June 19 – Reading 170

June 19 – Reading 170

by Chris Rainey | June 19

“THE REIGN OF JEHOSHAPHAT”
(2 Chronicles 17:1-20:37)

Now Jehoshaphat had great riches and honor, and he made a marriage alliance with Ahab. – 2 Chronicles 18:1

“And with these our hells and our heavens 
So few inches apart
We must be awfully small
And not as strong as we think we are.”  
–Rich Mullins, from the song We Are Not As Strong As We Think We Are

Have you ever seen believers make alliances with non-believers, thinking their influence will prevail? This can happen in friendship, marriage, business, or even politics. It often fails to work out the way the believer thought it would. King Jehosphat of Judah learned this the hard way.

If today’s reading looks familiar, it’s because we are reading the overlapping parallel account to 1 Kings 21-22 from yesterday.  But this time, instead of being written from the perspective of Israel and its wicked king, Ahab, it is written from the perspective of Judah and its fourth King, Jehoshaphat. Jehoshaphat’s background leading up to his fateful alliance with Ahab is summed up in The Baker Compact Bible Dictionary this way: 

“He was a good king who loved God, but not a perfect king. He removed most, but not all, forms of false worship from the land of Judah” (184).

This tepid description does not do justice to Jehoshaphat’s piety, especially compared to Ahab’s evil, self-centered pursuits. For example, we learn that “The Lord was with Jehoshaphat because he walked in the earlier ways of his father David (17:3), meaning before David’s sin with Bathsheba and the unraveling of David’s family. Jehoshaphat sought God and lived by his commandments (17:4). He supported the levitical priests and ensured they taught God’s law throughout the land (17:7-9). Jehoshaphat’s leadership resulted in the nation of Judah having the respect of the surrounding nations and none made war with Judah (17:10). The economy flourished.  Jehoshaphat is blessed with wealth and honor. He is a great king, and his approval rating must have soared!

But Jehoshaphat also seems to be a bit naive in that he makes an alliance with the wicked Ahab through intermarriage of his son Jehoram to Ahab’s daughter Athaliah. Immediately, as often happens in these mixed alliances, the relationship tilts toward deference to Ahab as we see Jehoshaphat let Ahab talk him into going into a battle to retake Ramoth-Gilead (Ahab’s desire) and to go into battle wearing his royal robes while Ahab goes into battle disguised to like a soldier (also Ahab’s request). God preserves Jehoshaphat miraculously when he is mistaken for Ahab (“God drew them away from him,” 18:31) and vindicates him when Ahaz is struck by an arrow shot in what the text ironically calls at random (18:33).

Many years later this alliance will yield more terrible consequences as Jehosphat’s daughter-in-law Athaliah will influence her son Ahaziah King of Judah to follow the practices not of Jehoshaphat but of Ahab. Moreover, she will then also violently attempt to purge the entire royal family of Judah in what amounts to an attempt to eliminate the Davidic line. We will read about these things in weeks to come. Jehoshaphat, despite all of his piety, spiritual success, and blessing, learned that we are not as strong as we think we are.

Application:
It is risky to make alliances with those who do not share the same devotion to God.

Reflection:
The Apostle Paul told the Corinthians in 2 Corinthians 6:14, “Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?” How does this text address the mistake made by Jehoshaphat?  How do you distinguish between ministry to non-believers and alliances  with non-believers?

Closing Prayer:
Heavenly Father, we come before you mindful of the lessons from Jehoshaphat’s reign. We acknowledge the dangers of making alliances with those who do not share our devotion to you, even when our intentions seem noble. Grant us wisdom to discern between opportunities for ministry and the pitfalls of unholy alliances. Help us to remain strong in our faith and to trust in your power, knowing that our own strength is limited. May we always seek your guidance and walk in your ways, avoiding the compromises that can lead us astray. Strengthen us to stand firm for righteousness and to be beacons of light in a world that often walks in darkness. Amen.