These scriptures give us a picture of a man who had a good beginning, but a bad ending. He made bad alliances, and reaped the consequences.
“Whatsoever a man, soweth, that shall he also reap.”
Jehoshaphat’s alliance with Ahab was a bad one. The bad seed brought a bad crop. This principle is as true today as it was then. It is as applicable to Christians as to others. Therefore, let us beware of joining hands with those who do not know the Lord Jesus Christ.
We need to remember that God’s governmental dealings, even though we are saved, are the same with us as with the unsaved. With Jehoshaphat there was zeal for God at times, but at this time, he was off his guard.
His beginning was a very happy one. He was in God’s favor. “The Lord was with Jehoshaphat.” “He walked in the first ways of his father David.” (17:3). How wonderful to be in the place approved by God! What satisfaction to rest in His favor! It is a wonderful thing that God loves us. Think who God is, and who we are. The One who made the worlds, thinks of you. Scientists tell us that according to the latest conclusions of science, there are three million orbs, and this One who created those three million orbs, thinks of you, and not only so, but He loves you, an insignificant creature. How wonderful!
His love to us is revealed in the Bible. No book like it. Where else can we find such thoughts as are therein contained? Who could have been the author of such thoughts. Ah! Well we know that only God could reveal such thoughts as we find in that book. And how His love is told out at the cross. There the question of sin was answered. And this book tells us of that One who stands preeminent, and yet so lowly! Where could we read of such an One but in that book? How humble the circumstances of His birth! How lowly His walk! He was a man beyond all others. And finally He was offered as a sacrifice, a Lamb without spot. God gave Him in His compassionate love. O! Such a book! Such a Saviour! Such a God! And this was done for us, for God wants us for Himself. He cannot allow us to go on in sin.
1 Corinthians 10:1111Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. (1 Corinthians 10:11) shows that we are right in examining these Scriptures for our own guidance. They were given for our admonition. As we see the failure of Jehoshaphat, we are to take warning. By studying his case we can see wherein we too are likely to fail. Like many Christians, Jehoshaphat had a good beginning (17:6) but a poor ending. In His alliance with Ahab we do not see him first in prayer to God for guidance. No. “He went down to Ahab.” Yes! He went “down.” How different all this from the ways of our Lord when here as a man. How dependent was He! Praying much; being all night in prayer before choosing “the twelve.” So for us, we must take Christ for our example. He did all things well. By occupation with Him we shall be saved from the failure of Jehoshaphat. And truly we should be much occupied with Himself. He is worthy. What a mighty person He is! And what a mighty work He has wrought! How great His love to us!
At the time of Cromwell in England, there was a young man, Bazil Underwood, under sentence of death. He was to be executed at the ringing of the curfew on a certain day. But Bazil Underwood had a lover, and that lover sought his release. But day after day, she sought it without success, and finally the day of execution came. Throughout the day her efforts, if possible, were increased, but again to no avail. And now Bazil Underwood must die unless she can prevent the ringing of the curfew. So she found the old deaf bell-ringer and pleaded with him, but that faithful old servant could not step from duty’s path. Curfew must ring. So the lover hastened to the belfry tower, and began the hazardous climb to the bell. At last she reached it, and as she grasped its great iron tongue the bell began to swing to and fro, to and fro. Each time she was thrown violently against its sides, but no sound rang out. At last the faithful sexton ceased. His duty had been done, but curfew had not rung. Then she dropped from the bell, all bruised and bleeding, but Bazil Underwood was saved. Subsequently, upon Cromwell’s return, he was pardoned.
This story illustrates human love, wondrous human love. Wouldn’t Bazil Underwood have been most ungrateful if he had spurned the young woman who so loved him? Aren’t you ungrateful, my unsaved one, when you spurn the Lord Jesus Christ, who so loved you that He gave His life for you? My dear young hearer, you who have heard of this love so often, you who have grown up in the sound of the gospel, Are these truths real to you? Are they facts? Do they not stir your conscience?
But Jehoshaphat turned aside. He joined with Ahab. Then there is a feast, and then Jehoshaphat said, “I am as thou art, and my people as thy people.” Then he joins Ahab in battle (18:3). After that he inquires of the Lord, but evidently, his inquiring was too late. His first step was taken without guidance from the Lord. In this he failed.
Let us live in the power of the fact that we are a heavenly people. Jehoshaphat had said to Ahab, “I am as thou art.” It is the first step that starts the downfall. “Let him that thinketh he standeth, take heed lest he fall.” There is not a bit of safety outside of dependence upon God.
Dear young Christian, be sure to inquire of the Lord before taking the first step.
Another thing, Jeboshaphat did not stand separated to the Lord. He took up with Ahab and his ways, and soon measured things as Ahab did. To stand separated to the Lord is the only safe place. If you do this, your tempter will turn from you. Separation and testimony for the Lord go together.
In Scotland, soon after a young man had been saved, his companions sought to entice him into wrong ways, but the young man remained faithful to the Lord, and began at once to speak to his companions about their souls’ salvation, with the result that soon his companions left off their efforts to entice.
Ahab was a worldly-wise man. His conduct was all apart from God, but God’s judgment fell upon him. An arrow “drawn at a venture” caused his death.
My desire for you, dear young Christians, is that you will not choose as your companions those who do not love the Lord. As you meet those who are out of Christ, yearn over them, and tell them about your Saviour, but do not go with them as companions. Through the mercy of the Lord, Jehoshaphat was allowed to “return to his house in peace,” but not without rebuke, for Jehu went out to meet him, and put to him the important question:
“Shouldest thou help the ungodly, and love them that hate the Lord? therefore is wrath upon thee from before the Lord.”
Following this experience with Ahab, Jehoshaphat did better for “he went out again through the people from Beersheba to Mount Ephraim, and brought them back to the Lord God of their fathers.” (19:4). This was a time of revival. But Satan was to test him again. This time he joined himself with “Ahaziah, king of Israel, who did very wickedly.” (20:35). Again it was an alliance with one who went not in the ways of his father, David. This time the activities were different; they joined to build ships. The building of ships was not wrong, but the joining with Ahaziah was. It was the case of a good thing, but a wrong person. Is it not true in these days that often the work being done is good, but the association is wrong? Although the work in itself was good, yet it could not be prospered because of the wrong alliance, and so it turned out that “the ships were broken, that they were not able to go to Tarshish.” (20:37).
Although Jehoshaphat had escaped after the first alliance, he was not allowed to escape after the second. God stopped his course (21:1). May his failures in thus joining with the wicked be guides to us in this dispensation to keep us from displeasing our God and Father by similar wicked alliances!