Passage Read: 2 Chronicles 18-21
Meditation Verses: 19:2-3
Thought
Jehoshaphat is such an interesting king. He had set his heart on seeking the Lord, but had this one significant fault: He loved those who hate the Lord! He allied himself with Ahab and with his son, and both times had tragedy strike or almost strike. The prophet warns him that the wrath of the Lord is upon him, but there is some good in him because he set his heart on seeking the Lord. He took a daughter of Ahab for his son and his son did evil because of it, eventually being put to death in a painful and slow manner. It is discouraging to think that someone who sets his heart to seek the Lord can still miss an important lesson. He can live a wonderfully obedient life, but misunderstand the Lord in a way that angers Him. He can both enjoy God's favor and suffer God's wrath.
Application
Jehoshaphat is an important reminder that people don't matter more than God. Turning away from those who refuse to honor and obey Him is the right response to unrepentant people. Of course, they need to be rebuked before rejection, but if after rebuke they do not repent, the Lord would have us separate from them, not continue to fellowship with them and make friends of them. Perhaps Jehoshaphat thought checking with the Lord's true prophets was a rebuke to Ahab. This is the error of friendship evangelism, when the relationship is put ahead of the Gospel, and the result is the many stumble into sin because of it or are never delivered from it. It seems loving but it is more subtly destructive than outright shunning of the unrepentant. Jehoshaphat should have kept his distance from Ahab and his family, instead of thinking that by his caring example he could win them to repentance. He perhaps thought by bringing a daughter of Ahab into his family he could turn her to the Lord. Instead, he lost all his sons to murder and torment. If God and His Gospel do not humble a person to repent and believe, then I shouldn't think my imperfect example will! That's incredible arrogance!