THEOSISTheodoret of Cyrus
The servants of evil have employed both genuine and deceptive prophets similarly, questioning them not to fulfill God's directives, but rather to discern whether the prophecies aligned with their own desires. Thus, the Almighty declares through the Prophet: To every individual among the house of Israel who rejects divine truths while adhering solely to their own inclinations, they will disregard the impending judgment that awaits the unrighteous if they seek counsel from a false prophet to satisfy their own wishes, inquiring if the prophecies correspond to their own thoughts. I will respond to them, and as they are led astray by misguided beliefs, I will permit the false prophet to validate those beliefs; for they are deserving of destruction and ruin.
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Therefore, says God, let the house of Israel turn away from Me in accordance with their own hearts, for their minds have distanced themselves from Me. In separating themselves from My care and reveling in the deceit of false prophets, they shall reap the consequences of their actions. This was notably realized with Ahab. The false prophet Zedekiah created iron horns and declared to Ahab, "By these you shall push back the Syrians" (2 Chronicles 18:10). However, Jehoshaphat rejected the false prophets' claims and sought out a true prophet of God; consequently, Micah was summoned and prophesied in opposition to Zedekiah's words, failing to convince Ahab. For Ahab did not approach the prophet with the intention of following God's revelation, but rather sought to fulfill his own agenda. Therefore, with divine permission, the false prophets deceived him, leading Ahab to trust their lies, resulting in his punishment for his wickedness.