Daily Devotional | Pull Back the Curtain

In The Wizard of Oz, Toto draws back a curtain only to discover that the Great and Powerful Oz is just an ordinary man speaking into a microphone. In 1 Kings 22, we are given a look behind the curtain, to see God in action. Who is running the show in Israel?

As we draw near to the end of 1 Kings, we might begin to wonder if God is going to resolve the difficulties facing His people. Does He have a plan? These are questions the faithful in Israel faced during the reign of Ahab. Today’s passage pulls the curtain back just a bit to give a view behind the scenes.

The word from Micaiah, the prophet of the Lord, was not encouraging. While the prophets of Baal predicted Ahab’s victory, God’s prophet told of his death. Micaiah described a boardroom scene in heaven. At the head of the table, sat the Lord on His throne with one agenda item. “Who will entice Ahab into attacking Ramoth Gilead and going to his death there?” (v. 20). Or to put it another way, “How can we get Ahab to the battlefield so that he dies?”

God would compel the false prophets to lie to Ahab. This is a fascinating scene. He was in total control of this situation. The message so rattled Ahab that he disguised himself as he rode out to the battlefield (v. 30). He hoped to thwart God’s plan, but his clever attempts failed. An archer fired his bow at “random” and the king died. Rest assured that even when you do not see His hand, God is at work.

>> How often do we doubt that God is really working in the difficult situations in our world, our community, even our families? Today’s reading humbles us to recognize that we serve an all- powerful God who is working all things together for His purpose.

Pray with Us

You are often accused of allowing evil to happen. Forgive us for presuming to judge You. Remind us of our place; Your wisdom and ways are beyond our comprehension. We trust You and obey You because You are God!

BY Dr. Steven H. Sanchez

Dr. Steven H. Sanchez is professor of Bible at Moody Bible Institute. His specific areas of study include the Israelite monarchy, the Pentateuch, the Second Temple period, and biblical archeology. Steven earned his BA from Columbia University (New York), and his ThM and PhD from Dallas Theological Seminary. He was one of 30 faculty contributors to The Moody Bible Commentary.