Spirit in 1 Kings 22:21

The NASB translates 1 Kings 22:21 as “then a spirit came forward and stood before the Lord and said, ‘I will entice him.’” But the Hebrew has the definite article with “spirit” (RUACH), and the mentioned in v 23 is explicitly the Spirit of Yahweh. Apparently, it’s THE Spirit that volunteers to be the lying spirit in the mouth of the prophets of Ahab. Ahab’s prophets are inspired, and are inspired by the Spirit of Yahweh, but the words they speak are misleading, equivocal, and intended to seduce.

The Spirit is, as Jim Jordan says, the divine matchmaker, the power of the Husband’s “seduction” of His bride. But here, the Spirit seduces in a different direction, to entice Ahab toward the grave.

Next
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE

Christians Are Reclaiming Marriage to Protect Children

Katy Faust

Gay marriage did not merely redefine an institution. It created child victims. After ten years, a coalition…

Save the Fox, Kill the Fetus

Carl R. Trueman

Question: Why do babies in the womb have fewer rights than vermin? Answer: Because men can buy…

The Battle of Minneapolis

Pavlos Papadopoulos

The Battle of Minneapolis is the latest flashpoint in our ongoing regime-level political conflict. It pits not…