When He Became . . . .

Jehoshaphat enjoyed great riches and high esteem, and he made an alliance with Ahab of Israel by having his son marry Ahab’s daughter.                                                                                                               2 Chronicles 18:1 NLT

One of the features of the Biblical narratives is the general lack of moralizing. That is, the narrators do not often tell us what we should think about the actions of the characters but leave us to draw our own conclusions. Think of the book of Judges.

This passage is a good example of this feature: married his son to Ahab’s daughter! What was he thinking?! The truth is that he wasn’t thinking. His riches and high esteem had gone to his head. Here was a great opportunity. Ahab, a strong and influential king, was offering his daughter! Israel was rich and powerful. It would be very advantageous for small, poor Judah to have an alliance with Israel. Never mind that in terms of faith Ahab was, and was to be, the worst king ever in both Judah and Israel. Why couldn’t Jehoshaphat, who is considered to be among the “good” kings, not have seen this? Or seeing it, still remained blind to the deadly implications?  As Athaliah was later to prove, Jehoshaphat was bringing a snake into his house.

So what lesson does our narrator want us to draw? I think it is terribly obvious. Be doubly watchful when everything is going well! Don’t let good circumstances dull you to the admonitions of the Word and the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Don’t listen to the subtle whisper of the Enemy who says, “Oh, you can handle it from here. You don’t need to stay in that strait-jacket of divine guidance all the time. You’re a grownup now.” In some ways, straitened circumstances, when we know we’re not going to make it unless Jesus intervenes for us, are a great blessing. It doesn’t feel like it, but it is.

So where are you today? Doing well? Be Careful! Now is the time to lean on God!