Beware of False Preachers. (1 Kings 22: 1-40)

The Bible Project Daily Podcast is a daily, in-depth study of the entire Bible, chapter by chapter, verse by verse. 

Episode Notes:  Beware of False Preachers. (1 Kings 22: 1-40)

If you’re a believer in Jesus Christ and you’re serious about spiritual growth, then I assume you’re serious about Scripture. And if you’re serious about Scripture, you probably do more than listen to an occasional sermon on Sunday.

 Maybe you read Christian books and listen to Christian podcasts. Maybe you watch Christian television, and maybe you scroll through Christian content online.

 Now, there’s a place for all of that because there’s value in hearing different voices.

 But be careful.

 Listening to some Christian speakers and influencers these days can be risky to your spiritual health. I know—that sounds like a strange, but it’s a biblical warning because the bible repeatedly cautions God’s people about what they call false prophets, false teachers, with false messages.

 So today, I want to take you to a passage in the Old Testament that illustrates this danger vividly. And after we walk through the story, I want to show you some New Testament passages also that warn us about the same thing.

Transcript

Beware of False Preachers. (1 Kings 22: 1-40)

If you’re a believer in Jesus Christ and you’re serious about spiritual growth, then I assume you’re serious about Scripture. And if you’re serious about Scripture, you probably do more than listen to an occasional sermon on Sunday.

Maybe you read Christian books.

Maybe you listen to Christian podcasts.

Maybe you watch Christian television.

Maybe you scroll through Christian content online.

Now, there’s a place for all of that.

There’s value in hearing different voices.

But be careful.

Listening to some Christian speakers and influencers these days can be risky to your spiritual health.

I know—that sounds like a strange warning coming from a preacher and public speaker. But it’s a biblical warning. Both the Old Testament and the New Testament repeatedly caution God’s people about what they call false prophets, false teachers, with false messages.

So today, I want to take you to a passage in the Old Testament that illustrates this danger vividly. And after we walk through the story, I want to show you some New Testament passages also that warn us about the same thing.

So that’s the plan today and I hope you will learn some things you will find helpful in your own Christian journey through life….

Setting the Stage

Verse 1:

“For three years there was no war between Aram and Israel.”

Let me give you the background.

At this point in Israel’s history, the nation is divided:

The Northern Kingdom is Israel

The Southern Kingdom is called Judah

Just north of Israel is Syria, the same as today. And Syria had captured several cities belonging to the Northern Kingdom. They had promised to return them, but, surprise, surprise, they hadn’t done it yet.

So, for three years, there’s been no war, but there’s also been no follow‑through.

Verse 2:

“But in the third year Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, went down to visit the king of Israel.”

And when Jehoshaphat arrives, Ahab brings up the issue:

Verse 3:

“Do you know that Ramoth‑Gilead is ours, but we hesitate to take it out of the hand of the king of Syria?”

In other words: “Jehoshaphat is a city that belongs to us. They promised to give it back, but they haven’t, so let’s go get it back.”

Then he asks in verse 4:

“Will you go with me to fight at Ramoth‑Gilead?”

And Jehoshaphat answers with enthusiasm:

“I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses.”

That’s about as emphatic as you can get. “I’m with you. My people are with you. My army is with you. Let’s go.”

But Jehoshaphat adds one important condition.

Verse 5:

“Please inquire for the word of the LORD today.”

In other words: “Before we go to war, maybe we should ask God what He thinks.”

A very reasonable request.

Verse 6:

“Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together—about four hundred men…”

Four hundred prophets. Imagine getting four hundred preachers to agree on anything…. That alone is a miracle.

Ahab asks them:

“Shall I go to war, or shall I refrain?”

And all 400 say:

“Go up! The Lord will deliver it into your hand!”

A unanimous, confident, and positive response. But Jehoshaphat isn’t convinced.

Verse 7:

“Is there not still a prophet of the LORD here, that we may inquire of him?”

Did you catch the distinction?

Verse 6: said “the prophets.”  

Verse 7 said: “a prophet of the LORD.”

Jehoshaphat senses something is off.

Maybe these 400 prophets are on Ahab’s payroll, maybe they’re politically motivated, or maybe they’re just saying what the king wants to hear.

So, he asks for a prophet who he knows has a track record of speaking for God.

“Yes, there is one—Micaiah—but I hate him, because he does not prophesy good concerning me, but evil.”

Translation: “He never tells me what I want to hear.”

Does that sound familiar? 

People today often gravitate toward preachers who make people feel good by telling them what they want to hear, not preachers who tell them the truth. 

Ahab wanted affirmation, not revelation, but Jehoshaphat insists, so Ahab sends for Micaiah.

Verse 10:

“The king of Israel and Jehoshaphat… sat each on his throne… and all the prophets prophesied before them.”

Picture the scene:

Two kings in royal robes in a grand public setting.

Four hundred prophets doing what they do, and one of them—Zedekiah—steps forward with an object lesson.

Verse 11:

“He made horns of iron and said, ‘Thus says the LORD: With these you shall gore the Syrians until they are destroyed!’”

He’s acting it out, he’s being dramatic, and persuasive in his presentation of what he says is going to happen, and all the other prophets join in:

“Go up! You will succeed!”

Meanwhile, the messenger sent to fetch Micaiah pulls him aside and says.

“Now listen, the words of the prophets are with one accord. Let your word be like theirs and speak encouragement.”

(1 Kings 22: 13)

In other words: “Please, Micaiah—everyone else is saying the same thing. Don’t ruin the moment. Don’t upset the king. Just go along with the crowd.”

But Micaiah answers:

“As the LORD lives, whatever the LORD says to me, that I will speak.”

That’s integrity.

That’s real moral courage, and that’s what a true preacher of God’s Word should always do.

They then ask.  “Shall we go to war?” And Micaiah answers: “Go and prosper!” But the tone must have been inflected with sarcasm, because Ahab immediately snaps:

“How many times must I make you swear to tell me nothing but the truth?”

He knows Micaiah is mocking him, but Micaiah then gives the real prophecy:

Verse 17:

“I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains, like sheep without a shepherd.”

Obviously, meaning that if Ahab goes to war, they're not coming back. The army will be leaderless, and he will die.”

Micaiah has just delivered the true prophecy. Israel will be scattered like sheep without a shepherd.

And who is the shepherd in that picture?

Ahab - The king.

The one who will not return from battle.

Ahab turns to Jehoshaphat and says—almost triumphantly:

“See? Didn’t I tell you? He never prophesies good about me—only evil!”

“I knew it, he says, this guy always ruins everything. He never tells me what I want to hear.”

And Micaiah responds with something even more sobering.

Verse 19:

“Hear the word of the LORD: I saw the LORD sitting on His throne, and all the host of heaven standing by…”

This is now a vision, a prophetic glimpse into the heavenly courtroom.

God asks: “Who will persuade Ahab to go to Ramoth‑Gilead so that he may fall?”

Different spirits—angelic beings—offer different suggestions.

Then one steps forward.

Verse 21: “I will persuade him.”

God then asks: “How?”

And the spirit replies: “I will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.”

And the Lord says: “You shall persuade him… Go and do so.”

Now, this passage troubles people because they ask, “Did God put lies in the mouths of prophets?”

Remember—this is a vision.

A symbolic picture, a divine commentary on what is already happening.

The point is actually simple….

These 400 prophets are lying.

They are not speaking for God.

And Ahab wants lies more than truth.

So, Micaiah says: “The LORD has declared disaster against you.”

This is the Bible’s clearest picture of false preachers standing in union against one true preacher.

Someone is lying,’ and it isn’t going to be hard to figure out who.

Four hundred prophets say one thing….

One prophet says the opposite.

So, somebody is lying, and they clash…. Verse 24:

“Zedekiah… struck Micaiah on the cheek.”

So, the spokesman for the 400 walks over and slaps the one true prophet, and says.

“Which way did the Spirit of the LORD go from me to speak to you?”

In other words: “How dare you contradict us? Who do you think you are?”

And Micaiah calmly replies:

“You will see on the day when you go into an inner chamber to hide.”

No retaliation.

No anger.

Just again, he speaks the truth.

Ahab has heard enough…. Verse 26:

“Put this man in prison… feed him with bread of affliction and water of affliction until I return in peace.”

Ahab is so determined to hear what he wants to hear that he throws Micaiah in jail, but Micaiah, ever the true prophet gives one final word:

Verse 28:

“If you ever return in peace, the LORD has not spoken by me.”

Then he turns to the crowd:

“Take heed, all you people!”

In other words: Be careful who you listen to.

29 So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, went up to Ramoth Gilead. 30 And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “I will disguise myself and go into battle, but you put on your robes.” So, the king of Israel disguised himself and went into battle. 31 Now the king of Syria had commanded the thirty-two captains of his chariots, saying, “Fight with no one small or great, but only with the king of Israel.” 32 So it was, when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, that they said, “Surely it is the king of Israel!” Therefore, they turned aside to fight against him, and Jehoshaphat cried out. 33 And it happened, when the captains of the chariots saw that it was not the king of Israel, that they turned back from pursuing him.

(1 Kings 22: 29-33)

So, Ahab and Jehoshaphat go to battle, but Ahab has a backup plan.

“I will disguise myself… but you wear your royal robes.”

Now what does that tell you?

He’s nervous, he’s shaken, and he’s thinking: “Just in case Micaiah is right, I’ll disguise myself.”

Jehoshaphat wears his royal robes, and Ahab will dress like an ordinary soldier. But the king of Syria has given his commanders one instruction: “Don’t fight anyone except the king of Israel.”

So, when they see Jehoshaphat in royal robes, they assume he’s Ahab, and they chase him. But he cries out, and they realize their mistake and turn back.

And then comes one of the most insightful lines in the entire chapter.

Verse 34:

“A certain man drew a bow at random…”

So, this is just a random shot. No aim, no target, no strategy, and yet the arrow finds the one tiny gap in Ahab’s armour.

Right between the joints, right where no soldier could intentionally aim, but right where God intended.

Ahab cries out: 

“Take me out of the battle—I am wounded.”

They prop him up in his chariot, so the army won’t panic, but he bleeds out slowly, and at sunset, he dies…. And the army scatters.

Just as Micaiah said, the prophecy is fulfilled

The shepherd is dead; the sheep scatter, and the battle is lost.

Everything the true prophet said came to pass.

And everything the false prophets promised was exposed as a lie.

And the king has died.

Verse 37 tells us they brought Ahab’s body back to Samaria—the capital of the northern kingdom—and buried him there. And then comes one of the most chilling details in the entire chapter:

“They washed the chariot at the pool of Samaria, and the dogs licked up his blood… according to the word of the LORD.”

Exactly as God had said.

Exactly as the prophet had warned.

Down to the dogs licking up his blood.

This prophecy was first spoken back in chapter 20. Do you remember we covered that a couple of days ago? Now, two chapters later, it comes to pass in precise detail.

Verse 39 then adds an interesting historical note:

“The rest of the acts of Ahab… the ivory house which he built… are they not written in the chronicles of the kings of Israel?”

Ahab built an ivory palace—an extravagant, luxurious structure. And archaeologists have actually uncovered more than 200 ivory carvings, plaques, and panels in the ruins of ancient Samaria.

The Bible said it.

Archaeology later confirmed it.

But despite all his wealth, all his building projects, all his political power, Ahab’s life ends in tragedy—and judgment.

Verse 40, the last verse.:

“Ahab rested with his fathers, and Ahaziah his son reigned in his place.”

That’s the end of the story, but the point is simple.

Ahab heard the truth, and he heard it clearly.

He heard it directly from a prophet of the Lord, but he chose to listen to the voices that told him what he wanted to hear.

And the result?

He died.

That’s the message.

But does this sort of thing happen today???

….Absolutely.

I mentioned earlier that not all preachers can be right. They contradict each other. They preach different messages. Some interpret Scripture differently.

So, what do we do?

Well, thankfully, the New Testament gives us clear instructions on this matter.

Firstly, we are told to test everything.

1 Thessalonians 5 says:

“Test all things. Hold fast to what is good. Abstain from every form of evil.”

That command is written to the congregation—not the preacher.

You are responsible for testing what you hear.

Including what you hear from me.

Misrepresentation of what God is saying can come from a church pulpit.

False doctrine can come in a religious settings.

Satan, we are told, disguises himself as an angel of light; he loves churches and platforms.

So, test everything.

Secondly,  Search the Scriptures

Acts 17 tells us about the Bereans, and it says:

“They were more noble… for they searched the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.”

But they didn’t take Paul’s word for it; they checked the Book.

And that’s what you must do.

I’ve said it many times:

You don’t have to believe anything I say unless I show it to you in the bible.

Context is everything.

There’s the immediate context of the verse.

The broader context of the chapter.

The larger context of the book.

And the ultimate context of the entire Bible.

If you take a verse out of context, you can make the Bible say pretty much anything.

So, let me close by giving you some biblical examples of false teaching.

Let’s start with the book of Galatians.

Paul writes: “I marvel that you are turning away… to a different gospel.”

Then he says:

“Even if we—or an angel from heaven—preach any other gospel… let him be accursed.”

Strong language. So, what's going on here?

Paul had preached the true gospel:

·         Christ died for your sins.

·         He rose from the dead.

·         You are saved by faith alone in Christ alone.

·         Salvation is a gift of grace.

Then Paul left town, and false teachers came in behind him and said:

“Well, believing in Jesus is good… but you also have to keep the law. You have to do something. You have to add something.”

Paul responds: “O foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you?” You don’t add anything to the cross of Christ. 

Today, the same thing happens.

Some preachers say sort your life out and become a good religious person, and then God will accept you, and you can be saved.

But the bible says, no, you don’t clean yourself up before coming to Christ. That’s like washing your car before taking it to the car wash.

All of this boils down to one simple issue. You are either going to trust Jesus Christ and what He did… or you are going to trust something you do.

That’s the dividing line.

And yes, some preachers muddle the gospel.

This is a deep concern for me, because the gospel is the heart of everything. 

From the day I became a Christian, everyone I knew in my family and church drilled into me what the gospel truly is—and by the grace of God, I don’t believe I’ve ever gotten away from that.

The Bible says that….

“Jesus Christ died for all your sins, He rose from the dead, and your only hope of heaven is to trust Him and Him alone.”

That’s the gospel.

Paul said to the Galatians:

“O foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you… before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified?”

They drifted from the gospel because they drifted from the cross.

The gospel is the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15).

Nothing more.

Nothing less.

So, the first issue is salvation, and the second issue that then arises out of that is the spiritual life we live because of accepting that.

Colossians 2 warns:

“Let no one judge you in food or drink… or cheat you of your reward… Why do you subject yourselves to regulations?”

Paul is asking: “Why are you letting people drag you back into rules and rituals?”

Many preachers today reduce the Christian life to a list of dos and don’ts. If you avoided the don’t, you are then “spiritual.”

But that is not the authentic spiritual life.

Paul says. “Seek those things which are above.”

The spiritual life is not about rules.

It is a relationship.

You’ve heard me say this many times.

The Bible is more concerned with who you are than what you do.

If you focus on doing without being, you become a Pharisee.

God wants you to be, and then you will do.

One of my favourite questions to ask people is: “Why did the Lord put you here on earth?” 

Well, here’s the answer:

He left you here to be conformed to the image of Christ.

Paul said his goal was to present believers mature at the judgment seat of Christ because God wants you to grow into Christlike spiritual maturity.

How?

By walking in fellowship with Him and by cultivating a relationship with Him.

Yes, that involves prayer.

Yes, that involves Scripture.

But the focus is on Jesus, knowing Him, loving Him, becoming like Him.

And by the way—this is in the small print—you cannot grow without trials.

That’s why trouble comes.

And you cannot grow without other believers.

That’s why God gave us the church.

You were never meant to grow spiritually on a deserted island.

We need to minister to one another.

You are responsible for testing everything you hear.

The two most important areas to test are:

Salvation — What must I do to be saved?

The Spiritual Life — How do I grow?

Nothing is more important than those things.

I labour long and hard to try and make sure I tell you what the bible really says.

That’s why I teach verse by verse, because context is everything.

Every time I prepare a message, I ask: Lord, did I tell them what the passage said?

Did I make it relevant?

Did I make it practical?

Every time I ask that only God is heard and glorified. And I say, “Lord, if there is chaff and there is wheat in what I have said. May they forget the chaff, and may the wheat produce a bumper crop.”

That’s my prayer for you.

But beware friends, because chaff is in the air everywhere these days

Outro: 

Next week, we move into 1 Kings 23—and we’ll answer that crucial question:

“Why did the Lord leave you here?”

We’ll explore what it means to grow into the image of Christ, how God shapes us through trials, and how the church becomes the workshop of spiritual maturity.

I hope you’ll join me.

Until then—test all things, hold fast to what is good, and keep your eyes on Jesus.