One of the most insightful and dramatic stories in the Old Testament is in Second Chronicles 18. There the Kings of Isreal and Judah are back in alliance by marriage, both void of any sense of direction from the Lord.
Apparently surrounded by a slew of do-gooder, yes-men prophets, always ready to affirm an old and powerful Ahab!
Jehoshaphat, obviously the most gullible as the story reveals, comes nigh losing his life when told to wear his royal robes in battle, while Ahab, the real cuprit disguises himself. How stupid was that!
In the middle of all this drama emerges a reluctant truth teller. His relunctance was well grounded, given he knows what is going on in Ahab's heart. Even Ahab knows when Micaiah is brought before him, that his first prediction of victory is a ruse! When Micaiah finally shares the truth, they throw him in prison, "bread and water til I return," commands Ahab!
You gotta love this seasoned prophet, for when his last words could have cost him his life, standing before this wrathful king, truth overtakes him as he blurts out, "If you ever return safely the the Lord has not spoken through me."
As the story goes, both kings jump in their chariots and are off to war. Immediately the enemy pursues the one in royal clothing, but Jehoshaphat finally realizes that Ahab has set him up, and cries out to the Lord.
The story has another twist, as an enemy warrior fires into the frey at random, and ironically, the arrow finds a space in Ahab's armor. Just as Micaiah prophesied, he dies!
As I read this story again, it caused me pause; relevant to America it seems, given all the spiritual chatter from the so called prophets of our day. In bed with our deluded, disoriented and deeply partisan politicians, Christian folk seem hopeful that such an alliance can finally achieve "one nation under God with liberty and justice for all."
We all know how that ends!