The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Chronicles — Section 228

order; their position, "on his right hand and on his left," marked their submission and read.iness to execute Jehovah's will (Ps. ciii. 20, 21). (2) That agencies of evil equally with those of good are under the Divine control. Though God is not and cannot be the aut-hor of sin, he may yet, through the wicked actions of his creatures, accomplish his designs. His purpose was that Ahab should fall at Ramoth-Gilcad; he effected that purpose by sufferin?: Ahab to be misled by his false prophets, and these to l1e deceived by a lying spirit. Neither could the prophets have spoken to Ahab, nor the lying spirit whispered to the prophets, without the Divine permission. This truth Micaiah dramatically portrayed by representing Jehovah as taking counsel with his angels, and asking," Who shall entice Ahab King of Israel, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-Gilead ?" (3) That God does not always hinder from being deceived those who wish to be deceived. Ahab and his prophets desired to believe Jehovah in favour ?f the campaign, and Jehovah allowed them to be persuaded by the lying spirit that he was. Having wilfully turned their backs upon Jehovah and become worshippers of idols, Jehovah now le~ them to reap the fruit of their folly-gave them up to strong delusion to believe a lie (Isa. lxvi. 4; 2 Thess. ii. 11). "Not by any sudden stroke of vengeance, but by the very network of evil counsel which he has woven for himself, is the King of Israel to be led to his ruin" (Stanley,' Jewish Church,' p. 316). (4) That God, in permitting the wicked to be the victims of their own evil machinations, only exercises upon them righteous retribution. " It is just that one sin should be punished by another" (Bishop Hall). This principle universally operative in Providence. 4. .A. solemn denunication. Without further parley, or veiling of his thoughts in meta- phorical speech, he declares that the king had been imposed upon by his prophets, and that Jehovah had spoken evil against him. There are times when God's messengers must deliver God's messages to their hearers with utmost plainness and directness of speech. III. Tm: RECOMPENSE RE RECEIVED. (Vers. 23-27.) 1. Insult from the prophets, through their leader Zedekiab, the son of Chenaanah. (1) What it was. A blow from the fist, and a stroke from the tongue-the first hard to bear, the second harder; the first a. co=on resort of cowards, the second of persons overcome in argument. For Zedekiah to smite Micaiah on the cheek, as afterwards the soldiers smote Jesus in Pilate's prretorium (Matt. xxvi. 27), and later the bystanders Paul in the council chamber at Ana.nias's command (Acts :uiii. 2), was" intolerably insolent-much more to do so in the presence of two kings." "The a.et was unbeseeming the person, more the presence; prophets may reprove, they may not smite" (Hall). It was, besides, painfully like a confession that Zedekia.h was conscious of having been found out. (2) Why it was. To gratify his thirst for revenge. It was easier to do so in this way than by attempting to disprove the truth of Micaiah's oracle. Any fool cau exercise his fist; it takes a. wise man to use hi~ tongue with effect. Zedekiah probably imagined he did so when he mockingly inquired," Which way went the Spirit of the Lord from me to speak unto thee?" That in so saying he claimed to be as much under the Spirit of Jehovah as Mica.iah, may be true; that Micaiah understood him to be talking lightly seems apparent from the reply returned him: "Thou shalt see on that day when thou shalt go into a.n inner chamber to hide thyself." The event would decide which of the two predictions was correct. When the people rose up against the prophets who had mis~ led their king, Zedekia.h, as he fled for safety to some inner chamber, or from chamber to chamber, would understand how to answer his own jest. 2. Pwnishment from the king. Micaiah was remanded back to his confinement in the city jail. Amon the governor of the city, and J oa.sh the king's son-not' necessarily a. son of Ahab, but a prince of the blood-as commandants of the prison, were instructed to thrust him back into his old cell, and "feed him with bread of affliction and water of affliction;" in modern phrase, to subject him to imprisonment with hard labour, until Ahab should return in peace (ver. 26). It was severe upon Micaiah, yet he retracted not. Without a murmur at his hard fate, he cheerfully returned to his cell, only calling the people to observe that if .Ahab returned home from the war in peace, he was not a true prophet (ver. 27). Learn: 1. The nobility of true courage. 2. The certainty that good men will suffer for their goodness. 3. 'fhe reality of an overruling Providence. 4. 'fhe infallibility of God's Word.-W. on. xvm. 1-34.J THE SECOND BOOK OF THE CHRONICLES. 229