New Days, Old Demons: A Study of ElijahShembull

Why Does God Allow Evil, and How Does He Use It for Good?

Every day, we witness wrongdoing, and even evil, in our family, church, and government. This leads us to one of the most difficult questions: “God is sovereign, powerful, and good. Evil exists and creatures bear moral responsibility for it. How can we reconcile the character of God with the reality of sin?” Often, this question is referred to as “the problem of evil”, or “theodicy”.

In 1 Kings 22, evil and suffering are reported in painful detail.

1. After three years of peace, there is a rising threat of bloody war between nations. If war breaks out, young men will die, mothers will lose their sons, wives will bury their husbands, and children will grow up not knowing their father.

2. There are true prophets being opposed by false prophets. This leads to obvious confusion among the people and causes divisions and factions. The 400 demonic false prophets of King Ahab naturally “prophesy” victory, only telling the rulers what they want to hear. Conversely, there is only one true prophet of God available, Micaiah, who was imprisoned. Released from prison, Micaiah begins by mocking the false prophets, and then telling God’s truth that King Ahab would die in the battle and Israel would be scattered.

3. The prophet Micaiah revealed that the Lord had allowed a “…lying spirit in the mouth of all his [Ahab’s false] prophets…” This meant that the demonic work of the 400 false prophets was somehow permitted by God as part of His bigger plan. Micaiah was struck on the face, sent back to prison and given bread and water, punished for being a man of God. His name means “Who is like the Lord?” and his devotion to God was unwavering, even though he stood alone, like Elijah.

4. The passive coward King Ahab sought to avoid death in the war. To hide, he disguised himself so that no one would know he was a king. Ahab was killed by what looks like an accident, but was part of God’s sovereign plan.

5. In the northern kingdom, the godless demonic King Ahab’s family had ruled over Israel for generations, and now there was going to be a new king in Israel. Sadly, it was Ahab’s son Ahaziah, who was just as demonic and evil as his father.

6. In the southern kingdom, Jehoshaphat was a godlier king, but did not lead with full courage and integrity. “He did not turn aside from it, doing what was right in the sight of the Lord. Yet the high places were not taken away, and the people still sacrificed and made offerings on the high places. Jehoshaphat also made peace with the king of Israel.”

7. To secure peace between the Northern Kingdom of Israel ruled by the godless King Ahab, and the Southern Kingdom of Judah ruled by the godlier King Jehoshaphat, an evil thing was done. Jehoshaphat had his son marry the daughter of Ahab and Jezebel. This unholy marriage alliance brought the demonic Ahab and Jezebel spirits into the southern kingdom of Judah, leading to the worship of Baal and Asherah in both kingdoms.

8. We now have God’s people united politically, which is good. However, they are also divided spiritually, which is bad. Jehoshaphat is tolerating the Ahab and Jezebel spirits, though he personally walks with the Lord. It seems like political matters are a higher priority than spiritual ones, with some exceptions, including “…from the land he exterminated the remnant of the male cult prostitutes…”

9. In Israel, nothing changed, and the demonic evil pattern continued with the next king.

In most movies, the plotline is between good and evil. In this scene, and the rest of the Bible, the battle seems to be the really bad versus the not as bad. In this scene from the days of Elijah, it is obvious that, spiritually and politically, the churches and the governments are a mess, lacking consistent godly leaders with integrity. Our day is no different. Even our best leaders remain sinners who make mistakes, broker deals that are short-sighted, listen to bad information and take bad advice, and even allow their children to marry the wrong people, or even walk in evil, defying the faith of their fathers.

From the story in 1 Kings 22, there are five things that we must remember to understand why God allows evil and how He uses it. This is on full display with God working in this scene through evil kings, the deception of false prophets, and a lying spirit.

1. God is only good and does not ordain evil.
2. God allows evil.
3. People and demons who do evil are morally responsible.
4. God uses evil.
5. God overcomes evil.

Until Jesus returns, the point of 1 Kings is simply that we tend to have the spiritual and political leaders we deserve, but not the ones we need. There is no Heaven on earth until King Jesus brings His Kingdom to earth. Then, He will lift the curse, raise the dead, judge everyone, fill Heaven and Hell, and rule and reign spiritually and politically perfectly forever. Until the King of Kings comes, there will still be problems no matter who is leading.

What is your biggest takeaway from the unfolding drama in 1 Kings 22? Why?