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And the LORD said unto him, Wherewith? And he said, I will go forth, and I will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And he 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.

New Defender's Study Bible Notes

22:23 lying spirit. The question raised by this passage is why the God of truth would send a lying spirit to deceive the king of Israel. The fact is, of course, that Satan and his hosts of evil spirits can only pursue their evil goals to the extent God allows them to do so—as in the case of Job, for example. King Ahab (like the Pharaoh in the days of Moses) had so hardened his heart against God, that God finally would allow an evil spirit to lead him to his own deserved destruction (compare Exodus 7:3 and 8:15). For such a mission it would be more appropriate for God to release one of Satan’s lying spirits to carry it out than to dispatch one of His holy angels. Note also I Corinthians 5:5.


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