Matthew Henry Commentary 1 Kings 22:15-28

"And when he was come to the king, the king said unto him, Micaiah, shall we go to Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall we forbear? And he answered him, Go up and prosper; and Jehovah will deliver it into the hand of the king. And the king said unto him, How many times shall I adjure thee that thou speak unto me nothing but the truth in the name of Jehovah? And he said, I saw all Israel scattered upon the mountains, as sheep that have no shepherd: and Jehovah said, These have no master; let them return every man to his house in peace. And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, Did I not tell thee that he would not prophesy good concerning me, but evil? And [Micaiah] said, Therefore hear thou the word of Jehovah: I saw Jehovah sitting on his throne, and all the host of heaven standing by him on his right hand and on his left. And Jehovah said, Who shall entice Ahab, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead? And one said on this manner; and another said on that manner. And there came forth a spirit, and stood before Jehovah, and said, I will entice him. And Jehovah said unto him, Wherewith? And he said, I will go forth, and will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And he said, Thou shalt entice him, and shalt prevail also: go forth, and do so. Now therefore, behold, Jehovah hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these thy prophets; and Jehovah hath spoken evil concerning thee. Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah came near, and smote Micaiah on the cheek, and said, Which way went the Spirit of Jehovah from me to speak unto thee? And Micaiah said, Behold, thou shalt see on that day, when thou shalt go into an inner chamber to hide thyself. And the king of Israel said, Take Micaiah, and carry him back unto Amon the governor of the city, and to Joash the king`s son; and say, Thus saith the king, Put this fellow in the prison, and feed him with bread of affliction and with water of affliction, until I come in peace. And Micaiah said, If thou return at all in peace, Jehovah hath not spoken by me. And he said, Hear, ye peoples, all of you." — 1 Kings 22:15-28 (ASV)

The greatest kindness we can do to someone who is going in a dangerous way is to tell him of his danger. To leave the hardened criminal without excuse and to give a useful lesson to others, Micaiah related his vision. This matter is represented in human terms: we are not to imagine that God is ever compelled to new strategies, or that He needs to consult with angels or any creature about the methods He should take, or that He is the author of sin or the cause of anyone's telling or believing a lie.

Micaiah did not return Zedekiah's blow, yet since he boasted of the Spirit, as those who know least of the Holy Spirit's operations commonly do, the true prophet left him to be convinced of his error by the event. Those who will not have their mistakes set right in time by the Word of God will be undeceived by the judgments of God when it is too late. We should be ashamed of what we call trials, if we considered what the servants of God have endured.

Yet, it will be well if freedom from trouble does not prove more harmful to us; we are more easily allured and bribed into unfaithfulness and conformity to the world than driven to them.