2021-6-27, The Counsel of Ancient Kings: Jehoshaphat Teaches Us Not To Be Unequally Yoked, 2 Chronicles 17-19:3
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2021-6-27, The Counsel of Ancient Kings: Jehoshaphat Teaches Us Not To Be Unequally Yoked, 2 Chronicles 17-19:3
Today I want to tell you about an excellent king with a near-fatal flaw. We are going to receive a lesson today from Jehoshaphat.
The Lord was with Jehoshaphat, because he walked in the earlier ways of his father David. He did not seek the Baals, but sought the God of his father and walked in his commandments, and not according to the practices of Israel. Therefore the Lord established the kingdom in his hand. And all Judah brought tribute to Jehoshaphat, and he had great riches and honor.
In the early years of his reign, Jehoshaphat excelled...
1. Jehoshaphat secured Judah against Israel. (17: 1)
2. He removed idolaty (17.6)
3. He taught the people of Judah the Law of the Lord (17.9)
4. The nations around Judah dared not attack. Many of them paid tribute to Jehoshaphat (17.10)
5. Judah prospered and dominated the landscape in regards to supplies, fortresses, and mighty soldiers (17.12-13)
Things were going really well. In fact, Jehoshaphat’s Judah was approaching the prosperity to Solomon’s reign, when Israel and Judah were still united. You have to think that Jehoshaphat had the thought that maybe Israel and Judah might reconcile and become one again.
As wonderful of a king as Jehoshaphat was, his weakness was his tendency to become yoked with unbelievers.
Now Jehoshaphat had great riches and honor, and he made a marriage alliance with Ahab. After some years he went down to Ahab in Samaria. And Ahab killed an abundance of sheep and oxen for him and for the people who were with him, and induced him to go up against Ramoth-gilead. Ahab king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat king of Judah, “Will you go with me to Ramoth-gilead?” He answered him, “I am as you are, my people as your people. We will be with you in the war.”
Jehoshaphat had wealth and power. He also likely had the dream of a united Israel.
So he goes to Samaria to visit Ahab. Ahab pays tribute to Jehoshaphat (18.2)
But, Ahab, who was a wicked king with a wicked wife, had an angle. He wants Jehoshaphat to go with him to reclaim Ramoth-gilead from Syria (this was lost when Asa formed an alliance with Ben-haddad of Syria against Baasha of Israel).
Jehoshaphat responds with a statement of unity with Ahab. “We are the same, one people. We will war together.”
Jehoshaphat is not totally accurate in this. Yes, they were all Jews, they were the twelve tribes of Israel, but their postures toward the Lord could not be more different. Jehoshaphat loved the Lord and led Judah to love the Lord. Ahab did not love the Lord and led Israel astray. There could never be true unity between them with such differing views of the Lord.
Before they go to way, Jehoshaphat gets smart and wants to ask the Lord about the battle plans.
Ahab musters 400 prophets (false ones). He asks them, “Shall we go to battle against Ramoth-gilead, or shall we refrain?” And there is this consensus among all the prophets that they should go and that they will be victorious.
Jehoshaphat is skeptical. Something about this seems off. So he asks if there is another prophet for them to ask.
Ahab responds...
And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “There is yet one man by whom we may inquire of the Lord, Micaiah the son of Imlah; but I hate him, for he never prophesies good concerning me, but always evil.” And Jehoshaphat said, “Let not the king say so.”
So they call out Micaiah. The messenger tells him that there’s consensus of opinion that Ahab and Jehoshaphat should team up to take Ramoth-gilead.
When Micaiah comes to the space where Ahab and Jehoshaphat are sitting on their respective thrones, the false prophets are in a frenzy prophesying. One of them, Zedekiah has even made horns of iron to demonstrate God’s promise of victory.
And when he had come to the king, the king said to him, “Micaiah, shall we go to Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall I refrain?” And he answered, “Go up and triumph; they will be given into your hand.”
I get the idea that Micaiah didn’t have much conviction in the way he said this. He must have been thinking, “Why should I bother, Ahab will simply ignore me anyway.”
Ahab recognizes Micaiah’s insincerity and demands the real message.
But the king said to him, “How many times shall I make you swear that you speak to me nothing but the truth in the name of the Lord?” And he said, “I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains, as sheep that have no shepherd. And the Lord said, ‘These have no master; let each return to his home in peace.’ ”
Ahab’s response, “See! Didn’t I tell you!”
Micaiah continued...
Summarize 18:18-22
According to the prophet Micaiah, God permitted a lying spirit to entice Ahab to go to war in Ramoth Gilead. The lying spirit would speak through the 400 false prophets. The purpose being that Ahab would be killed and God’s judgment about Ahab, because of his wickedness would be fulfilled.
The irony is that even with Ahab heard the truth, discarded it and decided to go to war anyway. And Jehoshaphat with him.
So they go to war. Ahab knows that Syria will be gunning for him. So he gets this idea that he will have Jehoshaphat dress up like him so the Syrians will chase after Jehoshaphat instead of Ahab. Ahab will disguise himself. Jehoshaphat agrees for whatever reason.
Then the following happens.
So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah went up to Ramoth-gilead. And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “I will disguise myself and go into battle, but you wear your robes.” And the king of Israel disguised himself, and they went into battle. Now the king of Syria had commanded the captains of his chariots, “Fight with neither small nor great, but only with the king of Israel.” As soon as the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, they said, “It is the king of Israel.” So they turned to fight against him. And Jehoshaphat cried out, and the Lord helped him; God drew them away from him. For as soon as the captains of the chariots saw that it was not the king of Israel, they turned back from pursuing him. But a certain man drew his bow at random and struck the king of Israel between the scale armor and the breastplate. Therefore he said to the driver of his chariot, “Turn around and carry me out of the battle, for I am wounded.” And the battle continued that day, and the king of Israel was propped up in his chariot facing the Syrians until evening. Then at sunset he died.
So, there is one question which comes to mind when I read this story.
Why was Jehoshaphat even there?
Why did he let himself get roped into a war effort with an evil man who hated the Lord? By becoming yoked with an evil man, Jehoshaphat almost lost everything the Lord had given him, including his life. Only by God’s mercy was he delivered. This was very foolish of Jehoshaphat to do. He should have never become associated with such a person.
Jehoshaphat’s foolishness did not escape the notice of the Lord.
Jehoshaphat the king of Judah returned in safety to his house in Jerusalem. But Jehu the son of Hanani the seer went out to meet him and said to King Jehoshaphat, “Should you help the wicked and love those who hate the Lord? Because of this, wrath has gone out against you from the Lord. Nevertheless, some good is found in you, for you destroyed the Asheroth out of the land, and have set your heart to seek God.”
This is a lesson for us. We need to be careful not to become yoked with people who do not know and love the Lord.
The idea is that:
As believers in Christ, our values, agendas, and worldviews are so different from those of unbelievers. If we are tied to them, our work for the Lord will be hindered, we may be led astray; we will likely find ourselves in compromising situations.
What do I mean by being “tied to them” or yoked?
Concentric circles
The inner most circles are reserved for the people whom we trust and rely on the most. These are our trusted confidants, and their advice has tremendous influence over us. We grant them access to inner-most circles.
As Christians, the person who should be closest to us is Jesus Christ. The people who are closest to us should agree with our conviction of Jesus is Lord.
Yoked is a farming term which refers to the piece of wood which unites two oxen together. It refers to being covenanted deeply with others.
What happens if we invite people into the inner circles who do not treasure Christ as we do? What happens if you become unequally yoked?
We will be hindered in our relationship and service to Christ, likely led astray, and placed in compromising situations. It will harm us
Chair illustration
1. Marriage and family, spouse and your kids
2. Going into business together business partners
3. Ecumenicalism and worship, church members
4. Using a counselor who does not believe the Bible first and foremost.
If we do not have agreement in our beliefs and love of the Lord, we risk being pulled away from our first love, Jesus.
Scripture repeats this lesson many times in different ways.
Paul
Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.”
Paul said this about running around with people who deny the precious resurrection of Christ. Such people will pressure you into sinning.
James
You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.
James said this to Christians who want the things of the world more than the things of God. If you want worldly things, you are going to link up with people who want worldly things rather than with people who want the things of God.
Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said,
“I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them,
and I will be their God,
and they shall be my people.
Therefore go out from their midst,
and be separate from them, says the Lord,
and touch no unclean thing;
then I will welcome you,
and I will be a father to you,
and you shall be sons and daughters to me,
says the Lord Almighty.”
Paul is telling the Corinthians that believers are God’s family who are to be separate from the people of the world.
He clarifies in 1 Cor. 5 that this doesn’t mean we don’t interact, or even have courteous friendships with unbelievers, but he does mean that when it comes to partnerships and agreements (inner circles) in which people must give of themselves to each other, it is inappropriate for believers to become yoked with unbelievers.
If you link with someone who doesn’t know or love the Lord, you are unequally yoked. This harms a healthy oxen. It inferferes with plowing (Christian work) Paul’s point here is that yoke no longer unites two oxen but becomes a toxin.
So, with whom should we become yoked? This is the idea behind a church family.
Surround yourself with people who inspire you to know and love the Lord. Let into your inner circle only those who share your wholehearted love for Christ.
Evaluate our friendships and partnerships. Praying and asking the Lord about them.
We need to cleanse ourselves of our Ahabs and Jezebels. This is especially hard if such people are family members.
We need to rely on the fellowship of believers and pursue the Lord together.
Experience the blessings of walking with people. Pray together, witness together, give together, agenda harmony.
By the way, if you are a Christian who does another Christian wrong, you need to repent of that sin and be reconciled. Matthew 18, Matthew 5
You are the sum of your 5 closest friends.
Do you like what yo see?