Wearing Disguises (1 Kings 22:30)

Introduction

In 35 years of gospel preaching, a lot of things happen in assemblies. Sometimes I’ve known preachers to fall off pulpits. Have you ever seen anything like that? Like here. I’ve tried to preach while a young child got loose and was running from corner to corner in the front of the auditorium while the mom sat in the back. I think Brad Walker was there for that when that happened. One of the most memorable occasions, though, happened 30 years ago when a particular individual unknown to us came into the assembly, and she was not a she, but a he.

And the deacons are back in the foyer and they are just rolling because they saw this person come in. The worst part of the story is that, well, this shouldn’t be the worst part when somebody actually responds to the sermon during the invitation song. But in this particular case, it did not result in a conversion. But he she came forward.

Dinner table last night at Mike and Myris that the body odor was some of the worst I’ve ever smelled in my life as this person came forward and just very unclean. And so, but I sat there and talked to this person and said, Well, we’ll have to meet with the elders, you know, afterwards. And the people were amazing. Our people at Dallin Road would come up and they would greet her and hug her, and I’m going, oh, him, her. But anyway, this person never came again. The police ultimately told us that he she was going around to different churches and that he she carried a gun. So at least we didn’t see that brandished during their his her time with us.

1. Ahab: I Will Disguise Myself

But I want to talk to you tonight about wearing disguises. Now, this person did not wear a mask, but certainly masked his gender on that occasion. But I want to look at a couple of old testament stories of people who wore disguises. And the first I want to share with you is Ahab in 1 Kings 22, one of my favorite Old Testament stories. Ahab is going to go up in battle with Jehoshaphat, king of Judah. And so they want to inquire of the Lord. Jehoshaphat is a faithful man at least, and so let’s inquire of the Lord. And so Ahab traipses in his 400 prophets who say, by all means, go up. God will deliver into your hand. And Jehoshaphat saw through all that nonsense and said, Is there not a real prophet that we could inquire?

Well, there’s this one fella, but he never has any good things to say about me. Wonder why, Ahab. And so in comes Micai the prophet, and there was something apparently in the tone of his voice, because when he echoed everything else that the 400 prophets had said about going up, Ahab detects that it is not favorable. And so more inquiry is made. Zedekiah, one of his cronies, flaps Micai, the true prophet of God in the face. And finally, Micai says, You are about to meet your end. King Ahab. And says in verse 28, if you indeed return safely, the Lord has not spoken by me. I mean, that’s laying it on the prophetic line right there. If I see you again, if you come back from battle, then I am not a true prophet of the Lord.

I’m going to stake my prophetic reputation on this. And he knows that he is speaking truth. Listen, all you people. So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, went up against Ramoth Gilead. And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, I will disguise myself and go into the battle. But you put on your robes. I mean, Jehoshaphat, you go and draw all the attention to yourself as the king. I’m going to go in disguise. I don’t know why Jehoshaphat went for this. So the king of Israel disguised himself and went in to battle. And so the king of Aram had commanded the 32 captains of his chariots, saying, Do not fight with small or great, but with the king of Israel alone. Well, the king of Israel is disguised.

So it came about when the captains of the chariot saw Jehoshaphat, they said, Surely it is the king of Israel. And they turned aside to fight against him. And Jehoshaphat cried out. I mean, everybody went to the one dressed as a king, but that was the king of Judah. Jehoshaphat. Because Ahab was disguised. Then it happened when the captains of the chariot saw that it was not the king of Israel, that they turned back from pursuing him. Now, and I have this verse marked, verse 34. Now a certain man, just another warrior on the battlefield. A certain man drew his bow at random. He was not shooting at the king of Judah or the king of Israel. He’s just fighting in the battle. And he randomly shoots and struck the king of Israel in a joint of the armor.

2. Josiah Disguised Himself to Make War

So he said to the driver of his chariot, Turn around and take me out of the fight, for I am severely wounded. And Ahab slept with his fathers. The chapter concludes. I want to suggest to you that a divinely guided arrow struck between the joints of the king’s armor and ended his nefarious antics. But what’s interesting, and this struck me recently, and it was my younger sister Annetta who said I should probably link these two stories and preach on this, so I’m doing it. I’ve given her son credit for giving me sermon ideas. She’s given me sermon ideas. My niece even chimed in a few last weekend, so I told her she needed to step up her game, and she did. But then I was thinking about this story, and we talked about it recently, of Josiah in 2 Chronicles chapter 35.

Remember how Josiah instituted all of these reforms.

And though the nation really only followed in surface response to all of his reforms. They weren’t really reformed in heart. And as soon as an evil leader came along, his son and grandson, they certainly went into evil right behind them. God says in chapter 34, because your heart was tender, behold, I will gather you to your fathers, so your eyes shall not see all the evil which I will bring on this place and its inhabitants. Good news for you’re not gonna live to see the nursing home. I don’t know if they had those back then or not, but he’s not gonna live to a ripe old age. I’m gonna gather you to your father so you don’t see the disaster that is coming upon my people.

So we come to chapter 35, and there are things happening on the world stage with Assyria and Babylon, Assyria, the present power, but it is about to be overtaken by the Babylonians. And of course, they are the ones that are going to destroy Judah. And Pharaoh’s wrapped up in all of this. Pharaoh, Necho. And the most interesting part of this story in 2 Chronicles chapter 35 to me is the fact that God speaks to Neko. It is so often that we see little snippets in Scripture of God dealing with the Gentiles and addressing them like Jonah being sent to Nineveh just prior to this time. But Neko sends messengers to Josiah as he’s about to encounter him in the battle and says, Look, God has ordered me to hurry.

Stop. Don’t do it, come any further. Don’t fight me, he says.

But here’s the thing. This is 2 Chronicles 35 and verse 22. But disguised himself in order to make war with him. Now, Neko believes God has sent him and says, Josiah, you don’t need to interfere. I have a message from God. And Josiah comes on ahead because he did not listen to the words of Neko from the mouth of God. It seems that Neko is not making this up. That God has actually spoken these words to him. So the narrator of the Chronicles tells us when he came to make war on the plain of Megiddo. So Josiah is going to get around this by doing something similar to what Ahab has done in the past. Now, Ahab being a wicked king, Josiah a righteous king. And the archers, verse 23, shot King Josiah.

And the king said to his servants, Take me away, for I am badly wounded. And so Josiah dies, and Jeremiah the prophet chants a lament. Elijah was not chanting a lament over Ahab. But Jeremiah is chanting a lament over Josiah. Another divinely guided arrow for a different purpose. Now the question is, should Josiah have engaged Necho? Should he not have listened to the voice of God as he spoke to Neco, that which uttered from the very mouth of God? Should he not have listened to that and turned back? God has just said in chapter 34, I’m going to gather you to find to your fathers before the normal or natural time that might occur. So, what kind of moral comment should we make about this story?

And I would just tell you, I’m not going to make one. I would, other than the fact that I still think his work as a king probably landed him safely in the presence of God. But you can debate that later with me if you like.

What’s interesting to me about the story is that he had not learned from history. Who was it, the fellow that said George Santayana or whatever his name is, Santa Anna, who said, those who do not learn history are doomed to repeat it. It’s been quoted many times, but it’s attributed to this guy named George. So that’s what Josiah does. And at random, archers shoot, and somebody takes out King Josiah. Disguises didn’t work. What’s the message in that for us? I think there’s a very powerful message that I want to share with you tonight. And that message about wearing disguises is this.

3. The Real You Cannot Be Hidden from God

Ahab could not disguise himself from God’s intentions to finally take him out. Josiah could not escape God’s intentions to allow him to not see the devastation that was coming upon his people. God’s arrows never miss their mark. Wearing disguises before God will never work because the real you cannot be hidden from God. And there’s a New Testament story that illustrates this, right? Ananias and Sapphira, they learned the truth the hard way, the instant death way. And it’s interesting to me as I consider this thought that God speaks to this very frequently in scripture. It’s not just a one-time occasion where he mentions this truth, his absolute scrutiny in regard to everything that happens in the world. And that’s one of the things that impresses the psalmist in Psalm 139.

Where can I go? This is David. Where can I go to flee the presence of God? I could go all the way to Sheol, to the realm of departed spirits. I could take the wings of the dawn. I could dwell in the remotest part of the sea. I could go to that island that Tom Hanks was on. Very remote island. Not real. But even if you go to the most remote island in the world, he is there. And not only is he able to be everywhere and see every place, and there’s nowhere on the globe that I can run from God. I mentioned Jonah the prophet. He attempted this to no avail. There was no ship that could take him in any direction that would take him from the intentions of God and the scrutiny of God.

And not only that, even if you stay at home, even if you don’t try to run and flee from God, he knows everything about you. He knows the next word that you’re about to speak. It’s going to be a few minutes from now, probably. But whatever that word is, God knows it altogether. He knows you that well. He knows everything about your existence, as Jesus would say in a positive frame, and we’re going to look at this thought in a moment, some positive aspects of this. The very hairs of your head are all numbered. There is not any place that you can go where God’s eyes are not on you. And as David observed, such knowledge is too wonderful for me. I mean, it’s it’s really hard to grasp the depths of such a truth.

The eyes of the Lord are in every place. Beholding the evil and the good.

And we notice, I wouldn’t have known to throw this verse in, oh, by the way, until our study Wednesday night, in regard to Edom, when God says, You have spoken arrogantly against me, you have multiplied your words against me, and he says, I have heard. I have heard. There’s not any of your arrogant words against me and your rejection of me that I have not heard. Look at Amos 9, again, another text that you wouldn’t necessarily go to. But the judgment of God is unavoidable, as he says, though they dig into Sheol. From there, from there my hand shall take them. How far can you go? The realm of departed spirits. Have you ever been there? We have members in Cancun, we have members all over the place, but nobody’s ever been to Sheol.

But even if you go there, from there, my hand shall take them. And though they ascend to heaven, from there I will bring them down. Oh, they hide on the summit of Carmel. You name the mountain. I will search them out and take them from there. And though they conceal themselves from my sight on the floor of the sea, don’t go down there. The pressure is too great. But even if you go, you’re not going to live if you do that. That’s the point. But even if you went to the very bottom of the sea, God says, From there, I will command the serpent, and it will bite them. Another form of jaws. It came first in Amos before the movie was ever made. God’s sea serpent can take you even from the depths of the sea.

Look at how often this thought occurs. Look at Luke chapter 12. Jesus says, Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. He warns about that a number of times. We’ve seen that in our Sunday morning study. And then he says, let me tell you the truth about them that is one day going to be revealed, and going to be revealed about us. There is nothing covered up that will not be revealed. And hidden that will not be known. Whatever you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light. Have you ever said something about someone and it wasn’t derogatory? Let’s hope. But you said something about someone that you might not have said to their face, and only to turn around and they were they were right there.

Or sometimes it’s just it’s not anything like that at all. You just mention their name, and oh, there they are. They’re standing right there. You need to be careful about what you say of others. And by the way, whatever you say of someone else, it’s very possible the person you’re saying it to could actually repeat it to them. Let’s hope if they repeat what you said and feel the compulsion to do that they will actually say what you said and not exaggerate or say something that you didn’t say and say that you said it. Let me tell you how often that happens in our world. Beware what you say in the dark, because it will be heard in the light, and whatever you have whispered in the inner rooms shall be proclaimed upon the house tops.

And the Hebrew writer emphasizes this truth. Now, I told you it’s mentioned in a lot of places, right? In Hebrews chapter 4, as it speaks of the penetrating nature of the word of God that is living and active and sharper than any two edged sword, down to the very joints and marrows, he says in verse 12. He then goes on to say in the next verse, there is nothing that escapes his sight, just as penetrating as the word is, as it affects change in people’s hearts and lives in a place that is hidden to some degree, he says, the eyes of the Lord. Nothing is hidden from his sight, but all things are open and laid bare before the eyes of him with whom we have to do.

But as I mentioned, like the very hairs of your head are all numbered, there is a positive aspect to God’s amazing scrutiny. And that is that the good that you do, not just the evil that you could potentially do, but the good that you do is not overlooked either. God is not unjust. Even if no one else sees and knows or cares or pats you on the back, if no one ever notices the sacrificial thing that you did to assist and help another. And really, this should deal with the temptation that is sometimes there to, are you a musician? Does anybody play the trumpet? To get out your trumpet if you were of such an ability and declare, everybody, look at what I did. Look at the good deed that I’ve done.

There’s no need to do that because you see, God is not unjust to forget our work and labor of love that we’ve shown toward his name in ministering and having ministered to the saints. Therefore, he says, be all the more diligent. To realize your full assurance of hope unto the end. Show diligence in your work, knowing that God sees and he knows the real you. So don’t feel the compulsion to have to tell other people about the good that you’ve done. The only one that you really need to care about who notices is God in heaven. If only we cared more about God’s knowledge of us than what other people know. Because in the end, the assessments of others will only matter. Those who seek the approval of men above the approval of God end up like the chief priests.

4. The Harmful Hiding of Sin

In John 12, 42 and 43. So I want to make a couple of points here. One is about the harmful hiding of sin. God is absolutely aware of all of our conduct. And I marvel again at how we would do anything to protect our image with people, our image with the brethren, our image with the world, and not be foremost concerned about our image with God. Apparently, the presence of God can seem almost imperceptible to us that we think like those people did back in Judah in the days of Ezekiel, when they said, Well, the Lord has forsaken us, the Lord’s not around. These things are happening because God doesn’t care. And He doesn’t see what we’re doing as they were doing their idolatry in their dungeons, in their basements in the dark.

He says, I see Ezekiel what they’re all about. And let me just suggest three things about conduct being hidden. And this may be the most important part of what I’m telling you tonight. The problem with thinking that hiding sin works is that as we attempt to hide sin, that sin, whatever it is, can control, can come to control us and get a grip on us. And we can become so entrenched in that behavior that we cannot find our way out. We see that in regard to alcoholics. We see that in regard to other addictive forms of behavior. And so if you’re engaged in something like that, an addictive substance, an addictive behavior that produces endorphins that your body gets accustomed to, you can get so controlled and entrenched, though the sin is hidden from the eyes of everyone else.

Another aspect of the harmful hiding of sin is that over time causes one to be disingenuous. The result is hypocrisy. And the more one engages in behavior that you know is not right, that is not consistent with scripture, though no one else knows about it, ultimately, in the practice of that hypocrisy, the conscience becomes seared, as we’ve said many times, with a hot iron. And after a while, when at first you were saying, No, that’s wrong, I shouldn’t be doing that. Now we’re looking for a way to keep it hidden all the time and not realizing what is happening in my relationship with God. I suggested that’s one of the challenges for those of us growing up among the Lord’s people. Remember, we don’t grow up in the church, we don’t say that here.

We grow up among the Lord’s people. And one of the first problems that we encounter with sin is while we’re attending every service of the church. And because that is the case, one can develop this pattern or lifestyle of hypocrisy, and the conscience can be seared as a result. The longer one practices the hiding of sin, again, you can’t fool God about these things. The result is a false hope as you attempt to justify the behavior. Well, other people struggle with this.

I mean, I’m not asking you to go out and literally cut off your hand or your foot as you are attracted to evil practices. But Jesus’ point in the hyperbole is that you need to take extreme action where sinful conduct is concerned. But what most often happens if we don’t do that, if we become satisfied and comfortable in the practice of what is evil, ultimately that can even affect your approach to Scripture. And I think that’s one of the reasons why we get to the point in the thinking of some, well, we’re just going to rely upon grace. Grace and mercy, that fixes everything. I’m going to need grace and mercy, so I’m not really going to work at overcoming sin. The victory that overcomes the world, even our faith.

5. God's Provision for Pain

I’m just going to hope the grace. And the grace, the race of God is it’s amazing. It’s wonderful. But if I’m not going to actually put up a fight, how many people have false notions about grace for that very reason. But I want to look at another aspect of this as we get to our final two songs before the invitation. I want to talk about God’s provision for pain. Because again, a positive side of the fact that the real you cannot be hidden from God is that He knows when you hurt.

And He can help in a way that no one else can. Oh, yes, our Savior cares. Let’s say Does Jesus care when my heart is pain to need with former song? As the bird unspress and the cares distress and the way grows weary and all.

When the days are weary the long night, weary I know my savior care. Does Jesus care when my way is hard with the name I try and fear? And today I pray into deep night. Does he care not to be here? Oh yes, he cares. I know he cares.

My say your care when I said goodbye to the dearest honor to me and my sort of nearly break is it all to him that he sees. Oh yes, he cares, I know he cares touched with my great when the days are weary the long night fairy I know my say your careers father conservation of you have for traced on your morning for the time I have spent enjoying you.

So in a moment we’ll say all things are ready. I’m gonna leave that there. Well, I was gonna leave that there because I don’t want you to see what’s coming up next. How are you doing today? Thank you, Daniel. Are you sure? Oh, he’s great. You ever notice how we do that? How are you doing today? I’m doing great. I think I’ve said that for most of my life. But you know, sometimes we’re not doing great. And I worry sometimes that we wear masks. When we shouldn’t. Now, there’s the disclaimer on that. Don’t be Eeyore. Where, how’s Eeyore doing? Well, it’s always a horrible day. You know, it’s it’s never a good day. And if you’re like that, if it’s always horrible, and there’s never, I mean, we’re to be people of rejoicing after all.

I mean, it, you know, well, you know, I woke up with a hangnail this morning, and so it’s not been a great. If you’re Eeyore, ultimately, people are gonna think you’re a whiner. We’re not to be whiners, but sometimes it’s okay to say I’m not having a good day. One psychologist called it imposter syndrome, where we become a public persona that is not true to our actual circumstances. And Oscar Wilde offers this recommendation for that malady. He said, be yourself. Everyone else is already taken.

I like that approach. You’ve got to be you. And the real you need to be seen by others. And I guess if it is a whiner that you are, that everything’s a wine, then perhaps a brother needs to pull you aside and help you with that and say, you need to look at a different side of things in your life. Everything is not absolutely terrible all the time. That in everything we can give thanks. 1 Thessalonians chapter 5 and verse 18. And that we have a lot to rejoice about as Christians. But that’s not to say that every time someone said, How are you doing? I’m doing great. Oh, I guess it’s only rejoice with those who rejoice. It’s never, and we’re not great at that.

We’re better with weep with those who weep. But I guess if you don’t ever say you’re in pain, people can’t weep with you. So the wearing of masks in regard to our cares can be a problem as well. Two points in this lesson, that’s it. The harmful hiding of sin. And the reality that life does involve pain.

Conclusion

And there’s Psalm 50 and Psalm 51, and I want to recommend by way of invitation two things. Absolute transparency before God and absolute surrender to his will. In Psalm 50, because God did not punish their sins immediately, when there a catalog of things are listed in Psalm 50, because God kept silent, they mistook that for God’s approval. That he actually thought like they thought.

Nobody here may know what you’re doing. Nobody.

And that is mirrored, I think, probably with some intention by the compiler of the Psalms, with the very next Psalm, where David is just with absolute transparency coming before God over his sin with Bathsheba and saying, My sin is ever before me. My blood guiltiness is great in this matter. Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a steadfast spirit within me. Restore unto me the joy of your salvation, and do not cast me away from your Holy Spirit. And again, that’s probably not the person of the Holy Spirit, but God is a spirit who is holy, and he did not want to be removed from God’s fellowship. Do not cast me away from your holiness, he says, and I will teach transgressions your way.

Who are we going to be like? We’re going to try to cover it up, conceal it, think God approves. Again, that changes your view of things, your view of scripture, perhaps, because hey, God’s God’s not real unhappy with this conduct because I’m still living and breathing and nobody knows. A day of reckoning for sin, regardless of what it is, a day of reckoning for sin always comes. Always. That’s what Luke 12 was saying. Or you can do as David. When you find yourself in a bad way spiritually, you can come clean before God and others and say, I need to set myself back on a better course, a righteous course, while there’s time and opportunity. Because in the end, I don’t want to be like the people of Psalm 50.

I want to be like David in the presence of God. Don’t you? Can we assist you tonight to come in absolute surrender to the King of Kings? Let’s stand and sing.