-May 11, 2023-
Good morning, happy Thursday,
“Jehoshaphat made merchant ships to go to Ophir for gold; but they never sailed, for the ships were wrecked at Ezion Geber. Then Ahaziah the son of Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, ‘Let my servants go with your servants in the ships.’ But Jehoshaphat would not.”
(1 Kings 22:48-49).
King Jehoshaphat of Judah was a good king. He loved and followed the Lord, but he had a glaring weakness: he allied himself with Ahab, king of Israel and then with his son who succeeded him. Both of the those two were wicked, idolatrous kings. They both followed in the sins of King Jeroboam of Israel.
In the first case, Jehoshaphat made the mistake of going from Jerusalem to Samaria and went out to battle with Ahab. The Syrians thought he was the king of Israel and were about to kill him,but God had mercy on him when they realized that he was not the king of Israel they turned away from him. A Syrian bowman took an arrow and randomly hit Ahab in an exposed place in his armor and he died. Ahab had tried to disguise himself but God brought his demise about due to his wicked ways. Jehoshaphat escaped with his life and returned to Jerusalem.
At that time God sent the prophet Jehu to rebuke Jehoshaphat. 2 Chronicles 19:2 says, “Should you help the wicked and love those who hate the Lord? Therefore the wrath of the Lord is upon you.” He didn’t obey or take it to heart as he then allied himself with Ahab’s wicked son. God had to intervene and keep him from it. It is not God’s will for us to be unequally yoked together with unbelievers in any relationship such as marriage, roommates, business partnerships, or close friendships.
Paul clearly wrote, “Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? Therefore ‘Come out from among them and be separate,’ says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you’” (2 Corinthians 6:14; 2 Corinthians 6:17). God put a stop to Jehoshaphat’s plans and the ships were wrecked at Ezion Geber. Rather than pursue the excursion for gold, he took it from the Lord not to go again.
Let us learn the lesson of how bad compromise with the world is, and the alliances with the unsaved are for us and our families. The same can be true of churches that ally with ones that don’t preach the Word or individuals staying in a church that doesn’t preach the gospel or teach the Word alone. May we not compromise or be involved with the ungodly. Otherwise our ships, that is our lives, will be broken by the Lord.
Have a blessed day with no compromise or unholy alliances. Stay safe and healthy in the will of God.
Choosing wisely our relationships to avoid having broken ships,
Dean
Dean Allen's Daily Devotional 