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2 Chronicles Chapter 18 (ESV)
1 Now Jehoshaphat had great riches and honor, and he made a marriage alliance with Ahab. 2 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. 3 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.”
4 And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “Inquire first for the word of the Lord.” 5 Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, four hundred men, and said to them, “Shall we go to battle against Ramoth-gilead, or shall I refrain?” And they said, “Go up, for God will give it into the hand of the king.” 6 But Jehoshaphat said, “Is there not here another prophet of the Lord of whom we may inquire?” 7 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.” 8 Then the king of Israel summoned an officer and said, “Bring quickly Micaiah the son of Imlah.” …
12 And the messenger who went to summon Micaiah said to him, “Behold, the words of the prophets with one accord are favorable to the king. Let your word be like the word of one of them, and speak favorably.” 13 But Micaiah said, “As the Lord lives, what my God says, that I will speak.”
REFLECTION:
- Although Jehoshaphat respected God, he took Athaliah as the wife for his son. Athaliah was the daughter of the wicked King Ahab. Jehoshaphat also formed a military ally with Ahab. Jehoshaphat’s fame and power attracted the sly and opportunistic Ahab. Their alliance eventually brought disastrous consequence. Athaliah became queen after the death of Jehoshaphat. She usurped the throne and killed almost all of David’s descendants. She brought back the evil customs to Israel and caused the fall of Judah. When Christian leaders form partnerships with unbelievers, they may compromise and give up their ideals; their spiritual alertness may also become slow. The Bible warns us: “Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers.” Reflect whether you have made partnerships with unbelievers in your career or other areas. If yes, how should you treat this partner relationship?
- The 400 prophets of Ahab only told him what he liked to hear. They got rewarded when they pleased Ahab. On the other hand, Micaiah told the truth and he was put into jail. Obeying God does not ensure you will be out of trouble. In fact, you will likely enrage people by obeying God. However, it is better to disappoint people than to incur the wrath of God. If you suffer from people’s sneer because of upholding God’s truth, remember that Christ also faced persecution and warned us of this (Jn. 15:18-19). You may not face life-and-death trials nowadays, but are you willing to sacrifice for witnessing the truth?
PRAYER:
Pray for your unbelieving friends and colleagues and ask God to open their heart that they are willing to receive God’s salvation. If you have conflict on values with them, ask God to give you wisdom and steadfast faith that you are willing to sacrifice your own benefit in order to be a witness for God’s truth.
HYMN:
“Prayer for a Friend” – www.youtube.com/watch?v=GTcjTCt_xYo
