There is a wonderful way in which the inspired history of ancient Israel interconnects with modern events of the here and now. Lately I have been reading about a certain King Jehoshaphat, one of the godliest kings in the southern kingdom of Judah. His father was King Asa, also a righteous king, though disobedient to his Lord near the end of his life.

Jehoshaphat reigned for 35 years, most of which he spent honoring God; you have set your heart to seek God was how the prophet Jehu said it, in his encouragement to the king in his early years. It is this ancient king from whom we may learn some lessons.

You see, it was at the outset of Jehoshaphat’s reign that Ahab, the murderous, idolatrous, king of the northern kingdom of Israel, came requesting an alliance to finally conquer Ramoth-Gilead. Ramoth-Gilead was a city within the land area God had given His people. It lay north and east across the Jordan River. When Israel had originally entered Canaan the Lord had directed them away from this city, and it had remained in the hands of idol worshiping foreigners for all these many centuries. But now, Ahab was coming to Jehoshaphat wanting to ally their armies and conquer that city.

On its face, the request seems like it ought to be the right thing to do. After all, had not God commanded His people to conquer the foreign peoples in their midst? Was it not God Himself that had gone before Israel’s armies to conquer city after city? By allying himself with Ahab, Jehoshaphat would be going out to do the very work the Lord had commanded. Unfortunately, King Jehoshaphat was viewing the situation in a morally wrong way, and it nearly cost him his life.

That battle did leave King Ahab dead on the ground. The prophet Micaiah, prior to the fight, had warned Ahab; “…the Lord has proclaimed disaster against you” (2 Chronicles 18:22). So, Ahab, badly wounded in battle, died in his chariot. As the text so vividly describes, “the dogs licked up his blood”, when his chariot was washed, thus fulfilling another prophetic word about Ahab. But Jehoshaphat, we are told, “returned in safety to his house in Jerusalem.” He had made a radically wrong decision, but God had spared his life and allowed him to return in safety, a phrase inserted into the text to remind us of God’s gracious hand in the life of a man who should have known better. 

The reason he should have known better was that by entering into an agreement with an idolatrous unbeliever, Jehoshaphat was, entering into covenant with, effectively marrying, an unbeliever. He was agreeing to attempt God’s will using a means, always, everywhere, forbidden by the God he was trying to serve. Morally speaking, it was an impossible alliance. He could not, and we cannot, build God’s kingdom by violating the law of the kingdom we are seeking to build.

Jehoshaphat reigned as an exemplary figure for the next 35 years. We read that he, “went out again among the people from Beersheba to the hill country of Ephraim and brought them back to the Lord, the God of their fathers” (2 Chronicles 19:4). He appointed judges in the land and instructed them saying, “Consider what you are doing, for you do not judge for man but for the Lord…and be very careful what you do, for the Lord our God will have no part in unrighteousness…” When attacked by some of the same armies he fought with Ahab earlier, Jehoshaphat instructed the people to fast, pray, and turn their eyes to the Lord, who quickly brought victory for them. He was one of the best kings Judah (the southern kingdom) ever had.

Nearing the end of his life we are given a last bit about this great king. 2 Chronicles 20:35-37, just three verses, sum up his final acts:

And after this Jehoshaphat king of Judah allied himself with Ahaziah king of Israel. He acted wickedly in so doing. So he allied himself with him to make ships to go to Tarshish, and they made the ships in Ezion-geber. Then Eliezer the son of Dodavahu of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat saying, ‘Because you have allied yourself with Ahaziah, the Lord has destroyed your works.’ So the ships were broken and could not go to Tarshish.’

In another text we find that the ships were intended to be used to find gold in a distant land. These were not war ships, they were trade ships. Yet, God destroyed that effort because of the wicked alliance with another idolatrous unbeliever. Jehoshaphat mistakenly believed he could make that alliance and increase his wealth. God showed him otherwise.

Now, about 2800 years later we face a similar moral choice. Righteous Christian people are being told that the only path to a financially renewed America is to vote for a self-proclaimed Mormon—an idolater. Remember that the Mormon faith denies several cardinal doctrines of our faith. It rejects the doctrine of the trinity (one God in three persons) replacing it with a ‘trinity’ of three gods who, by the way, are said to be simply exalted men, which is a second heresy. Under this religion there was no virgin birth, and salvation is through meritorious works not by grace through faith as the Scriptures teach. Given that their gods are really exalted men, it is accurate to assert that man is his own idol under the Mormon system.

We are being bombarded with idealistic rubbish promising wonderful salvation from our economic ruin if only we will ally ourselves with this (supposed) Christian poser. I am telling you, he will not save us. Our only salvation as a nation is to return to the Lord God with a whole heart. An alliance with an idolater will not help us. It will only contribute to our continuing demise. I understand that the hour is very late for us and this economy. However, God will not bless, and will likely curse, any alliance His people make with this godless man. Our duty is not to insure a particular winner. Our duty is to vote for the godly man, even if we believe he will not win. Our vote must be for righteousness. I urge you then; do not make any alliance with an idolater.

For Christian Culture,

Don Schanzenbach

A Happy Note: After Jehoshaphat’s ships were broken King Ahaziah, the son of Ahab, once again requested that his servants go with Jehoshaphat’s in the ships (which seemingly must have been repaired). 1 Kings 22:49 tells us, “But Jehoshaphat was not willing”. So, it seems he had learned his lesson about alliances with idolaters.

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