Expert: Mike Muya - 5/16/2008

Question
King Ahab and King Jehoshaphat were deciding whether to go to war or not with the Syrians. The false prophets were lying and encouraging them to go to war but the true prophet was Micaiah.  Zedekiah walked over and slapped Micaiah on the face and said, "When did the Spirit of the Lord leave me and speak to you?"  Micaiah replied, "You will have the answer to your question when you find yourself hiding in an inner room?"  Could you explain these 2 verses; I don't think I understand them.

Answer
hi valerie.
thanks for your question, and am very sorry about the response,have been away.

Here is what the SDA Bible commentary has to say about 1 Kings 22:24, 25--

"The spirit of evil always reveals itself as evil. It is harsh, not kind; cruel, not merciful. God's people are admonished, 'Believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God' (1 John 4:1). 'By their fruits ye shall know them' (Matt. 7:20). A listing of the works of the flesh and the fruits of the Spirit is found in Gal. 5:19-23, and by these the nature of the spirits may be tested. By smiting Micaiah on the cheek, Zedekiah gave proof that the spirit within him was evil.

Micaiah address himself not so much to the exact words of Zedekiah's question a to the main point in dispute, that is, which of them was a true prophet. Zedekiah soon would see. In the reverses that would come from Ahab's defeat, Zedekiah himself would suffer."

once again thank you for your patience