When reading through the Old Testament, we encounter many details about kings in Israel. Sometimes the reigns of these kings seem to blur together, and it’s possible to get the details get a little muddy. It can be hard to understand how these historical events apply to our lives as we read about king after king after king.
However, there are important lessons to be learned from these kings, for all Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable (2 Timothy 3:16). Everything in the Old Testament is written for our admonition (1 Corinthians 10:11). The intricate details about Old Testament kings can help us grow spiritually if we understand them by the Holy Spirit, and sometimes these details fit together like a puzzle that reveals important truth.
Jehoshaphat was a king in Judah. He had many good qualities (2 Chronicles 17:1-13). He fortified the nation against its enemies. He sought after God. He got rid of pagan practices from among God’s people. He sent servants of God throughout his kingdom to teach the law of God. He experienced supernatural victory in battle and provided the people with all they needed. He was a good leader and a wise king.
However, he had one problem. He “made peace with the king of Israel.” (1 Kings 22:44).
It might seem like a good thing to make peace with the king of Israel. After all, the people of God had been split into northern (Israel) and southern (Judah) kingdoms, and it might seem like a good thing to bring them back together. Jehoshaphat tried to do this. He thought this was a good idea. But sometimes our plans are not God’s plans.
Unity is not worthwhile if it is at the expense of truth.
Ahab, the king of the northern kingdom of Israel, was an evil king who, through the influence of his wife Jezebel, spread pagan practices and Baal worship. Elijah had just confronted this Baal worship in the northern kingdom of Israel on Mt. Carmel, and he killed all the prophets of Baal. Jehoshaphat came onto the scene after this. Maybe he thought that Ahab had repented and an alliance with Israel was now God’s will.
It seems that Jehoshaphat wanted to get along with Ahab so badly that he turned a blind eye to Ahab’s false teachings and false practices. Even after the prophets of Baal were killed, Ahab continued supporting other false prophets. He also promoted other evil things in Israel. Jehoshaphat didn’t seem to care about this.
First, Jehoshaphat gave his son to marry Athaliah, the daughter of Ahab and Jezebel (2 Chronicles 18:1). Athaliah seemed just as bad as her mother Jezebel (2 Chronicles 24:7). When she became older, Athaliah corrupted the nation of Judah (2 Kings 8:18; 2 Chronicles 22:3). But Jehoshaphat didn’t seem to think that allying with such evil people would be a problem. He valued this marriage alliance over the truth of God’s word.
Jehoshaphat had other problems.
One time Ahab asked Jehoshaphat to fight in a battle together against the Syrians (2 Chronicles 18:2). Jehoshaphat said they had to ask God first. So Ahab called for 400 false Yahweh-prophets. These prophets prophesied in the name of Yahweh, but they were false (2 Chronicles 18:10-11, 23). There were many false Yahweh-prophets in Israel in those days. They acted as though they were speaking the word of Yahweh, but in reality they were deceiving the people.
Ahab asked these false prophets if they should fight against Syria. All of them said yes. They said that Yahweh would give them victory. The false prophets told Ahab what he wanted to hear.
It is easy to be a false prophet. False prophets say what other people want to hear. They encourage people in their evil ways. They do not confront them. False prophets are supported by the king and rulers in Israel. They are popular among the people.
Jehoshaphat had discernment. He knew that these prophets were false. So he asked Ahab if there was another prophet who they could enquire of. Ahab said there was one other prophet, Micaiah. But Ahab didn’t like Micaiah because he was a true prophet who told him the truth.
At Jehoshaphat’s urging, Ahab called the prophet Micaiah. Micaiah said that they should not go into battle because they would lose.
Ahab was mad. He didn’t like God’s word. He didn’t want to hear it. He punished Micaiah by throwing him into prison and giving him bad things to eat. It’s hard to be a true prophet of God. It is unpopular. People often do not want to hear true prophecies. They will attack true prophets, while they praise false prophets.
It is interesting that the ratio of false Yahweh-prophets to true Yahweh-prophets in ancient Israel seemed to be 400 false prophets to 1 true prophet. Only 1/4 of 1% of the prophets in those days were true. This is a very low percentage.
Remember, all the things in the Old Testament are written as examples to warn us. It is possible that in Christianity today there is a similarly low ratio of false to true prophets. We need to be discerning and measure every ministry and teaching by the word of God.
In spite of getting this true prophecy telling him not to go to battle, Jehoshaphat went into battle with Ahab anyway.
Before the battle Ahab told Jehoshaphat to wear his royal robes while Ahab dressed like the other soldiers. It is obvious that Ahab is setting a trap for Jehoshaphat so the Syrians would kill Jehoshaphat, thinking that he is is the king, while Ahab is able to go free. Surprisingly, Jehoshaphat agreed to this plan. He went into the battle wearing his royal robes, while Ahab dressed like a normal soldier. God was merciful to Jehoshaphat and delivered him when he was about to be killed, and in this battle Ahab died.
Jehoshaphat had a heart for God. He had discernment. But he also had some major problems.
Why did he allow his son to marry the evil Athaliah?
Why did he agree to fight Ahab’s battle when God told him not to?
Why did he go into the battle wearing his royal robes when he might be killed?
Proverbs says “the simple believe every word” (Proverbs 14:15). It says that the “simple pass on and are punished” (Proverbs 22:3). The word simple means to be spacious, wide-open, too open-minded, easily enticed.
It is not a virtue to believe every word that is spoken. It is not a virtue to turn off one’s discernment in order to ally yourself with false teachings or false prophecies. Jehoshaphat probably believed that Ahab had his best interest at heart. He believed that Ahab was a good guy. He believed that Ahab was no longer deceived. Jehoshaphat said, “I am as you are, my people as your people” (1 Kings 22:4). He was wrong.
The solution for being too simple is to renew our minds with the word of God. We need to gird up the loins of our mind and be sober. We need to clearly see things through the lens of the word of God, and not allow ourselves to be carried away with our own soulish desires or plans.
Jehoshaphat valued an alliance and peace with Ahab more than he valued the word of God.
it is possible for God’s people to value a relationship with others at the expense of the word of God. Even if we have a heart for God, we must not put other people above the word of God, even if they claim to represent God. Even if we are close to them, we must declare that God comes first. We must humble ourselves before God’s word and be willing to confront others for their false teachings and errors. If we are blind to the many errors within Christianity today in order to be at peace with our fellow Christians, then we are deceiving ourselves.
Jehoshaphat was a compromiser. He was a godly man, but he was ruined through compromise.
God rebuked Jehoshaphat, “Should you help the wicked and love those who hate the LORD? Therefore the wrath of the LORD is upon you” (2 Chronicles 19:2).
It is important for Christians to know when and where to draw the line. There are many false teachings today, and God doesn’t want us turning a blind eye to these things in order to get along with people. Compromising the truth of God’s word for the sake of relationships is not the will of God. It will lead to our own destruction. Our own good works or good understanding will not outweigh the evil effects of compromise.
It sometimes seems that compromise is a good thing. It creates unity. But this unity is a false unity because it is not based on God’s word. Compromise opens the door to the devil.
As we stand strong for the truth of God, other people will be blessed, even those who oppose us.
Lincoln House Churches 