This chapter of 1 Kings is very remarkable. We find on earth a godly king, Jehoshaphat, wrongly associating himself with a very wicked king, Ahab. At the same time, we find heaven opened to us, allowing us to view the way in which God in His sovereignty uses a lying spirit to lead Ahab to his destruction. And we also find one man on earth who is able to speak for Jehovah in heaven.

Let us consider for a moment this last point, and see if we can find here a picture of our Lord Jesus.

First of all, we find that this “one man” was hated for his word.

This brings to mind the account in Luke 4 with the Lord Jesus in the synagogue in Nazareth. The people marveled at the gracious words that proceeded from His mouth. But then He spoke of the grace of God that could not be confined to Israel, and they were filled with wrath and ready to kill Him: “they have seen and also hated both Me and My Father” (Jn. 15:24).

Secondly, we find that his word had authority. Even ungodly Ahab recognized that he spoke in the name of Jehovah. When the Lord Jesus spoke in Capernaum, we are told that the people “were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes” (Mk. 1:22).

Thirdly, we find in 1 Kings that this “one man” suffered for bearing the Word of God. For our blessed Lord Jesus, who was the truth Himself (Jn. 14:6) and bore witness to the truth (Jn. 18:37), it meant going into death. Yet we know that His sufferings were not simply those of a martyr, but for our sakes, so that we who were hateful and hating one another (Tit. 3:3) and listening to the father of lies (Jn. 8:44) might be set free by the truth. Let us give thanks that there was “still one Man” who could glorify God and set us free!