Jehoshaphat and Ahab. II Chronicles 18

 

II Chronicles 18- Jehoshaphat and Ahab

 

Jehoshaphat teamed up with Ahab. Jehoshaphat loves God, and he loves the word of God. He is what we would call a spiritually minded man. On the other hand, Ahab is as godless as they come. He hates God. He has given himself over to idolatry and immorality. What is it they have in common?

1.    There was a matrimonial alliance. Jehoram, the son of Jeshoshaphat, married Athaliah, the daughter of Ahab and Jezebel. These two men thought they could cement relations between Judah and Israel and bring about an undivided kingdom. What they did was wrong. A believer and an unbeliever, a Christian and a non-Christian should not get married. This alliance almost exterminated the line of David.

2.    Jehoshaphat and Ahab had a market alliance. They sent ships to Tarshish. The ships were in commerce in grain and gold. There was a shipwreck, and the cargo was lost. God could not bless this alliance.

3.    Jehoshaphat and Ahab had a military alliance. What the armies of the northern kingdom could not accomplish against the southern kingdom of Judah, Ahab accomplished by involving Jehoshaphat in a war with Syria.

God had given Jehoshaphat peace. Ahab is asking him to go to war. Jehoshaphat agrees, but this situation gives him anxiety. Jehoshaphat says, “Let’s find out what God has to say.” So, Ahab brings in a whole lot of prophets of Baal. Jehoshaphat says, “Is there not a prophet of the Lord whom we can ask?” Ahab replies, “there is one man, but I hate him.” Jehoshaphat says, “surely not because he gives you the Word of God.” So, Ahab agreed to send for Micaiah. The messenger tries to encourage Micaiah to speak the same as the other prophets. Micaiah is not intimidated. He is going to speak what God says for him to say. Ahab knew the difference between truth and lies, but he didn’t want to obey the truth. There are a lot of people like that today.

Micaiah’s message is that they will lose the battle and Ahab will be killed. Ahab does not pay attention to what Micaiah says and orders Micaiah to be put in prison. It was not Jehoshaphat’s fight, but he almost got killed. The only reason he came out alive is because God intervened on his behalf.  On the Syrian side there was a soldier. He drew a bow that had Ahab’s name on it, and it got him. He died just as Micaiah said he would.

Please read the chapter listed so that you can understand God’s Word better. If you have missed any lessons, you can go to: God Plans For You at https://sherrysouthard.blogspot.com.