What is our perspective?
By J.P. Thackway
And the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah sat either of them on his throne, clothed in their robes, and they sat in a void place at the entering in of the gate of Samaria; and all the prophets prophesied before them.
Therefore hear the word of the LORD; I saw the LORD sitting upon his throne, and all the host of heaven standing on his right hand and on his left.
2 Chronicles 18:9,18
Ramoth-gilead was a fortress town 25 miles east of the Jordan River. It was a strategic place on the border between Israel and Syria. Whoever possessed it had the advantage, and several times it had changed hands between Israel and Syria. Here in
2 Chronicles 18 Ahab wants to re-take it from the Syrians. To help him, he enlists
King Jehoshaphat of Judah and his army.
The outcome was disastrous. Not only were the Syrians victorious and kept Ramoth, but Jehoshaphat’s life was endangered and Ahab was killed. We might think that it served Israel right – by now it was virtually apostate. And Ahab was no loss. However, Jehoshaphat got involved in this, and it would have been much better if he had not. As someone has said, “Flirtation with those in apostasy is flirtation with catastrophe.”
Yet, in God’s purpose, this debacle brought to light a man whom we would not have known about otherwise: Micaiah the son of Imla. He was the Lord’s prophet ministering in an evil place. Often God calls good men to live in bad times, and to serve in a situation reflecting those times. In addition, for being faithful he was in prison, living on bread and water. Things are not good in a nation when God’s servants are silenced and treated like this.
We might wonder how this man survived. Especially in the light of what happens next, as we shall see. How is it that we Christians remain cheerful and steadfast in bad times and circumstances? As with Micaiah, it will depend upon our perspective. This word is over-used word these days, but it expresses something important. For our purpose, we mean how we see a situation and the conclusion we draw from it.
In 2 Chronicles chapter 18, the prophet Micaiah faced two perspectives. Both were true, but only one controlled his outlook. And it must be the same for us in our day.
PERSPECTIVE NUMBER ONE
And the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah sat either of them on his throne, clothed in their robes, and they sat in a void place at the entering in of the gate of Samaria; and all the prophets prophesied before them.
As Ahab’s officer brought Micaiah from prison, the prophet saw something that dismayed him. Jehoshaphat and Ahab resplendently sat together, and 400 false prophets flamboyantly mimed their lying message. Ahab had grudgingly sent for Micaiah to satisfy Jehoshaphat’s desire for a “second opinion,” the good man suspecting that the 400 were men-pleasers.
Compromise
Micaiah had to witness Jehoshaphat’s compromise. Perhaps he did not know that “Jehoshaphat … joined affinity with Ahab” by family ties. Jehoshaphat’s son Jehoram had married Athaliah – Ahab and Jezebel’s daughter. Given the two families were united like this, it was only a matter of time before, “After certain years he (Jehoshaphat) went down to Ahab to Samaria.”
Jehoshaphat was a friendly and “nice” man who could never say, “No.” Instead of God’s word, his generous feelings governed him. Believing the best allowed men like Ahab to take advantage. Following the fiasco at Ramoth, Jehu the seer rebuked him, “Shouldest thou help the ungodly, and love them that hate the Lord? Therefore is wrath upon thee from before the Lord.” Yet, twice more Jehoshaphat got his fingers burnt like this (1 Kings 22:48,49; 2 Kings 3:4-27). Jehoshaphat was one of those men who does much good, and then undoes that good. He both endears and exasperates at the same time.
God had spoken about alliances like this. Exodus 34:12 should have been enough: “Take heed to thyself, lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land whither thou goest, lest it be for a snare in the midst of thee.” Maybe Jehoshaphat thought that it only applied to the heathen. However, if Ahab and Israel had virtually become heathen, surely then the same separating principle applies.
There are many of God’s people these days who fail to see principles of separation clearly. It was ever thus. It was so in Spurgeon’s day during the Downgrade. Many Christians then were too concerned about evangelism, social action, and denominational unity. The status quo meant more than being negative and sounding an alarm. They saw Spurgeon and his supporters as making an unnecessary fuss, being behind the times, hindering the Lord’s work and even being uncharitable to their brethren. This included men like William Roberson Nicoll, Alexander Maclaren, and even Spurgeon’s brother James.
Vindicated
Yet, we know that his stand against liberalism is vindicated. Today, we have seen what liberalism has done to the Baptist Union and other denominations, many of whose buildings are now empty and derelict. The blessing of God abides with those who remain on the side of His truth and the power of His Holy Spirit. One wonders how different things might have been if more men had seen the principle and stood with Spurgeon instead of with the modernists.
These days, we are dismayed at the more relaxed approach to separation from ecumenical compromise. In the past, to be an evangelical included no association with Roman Catholicism or theological liberalism. It was clearly understood that the one represented blasphemous additions to the gospel and the other, unbelieving denials of the gospel. Hence, “another gospel, which is not another; but … (a perversion of) the
gospel of Christ” (Galatians 1:7). And the apostle’s solemn words about those who teach these things were heeded, “… let him be accursed” (verses 8,9).
While it was acknowledged that sincere Christians could be found in these constituencies, nevertheless popery and infidelity as systems or movements were seen as being apostasy. Moreover, the Ecumenical Movement, with its World Council of Churches, was rejected. Past generations saw them as Satan’s master-plan for a unity devoid of biblical truth and spiritual life. Such was this deadly deception, that only a principled distancing from it could constitute faithfulness to the gospel.
New mood
Now, however, a new mood, Jehoshaphat-like, threatens the holy militancy that once characterised evangelicals. A strangely positive, misty-eyed approach is preferred, that seems not to discern what is happening around us. For example, it has been disappointing to read the lukewarm reviews of Ruth Palgrave’s They Have Forgotten in certain publications. In a better day, this would have had ringing endorsements. Now there are those also offended at her exposure of the WEST betrayal of the truth. Men have rushed to the defence of this institution; even giving the impression the article was hysterical, mistaken and mischievous. The Micaiahs of the church are troublesome men (and sometimes women) and are better locked away.
Policy
One wonders if we not facing a conscious, new policy regarding separation from error and errorists. One that is now prepared to work with such people in order to gain their material support and influence – see the revealing information by Ruth Palgrave and E.S. Williams on the Bible League web site. In the 1960s Billy Graham did this to enhance his crusades, accepting the sponsorship of liberals and Roman Catholics – and we have reaped the wretched harvest. The New Evangelicalism of our day will also produce bitter fruits, as the future will show.
Micaiah had to witness Jehoshaphat’s sad compromise. And to learn that he had committed his army to support Ahab’s bid for Ramoth. Micaiah would also see Jehoshaphat’s double-dealing with God’s word. He had disobeyed it by affinity with Ahab, yet he also wants it from a sound prophet to endorse this military expedition. We cannot have it both ways. If we disregard the word concerning our duty, we must not expect it to minister assurance to us in our fears.
Outnumbered
And of course he was outnumbered four hundred to one. That can be discomforting. The only one! Elijah thought he only was left, although he was mistaken. The irony is that Jehoshaphat’s solidarity should not have been with Ahab but with Micaiah. This cannot have been lost on the prophet either. Nonetheless, when warned not to rock the boat, he bravely says, “As the LORD liveth, even what my God saith, that will I speak.”
How, then, was he able to survive and be so strong? As we said earlier, it depends upon one’s perspective. What we have just outlined was one possible outlook for Micaiah. However, that one did not control him – another one did.
PERSPECTIVE NUMBER TWO
Therefore hear the word of the LORD; I saw the LORD sitting upon his throne, and all the host of heaven standing on his right hand and on his left.
A higher outlook is in these words of Micaiah. Charged by Ahab to predict the outcome of the battle, at first he mimics the false prophets and repeats their assurances. This sarcasm lends more weight to the real message that will come. When
Ahab (uncharacteristically) commands Micaiah to give the Lord’s message, he is left without excuse: “I saw all Israel scattered upon the hills, as sheep that have not a shepherd: and the LORD said, These have no master: let them return every man to his house in peace.”
However, it is not all he saw that day:
Again he said, Therefore hear the word of the LORD; I saw the LORD sitting upon his throne, and all the host of heaven standing on his right hand and on his left.
And the LORD said, Who shall entice Ahab king of Israel, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead? And one spake saying after this manner, and another saying after that manner.
Then there came out a spirit, and stood before the LORD, and said, I will entice him. And the LORD said unto him, Wherewith?
And he said, I will go out, and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And the LORD said, Thou shalt entice him, and thou shalt also prevail: go out, and do even so.
Now therefore, behold, the LORD hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of these thy prophets, and the LORD hath spoken evil against thee.
He sees beyond that first perspective to this one,
1] An infinitely higher throne.
“I saw the LORD sitting upon his throne.” Micaiah sees God in His sovereign
majesty – compared with Whom, Ahab and Jehoshaphat are grasshoppers. Moreover, He is flanked by mighty angels, the “hosts of heaven.” These mighty messengers “excel in strength (and) do his commandments, hearkening to the voice of his word” (Psalm 103:20). God governs the world and its events. There are no accidents, only incidents. Ahab and the false prophets, weak and compromised Jehoshaphat, are in His hand fulfilling His purposes. Bad though it looks, God is above it all and will bring good from it and glorify His name. Moreover, He will honour His one faithful servant who has spoken for Him.
2] God knows what He is going to do.
To fulfil the word of Micaiah God holds a council with the angels, “Who shall entice Ahab king of Israel, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead.” This is simply to convey to us that such things are not done hastily or haphazardly. There is wisdom
and order in the proceedings of heaven. An evil spirit offers his services, “Then there came out a spirit, and stood before the LORD, and said, I will entice him … I will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And the LORD said … go out, and do even so.”
3] God can employ even an evil angel.
That such can have access to God is clear from Job 1:6. That God sometimes employs such is clear from here. He who said to Judas (whom he called “a devil” John 6:70), “That thou doest, do quickly” (John 13:27) sends this lying spirit into the mouths of Ahab’s false prophets to fulfil the word of faithful Micaiah. God obviously does not approve lies or deceit; however, in His sovereignty He works by them to accomplish holy purposes (Isaiah 45:7; Ezekiel 14:9). We need never be dismayed when enemies of truth seem to prevail – the Lord is above them – and even working through them! – and their doom is coming.
4] How solemn for false prophets!
This is what is behind their speaking. God has given them up to the devil and His lies (2 Corinthians 11:13,14). Even though they serve God indirectly, unless they repent, they will share the devil’s doom (Galatians 1:7-9). With such warnings, it is amazing
how people these days can seem indifferent to truth and error, separation and compromise. This is why we must have nothing to do with false teachers. This is why we must raise an alarm when apparently good men join in any affinity with them.
5] What a mercy if the Holy Spirit is in our mouths!
If so, He will only lead us to believe and speak the truth found in God’s word. In contrast to false teachers, we “have received the love of the truth” and are “saved” (2
Thessalonians 2:10). We are on the Lord’s side, and the battle is not ours but God’s (2
Chronicles 20:15). Like Elijah, it is said of every faithful man, “Now by this I know that thou art a man of God, and that the word of the LORD in thy mouth is truth” (1
Kings 17:24).
Where then, do we look? What is our perspective? Let it always be the second of these and look up. Let us imitate Jehoshaphat at his best, when on another occasion he said, “O our God … we have no might against this great company that cometh against us; neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon thee” 2 Chronicles 20:12.
“The LORD reigneth; let the earth rejoice” (Psalm 97:1).