Explanation: 2 Chronicles 18 describes the battle that Jehoshaphat and Ahab had with the king of Syria in Ramothgilead. The illustration above depicts Jehoshaphat (on the left), the main person in the narrative below. [Traditional Patriarchal Timeline. Judges Period Chronology. Kings of Judah and Israel #1. Kings of Judah and Israel #2]. [Chronologically and Thematically Related Scriptures: 1 Kings 18:3-4; 1 Kings 17:17-24; 1 Kings 18:1-3, 5-46; 1 Kings 19; 1 Kings 20; 1 Kings 21; 1 Kings 22].
     Jehoshaphat (870-848 B.C.) made an alliance with Ahab by arranging a marriage (c. 862 B. C.) between his son Jehoram and Ahab's (874-853 B.C.) daughter Athaliah (2 Kings 8:18). About nine years after the marriage, Jehoshaphat visited Ahab; and Ahab entertained him with elaborate feasting. On this occasion Ahab persuaded Jehoshaphat to join him in battle against the King of Syria who had not returned all of the cities he promised to give back to Israel (1-3). Jehoshaphat asked Ahab to inquire of the LORD about their venture. So Ahab gathered 400 prophets, all of whom told him to go to battle and prosper. However, Jehoshaphat asked if there was another prophet -- a prophet of the LORD -- whom they could consult. Ahab mentioned Micaiah the son of Imla, but said that he hated him because he always prophesied evil against him. Jehoram said, "Let not the king say so;" and he sent for Micaiah. While a servant went to fetch Micaiah, Zedekiah, son of Chenaanah, made horns of iron and prophesied that Ahab would push Syria with them until he consumed them. All the other prophets agreed (4-11). The messenger who called Micaiah told him to make his words good like those of the other prophets. But Micaiah said that he would say what the LORD told him to say. Upon arrival, Micaiah told the king to go and prosper. But Ahab must have detected sarcasm or insincerity in Micaiah's words, because he demanded that Micaiah tell him the truth. Micaiah then said that he saw all Israel scattered like sheep on the mountains, having no shepherd. And he advised them to go home. Ahab then complained that the prophecy was evil, as he knew it would be. And Micaiah replied by describing a scene in heaven before the throne of God where an evil spirit offered to become a lying spirit in the mouth of all of Ahab's prophets and to persuade Ahab thereby to go to battle and be destroyed (12-22). Zedekiah then hit Micaiah on the cheek and asked which way the spirit went when he left Zedekiah and spoke to Michaiah, implying that it was Micaiah who was lying, not Zedekiah and the other prophets. Micaiah told him that he would find out in the day that he attempted to hide himself in an inner chamber. Ahab then had Micaiah arrested and told his servants to feed him with bread of affliction and water of affliction until he returned in peace. And Micaiah said that if Ahab returned in peace, the LORD had not spoken by him. And he called the people to witness (23-27). So Ahab went to battle disguised, but told Jehoshaphat to go undisguised, wearing his regal garments. However, when Jehoshaphat was surrounded, he cried out; and his pursuers realized he was not Ahab; so they turned aside. But Ahab was shot by a random arrow and withdrew from the battle. At sundown he died (28-34).
     Prior to this time, 1). Elijah defeated the prophets of Baal by calling down fire upon his sacrifice, 2). caused the rain to return, 3). fled from Jezebel, 4).had the LORD speak to him in a "still small voice, encouraging him and restoring him to service, 5). sent him to call Elishah, 6). condemned Ahab for releasing Ben-Hadad, and 7). condemned Ahab and Jezebel for murdering Naboth and stealing his vineyard". These incidents are described and illustrated more fully in the following DAWN pages: 1 Kings 18, 19, 20, and 21. The parallel passage to today's scripture is 1 Kings 22.

     ²⁸ So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah went up to Ramothgilead. ²⁹ And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, I will disguise myself, and will go to the battle; but put thou on thy robes. So the king of Israel disguised himself; and they went to the battle. ³⁰ Now the king of Syria had commanded the captains of the chariots that were with him, saying, Fight ye not with small or great, save only with the king of Israel. ³¹ And it came to pass, when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, that they said, It is the king of Israel. Therefore they compassed about him to fight: but Jehoshaphat cried out, and the LORD helped him; and God moved them to depart from him. ³² For it came to pass, that, when the captains of the chariots perceived that it was not the king of Israel, they turned back again from pursuing him. ³³ And a certain man drew a bow at a venture, and smote the king of Israel between the joints of the harness: therefore he said to his chariot man, Turn thine hand, that thou mayest carry me out of the host; for I am wounded. ³⁴ And the battle increased that day: howbeit the king of Israel stayed himself up in his chariot against the Syrians until the even: and about the time of the sun going down he died.

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