimacy that we see in the walk of Micaiah and Jeremiah. As these two chose to blameless before the Lord, should their fruit be for another persons's good? YES!
Jesus said to his disciples, "but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit" (John 15:16). Therefore we are to go and bear fruit .........as the body of believer's and Jesus as our example to comfort others. He chose us in him before the creation of the world to be the holy and the blamelss in his sight. ( Ephesians 1:3-4)
Wisdom cries out today as it did in the day of Micaiah and Jeremiah!
Proverbs 8:12-14
12 "I, wisdom, dwell with prudence, And find out knowledge and discretion.
13 The fear of the LORD is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way
And the perverse mouth I hate.
14 Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom; I am understanding, I have strength. NKJV
Father, today in Jesus' name we ask for Your Wisdom as from James 5 that You give liberally. We desire Your knowledge and to be counseled by YOU. We understand that YOU hate pride and arrogance. And the perverse mouth, those things that speak against YOUR Word You hate. We choose to be in the fear of the LORD! Counsel us Holy Spirit by the Word of God. We desire to move in the sound wisdom of God, to be people of understanding that we would be people of strength. We bless the LORD, with our souls and forget not all His benefits (to us). He forgave all our iniquities, and healed all our diseases. He has redeemed us from destruction and crowned us with lovingkindness and tender mercies. OUR mouths are filled.............satisfied with good things. So that our youth is renewed like the eagle's. NKJV Psalm 103:2-5)
Father, thank You for all that YOU have done for us.........we believe we receive Your wisdom to move in strength today. It is Your counsel we desire. Amen.
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