How does 1 Kings 22:18 connect with Jesus' warnings about false prophets? The scene in 1 Kings 22:18 “Then the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, ‘Did I not tell you that he never prophesies good concerning me, but only evil?’” What’s really happening? • King Ahab has already gathered four hundred court prophets who promise triumph. • Micaiah alone speaks the hard truth: judgment is coming. • Ahab labels the faithful prophet “negative” because truth collides with his desires. False security through flattering voices • Ahab wants affirmation, not revelation. • His majority‐approved prophets echo the king’s appetite, not God’s counsel. • The incident shows that false prophecy often sounds encouraging, optimistic, and popular—yet deadly. Jesus echoes the warning • “Beware of false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.” (Matthew 7:15) • “Many false prophets will arise and mislead many.” (Matthew 24:11) • “False christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders, so as to deceive, if possible, even the elect.” (Matthew 24:24) Shared marks of false prophets—Ahab’s day and ours • Pleasing words that soothe rather than convict (1 Kings 22:13; Luke 6:26). • Majority acclaim and royal approval (1 Kings 22:6–12; John 12:43). • Messages detached from God’s revealed character and prior Word (Jeremiah 23:16–17). • Hostility toward the solitary voice that upholds truth (1 Kings 22:24–27; John 15:18–20). How Jesus tells us to test prophets • Fruit inspection: “By their fruit you will recognize them.” (Matthew 7:16–20) • Doctrinal fidelity: confession of Christ’s true identity (1 John 4:1–3). • Alignment with Scripture: God never contradicts Himself (Isaiah 8:20). • Willingness to suffer for the message: unpopular yet faithful (Acts 5:40–42). Practical takeaways for today • Do not equate majority opinion with God’s voice. • Welcome sermons and counsel that expose sin; they guard the soul. • Measure every teaching by the whole counsel of Scripture. • Cultivate ears that prize truth over comfort (2 Timothy 4:3–4). • Stand with Micaiah‐like courage even when “four hundred” say otherwise. In 1 Kings 22:18 Ahab’s contempt for the lone truthful prophet foreshadows the very deception Jesus later warns about. Then and now, the faithful overcome by anchoring every word to God’s unfailing, unchanging truth. |
    |