ELISHA MEETS JEHOSHAPHAT – JEHOSHAPHAT BATTLED HIMSELF
SERIES – MESSAGES ON ELISHA – HIS LIFE AND MINISTRY Number 7
PART 1. JEHOSHAPHAT AND ELISHA
(Open up at 1Kings chapter 22). Ahab and Jezebel reigned in Israel (Samaria) and Jehoshaphat was king in Judea. The kingdom divided after Solomon. Ahab was very, very wicked, but Jehoshaphat was described in the following manner when he died - 1Kings 22 v 42 Jehoshaphat was thirty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned twenty-five years in Jerusalem, (and his mother’s name was Azubah the daughter of Shilhi.) 1Kings 22:43 He walked in all the way of Asa his father. He did not turn aside from it, doing right in the sight of the LORD. However, the high places were not taken away - the people still sacrificed and burnt incense on the high places.” This king followed the Lord, but like us, he had some inconsistencies and failures.
Early in his reign, he was asked by Ahab to help him in a battle against the nation of Aram. This is how it is put - 1Kings 22 v 4 He (Ahab) said to Jehoshaphat, “Will you go with me to battle at Ramoth-gilead?” and Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses.” My question is this – “Should Jehoshaphat have been in union with Ahab?” Another way to say that is, “Should a man of God join forces with the most wicked king in Israel's history?” “Does that smack of failure?” “Is that compromise?” When I read these scriptures, I feel uneasy about the situation, but it was political, and I was not there. I still don’t think it was correct, but you might think otherwise.
However, Jehoshaphat needed divine guidance and confirmation and he asked Ahab if there was a prophet of the Lord in Israel he could refer to about the battle (v 7). Well, that was good. Do you think there was a measure of uncertainty and doubt in Jehoshaphat‘s decision to come, and he was seeking some assurance? Jehoshaphat recognised that God was in control. Ahab gave him the name of Micaiah, the prophet, but then hastened to say that he hated him (v 8) because he spoke evil against him. Well, that was no surprise, was it! The true prophet of God must expose evil, and Ahab was evil. The two kings gathered the prophets (v 10). All the prophets serving Ahab advised him to go to battle for he would win, but Micaiah prophesied destruction and the death of Ahab. In verse 27 Ahab commanded that Micaiah be sent to prison to exist on scant rations of bread and water.
If you were Jehoshaphat, what would you have been thinking? Would you have continued on, or would you have gone back to Judah? Jehoshaphat decided for the battle, and in that I believe he was disobeying the Lord. Let us now read the account from verse 29 - 1Kings 22 v 29 The king of Israel, and Jehoshaphat king of Judah, went up against Ramoth-gilead, 1Kings 22:30 and the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “I will disguise myself and go into the battle, but you put on your robes,” so the king of Israel disguised himself and went into the battle. 1Kings 22:31 Now the king of Aram had commanded the thirty-two captains of his chariots saying, “Do not fight with small or great, but with the king of Israel alone,” 1Kings 22:32 so it came about, when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, that they said, “Surely it is the king of Israel,” and they turned aside to fight against him, and Jehoshaphat cried out. 1Kings 22:33 Then it happened, when the captains of the chariots saw that it was not the king of Israel, that they turned back from pursuing him. 1Kings 22:34 Now a certain man drew his bow at random and struck the king of Israel in a joint of the armour, so he said to the driver of his chariot, “Turn around, and take me out of the fight for I am severely wounded.” 1Kings 22:35 The battle raged that day, and the king was propped up in his chariot in front of the Arameans, and died at evening, and the blood from the wound ran into the bottom of the chariot. 1Kings 22:36 Then a cry passed throughout the army close to sunset saying, “Every man to his city and every man to his country.” 1Kings 22:37 The king died and was brought to Samaria, and they buried the king in Samaria, 1Kings 22:38 and they washed the chariot by the pool of Samaria, and the dogs licked up his blood (now the harlots bathed themselves there), according to the word of the LORD which He spoke. ? [and that was through the prophet Elijah].
Jehoshaphat was lucky to get away from there with his life. To use a human expression, we could say, “He survived by the skin of his teeth.” His possible lack of discernment was nearly his undoing. Do you think he learned his lesson?
Let us pass on a few years and now we are at 2Kings chapter 3 (turn to it). I want you to follow this account with me.
2Kings 3 v 1 Now Jehoram the son of Ahab became king over Israel at Samaria in the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah and reigned twelve years, 2Kings 3:2 and he did evil in the sight of the LORD, though not like his father and his mother, for he put away the sacred pillar of Baal which his father had made. 2Kings 3:3 Nevertheless, he clung to the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he made Israel sin. He did not depart from them. (We have now Ahab’s son on Israel's throne, another evil man, though a degree less than his father. It tells us here that Jehoshaphat had been king for 18 years.) (remember he reigned for 25 years).
2Kings 3 v 4 Now Mesha king of Moab was a sheep breeder and used to pay the king of Israel 100 000 lambs and the wool of 100 000 rams, 2Kings 3:5 but it came about, when Ahab died, the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel, 2Kings 3:6 and King Jehoram went out of Samaria at that time and mustered all Israel. 2Kings 3:7 Then he went and sent word to Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, saying, “The king of Moab has rebelled against me. Will you go with me to fight against Moab?” and he said, “I will go up. I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses.” (Do you believe what you are reading? There was an impending war between Israel and Moab, and Jehoram sent a request to Jehoshaphat. He was asked to do exactly the same thing that Ahab asked him to do. Did Jehoshaphat learn his lesson that first time? I think not. Again he entered into a compromise in an unholy allegiance with an evil man. There is a very real truth in this, for often we are also found doing the same sins over and over again as if we have failed to lean our lesson from previous failures. Sin is so deceptive and seems to sneak in and take us by surprise. Jehoshaphat is definitely compromising his walk with God here. This righteous king just can’t seem to keep away from battles!)
2Kings 3 v 8 He (I take it this is Jehoshaphat ) said, “Which way shall we go up?” and he (I assume, Jehoram) answered, “The way of the wilderness of Edom,” 2Kings 3:9 so the king of Israel went with the king of Judah and the king of Edom, and they made a circuit of seven days’ journey, and there was no water for the army or for the cattle that followed them. 2Kings 3:10 Then the king of Israel said, “Alas! For the LORD has called these three kings to give them (in other words – to give us) into the hand of Moab,” (What a mess this is when godless men take control. We see this being played out in our countries and corporations of men. The compromise even gets worse, for Israel and Judah join forces with Edom, the sworn enemy of God’s people. This is an alliance with evil and I don’t know how Jehoshaphat could have become involved. Once we make that initial mistake, events often take their sad path. There is one thing I dislike in our world, and it is in this passage. It is people who have no qualms using righteous language even when they have no time for God. In verse 10 Jehoram deigns to speak the name of “LORD” in the same way as evil performers today close off with “God bless you all,” a terrible hypocrisy.)
2Kings 3:11 but Jehoshaphat said, “Is there not a prophet of the LORD here, that we may inquire of the LORD by him?” One of the king of Israel’s servants answered and said, “Elisha the son of Shaphat is here, who used to pour water on the hands of Elijah,” 2Kings 3:12 and Jehoshaphat said, “The word of the LORD is with him,” so the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom went down to him.
Do you know the term déjà vu? It is like you have been there before. And Jehoshaphat had been there before, in that very same thing. In the past, maybe 12 or so years earlier, he had joined in compromise with wicked Ahab and had nearly lost his life. However he had not learned his lesson. We see him now in the very same situation, this time with Ahab’s son. And, like the previous time, Jehoshaphat asked if a prophet of the Lord was nearby who could be consulted for guidance. Is this once more, the plea to uncertainty and doubt? Last time it was Micaiah if you remember. Jehoshaphat absolutely knew he had to be guided by God, but in spite of that, he complicated the issue by placing himself in the wrong position. I don’t criticise Jehoshaphat for I see through the years of my life those failures as well. I think we all do, unless we are perfect people. I am sure Jehoram and the king of Edom were prepared to entertain Jehoshaphat’s request because they were desperate for water. Desperate people lower their barriers they have erected between themselves and God when the problem is too big for them.
One of the king’s servants volunteered the information, for he knew there was a prophet. I think he was a believer. He recommended Elisha and made the connection with Elijah. Of course, Jehoshaphat would have heard of these two great prophets from Israel though he lived in Judah, and acknowledged the word of the Lord was with Elisha. Without doubt, what these three kings are doing is placing Elisha in the middle of a disagreement in an already compromised situation. So, off they go to see Elisha.
2Kings 3:13 Now Elisha said to the king of Israel, “What do I have to do with you? Go to the prophets of your father and to the prophets of your mother,” and the king of Israel said to him, “No, for the LORD has called these three kings together to give them into the hand of Moab.” 2Kings 3:14 Elisha said, “As the LORD of hosts lives, before whom I stand, were it not that I regard the presence of Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, I would not look at you nor see you. (in other words, if it was not for the presence of Jehoshaphat , I would not even give you the time of day).
“What do I have to do with you?” They were the words Jehoram heard from Elisha. Elisha and Jehoram came face to face as did Elijah and Ahab years earlier. Elisha was direct and honest – “Go to the prophets of Baal” he was actually saying, for the gods of Jezebel and Ahab, his parents, were gross evil prophets of Baal. Elisha wanted nothing to do with Jehoram, for light has no communion with darkness. The prophet’s words were brief, for nothing more needed to be said to this wicked man. THEN we have an astounding statement from Jehoram – “No, for the LORD has called these three kings together to give them into the hand of Moab.” What is this? The evil king of the Baal gods, dares to use the name of the LORD. What is this “religious talk” with a pessimistic attitude? Religious types and spiritualists and men pleasers have no qualms about using God’s name and sentiments when they act buttery and smooth. Hypocrites do that today. They loosely take on the name of the Lord but have no time for Him. I wonder how Jehoshaphat’s conscience was when standing before Elisha where he had no right to be, for he had no right to have come to that position in the first place.
Elisha addressed one more comment to Jehoram. He told him that if it was not for Jehoshaphat’s presence, then he’d be saying nothing to Jehoram. He would be treated with disdain. He would not even look at him, yet alone speak with him! I see a truth here that applies to Jehoshaphat. God was going to look kindly on him because basically, God loved him because he loved God, and for the sake of Jehoshaphat, God was going to entertain the combined problem these kings had. Jehoshaphat was wrong to have been there and God will never excuse us if we are in error, but isn’t the Lord so gracious to us when we are in trouble of our own making? Even when we are at fault, He looks after us. Just never be arrogant and unrepentant in your situation. I think Jehoshaphat went away humbled and his mind and heart turned to God.
I will not continue with the story here and the battle. You can read it for yourselves, but God gave a miraculous victory through his servant Elisha who instructed the kings what they had to do. It was God who was exalted, not any of the kings; not even Elisha. He was but the true servant of God, as we all must be.
ELISHA INSTRUCTED THE KINGS
We have not time to look at the whole ending of this story but these few verses will suffice for now. On this occasion Elisha waited for God’s revelation to him while a minstrel played some instrument - 2Kings 3 v 15 but now bring me a minstrel,” and it came about, when the minstrel played, that the hand of the LORD came upon him. 2Kings 3:16 He said, “Thus says the LORD, ‘Make this valley full of trenches,’ 2Kings 3:17 for thus says the LORD, ‘You shall not see wind nor shall you see rain yet that valley shall be filled with water, so that you shall drink, both you and your cattle and your beasts, 2Kings 3:18 and this is but a slight thing in the sight of the LORD. He shall also give the Moabites into your hand.
PART 2. COMPROMISE.
Before I end this message I want to speak about compromise. There is a disappointing ending here I want to mention. When Jehoshaphat ended his kingship, his son became king. His name was also Jehoram. Listen to these sad words recorded for us about Jehoram - 2Kings 8:17 He was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem. 2Kings 8:18 He walked in the way of the kings of Israel, just as the house of Ahab had done, for the daughter of Ahab became his wife, and he did evil in the sight of the LORD. Jehoshaphat allowed, or arranged for his son to marry a daughter of Ahab, thus bringing evil into the kingdom of Judah. His son, Jehoram, was evil. I wonder if any of that resulted from the compromise of Jehoshaphat with the evil house of Ahab and Jezebel, and that exposure was the cause of evil in Jehoram. We must be very careful with compromising. It is a most difficult area. Compromise with evil can affect our families.
We have mentioned this word compromise a few times when referring to Jehoshaphat. How can compromise be described? I think it is the middle road between good and evil; between what is right and what is wrong. It is the gloom that falls upon the true way of God. Of course I know compromise is how Parliament works (it is called “concensus”), and sometimes how church business meetings work, but none of that is satisfactory. God wants single-mindedness, and truth. The words of an old hymn by Frances Havergal popped into my mind
1. Truehearted, wholehearted, faithful and loyal,
King of our lives, by Thy grace we will be;
Under the standard exalted and royal,
Strong in Thy strength we will battle for Thee.
o Refrain:
Peal out the watchword! Silence it never!
Song of our spirits, rejoicing and free;
Peal out the watchword! Loyal forever!
King of our lives, by Thy grace we will be.
2. Truehearted, wholehearted, fullest allegiance
Yielding henceforth to our glorious King!
Valiant endeavour and loving obedience
Freely and joyously now would we bring.
3. Truehearted, wholehearted, Saviour all-glorious,
Take Thy great power and reign Thou alone,
Over our wills and affections victorious—
Freely surrendered and wholly Thine own.
I take these following pointers from another – A Question was asked: "What does the Bible say about compromise?
Answer: To compromise is to make concessions or accommodations for someone who does not agree with a prevalent set of standards or rules. The Bible makes it clear that God does not condone compromising His standards: Joyful are people of integrity, who follow the instructions of the LORD. Joyful are those who obey His laws and search for Him with all their hearts. They do not compromise with evil, and they walk only in His paths.
Then there are those who profess to being Christians, yet live lives not in keeping with the precepts of the Scripture, i.e., compromising their biblical beliefs by living like the world. For them, the things of the world and its sensual allurements take precedence over the Word of God. Jesus referred to these people as “those who hear the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful”
How do we compromise the Word of God?
• When we fail to accept the Word: “For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths”.
• When we place our desires, and that of others, ahead of the Word of God: “While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God”.
As true believers in Christ, we must accept God’s Word as absolute, inerrant truth. We must be fully obedient to His Word. And we must recognise that His Word is not to be compromised for any reason or for anyone.
JUST TO CLOSE WITH AN EXAMPLE OF THE WORST COMPROMISE (AN EVIL ONE). When doing a search on compromise, a vibrant church in the USA came up in the results. Here is a small excerpt of their core beliefs, and please note the compromised wording -
Marriage
We believe marriage is the highest form of commitment and deepest expression of love humanity knows. It is an example of God's commitment to us and is sacred, honourable, and holy. Whether entered into by members of complimentary genders, or of the same gender, we embrace, respect, and promote marriage
Other Faith Traditions
We believe that God is too big to be confined to a single faith. There is value and wisdom to be found in many faiths in addition to Christianity. We choose to focus on our commonalities, through the bond of peace, thoughtfully discussing our differences. We believe . . . .
"God hath made of one blood all nations that dwell upon the face of the Earth" - Bible, Acts 17:16
"All creatures are members of the one family of God" - Muhammad
"Human beings, all, are as head, arms, trunk, and legs unto one another" - The Vedas
"One thing we know. All men are brothers" - Chief Seattle
"All people are your children, whatever their belief, whatever their shade of skin" - Jewish prayer book
BE NOT CONFORMED TO THE WORLD
I will close with 2 really important verses from Romans –
Romans 12:1 I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice acceptable to God which is your spiritual service of worship, Rom 12:2 and do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.
ronaldf@aapt.net.au
