5 Minute Lessons on the Kingdom of God
Delusions Will Mislead and Deceive
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(1 Kings 22:10‑28, 34‑38 Contemporary English Version)
Ahab was one of the most wicked kings in the Old Testament. His sins brought him to physical and spiritual ruin.
Are you being deceived by a life of sin? These are things that sin will cause you to do:
"10All this time, Ahab and Jehoshaphat were dressed in their royal robes and were seated on their thrones at the threshing place near the gate of Samaria. They were listening to the prophets tell them what the Lord had said.
11Zedekiah son of Chenaanah was one of the prophets. He had made some horns out of iron and shouted, 'Ahab, the Lord says you will attack the Syrians like a bull with iron horns and wipe them out!'
12All the prophets agreed that Ahab should attack the Syrians at Ramoth, and they promised that the Lord would help him defeat them.
13Meanwhile, the messenger who went to get Micaiah whispered, 'Micaiah, all the prophets have good news for Ahab. Now go and say the same thing.'
14'I'll say whatever the living Lord tells me to say,' Micaiah replied.
15Then Micaiah went to Ahab, and Ahab asked, 'Micaiah, should I attack the Syrians at Ramoth?'
'Yes!' Micaiah answered. 'The Lord will help you defeat them.'
16'Micaiah, I've told you over and over to tell me the truth!' Ahab shouted. 'What does the Lord really say?'
17He answered, 'In a vision I saw Israelite soldiers walking around in the hills like sheep without a shepherd to guide them. The Lord said, "This army has no leader. They should go home and not fight." '
18Ahab turned to Jehoshaphat and said, 'I told you he would bring bad news!'
19Micaiah replied:
25Micaiah answered, 'You'll find out on the day you have to hide in the back room of some house.'
26Ahab shouted, 'Arrest Micaiah! Take him to Prince Joash and Governor Amon of Samaria. 27Tell them to put him in prison and to give him nothing but bread and water until I come back safely.'
28Micaiah said, 'If you do come back, I was wrong about what the Lord wanted me to say.' Then he told the crowd, 'Don't forget what I said!'
34However, during the fighting a soldier shot an arrow without even aiming, and it hit Ahab where two pieces of his armor joined. He shouted to his chariot driver, 'I've been hit! Get me out of here!'
35The fighting lasted all day, with Ahab propped up in his chariot so he could see the Syrian troops. He bled so much that the bottom of the chariot was covered with blood, and by evening he was dead.
36As the sun was going down, someone in Israel's army shouted to the others, 'Retreat! Go back home!'
37Ahab's body was taken to Samaria and buried there. 38Some workers washed his chariot near a spring in Samaria, and prostitutes washed themselves in his blood. Dogs licked Ahab's blood off the ground, just as the Lord had warned." (1 Kings 22:10‑28, 34‑38 Contemporary English Version)
11Zedekiah son of Chenaanah was one of the prophets. He had made some horns out of iron and shouted, 'Ahab, the Lord says you will attack the Syrians like a bull with iron horns and wipe them out!'
12All the prophets agreed that Ahab should attack the Syrians at Ramoth, and they promised that the Lord would help him defeat them.
13Meanwhile, the messenger who went to get Micaiah whispered, 'Micaiah, all the prophets have good news for Ahab. Now go and say the same thing.'
14'I'll say whatever the living Lord tells me to say,' Micaiah replied.
15Then Micaiah went to Ahab, and Ahab asked, 'Micaiah, should I attack the Syrians at Ramoth?'
'Yes!' Micaiah answered. 'The Lord will help you defeat them.'
16'Micaiah, I've told you over and over to tell me the truth!' Ahab shouted. 'What does the Lord really say?'
17He answered, 'In a vision I saw Israelite soldiers walking around in the hills like sheep without a shepherd to guide them. The Lord said, "This army has no leader. They should go home and not fight." '
18Ahab turned to Jehoshaphat and said, 'I told you he would bring bad news!'
19Micaiah replied:
Listen to this! I also saw the Lord seated on his throne with every creature in heaven gathered around him. 20The Lord asked, 'Who can trick Ahab and make him go to Ramoth where he will be killed?'
They talked about it for a while, 21then finally a spirit came forward and said to the Lord, 'I can trick Ahab.'
'How?' the Lord asked.
22'I'll make Ahab's prophets lie to him.'
'Good!' the Lord replied. 'Now go and do it.'
23This is exactly what has happened, Ahab. The Lord made all your prophets lie to you, and he knows you will soon be destroyed.
24Zedekiah walked up to Micaiah and slapped him on the face. Then he asked, 'Do you really think the Lord would speak to you and not to me?' They talked about it for a while, 21then finally a spirit came forward and said to the Lord, 'I can trick Ahab.'
'How?' the Lord asked.
22'I'll make Ahab's prophets lie to him.'
'Good!' the Lord replied. 'Now go and do it.'
23This is exactly what has happened, Ahab. The Lord made all your prophets lie to you, and he knows you will soon be destroyed.
25Micaiah answered, 'You'll find out on the day you have to hide in the back room of some house.'
26Ahab shouted, 'Arrest Micaiah! Take him to Prince Joash and Governor Amon of Samaria. 27Tell them to put him in prison and to give him nothing but bread and water until I come back safely.'
28Micaiah said, 'If you do come back, I was wrong about what the Lord wanted me to say.' Then he told the crowd, 'Don't forget what I said!'
34However, during the fighting a soldier shot an arrow without even aiming, and it hit Ahab where two pieces of his armor joined. He shouted to his chariot driver, 'I've been hit! Get me out of here!'
35The fighting lasted all day, with Ahab propped up in his chariot so he could see the Syrian troops. He bled so much that the bottom of the chariot was covered with blood, and by evening he was dead.
36As the sun was going down, someone in Israel's army shouted to the others, 'Retreat! Go back home!'
37Ahab's body was taken to Samaria and buried there. 38Some workers washed his chariot near a spring in Samaria, and prostitutes washed themselves in his blood. Dogs licked Ahab's blood off the ground, just as the Lord had warned." (1 Kings 22:10‑28, 34‑38 Contemporary English Version)
Ahab was one of the most wicked kings in the Old Testament. His sins brought him to physical and spiritual ruin.
Are you being deceived by a life of sin? These are things that sin will cause you to do:
- cause you to be deceived by lying spirits (1 Kings 22:23; 1 Timothy 4:1)
- cause strong delusions so you will believe a lie (2 Thessalonians 2:10-11)
- cause you to be damned (2 Thessalonians 2:12)
- cause you to not love the truth (2 Thessalonians 2:10)
- cause you to change God's truth and believe lies (Romans 1:25)
- cause you to be unthankful (Romans 1:21)
- cause you to have a foolish and darkened heart (Romans 1:21)
- cause you to enter into idolatry (Romans 1:23)
- cause you to have false wisdom (Romans 1:22)
- cause you to have spiritual darkness and uncleanness (Romans 1:24; Acts 26:18)
- cause you to come under Satan's authority (Acts 26:18)
- and can even cause your death (1 John 5:16; Romans 6:16)
"30In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. 31For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead.'" (Acts 17:30‑31 NIV)
Questions
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What was Ahab deceived by?
Answer
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In the New Testament, who gets deceived by lying spirits?
Answer
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People choose idolatry over the true and living God.True or FalseAnswer
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Satan will use every kind of evil deception to fool you.True or FalseAnswer
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