word of the Lord: I saw the Lord sitting on His throne, and all the
host of heaven standing by Him. And the Lord said, Who shall
persuade Ahab, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-Gilead? And
there came forth a spirit, and said, I will go forth, and be a lying
spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And the Lord said, Thou
shalt persuade him, and prevail also: go forth, and do so. Now
therefore, behold, the Lord hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of
all these thy prophets, and the Lord hath spoken evil concerning
thee."

What warning could be more awful, and yet more plain? Ahab was told
that he was listening to a lie. He had free choice to follow that
lie or not, and he did follow it. After having put Micaiah into
prison for speaking the truth to him, he went up to Ramoth-Gilead;
and yet he felt he was not safe. He had his doubts and his fears.
He would not go openly into the battle, but disguised himself,
hoping that by this means he should keep himself safe from evil.
Fool! God's vengeance could not be stopped by his paltry cunning.
In spite of all his disguises, a chance shot struck him down between
the joints of his armour. His chariot-driver carried him out of the
battle, and "he was stayed up in his chariot against the Syrians,
and died at even: and the blood ran out of his wound into the midst
of the chariot. And one washed the chariot in the pool of Samaria;
and the dogs licked up his blood there," according to the word of
the Lord, which He spoke by the mouth of His prophet Elijah, saying,
"In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth, whom thou
slewest, shall dogs lick thy blood, even thine."

And do not fancy, my friends, that because this is a miraculous
story of ancient times, it has nothing to do with us. All these