Part I
“And the LORD was with Jehoshaphat, because he walked in the first ways of his father David, and sought not unto Baalim; But sought to the Lord God of his father, and walked in his commandments, and not after the doings of Israel. Therefore the LORD stablished the kingdom in his hand; and all Judah brought to Jehoshaphat presents; and he had riches and honour in abundance. And his heart was lifted up in the ways of the LORD: moreover he took away the high places and groves out of Judah.” (2 Chronicles 17:3-6)
Here is a bright spot in the dismal history of the kings of both Judah and Israel. Jehoshaphat’s father, Asa, who had started out with great faith in God, had ended his career by turning to seek help from the king of Syria in his national problems and from the physicians in his physical afflictions (2 Chronicles 16:7,12). But now his son Jehoshaphat, at the outset of his administration, was minded to please God. God blessed him greatly as he obeyed, bringing fear on all the surrounding nations to the extent that “they made no war against Jehoshaphat.” (2 Chronicles 17:10) The people were taught the ways of the Lord with the example of the king before them, and the entire nation prospered. “And Jehoshaphat waxed great exceedingly.” (2 Chronicles 17:12)
“Now Jehoshaphat had riches and honour in abundance, and joined affinity with Ahab.” (2 Chronicles 18:1)
There was a strong attraction between the kingdoms of Israel and Judah, for were not they all of the seed of Abraham? There was a hunger for a united kingdom as men remembered the past glories of David and Solomon. And this desire was of such a nature as to smooth over all differences and downplay the fact that it was God who had separated them.
“And after certain years he went down to Ahab to Samaria. And Ahab killed sheep and oxen for him in abundance, and for the people that he had with him, and persuaded him to go up with him to Ramoth-gilead. And Ahab king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat king of Judah, Wilt thou go with me to Ramoth-gilead? And he answered him, I am as thou art, and my people as thy people; and we will be with thee in the war.” (2 Chronicles 18:2-3)
Note the progression of events. First, Jehoshaphat just went and visited Ahab. “Evil communications corrupt good manners.” (1 Corinthians 15:33) Jehoshaphat did not carry a rebuke in his heart toward the wrong that was in Ahab, a man who had sold himself to do evil in the sight of God. Perhaps he felt as many do today that he should not judge, or perhaps he felt that the end justified the means, but the result was the same: “I am as thou art, and my people as thy people.”
Jehoshaphat got too far from God and too close to Ahab. The same will happen to you and me unless we live continually in the presence of the Holy Spirit. Without His aid, we begin to view things through the eyes of our humanity, and soon sin does not appear so exceedingly sinful anymore. After a while, we can get rather comfortable with the Ahabs of our time, thinking that there is really a lot of good there and that they are not really so bad when you get to know them.
At first, the doings, the talk, the wife of Ahab, were likely unsettling to Jehoshaphat, but after a number of visits to Samaria, he got quite comfortable and felt at home. Ahab seemed a rather decent fellow on the whole, and he certainly was generous in his hospitality. He also really did have a problem with this Syrian king, who had also troubled Judah at times. And Ahab had an admirable bravery that could endure great pain (2 Chronicles 18:34). So Jehoshaphat joined affinity with Ahab.
Affinity: inherent likeness or agreement as between things; close resemblance or connection.
The reader can see at a glance that for this affinity between Jehoshaphat and Ahab to really work, Jehoshaphat and Ahab must be the same. And they were not, as the scriptural record shows us. It was really an attempt to combine the ways of the flesh and the way of God. This begins to unfold in the next verses.
“And Jehoshaphat said unto the king of Israel, Inquire, I pray thee, at the word of the LORD to day. Therefore the king of Israel gathered together of prophets four hundred men, and said unto them, Shall we go to Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall I forbear? And they said, Go up; for God will deliver it into the king’s hand. But Jehoshaphat said, Is there not here a prophet of the LORD besides, that we might inquire of him? And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, There is yet one man, by whom we may inquire of the LORD: but I hate him; for he never prophesied good unto me, but always evil: the same is Micaiah the son of Imla. And Jehoshaphat said, Let not the king say so.” (2 Chronicles 18:4-7)
The reality of what was in each heart begins to come out. Jehoshaphat has too much of the fear of God upon him to proceed without inquiring of the Lord. So Ahab gathers together his four hundred false prophets who tell him what they know he wants to hear. But Jehoshaphat is not satisfied. He readily identifies the false prophets for what they are and requests “a prophet of the Lord besides, that we might inquire of him.” Note the word of accommodation: “besides.” As if to say, “These four hundred may be good enough for you, Ahab, but (please) I need just a little more assurance….” He did not say, “Ahab, this is no good at all—these four hundred false prophets are worthless and an abomination.” How could he rebuke Ahab after declaring, “I am as thou art”? No, for though Jehoshaphat still has the fear of God upon him, he is trying to work with that which is not God’s.
Even this mild, indirect preference for that which is right and solid does not sit well with Ahab, the husband of Jezebel. His condition of heart shows itself. “There is yet one man”—in spite of Ahab’s best efforts, it would seem—“by whom we may inquire of the Lord: but I hate him.” Now you would certainly think that this would be enough to cause Jehoshaphat to take to his heels, but no, he is deeply under the spirit of making this affinity work. Even this revelation of hatred for the man of God does not cause him to depart, but he only remarks, “Please don’t say that.”
When Jehoshaphat was in affinity with wrong, his principles and scruples lost their weight and authority. This is because he was acting inconsistently, trying to hold to truth while empathizing with an evil doer.
But the conversation has clearly revealed an even deeper insight into the life and character of Ahab: “For he never prophesied good unto me, but always evil.” One cannot help but think, “Jehoshaphat, what are you doing around a man whom God’s prophet has always condemned, whose life is black, whose doom is certain?” Oh, it is a good question! But it didn’t do Jehoshaphat any good at this time; he was too blinded by the spirit of unholy accommodation to forsake his unholy alliance.
And so Micaiah, the man of God, one of the Lord’s own prophets, was summoned to King Ahab’s court to a confrontation with four hundred false prophets, wicked King Ahab, and a recipient of past blessings and mercy, King Jehoshaphat. There they sat, side by side, these two kings, each on his throne, clothed in his royal robes. Before them the crowd of false prophets prophesied. What do you think were the feelings of Micaiah, the prophet of God, to see King Jehoshaphat in a league with such a crowd?
Micaiah was a faithful man of God. Pressure was brought to bear on him, but the fear of man was not in him, and he was true. “And Micaiah said, As the Lord liveth, even what my God saith, that will I speak.” (2 Chronicles 18:13) He was of the same spirit as the writer of the epistle to the Hebrews: “We may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.” (Hebrews 13:6)
Because he would not veer in any way from what God had given him (for there was no compromise in him in any way), he was thrown in prison and fed “with bread of affliction and with water of affliction.” (2 Chronicles 18:26) Thus ended King Jehoshaphat’s request for an inquiry from a prophet of the Lord. The true prophet’s liberty was taken away; the false prophets were feted and received; and Jehoshaphat stayed right in there in spite of it all!
But this is not all that happened. The hypocritical King Ahab was afraid of the prophet’s prediction, although he was not afraid to condemn him to the prison. King Ahab actually disguised himself as though he were not a king, while persuading King Jehoshaphat to retain his kingly robes.
As a result of King Jehoshaphat’s affinity with the wicked King Ahab, Jehoshaphat nearly lost his life. The Syrians mistook him for King Ahab, and had not the Lord helped him, he would have died on the battlefield. But he was spared, although Ahab was not, Brother Micaiah’s prophecy proving true.
“And Jehoshaphat the king of Judah returned to his house in peace to Jerusalem. And Jehu the son of Hanani the seer went out to meet him, and said to king Jehoshaphat, Shouldest thou help the ungodly, and love them that hate the LORD? therefore is wrath upon thee from before the LORD. Nevertheless there are good things found in thee, in that thou hast taken away the groves out of the land, and hast prepared thine heart to seek God.” (2 Chronicles 19:1-3)
“Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.” (2 Corinthians 6:14-18)
“And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.” (Revelation 18:4)
Part II
“And Jehoshaphat dwelt at Jerusalem: and he went out again through the people from Beer-sheba to mount Ephraim, and brought them back unto the LORD God of their fathers.” (2 Chronicles 19:4)
After the awful experience with Ahab, it seems that King Jehoshaphat has learned something. He has apparently accepted the admonition of Jehu, “Shouldest thou help the ungodly, and love them that hate the LORD? therefore is wrath upon thee from before the LORD.” (2 Chronicles 19:2)
So the Lord blessed him, and he profited. The fear of God was on him, and the effects of his affinity with Ahab seemed part of the swiftly receding past. We soon read that God delivered Jehoshaphat and his people from the children of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir. It would seem that this tragic affinity experience was behind him.
But wait—what do we read next? “And after this did Jehoshaphat king of Judah join himself with Ahaziah king of Israel, who did very wickedly: And he joined himself with him to make ships to go to Tarshish: and they made the ships in Ezion-gaber.” (2 Chronicles 20:35-36) The affinity was not over. Jehoshaphat joined himself with Ahab’s son, Ahaziah, the new king of Israel, who also “did very wickedly.”
One looks in amazement at this record which God has left for our learning. How could Jehoshaphat do this yet again? We readily see that it takes some real digging, some real dying, some real laying hold on God, an absolutely unshakable and unrelenting desire to clear ourselves, and a real “readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled,” (2 Corinthians 10:6) in order to break lose from our besetting sins and to find deliverance.
God was faithful (again) to Jehoshaphat. We are not told a great deal about this episode of affinity with that which is wrong, but the Lord caused it to fall apart (2 Chronicles 20:37); “The LORD being merciful to him,” (Genesis 19:16) just as He had been to Lot.
What we do in our lives is not confined to our own soul alone, but our life affects the lives of others around us, especially our children. And, as we read on in this sacred history, we see yet again that the story of Jehoshaphat’s sin was not over. It did not end with himself.
A righteous man’s life should leave a legacy of right things, a respect and appreciation for that which is holy and pure. We read that Jehoshaphat had seven sons, and that they were sons whom their father loved and doted on. “And their father gave them great gifts of silver, and of gold, and of precious things, with fenced cities in Judah: but the kingdom gave he to Jehoram; because he was the firstborn.” (2 Chronicles 21:3) It is not hard to see from this scripture that Jehoshaphat had great hopes and high aspirations for his boys. He desired them to be bulwarks of good things, noble and upright. Under a righteous king, virtuous people are encouraged. There were other noble families in Judea who shared in these holy objectives. There was good reason to anticipate that good things would continue to increase in the kingdom.
Alas, it was not to be. “Now when Jehoram was risen up to the kingdom of his father, he strengthened himself, and slew all his brethren with the sword, and divers also of the princes of Israel.” (2 Chronicles 21:4) The firstborn of the righteous king’s family murdered not only all his brothers, but other leaders in Israel as well! In a short period of slaughter and mayhem, he destroyed much of King Jehoshaphat’s legacy.
Why? What happened? What would cause a young man, raised as he was, the king’s firstborn, to commit such horrible abominations?
“And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, like as did the house of Ahab; for he had the daughter of Ahab to wife.” (2 Chronicles 21:6) Here we see. We see the terrible results of Jehoshaphat’s affinity with Ahab. By God’s mercy, Jehoshaphat’s trifling did not prove fatal to him, but it proved fatal to all of his sons, including the one who did the killing. It also proved fatal to a number of the princes of Israel. What do you think? Did Jehoram kill the most virtuous and principled of the kingdom, or did he kill the most sinful? An evil influence poisoned his mind and heart—the influence of Jezebel’s daughter, Athaliah. This woman had learned well the lessons of her mother and father. Just as Jezebel stirred up Ahab (1 Kings 21:25), so Athaliah stirred up Jehoram. The reader can trace the pagan ruthlessness and the pagan charm which infiltrated the leadership of the people of God through these evil women. How weighty the words of the scripture, “Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.” (Colossians 2:8) It is impossible to enter into an affinity with the Ahabs without entering into an affinity with the Jezebels. They go together; they are married. If it does not prove fatal to you, because of the mercy of God to you, what about your sons and daughters? Again the Bible speaks with profound authority, “Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.” (2 Corinthians 6:17)
Surely all can see that Jehoram would have been vastly less likely to have married Jezebel’s daughter if his father had abhorred Ahab’s doings. He did not have to hate Ahab to abhor what he was and what he did. We can abhor the evil that is in people while carrying a burden for their soul, realizing the extreme contagiousness of certain kinds of sin. “And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.” (Jude 1:23)
Our fear of evil itself should be such that will make us extremely careful to go about the salvation of others with the utmost care. It will put a watchfulness in us and a consideration of others, lest we also should be tempted. But if we just do as seems good to us, blithely assuming that it will turn out all right somehow in the end, we should not be surprised to find that the spirit of Jezebel working through Ahab is free, unimpeded, and wreaking havoc upon us and ours.
The best thing that Jehoshaphat could have done for everyone—his sons, his kingdom, Ahab, and even Jezebel herself—was to obey the Lord and live right, forming no affinity with that which was wrong. Had he done this, he, his sons, and his kingdom would have been protected. God knows how to keep us safe. If we carefully obey, we and ours will be spared much trouble and heartache. “Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.” (1 Corinthians 15:33) If there were no danger of deception in these matters, then why did the apostle emphasize it?
The story of Jehoshaphat’s affinity was not nearly over. When Jehoram died under the judgment of God, his son Ahaziah (the son of Athaliah the daughter of Jezebel) took the kingdom and “also walked in the ways of the house of Ahab: for his mother was his counsellor to do wickedly.” (2 Chronicles 22:3) It went on and on, this affinity of Jehoshaphat with Ahab, though both of them were long dead now. The closeness was such that a boy in one family had been named after the other. And when Ahab’s son Jehoram was sick, Jehoshaphat’s grandson Ahaziah came to visit him. But even here, the true awful depths do not appear in Judea until after Ahaziah was cut off by the judgment of God. Then, “when Athaliah, the mother of Ahaziah, saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the seed royal of the house of Judah.” (2 Chronicles 22:10) Here is manifest the full blown, ripened fruit of the friendship between Jehoshaphat and Ahab. Here is what finally came out of those little visits by the king of Judah to the king of Israel. Here is the result of their fleshly affinity.
“Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.” (1 Corinthians 10:11)