Who was Micaiah in the Bible?

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    Sulhazan
    Keymaster

    What do you know about Micaiah in the Bible?

    Micaiah was the Prophet of Israel who was imprisoned by King Ahab for Prophesying his death in the battle with the people of Aram.
    Micaiah declared, “If you ever return safely, the LORD has not spoken through me.” Then he added, “Mark my words, all you people!” 1 KINGS 22:28
    Micaiah’s greatest crime was refusing to tell the Israelite king what he wanted to hear. It is ironic, then, that the one time Micaiah actually tried saying what Ahab wanted him to say, the king wouldn’t have it.
    Ahab sought an alliance with Judah’s King Jehoshaphat to attack neighboring Aram in hopes of reclaiming the Israelite city of Ramoth Gilead. Jehoshaphat was willing to cooperate, but on one condition:
    “First seek the counsel of the LORD,” he insisted (1 Kings 22:5). Ahab obliged, summoning four hundred pagan prophets, who unblinkingly promised success. Jehoshaphat was not convinced, however; he asked whether there were any true prophets of the Lord left in Israel.
    Apparently, there was just one who was still on speaking terms with the court of Ahab: Micaiah. The mere mention of his name must have put Ahab in a foul mood. “I hate him because he never prophesies anything good about me,” he complained (1 Kings 22:8).

    Jehoshaphat insisted, however, and Micaiah was summoned. It is possible that Micaiah had given Ahab counsel before, only to have it ignored or thrown back in his face. This time, Micaiah opted for sarcasm, repeating exactly what the false prophets had declared: “The LORD will give [Ramoth Gilead] into the king’s hand” (1 Kings 22:15).
    Suspicious, Ahab demanded the truth, so Micaiah obliged. Not only did he predict Ahab’s death in battle, but he claimed that God had sent an evil spirit into the four hundred prophets in order to entice Ahab into battle.
    That news did not go over well. The leader of the false prophets, Zedekiah, slapped Micaiah, and the king ordered God’s true prophet thrown into prison. Micaiah’s fate is unknown, but his prophecy was vindicated when Ahab fell in battle with Aram.
    One of the most puzzling things about this story is the fact that Jehoshaphat joined Ahab in battle, despite Micaiah’s prediction.
    After narrowly escaping death, Jehoshaphat returned to Jerusalem,
    where a seer named Jehu rebuked him for allying himself to Ahab.
    Apparently Jehoshaphat failed to get the message; later he forged a trading alliance with Ahab’s successor and paid dearly for it (see 2 Chronicles 19:1–3; 20:35–37).

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