So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah went up to Ramoth Gilead.

1 Kings 22:29

For Meditation

Some stories never cease to baffle. They fill our lives from childhood until we get the chance to look back on them and ask ourselves how we made such silly decisions.

But none can outdo the sacred scripture. Throughout its pages, we read stories that never cease to amaze us. Surprises galore that make it the bestseller of all time. There you go! See how many of them flash through your mind now. But one that grabs my attention now is in 1 Kings 22:1-38.

King Jehoshaphat visits King Ahab. Now, hold your wonder about the good King of Judah in alliance with the wicked King of Israel before you; as we go through the story.

Ahab asks his buddy to join him in combat to claim Ramoth Gilead. True to his character, Jehoshaphat suggests they consult God. Ahab parades his favorite prophets, all encouraging them to pick the fight. But they do not convince Jehoshaphat. When you have God in your life, He gives you discernment. He asks Ahab if there was no longer a prophet of the Lord here whom we can inquire of (7).

Ahab summons Micaiah before them. The Lord’s prophet tells the truth after teasing Ahab initially. He informs the two kings that their adventure will end in disaster. Ahab will die in battle, and his people will scatter like sheep without a master (17). Yet, Jehoshaphat follows Ahab to the battlefront. And this is the height of folly for me.

Ahab proposes to disguise himself for the battle but tells Jehoshaphat to wear his royal robes (30). And Jehoshaphat agrees to it. Knowing what God has said, why should he recklessly put himself in danger to please wicked King Ahab? Only the grace of God saved him from being killed (32-33). But is that not how we act sometimes?

We often get trapped in ungodly alliances that blind us to the realities of life. We exalt human relationships above truth and make judgments that defy common sense.

There are three quick lessons to take away from this story.

When God says we should not yoke ourselves unequally with unbelievers, He knows why. Such alliances create a conflict of interest that works against our physical and spiritual interests. Worst of all, they offend God. Jehoshaphat should never have allied himself with Ahab.

Again, no one should value any relationship above the truth. What is wrong is wrong, and we must condemn it.

Finally, never should anybody endanger themselves and their family for anyone’s stubborn determination to disobey the voice of God by anyone. We risk God’s chastisement doing so. By His Sovereign act, God spared Jehoshaphat. It may be different for you.

So, let us be careful.