Lying spirits sent by the Lord

[Guest Filipe]

Hi, fellows.

Can anyone explain me 1 kings 22:19-23? Did I understand right? The Lord can allow spirits to lie?

For help:

"1 Kings 22

19 Micaiah continued, "Therefore hear the word of the LORD : I saw the LORD sitting on his throne with all the host of heaven standing around him on his right and on his left. 20 And the LORD said, 'Who will entice Ahab into attacking Ramoth Gilead and going to his death there?'

"One suggested this, and another that. 21 Finally, a spirit came forward, stood before the LORD and said, 'I will entice him.'

22 " 'By what means?' the LORD asked.

" 'I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouths of all his prophets,' he said.

" 'You will succeed in enticing him,' said the LORD . 'Go and do it.'

23 "So now the LORD has put a lying spirit in the mouths of all these prophets of yours. The LORD has decreed disaster for you."

[WISDOM]

Filipe....welcome to WorthyBoard..

Very good question, and one of the most inquiring ones in our FATHER's Word. It also matches up well with 2 Chronicles 18. Like you when I first saw this it appears as if our LORD is taking part (and condoning) in lying and deceiving someone.

Keep in mind that the prophet MICAIAH was speaking by the HOLY SPIRIT, and he was trying to keep kings AHAB and JEHOSHAPHAT from going to Ramoth-gilead. Why? The false prophets had been telling them they would obtain victory in battle there. Micaiah (GOD's messenger) was telling them the opposite. He said they would lose and Ahab would be killed. He was telling them that the spirit speaking through the false prophets was a LYING SPIRIT, and was putting it in a pictorial way.

Though not greatly vivid, it taught TRUTH not error, and in almost what I'd like to call a "hard core" way that it WAS a lying spirit that was in the mouths of the false prophets. If we take it as a whole, our FATHER was not a party to the deception, because HE sent HIS own prophet (Micaiah) to forewarn about the lying spirit, and to let them know the TRUE FACTS in the case, and what the outcome of the battle would be. If they chose to listen to our FATHER through HIS prophet they would be saved; BUT if they chose NOT to listen to HIM, then HE would give them over to the workings of error, so they would believe a lie (2 Thessalonians 2:11). But NOT without plenty of warning.

And this is how our FATHER operates even today in life's experiences. HE allows YOU, I, and every man/women to choose either to listen to HIM and know the truth, OR to ignore HIM and be given over to strong delusion (2 Thessalonians 2:10-11). You can see this very same thing in 1 Samuel 16:14. Look at the circumstances......King Saul proved to be untrue to our LORD (1 Samuel 15:4-35). Pay real close attention to verses 22-23. What happened? GOD withdrew HIS Spirit from Saul, and a "spirit of discontent and unrest" came upon him....an "evil spirit".

It may look as if this was unkind for our FATHER to do, but the truth is there was nothing kinder HE could have done. When we disobey our LORD it is one of the most merciful things HE can do to make us unhappy/discontented IN OUR SIN. Remember what I just said....because of HIS MERCY. If HE left us in our sin it would be a nightmare! If we make the right use of this "spirit of unrest/depression/discontent" that HE sends to us, it brings us BACK to GOD and the joy of the HOLY SPIRIT. AHAB and SAUL made the wrong use of it, and in both cases it resulted in their utter ruin.

King David did just the opposite (Psalm 51). Once GOD allowed the evil spirit of unrest/dissatisfaction/misery to come upon David, he confessed his sin with Bathsheba/Uriah (2 Samuel 11 & 12), came back to a renewal of the joy of the LORD (Psalm 51:12). He thanked GOD for it, and humbled himself because he knew he had sinned against the LORD, and in the process had lost the JOY of his salvation. Resistance aside, and confession/repentance (because of the evil spirit) caused the LORD (because of HIS Mercy) to blot out his sin and restored him to a place of joy, where he could help others in the same way (Psalm 32:4-8; 51:9-13).

[Guest Filipe]

Thanks.

[AllforJesustheLord]

God can, and as a matter of fact if we look in the New Testament sometimes He does things like that still. For instance when people do not choose to serve Him, through His Son Jesus Christ, He has said, in Romans He would give them over to do evil, also in other scriptures He has shown this, for instance, God would send a deception upon the world to deceive the people who do not love the truth, and who do not obey the gospel. Sometimes He sends plagues on evil people, who do not choose to serve, and love Him, sometimes natural disasters happen to people because they do not choose to serve, and love Him, and sometimes diseases, and problems in every possible way happen, because people do not choose to serve, and Love Him.

[His son]

You always have to think of these kind of issues in light of God's foreknowledge of all of our choices, and then in the timing of His judgments. In everything God's ways are beyond our understanding, we don't have to figure out why He did it that way, nor or we to judge God by anything that He does. We in the first place aren't intellectualy equal to that task, and in the second place true love doesn't judge it accepts. If our trust of God is true we know that His sending of lying spirits to get someone where He wanted them to be is actually an act of love on His part, and it will by totally just.

[ajesuschrist_mathetes]

Filipe....welcome to WorthyBoard..

Very good question, and one of the most inquiring ones in our FATHER's Word. It also matches up well with 2 Chronicles 18.  Like you when I first saw this it appears as if our LORD is taking part (and condoning) in lying and deceiving someone.

Keep in mind that the prophet MICAIAH was speaking by the HOLY SPIRIT, and he was trying to keep kings AHAB and JEHOSHAPHAT from going to Ramoth-gilead.  Why?  The false prophets had been telling them they would obtain victory in battle there.  Micaiah (GOD's messenger) was telling them the opposite.  He said they would lose and Ahab would be killed.  He was telling them that the spirit speaking through the false prophets was a LYING SPIRIT, and was putting it in a pictorial way. 

Though not greatly vivid, it taught TRUTH not error, and in almost what I'd like to call a "hard core" way that it WAS a lying spirit that was in the mouths of the false prophets.  If we take it as a whole, our FATHER was not a party to the deception, because HE sent HIS own prophet (Micaiah) to forewarn about the lying spirit, and to let them know the TRUE FACTS in the case, and what the outcome of the battle would be.  If they chose to listen to our FATHER through HIS prophet they would be saved; BUT if they chose NOT to listen to HIM, then HE would give them over to the workings of error, so they would believe a lie (2 Thessalonians 2:11).  But NOT without plenty of warning.

And this is how our FATHER operates even today in life's experiences.  HE allows YOU, I, and every man/women to choose either to listen to HIM and know the truth, OR to ignore HIM and be given over to strong delusion (2 Thessalonians 2:10-11).  You can see this very same thing in 1 Samuel 16:14.  Look at the circumstances......King Saul proved to be untrue to our LORD (1 Samuel 15:4-35).  Pay real close attention to verses 22-23.  What happened?  GOD withdrew HIS Spirit from Saul, and a "spirit of discontent and unrest" came upon him....an "evil spirit".

It may look as if this was unkind for our FATHER to do, but the truth is there was nothing kinder HE could have done.  When we disobey our LORD it is one of the most merciful things HE can do to make us unhappy/discontented IN OUR SIN.  Remember what I just said....because of HIS MERCY.  If HE left us in our sin it would be a nightmare!  If we make the right use of this "spirit of unrest/depression/discontent" that HE sends to us, it brings us BACK to GOD and the joy of the HOLY SPIRIT.  AHAB and SAUL made the wrong use of it, and in both cases it resulted in their utter ruin.

King David did just the opposite (Psalm 51).  Once GOD allowed the evil spirit of unrest/dissatisfaction/misery to come upon David, he confessed his sin with Bathsheba/Uriah (2 Samuel 11 & 12), came back to a renewal of the joy of the LORD (Psalm 51:12).  He thanked GOD for it, and humbled himself because he knew he had sinned against the LORD, and in the process had lost the JOY of his salvation.  Resistance aside, and confession/repentance (because of the evil spirit) caused the LORD (because of HIS Mercy) to blot out his sin and restored him to a place of joy, where he could help others in the same way (Psalm 32:4-8; 51:9-13).

I just wanted to give for "Wisdom"'s answer . I have been troubled by this for some 20 odd years and found that answer very helpful.

Agape and peace.

Ron...

[WISDOM]

Ron....

Thank you, but most of all thanks be to our FATHER who gave us the clarity to understand what HE was doing.

Again, thanks bro....

[Guest Filipe]

About these controversial questions, a friend in another topic recommended this site:

www.answersingenesis.com. Now I'm an all-time reader of this website and I translate some of the texts to Portuguese, to help my fellow brothers here in Brazil.

God bless you all

Filipe

[AllforJesustheLord]

Thank you Felipe, I thank God for you, that you are His child.

[WISDOM]

About these controversial questions, a friend in another topic recommended this site:

www.answersingenesis.com. Now I'm an all-time reader of this website and I translate some of the texts to Portuguese, to help my fellow brothers here in Brazil.

God bless you all

Filipe

Outstanding!!!

Anytime you need ANY help please send me a PM. I will keep you and all of my other brothers/sisters in CHRIST there on my prayer list!!!