We reach now the evidence of the change in Jehoshaphat; not that God was no longer before him, but that he had become blinded by the favor of the world. He had "riches and honor in abundance"—we read in chapter 17:5 but now the riches and honor had turned his heart away from a simple, childlike trust in God, and he saw but poorly what the character of the world around him was. To the north lay the kingdom of Israel; they spoke the same language, were children of Abraham too: there was a natural tie, and it seemed the part, perhaps, of worldly wisdom to make an alliance with Ahab, son of Omri, of the fifth dynasty of the kings of Israel of whom the Holy Spirit records,
"And Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the Lord above all that were before him. And it came to pass, as if it had been a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, that he took to wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Zidonians, and went and served Baal, and worshipped him," etc. etc. 1 Kings 16:3030And Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the Lord above all that were before him. (1 Kings 16:30).
The alliance of Jehoshaphat with Ahab did not occur in a moment, we may be sure, but it is evident that it occurred fairly early in his reign,—not more than six years after he ascended the throne, for Jehoshaphat's grandson Ahaziah was born of the marriage of his son with Ahab's daughter in the seventh year, being 22 years of age when he began to reign, about six years after Jehoshaphat's death.
Jehoshaphat's course from this time on is a most solemn warning to the Christian. He had the enjoyment of all that the 17th chapter presents, but the world attracted him, as it had Solomon, to his most serious loss. If he would be friends with the world (strangers to God, enemies of God by wicked works), he must help. fight their battles, be a partner in their affairs.
Verse 2 brings us to Jehoshaphat's 17th year as King—ten years after the alliance with Ahab was made.
What word for God to hear, Who hears all, sees all, knows what is in the heart! Jehoshaphat said to Ahab,
"I am as thou art, and my people as thy people!" Yet Jehoshaphat's conscience troubled him (and well it might).
"Inquire," said he to Ahab, "I pray thee, at the word of the Lord today."
What did this idol worshiper know of the word of the Lord ? He assembled the prophets—not of God, but of the idols— and asked them to tell him whether to go or not, to battle with the Syrians. Their answer did not satisfy the man who knew God, nor could it.
"Is there not," said he, "here a prophet of the Lord besides, that we might inquire of him ?"
Yes, there was one; God had not left Israel wholly without witness for Himself, and he was sent for, to disclose to Ahab his end.
The prison was the reward of Micaiah for his faithfulness. It has often been so with faithful men, but God is the rewarder of such. The two kings then went together to Ramoth-Gilead on the east of the Jordan,—one of Solomon's strongholds which the Syrians had taken,—and there Ahab fell, though Jehoshaphat was spared by God’s intervention.