1st Kings 22:15 So he came to the king. And the king said unto him, Micaiah, shall we go against Ramoth- Gilead to battle, or shall we forbear? And he answered him, Go, and prosper: for the Lord shall deliver it into the hand of the king.
An example of what is being referred to took place with Ahab, who had hired a posse of yes-men who were paid to tell him only what he wanted to hear. That’s why when it came time to decide whether to go to war against Syria, his 400 prophets were first informed of his desires, and then they prophesied along those lines. If we know, and if we have previously determined in our hearts that we will only accept one answer from God, which is in harmony with what we want, then God can do very little for us, because God respects the freedom of choice He has given to all.
1st Kings 22: 4 And he said unto Jehoshaphat, Will you go with me to battle to Ramoth-gilead? And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, I am as thou art, my people as thy people, my horses as thy horses. 6 Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, about four hundred men, and said unto them, Shall I go against Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall I forbear? And they said, Go up; for the Lord shall deliver it into the hand of the king.
With king Ahab, he had already determined that he was going to war, and thus his request for guidance was just a charade of formality, and a thinly veiled attempt to ask The Lord to sign at the bottom of the page, for all of the above. Thus, when the king sent for the prophet of God in response to Jehoshaphat’s request, his perfidy was exposed. In fact, Ahab could have sent for Micaiah up front, but he strategically avoided doing so, for he knew that God’s prophet would not candy coat the truth in the matter.
1st Kings 22:7 And Jehoshaphat said, Is there not here a prophet of the Lord besides, that we might enquire of him? 8 And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat there is yet one man, Micaiah the son of Imlah, by whom we may enquire of the Lord: but I hate him; for he doth not prophesy good concerning me, but evil. And Jehoshaphat said, Let not the king say so.
May The Lord add His blessing to the study of His word. God bless!