why did jehoshaphat ally himself with ahab

We need to learn this. God gave the evil spirit permission to entice Ahab, and the evil spirit . . Learn Religions, May. Jehoshaphat, the fourth king of Judah, followed after his father, King Asa, and David's footsteps. He seeks after Gods own heart throughout his reign. But he himself has decreed that you will meet with disaster!, 23 Then the prophet Zedekiah went up to Micaiah, slapped his face, and asked, Since when did the Lord's spirit leave me and speak to you?. He repented when he did wrong. d. I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets: Apparently, one of the fallen angels volunteered for this task. Daniel 3, The Parable of the Vineyard Tenants. 2 Chronicles 18 tells the story of an unlikely partnership: Jehoshaphat, the godly king of Judah, and Ahab, the wicked king of Israel, joined together to make war against Syria.Before going to battle, Jehoshaphat was intent on asking God's will. How to Have Joy in Your Golden Years Despite These 10 Life 4 Things You May Not Know About Abraham in the Bible, 20 Facts You May Not Know About Moses from the Bible, California - Do Not Sell My Personal Information. First, Jehoshaphat allied himself with Ahab by taking Ahab's daughter . He says that Jehoshaphat strengthened his kingdom and became more powerful than his predecessors. "Ahab son of Omri did more evil in the eyes of the Lord than any of those before him. Then the messenger who had gone to call Micaiah spoke to him, saying, Now listen, the words of the prophets with one accord encourage the king. . Such arranged dynastic marriages were quite common in those days. i. Like Jehu told Jehoshaphat about his seeking an alliance with Ahab, he should not love those who hate the Lord. He was not satisfied with what God had given him, but was longing for something else among the nations around him. At age 35, Jehoshaphat succeeded his father, Asa, who was the first good king over Judah. Please click here to learn how. This is what the LORD says to you: Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. Nederlandstalige Bijbelstudies door Stan Marinussen, Copyright - Enduring Word       |      . because he never prophesied anything good about him, but always bad. a. Then a spirit came forward and stood before the LORD, and said, I will persuade him. The LORD said to him, In what way? So he said, I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And the Lord said, You shall persuade him and also prevail; go out and do so. Therefore look! To pry into the future King Ahab religiously consulted his false prophets, about four hundred of them. . This city "was strategic in controlling the eastern caravan route" (Layman's Bible Book Commentary, Volume 6). God intervened to help him. "Who Is Jehoshaphat in the Bible?" We use cookies to let us know when you visit our websites, how you interact with us, to enrich your user experience, and to customize your relationship with our website. He became one of the country's most successful rulers for one simple reason: He followed the commands of God. Scholars have variously dated his reign to around 873-849 B.C.E. Yet on the other hand very few men did more than Jehoshaphat to bring the nation to the brink of ruin. Ahab will dress like a common soldier and Jehoshaphat will wear the robes of a king into battle so that Ahab won't be attacked. His warnings are still the same today: How can two walk together unless they are agreed? 2 Now Ahaziah fell through the lattice in his upper chamber in Samaria, and lay sick; so he sent messengers, telling them, " Go, inquire of c Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, d whether I shall recover from this sickness. At first, the alliance worked, but Ahab drew Jehoshaphat into a war that was against God's will. Paul says about this, Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. On His right hand and His left: Since the right hand was the place of favor, this may indicate that God spoke to the combined host of heaven, both faithful and fallen angelic beings. 1 Kings 16:15-20 describes how Ahab's father, Omri, was the Israelite army's commander, who rebelled against the . . 2 A few years later he went to Samaria to visit Ahab, who prepared a great banquet for him and his officials. Let each return to his house in peace. And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, Did I not tell you he would not prophesy good concerning me, but evil?. God looked with favor on Jehoshaphat, strengthening his kingdom and making him wealthy. A Chronological Daily Bible Study regarding the Old Testament 7-Day Sections with a Summary-Commentary, Discussion Questions, and a Practical Almost Claim. Once back, the Lord rebukes him through his prophet Jehu, whose father, by the way, had rebuked Jehoshaphats father King Asa. This brings us to our focus today: King Ahab, the king of the northern kingdom of Israel was a very wicked man, who opposed Yahweh. How Can I Recognize and Understand the Holy Spirit Better? Jehoshaphat had riches and honor in abundance; and by marriage he allied himself with Ahab. . Sunday (2 Chronicles 18-23) Jehosophat Allies because Ahab. a. According to tradition, Jehoshaphat was buried in a magnificent manner to mimic the actions of King David. I saw the Lord sitting on his throne in heaven, with all his angels standing beside him. Last week I said Jehoshaphat was Ahab's son-in-law, that is wrong. He said that not only would Israel be defeated, but also that their leader (shepherd) would perish. Ahab decides to disguise himself so that he will not be recognized, but tells Jehoshaphat to dress as a king. Probably this man already had shot many arrows, and he went on in his simplicity, little knowing that this particular arrow was to be guided through all the confusion straight to its mark by the unerring knowledge and power of God. Even then, King Ahaziah did not humble himself and repent, as his father Ahab had done at least temporarily (1 Kings 21:17-29). But, not only that, so many times our sin ends up wounding those we love more than us. He was buried at age 60 in the City of David in Jerusalem. 12, 14-19). He made a marriage alliance with Ahab 18:1. No-one did more to educate the people of God than this man and that's why he's often known as Judah's great teacher, or Judah's teacher-king. Although Jehoshaphat didnt die from the friendship, he made a massive mistake by trusting the wrong person. Jehoshaphat strengthened Judah militarily by building an army and many forts. You have removed all the symbols of the goddess Asherah which people worshiped, and you have tried to follow God's will., 4 Even though King Jehoshaphat lived in Jerusalem, he traveled regularly among the people, from Beersheba in the south to the edge of the hill country of Ephraim in the north, in order to call the people back to the Lord, the God of their ancestors. Wait a minute! battle. (NIV), 2 Chronicles 20:15He said: Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! (He) sought the God of his father and walked in his commandments. b. Jehoshaphat cried out, and the LORD helped him: Finding himself as the only identifiable king in the battle, Jehoshaphat found himself quickly in danger. " 3 But the angel of the Lord said to . 1. and it begins well in chapter 17. And, sure enough, he predicts that Ahab will be killed and that this is Gods purpose. Ahab was a king of Israel, first mentioned in 1 Kings 16. It appears to be a judgment ground for any nation who came up against Gods people, in a plot of land situated between Jerusalem and the Mount of Olives or Kidron Valley. We should not make partnerships with the world. By proceeding, you consent to our cookie usage. Despite Jehoshaphat's errors in this regard, it appears that he later recognized that he should not have allied himself with Ahaziah (compare 1 Kings 22:49). These cookies collect information that is used either in aggregate form to help us understand how our website is being used or how effective our marketing campaigns are, or to help us customize our website and application for you in order to enhance your experience. b. When Micaiah said this, his tone was probably mocking and sarcastic. Unfortunately, Jehoram did not follow in the paths of . Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. His heart was courageous in the ways of the Lord" - 2 Chronicles 17:3-6. He attempts to make peace with the northern kingdom of Israel but ends up getting tangled in some bad friendships along the way. If there's one mistake Jehoshaphat made, it's the time he decided to ally himself with King Ahab of Israel, the devious Jezebel's husband. As the LORD lives, whatever my God says, that I will speak: The assistant of King Ahab tried to persuade Micaiah to speak in agreement with the 400 other prophets. I got my facts mixed up. 7-27) should have alerted Jehoshaphat to the true character of the man he had befriended. This strange incident can only be understood against the background of other Old Testament passages, especially Deuteronomy 13:11 and Ezekiel 14:1-11. both these passages speak of people being enticed by false prophets, in each case as a result of a link with idolatry. (Selman), Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah went near and struck Micaiah on the cheek, and said, Which way did the spirit from the LORD go from me to speak to you? And Micaiah said, Indeed you shall see on that day when you go into an inner chamber to hide! Then the king of Israel said, Take Micaiah, and return him to Amon the governor of the city and to Joash the kings son; and say, Thus says the king: Put this fellow in prison, and feed him with bread of affliction and water of affliction until I return in peace. But Micaiah said, If you ever return in peace, the LORD has not spoken by me. And he said, Take heed, all you people!. It is less easy to understand why King Jehoshaphat of Judah went to this battle with Ahab. We should not love the world. William Higgins. 43 Jehoshaphat was a And persuaded him to go up with him to Ramoth Gilead: Previously, the king of Syria promised to return certain cities to Israel (1 Kings 20:34) in exchange for leniency after defeat in battle. 1. You compromise your faithfulness to God, but you will get nothing from it. The prophets' counsel did not sit well with Jehoshaphat, who then asked for another opinion. q. First, Jehoshaphat just went and visited Ahab. When his death became known the battle was over. He allied with Ahab's son, Ahaziah, in a mercantile venture until God destroyed their fleet (20:35-37; 1 Kings 22:48, 49 ). When we hear the name of Jehoshaphat some of us may be thinking of the Valley of Jehoshaphat mentioned in Joel 3:2 and Joel 3:12. Be courageous and carry out these instructions, and may the Lord be on the side of the right!, Good News Translation (Todays English Version, Second Edition). Put this fellow in prison: King Ahab responded the way many tyrants do when they are confronted with the truth. Neighboring kings paid tribute to him because they feared his power. His heart was courageous in the ways of the Lord 2 Chronicles 17:3-6. You will succeed., 22 And Micaiah concluded: This is what has happened. Nevertheless, King Jehoshaphat has one moral weakness, similar to his father who came before him. He assumed the throne after being anointed by a messenger of the prophet Elisha and carried out one of history's most violent coups. But this will always prompt you to accept/refuse cookies when revisiting our site. The rest of chapter 19 he went back to reforming Judah. Jehoshaphat made a bad alliance with King Ahab, one of the most wicked kings in Israels history. It came about because Jehoshaphat allied himself to the king of Israel, Ahab, through marriage: his son and successor as king, Jehoram, married Athaliah, the daughter of Ahab. The ruse fails, in the end. Otherwise you will be prompted again when opening a new browser window or new a tab. He made an alliance with marriage with Ahab, 18:2 plus after several years went down to visit Ahab in Samaria. The prophet Elijah had previously prophesied evil concerning Ahab. Ahab, the father of the daughter, attempts to draw king Jehoshaphat into a war that God does not approve of. i. It is more difficult to explain why Jehoshaphat agreed to go into the battle as the only clearly identified king. Jehoshaphat also established a strong justice system. God does not want us to enter into binding partnerships with the wicked that could conflict with our commitment to Him and His ways. "Evil communications corrupt good manners."*. Ahab determined that he should take the city of Ramoth-Gilead back from the Syrians. When Jehoshaphat took over the throne, he quickly established himself as a righteous ruler who feared the Lord. Believers and unbelievers have different values and commitments. He was willing to be judged by whether his prophecy came to pass or not. i. Obviously this was thanks to the help of Jehovah. Click to enable/disable _gid - Google Analytics Cookie. If there's one mistake Jehoshaphat made, it's the time he decided to ally himself with King Ahab of Israel, the devious Jezebel's husband. At age 35,Jehoshaphat succeeded his father, Asa, who was the first good king over Judah. The great battle at Ramoth Gilead was a catastrophe. A more apparent weakness of Jehoshaphat can be seen in the compromising nature of his allying himself with evil rulers, a fault that became evident again near the end of his life when he allied himself with Israel's wicked King Ahaziah, son of Ahab (1 Kings 22:51-53). To solidify devotion to God, Jehoshaphat sent prophets, priests, and Levites throughout the country to teach people God's laws. Despite his misgivings(?) Unsurprisingly, Ahab throws Micaiah in prison on bread and water rations. (see 2 Chronicles 19). This suggests that Jehoshaphat was a strong and effective leader, who worked hard to consolidate his power and improve Judah's position. He repented when he did wrong. God set Judah's enemies upon each other, and by the time the Hebrews arrived, they saw only dead bodies on the ground. 9 He gave them the following instructions: You must perform your duties in reverence for the Lord, faithfully obeying him in everything you do. Together they built a fleet of trading ships to go to Ophir to collect gold, but God disapproved and the ships were wrecked before they could set sail. He tried to persuade Jehoshaphat to join him in attacking the city of Ramoth in Gilead. Secondly, Jehoshaphat teaches us the importance of breaking the familial cycle of mistakes. There I will put them on trial for what they did to my inheritance, my people Israel, because they scatteredmy people among the nationsand divided up my land., Joel 3:12 Let the nations be roused; let them advance into the Valley of Jehoshaphat, for there I will sit to judgeall the nations on every side.. Jehoshaphat made a bad alliance with King Ahab, one of the most wicked kings in Israel's history. . He used horns of iron to illustrate the thrust of two powerful forces, armies that would rout the Syrians. Ungodly partners can lead to spiritual compromise (see 1 Corinthians 15:33). During most of Jehoshaphat's reign, Ahab was ruling Israel. b. Lets explore some of these verses. 2 Chronicles 17:1. Perhaps these were true followers of Yahweh who were seduced by Ahabs sincere but shallow repentance three years before (1 Kings 21:27-29). This chapter lists King Davids bodyguards, a variant form of the name Jehoshaphat within the mix. Jehoshaphat still wanted to hear from a prophet of Yahweh, the LORD (Is there not still a prophet of the LORD here, that we may inquire of Him?). He not only considered it . Micaiah was brought out from prison (1 Kings 22:26 indicates that he came from prison). 10 Things You Need to Know about the Number 666, 10 Books of the Bible You Should Read Again and Again, 10 Most Encouraging Bible Verses That Will Uplift Your Heart and Soul, 5 Things That Hurt Relationships with Grandkids, 30 Morning Prayers to Start Each Day with God, How to Have Joy in Your Golden Years Despite These 10 Life Losses, 4 Things You Should Know about Big George Foreman, 8 Ways You Are Belittling Your Husband and What God Says about It, Maybe Money Can Buy Happiness, but Not Joy. Although Asa didnt worship the idols placed throughout Judah, he didnt do a whole lot to tear them down. This is a stark change in policy from 17:1, where Jehoshaphat had strengthened himself against Israel. a. A number of priests move the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem, including another Jehoshaphat. a. Later, 1 Kings 22:42 tells us that he was 35 years old when he began his reign and that he reigned 25 years (from 873 to 848 BC). 1 Kings 16:29-33 tells us just how bad Ahab was. The Prophet Micaiah Warns Ahab (1 Kings 22.1-28)1 When King Jehoshaphat of Judah became rich and famous, he arranged a marriage between a member of his family and the family of King Ahab of Israel. You shouldn't say that! Jehoshaphat replied. 7 Honor the Lord and act carefully, because the Lord our God does not tolerate fraud or partiality or the taking of bribes., 8 In Jerusalem Jehoshaphat appointed Levites, priests, and some of the leading citizens as judges in cases involving a violation of the Law of the Lord or legal disputes between inhabitants of the city. Yet it should be noted, as mentioned previously in the Bible Reading Program, that this was a common oversight attributed to most of Judah's righteous kings, and is perhaps equally if not more due to a lack of wholeheartedness in obeying God on the part of the nation. Ramoth Gilead belonged to Israel by the word of God but Ahab was out of the will of God. 31 So when they saw King Jehoshaphat, they all thought that he was the king of Israel, and they turned to attack him. He appointed judges that would hear cases among the people. Jehoshaphat goes forward with the plan. 16 In the fifth year of Joram son of Ahab king of Israel, when Jehoshaphat was king of Judah, Jehoram son of Jehoshaphat began his reign as king of Judah.

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