History of the Old Testament Volume 7, Part 11
AHAB and MICAIAH: OR, The Death of AHAB.
WHo would hauehave look't to hauehave heard any more of the warres of the Syrians, with Iſrael, after ſo great a ſlaughter, after ſo firme a league; a league not of peace onelyonly, but of Brotherhood; The haltars, the ſack-cloth of Benhadads followers were worne out, as of vſe, ſo of memory, and now they are changed for Iron and ſteele. It is but three yeares that this peace laſts; and now that warre begins which ſhall make an end of Ahab: The King of Iſrael rues his vniuſt merciemercy; according to the word of the Prophet, that gift of a life, was but an exchange; Becauſe Ahab gaue Benhadad his life; Benhadad ſhall take Ahabs; He muſt forfeit in himſelfe what he hath giuen to another. There can be no better fruit of too much kindneſſe to Infidels: It was one Article of the league betwixt Ahab, & his brother Benhadad, that there ſhould be a ſpeedy reſtitution of all the Iſraelitiſh Cities; The reſt are yeelded, onelyonly Ramoth Gilead is held backe, vnthankfully, iniuriouſly: He that beg'd but his life receiues his Kingdome, and now reſts not content with his owne bounds: Iuſtly doth Ahab challenge his owne, iuſtly doth he moue a war to recouer his owne from a perfidious tributary; the lawfulneſſe of actions may not be iudged by the euents, but by the grounds; the wiſe and holy arbiter of the world knowes why many times the better cauſe hath the worſe ſucceſſe: Many a iuſt buſineſſe is croſſed for a puniſhment to the agent.
Yet Iſrael and Iuda were now peeced in friendſhip; Iehoſaphat the good King of Iuda had made affinity with Ahab the Idolatrous King of Iſrael: and, beſides a perſonall viſitation, ioynes his forces with his new Kinſman, againſt an old confederate; Iuda had calld in Syria againſt Iſrael; and now Iſrael calls in Iuda againſt Syria: Thus rather ſhould it be: It is fit that the more pure Church ſhould ioine with the more corrupt, againſt a common Paganiſh enemy.
Iehoſaphat hath match't with Ahab; not with a diuorce of his deuotion. Hee will fight, not without God; Inquire I pray thee at the Word of the Lord, to day: Had hee done thus ſooner; I feare Athaliah had neuer call'd him father; This motion was newes in Iſrael: It was wont to bee ſaid, Inquire of Baal; The good King of Iudah will bring Religion into faſhion in the Court of Iſrael; Ahab had inquired of his Counſellors, What needed he be ſo deuout, as to inquire of his Prophets? OnelyOnly Iehoſaphats preſence made him thus godly; It is an happy thing to conuerſe with the vertuous; their counſell and example cannot but leaue ſome tincture behind them of a good profeſſion, if not of piety: Thoſe that are truly religious dare not but take God with them in all their affaires; with him they can be as valiant, as timorous without him.
Ahab had Clergy enough, ſuch as it was; Foure hundred Prophets of the groues were reſerued from appearing to Elijahs challenge; theſe are now conſulted by Ahab; they liue to betray the life of him who ſaued theirs. Theſe care not ſo much to inquire what God would ſay, as what Ahab would hauehave them ſay; they ſaw which way the Kings heart was bent, that way they bent their tongues: Goe vp, for the Lord ſhall deliuer it into the hands of the King: Falſe Prophets care onelyonly to pleaſe; a plauſible falſhood paſſes with them aboue an harſh truth. Had they ſeene Ahab fearfull, they had ſaid, Peace, Peace; now they ſee him reſolute, war & victory; It is a fearfull preſage of ruine when the Prophets conſpire in aſſentation.
Their number conſent, confidence hath eaſily won credit with Ahab; We doe all willingly beleeue what we wiſh: Iehoſaphat is not ſo ſoone ſatisfied; Theſe Prophets were (it is like) obtruded to him (a ſtranger) for the true Prophets of the true God: The iudicious King ſees cauſe to ſuſpect them, and now perceiuing at what altars they ſerued, hates to reſt in their teſtimony; Is there not here a Prophet of the Lord, beſides, that wee might inquire of him? One ſingle Prophet ſpeaking from the Oracles of God, is more worth than foure hundred Baalites; Truth may not euer be meaſured by the poll. It is not number, but weight that muſt carry it in a Councell of Prophets: A ſolid Verity in one mouth is worthy to preponderate light falſhood in a thouſand.
Euen King Ahab (as bad as hee was) kept tale of his Prophets; and could giuegive account of one that was miſſing; There is yet one man (Michaiah the ſonne of Imlah) by whom we may inquire of the Lord, but I hate him, for hee doth not prophecy good concerning mee, but euill. It is very probable that Micaiah was that diſguiſed Prophet, who brought to Ahab the fearefull meſſage of diſpleaſure, and death for diſmiſſing Benhadad, for which he was euer ſince faſt in priſon, deepe in diſgrace: Oh corrupt heart of ſelfe condemned Ahab: If Micaiah ſpake true to thee, how was it euill? If others ſaid falſe, how was it good? and if Micaiah ſpake from the Lord, why doeſt thou hate him? This hath wont to be the ancient lot of Truth, cenſure and hatred; Cenſure of the meſſage, hatred of the bearer. To carnall eares the meſſage is euill, if vnpleaſing; and if plauſible, good: If it be ſweet, it cannot bee poiſon: if bitter, it cannot bee wholſome: The diſtemper of the receiuer is guilty of this miſ-conceit: In it ſelfe eueryevery truth as it is good, ſo amiable; eueryevery falſhood loathſome, as euill: A ſick palate cries out of the taſte of thoſe liquors, which are well allowed of the healthfull. It is a ſigne of a good ſtate of the ſoule, when eueryevery verdure can receiue his proper iudgement.
Wiſe and good Iehoſhaphat diſſwades Ahab from ſo hard an opinion, and ſees cauſe ſo much more to vrge the conſultation of Michaiah, by how much he findes him more vnpleaſing: The King of Iſrael, to ſatisfie the importunitie of ſo great, and deare an allie, ſends an Officer for Michaiah; He knew well (belike) where to finde him; within thoſe foure walls, where vniuſt cruelty had diſpoſed of that innocent Seer; Out of the obſcuritie of the priſon, is the poore Prophet fetcht into the light of ſo glorious a Confeſſion of two Kings; who thought this Conuocation of Prophets not vnworthy of their greateſt repreſentation of State and Maieſtie; There he finds Zedekiah, the leader of that falſe crue, not ſpeaking onelyonly, but acting his prediction: Signes were no leſſe vſed by the Prophets, than words; this arch-flatterer hath made him hornes of iron; the horne is forceable, the iron irreſiſtible; by an irreſiſtible force ſhall Ahab puſh the Syrians; as if there were more certaintie in this mans hands than in his tongue; If this ſonne of Chenaanah had not had a forehead of braſſe for impudency, and an heart of Lead for flexibleneſſe to humours, and times, hee had neuer deuiſed theſe hornes of iron; wherewith his King was goared vntounto bloud: Howſoeuer, it is enough for him that he is beleeued, that he is ſeconded; All the great Inqueſt of theſe Prophets gaue vp their verdict by this foreman; not one of foure hundred diſſented: Vnanimitie of opinion in the greateſt Eccleſiaſtical aſſemblies is not euer an argument of truth; There may be as common, and as firme agreement in error.
The meſſenger that came frō Micaiah, like a carnall friend, ſets him in a way of fauour; tels him what the reſt ſaid, how they pleaſed; how vnſafe it would be for him to varie, how beneficiall to aſſent: Thoſe that adore earthly greatneſſe, thinke eueryevery man ſhould dote vponupon their Idols; and hold no termes too high for their ambitious purchaſes. Faithfull Micaiah ſcornes the motion; hee knowes the price of the world, and contemnes it, As the Lord liueth, what the Lord ſaith vntounto me, that will I ſpeake; Neither feares, nor fauours can tempt the holily reſolute; They can trample vponupon dangers, or honours, with a careleſſe foot; and whether they bee ſmiled, or frowned on by the great, dare not either alter, or conceale their errand.
The queſtion is moued to Micaiah; He at firſt ſo yeelds, that he contradicts; yeelds in words, contradicts in pronunciation; The ſyllables are for them, the ſound againſt them: Ironies deny ſtrongeſt in affirming; and now being preſſed home, hee tels them that God had ſhewed him thoſe ſheepe of Iſrael ſhould ere long, by this meanes, want their Shepheard; The very reſemblance, to a good Prince, had beene affectiue; The ſheepe is an helpleſſe creature, not able either to guard or guide it ſelfe; all the ſafetie, all the direction of it, is from the keeper; without whom, eueryevery curre chaſes and werries it, eueryevery tracke ſeduceth it; Such ſhall Iſrael ſoone be, if Ahab be ruled by his Prophets; The King of Iſrael doth not beleeue, but quarrell; not at himſelfe, who had deſerued euill, but at the Prophet, who fore-ſignified it, and is more carefull that the King of Iuda ſhould marke how true he had fore-told concerning the Prophet, than how true the Prophet had foretold concerning him.
Bold Micaiah, (as no whit diſcouraged with the vniuſt checks of greatneſſe) doubles his prediction, and by a ſecond viſion particularizeth the meanes of this dangerous errour; Whiles the two Kings ſate maieſtically in their thrones, he tels them of a more glorious Throne, than theirs, whereon he ſaw the King of Gods ſitting; Whiles they were compaſſed with ſome hundreds of Prophets, and thouſands of Subiects, and Souldiers, he tels them of all the hoſt of heauen, attending that other Throne; Whiles they were deliberating of a warre, hee tels them of the God of heauen iuſtly decreeing the iudgement of a deadly deception to Ahab; This decree of the higheſt is not more plainly reuealed, than expreſſed parabolically: The wiſe and holy God is repreſented, after the manner of men, conſulting of that ruine, which he intended to the wicked King of Iſrael; That increated, and infinite wiſdome, needs not the aduice of any finite, and created powers, to direct him, needs not the aſſent, and aid of any ſpirit for his execution; much leſſe of an euill one; yet here an euill ſpirit is brought in (by way of viſion mixt with parable) profering the ſeruice of his lie, accepted, imploied, ſucceſſefull; Theſe figures are not void of truth; The action and euent is reduced to a decree; the decree is ſhadowed out by the reſemblance of humane proceedings; All euill motions, and counſels are originally from that malignant Spirit; That euill ſpirit could hauehave no power ouer men, but by the permiſſion, by the decree of the Almightie; That Almightie, as he is no Author of ſin, ſo he ordinates all euill to good; It is good that is iuſt; it is iuſt that one ſinne ſhould be puniſhed by another: Satan is herein no other than the executioner of that God, who is as farre from infuſing euill, as from not reuenging it; Now Ahab ſees the ground of that applauded conſent of his rabble of Prophets; one euill ſpirit hath no leſſe deceiued them, than they their maſter; he is one, therefore he agrees with himſelfe; he is euill, therefore both he, and they agree in deceit.
Oh the noble and vndaunted ſpirit of Michaiah; neither the Thrones of the Kings, nor the number of the Prophets could abate one word of his true (though diſpleaſing) meſſage; The King of Iſrael ſhall heare, that he is miſled by liers, they by a deuill; Surely Iehoſhaphat cannot but wonder at ſo vnequall a contention; to ſee one ſilly Prophet affronting foure hundred; with whom leſt confidence ſhould carrie it, behold Zedekiah more bold, more zealous; If Michaiah hauehave giuen him (with his fellowes) the lie, he giues Michaiah the fiſt: Before theſe two great Guardians of peace, and iuſtice, ſwaggering Zedekiah ſmites Michaiah on the face; and with the blow expoſtulates; Which way went the Spirit of the Lord from me, to ſpeake vntounto thee? For a Prophet to ſmite a Prophet, in the face of two Kings, was intolerably inſolent; the act was much vnbeſeeming the perſon, more the preſence; Prophets may reproue, they may not ſtrike; It was enough for Ahab to puniſh with the hand; no weapon was for Zedekiah, but his tongue; neither could this rude preſumption hauehave beene well taken, if malice had not made magiſtracie inſenſible of this vſurpation: Ahab was well content to ſee that hated mouth beaten by any hand: It is no new condition of Gods faithfull meſſengers to ſmart for ſaying true. Falſhood doth not more bewray it ſelfe in any thing, than in blowes; Truth ſuffers, whiles error perſecutes: None are more ready to boaſt of the Spirit of God, than thoſe that hauehave the leaſt; As in veſſels, the full are ſilent.
Innocent Michaiah, neither defends, nor complaines; It would hauehave well beſeemed the religious King of Iudah, to hauehave ſpoken in the cauſe of the dumbe, to hauehave checked inſolent Zedekiah; Hee is content to giuegive way to this tide of peremptorie, and generall oppoſition; The helpleſſe Prophet ſtands alone, yet laies about him with his tongue, Behold, thou ſhalt ſee in that day, when thou ſhalt goe into an inner chamber, to hide thy ſelfe; Now the proud Baalite ſhewed himſelfe too much; ere long he ſhall bee glad to lurke vnſeene; his hornes of iron cannot beare off this danger. The ſonne of Ahab cannot chuſe, but in the zeale of reuenging his fathers deadly ſeducement, call for that falſe head of Zedekiah; In vaine ſhall that impoſtor ſeeke to hide himſelfe from iuſtice; But, in the meane while, he goes away with honour; Michaiah with cenſure. Take Micaiah, and carrie him backe to Amon, the Gouernor of the Citie, and to Ioaſh the Kings ſonne; and ſay, Thus ſaith the King, Put this fellow in priſon, and feed him with bread of affliction, and with water of affliction, vntill I come in peace.
An hard doome of Truth; The Iayle for his lodging; courſe bread and water for his food, ſhall but reſerue Micaiah for a further reuenge. The returne of Ahab ſhall be the bane of the Prophet; Was not this he that aduiſed Benhadad, not to boaſt in putting on his Armour, as in the vngirding it; and doth he now promiſe himſelfe peace and victorie, before hee buckle it on? No warning wil diſſwade the wilfull; So aſſured doth Ahab make himſelfe of ſucceſſe, that he threats ere he goe, what he will doe when he returnes in peace: How iuſtly doth God deride the miſ-reckonings of proud and fooliſh men; If Ahab had had no other ſinnes, his very confidence ſhall defeat him; yet the Prophet cannot bee ouercome in his reſolution; hee knowes his grounds cannot deceiue him; and dare therefore caſt the credit of his function vponupon this iſſue; If thou returne at all in peace, the Lord hath not ſpoken by me; And hee ſaid, Hearken, O people, eueryevery one of you; Let him neuer be called a Prophet, that dare not truſt his God; This was no aduenture therefore of reputation, or life; ſince hee knew whom he beleeued, the euent was no leſſe ſure, than if it had beene paſt; He is no God that is not conſtant to himſelfe; Hath he ſpoken, and ſhall he not performe? What hold hauehave wee for our ſoules, but his eternall word? The being of God is not more ſure, than his promiſes, than his ſentences of iudgement; Well may we appeale the teſtimony of the world in both; If there be not plagues for the wicked, If there bee not rewards for the righteous, God hath not ſpoken by vsus.
Not Ahab onelyonly, but good Iehoſhaphat is carried with the multitude; Their forces are ioyned againſt Ramoth; The King of Iſrael doth not ſo truſt his Prophets, that hee dares truſt himſelfe in his owne clothes; Thus ſhall he elude Michaiahs threat; Iwis the iudgement of God, the Syrian ſhafts cannot finde him out in this vnſuſpected diſguiſe; How fondly doe vaine men imagine to ſhift off the iuſt reuenges of the Almightie?
The King of Syria giues charge to his Captaines to fight againſt none, but the King of Iſrael; Thus doth the vnthankfull Infidell repay the mercy of his late victor; Ill was that Snake ſaued, that requites the fauour of his life, with a ſting; Thus ſtill the greateſt are the faireſt marke to enuious eyes. By how much more eminent any man is in the Iſrael of God, ſo many more, and more dangerous enemies muſt he expect; Both earth and hell conſpire in their oppoſition to the worthieſt. Thoſe who are aduanced aboue others, hauehave ſo much more need of the guard, both of their owne vigilancy, and others prayers. Iehoſhaphat had like to hauehave paid deare for his louelove; Hee is purſued, for him, in whoſe amity he offended; His cries deliuer him; his cries, not to his purſuers, but to his God; whoſe mercy takes not aduantage of our infirmitie, but reſcues vsus from thoſe euils, which we wilfully prouoke: It is Ahab againſt whom, not the Syrians onelyonly, but God himſelfe intends this quarrell; The enemy is taken off from Iehoſhaphat: Oh the iuſt and mightie hand of that diuine prouidence, which directeth all our actions to his owne ends; which takes order where eueryevery ſhaft ſhall light; and guides the arrow of the ſtrong Archer, into the ioynts of Ahabs harneſſe; It was ſhot at a venture, fals by a deſtiny; and there fals, where it may carrie death to an hidden debtor: In all actions, both voluntary and caſuall, thy will, O God, ſhall bee done by vsus, with what euer intentions. Little did the Syrian know whom he had ſtriken, no more than the arrow wherewith he ſtroke; An inuiſible hand diſpoſed of both, to the puniſhment of Ahab, to the vindication of Michaiab: How worthily, O God, art thou to bee adored in thy iuſtice, and wiſdome, to bee feared in thy iudgements. Too late doth Ahab now thinke of the faire warnings of Michaiah, which hee vnwiſely contemned; of the painfull flatteries of Zedekiah, which he ſtubbornly beleeued; That guiltie bloud of his runnes downe out of his wound, into the midſt of his charet, and paies Naboth his arerages: O Ahab, what art thou the better for thine Iuory houſe, whiles thou haſt a blacke ſoule? What comfort haſt thou now, in thoſe flattering Prophets, which tickled thine eares, and ſecured thee of victories? What ioy is it to thee now, that thou waſt great? Who had not rather be Michaiah in the Iayle, than Ahab in the Charet? Wicked men hauehave the aduantage of the way, godly men of the end; The Charet is waſhed in the poole of Samaria, the dogges come to claime their due; they licke vp the bloud of the great King of Iſrael; The tongues of thoſe brute creatures ſhall make good the tongue of Gods Prophet; Michaiah is iuſtified, Naboth is reuenged, the Baalites confounded, Ahab iudged; Righteous art thou O God in all thy waies, and holy in all thy workes.