JEHOSHAPHAT: A
LESSON FOR OUR TIMES.
The history of Jehoshaphat is written not only in the Book
of Chronicles, but in the Book of Kings : and it is well to be quite clear as
to the difference between those two books ; or at least between Samuel and
Kings on the one hand and Chronicles on the other. It is the same history,
about the same people, mostly the same events ; and yet there are differences
between the two not discrepancies, but differences. The natural man can
only see something to stumble at in this: but when once we see the difference
between the two books, we shall not only see nothing to stumble at, but we
shall see the beauty and accuracy of the Word of God.
In the Books of
Samuel and Kings we have the history viewed from MAN'S STANDPOINTwe have
what .the outward eye would see : but in Chronicles we have the same events
from the DIVINE STANDPOINTwe are taken behind the scenes, and shown the
secret reasons for the history. That is the difference. One example will be
better than a great number of words.
In Samuel we read of Saul's death ;
and from all that we read there, it was the Philistines who slew him : but when
we turn to the record of the very same event in the First Book of Chronicles
and the 10th chapter, we see very little reference to how Saul died, but in the
I3th and I4th verses we are told why: " So Saul died for his transgression
which he committed against the LORD, even against the word of the LORD, which
he kept not, and also for asking counsel of one that had a familiar spirit, to
enquire of it; And enquired not of the LORD : therefore He slew him, and turned
the kingdom unto David the son of Jesse'." In i Sam. xxxi. it says that the
Philistines slew Saul; but in Chronicles it says the Lord slew him. God had a
double purpose to perform : He had to punish in Saul his great and grievous sin
; and He had to accomplish His purpose of setting David upon the throne of
Israel. So we see the simple event in one book, and the secret reasons for it
in the other. Another example is seen in Hezekiah. His reign was divided into
two great partshis military exploits, and the reformation which he made
in the Temple, and in the worship of God. In the Second Book of Kings (chap,
xviii. 4-6) we have three verses about his Reformation, and in the Second Book
of Chronicles three chapters (xxix. to xxxi.) : and with regard to his military
affairs it is just the reverse.
This will be the key whenever a difficulty
arises in reading these books. This is why more than one history was necessary.
We have the human and the Divine standpoint; that which was the outward
appearance is given in Samuel and Kings : while that which had to do with " the
heart," and the secret reason for it all, is given in Chronicles.
With this
explanation we turn to the 19th chapter of the Second Book of Chronicles. There
is not a word about this chapter in Kings. Why ? Because it contains the whole
secret of Jehoshaphat's life ; and enables us to understand all that we read
afterwards.
Now the opening words of any book, any history, or a part, of
the Word of God are always important. The first words are everything; the first
occurrence of any word, th first occurrence of any expression, is always
valuable, giving the key to all that follows afterwards. Look at the first
words of the Lord Jesus. He must have spoken from the time that all children
speak: but not a word that He uttere is recorded until He was twelve years of
age. When God the Holy Spirit singled out for preservation the first words the
Lord Jesus, there was a good reason. What are tho words? Only these: " Wist ye
not that I must be about My Father's business ? " What wonderful words these a
when we look at them in connection with the 4oth Psalm, and the 10th of
Hebrews, " Lo, I come to do Thy will, 0 God It was the "Father's business" that
He had come to "about." Now put this utterance beside His last words, " IS
FINISHED!" What was "finished"? The Father's business which the Lord Jesus came
to "be about." To see the importance and beauty of this great principle, it
will be well for us to follow that rule in what we say and write: for we have a
saying about "first impression being very important.
Now the first
impression that the Holy Spirit has given us about Jehoshaphat is this,- "And
he strengthened himself against Israel" (2 Chron. xvii. i). These words are a
key to all his history: and to understand it we must remember that when
Jeroboam, King of Israel, set up the calves at Bethel and Dan, the idolaters'
backs were turned again to the Temple of God. Jehoshaphat "strengthened himself
against" idolaters and idolatry. We are to read this in all the Old Testament
histories, in order to find what is pleasing to God. He leaves us in no
doubt.
We further read that Jehoshaphat "placed forces in all the fenced
cities of Judah;" and in the third verse it says, "The LORD was with
Jehoshaphat, because he walked in the first ways of his father David, and
sought not unto Baalim." In those few words we have the key which will enable
us to understand all that we read afterward. Jehoshaphat began his reign by
strengthening himself against idolatry ; and, in mentioning this, the Holy
Spirit would have us bear in mind that every word of God is of importance in
reading the Scriptures. Not only are the words perfect in themselves, but they
are perfect also in their order, as well as in their truth.
Now turn to the
next chapter, and we see in the first verse, " Now Jehoshaphat had riches and
honour in abundance, and joined affinity with Ahab." Are we not struck with
this? He first "strengthened himself against Israel," and here he "joined
affinity with Ahab." If we had not read those opening words before, we might
think there was not much in these : but in the 19th chapter we are taken behind
the scenes ; and hence, when we read about his joining affinity with Ahab, we
are startled. He had left off strengthening himself against Israel, and joined
affinity with Ahab! This affinity means that he married his son Jehoram to
Ahab's daughter, Athaliah. What an awful change, is it not? He began by
strengthening himself against Ahab, and now he marries his son to Ahab's
daughter. The Holy Spirit has recorded these words in order that we may note,
and connect, and weigh the two facts, and see the consequence of his thus
joining affinity with Ahab.
"And after certain years he went down to Ahab
to Samaria. And Ahab killed sheep and oxen for him in abundance" (2 Chron.
xviii. 2). If he had not joined affinity with Ahab, he would not have gone to
partake of Ahab's hospitality ; and we see at once that Ahab's daughter, and
Ahab's sheep ar oxen, accomplished what all Ahab's men of war could never have
done: because the Lord was with him when he strengthened himself against Ahab,
but, when he joined affinity with Ahab, the Lord was no longer with him,
although His eye was upon him.
The next fact put before us, as the result
of this visit, was that Ahab "persuaded him to go up to Ramoth-gilead" (v. 2)
which was one of the Cities of Refuge. This city had fallen into the hands of
the Syrians, and Ahab wanted to regain it, but he felt he could not do so
without Jehoshaphat's aid ; so he said (v. 3), " Wilt thou go with me to
Ramoth-gilead? " And Jehoshaphat answered him, " I am as thou art, and and my
people as thy people ; and we will be with thee in the war.
Now there may
have been some godly people in Judah who said, " We do not quite like this; we
do not like Jehoshapha joining in an enterprise with that wicked idolater Ahab
" : and there may have been some who answered, " Oh, but see what a good man he
is ; he would not do it if it were wrong; and see what a good work he is doing!
It is one of our 'Cities of Refuge.' Ought we not to reclaim Ramoth-gilead
which God gave it to us?" Whether that was ever said or not, I do not know, but
we do know that it is exactly what people say to-day. " I am sure such a good
man would not such and such a thing if it were wrong." But we have find out
what God thinks of it. We have to ask what is "good" work. Do not take man's
definition of a "good work" God has defined it in Eph. ii. 10 (marg.) : where
He speaks of " good works " as being works "which God hath prepared for us to
walk in." Only those are good works ; no other. They may be great works, but
not "good." Had He "prepared" this work for Jehoshaphat? We may be perfectly
certain from what follows that He had not.
Jehoshaphat not only pledged
himself, but his people ; and he was very uneasy. Look at the next verse: "And
Jehoshaphat said unto the king of Israel, Enquire, I pray thee, at the word of
the LORD to-day."
But this was too late, after he had said, "We will be
with thee in the war." It is just like people today; they settle what they
intend to do, and then "enquire of the Lord." Surely we have got beyond that.
Surely we do not want the Lord to help us in anything unless it is His work,
unless it is what He prepared for us to do. Surely we are far in advance of
those who content themselves with being merely willing to do God's will. If we
knew how infinitely wiser God's will is than our own, we should say, "Wilt
Thou, Lord, order EVERYTHING for me?" and we should not be found settling what
we will do, and then asking God to guide us or to help us in the doing of it.
We can see that Jehoshaphat was uneasy; because, although he had made the
agreement without God, he wanted to " enquire of the LORD " in the hope that
the Lord would approve of what he had agreed to do." Therefore the king of
Israel gathered together of prophets four hundred men, and said unto them,
Shall we go to Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall I forbear ? And they said, Go
up; for God will deliver it into the king's hand " (v. 5). But they were "false
prophets," the prophets of Baal, and Jehoshaphat knew it; and yet he had to sit
there and hear what those men said. This must have made him still more uneasy;
for the next verse says:- "But Jehoshaphat said, Is there not here a prophet of
the LORD besides, that we might enquire of him? " This shows that he was very
troubled in his mind: for Ahab said, "There is yet one man, by whom we may
enquire of the LORD: but I hate him." Yes, that is always the case : if we are
faithfull spokesmen for the Lord, we shall be hated by the world; am if we are
not hated by the enemy, it shows that we are not very faithful in our
testimony. It is a very bad sign for us if the enemy can afford to treat us as
a negligible quantity. If we are faithful to God, we are sure to be hated. "All
that are determined to live godly in this present evil world will suffer
persecution" (2 Tim. iii. 12). It is perfect true: and so, here, Ahab says : "
There is yet one man, but hate him." Let us count it all joy if we are called
to prove the truth of the Lord's words : " Marvel not that the world hateth you
; ye know that it hated Me before it hated you" If we seek the friendship of
the world, it will despise us well as hate us. If we are to be hated, let us,
at least, respected. We know the subsequent history of Jehoshapha and how that
Micaiah, the prophet of the Lord, intimated that Israel would lose their King
as the result of this expedition :-" I saw all Israel scattered upon the
mountains, sheep that have no shepherd."
But now look at Jehoshaphat. In
what a pitiable position he finds himself. He had to sit there and see the
faithful witness for God smitten, bound, and led away prison. He knew he was "a
prophet of the LORD," and he did not lift up his voice on Micaiah's behalf. Oh,
difficulties we get into when once we leave the straight path of faithfulness
to God. And now the battle is coming on ; but, before it begins, the Holy
Spirit takes us aside into the camp of Israel to Jehosaphat, and lets us hear
what the king of Israel says; He then He takes us into the camp of Syria, and
lets us hear what the king of Syria says to his captains.
We all of us
have more than one name ; and each name bespeaks the special relationship in
which we stand to the person who uses it. We have all a name by which we are
known to strangers; another by which we are known to friends ; and, in our own
household, we have a name by which we are known only to the inner circle there.
Each name tells us what the relationship is. And so with the Divine names. The
Lord our God has many names by which He is known ; and each name bespeaks a
particular relationship. He is known as GOD ! What is the relationship?
Creator! How do we know that? What did we say above just now about the first
occurrences being the key? Where is the first occurrence of the word "God" In
Gen. i.i. There we have it thus:-"In the beginning GOD created the heaven and
the earth" Hence, wherever we have the word "God," we have the thought of the
Creator "In the beginning God created" and you will see this all through the
Scriptures.
Then in Gen. ii. you have JEHOVAH, or LORD, in small capital
letters. He had created man, and He is now dealing with him on covenant ground.
This word, therefore, expresses the covenant relationship between Himself and
His People. Now we are in a position to understand what follows.
In the
20th verse we read : - " And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, I will
disguise myself, and will go to the battle ; but put thou on thy robes." We are
then taken over into the camp of the Syrians, and hear the king of Syria ,
command "the captains of the chariots that were with him, saying, Fight ye not
with small or great, save only with the king of Israel." (v. 30). And with
these two wonderful keys we can see and understand what is going to happen.
Those two verses tell us the whole matter in a very few words. When the Syrians
came into the battle, and saw Jehoshaphat in his royal robes, they thought he
was the king of Israel. Oh, what a solemn thing it was to be mistaken for the
wor of Israel's kings ! That was the position into which he step by step
brought himself. What a mercy for him th God did not take him at his word when
he said to Ahab, "I am as thou art."
In the 31st verse we read :-"And it
came to pass, whe the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, that they said
-It is the king of Israel. Therefore they compassed about him to fight: but
Jehoshaphat cried out, and THE LORD helped HIM; and GOD moved THEM to depart
from him. Jehoshaphat cried out, and the LORD, Jehovah, his Covenant God,
helped him; and God the Creator moved them to depart from him. God stood only
in the relation of Creator to those Syrians; but to Jehoshaphat He stood in His
covenant relation, as LORD, and therefore He helped him. We do not know with
what Almighty power the Create moved the Syrians, his creatures, to depart; but
is not this verse wonderful ? Does it not show us something of the perfection
of the Divine Word? One would naturally think the different names were used to
avoid tautology; but it was nothing of the kind.
Then we know the sequel.
"And a certain man drew bow at a venture, and smote the king of Israel between
the joints of the harness: therefore he said to his chariot man, "Turn thine
hand, that thou mayest carry me out of the host for I am wounded." The Syrians
did not know Ahab, although they thought they saw him ; but God guided the
arrow to a little opening in his armour, and Ahab was killed. Jehoshapha was
not as Ahab; for Jehovah saw him as one of His own people.
And now we study
this Scripture, which is "written for our learning," in order to discover what
the Lord thought of all this. He had been pleased with Jehoshaphat when he
"strengthened himself against Israel"; but what was His judgment when
Jehoshaphat "joined affinity with Ahab"? The next chapter tells us. Jehu the
son of Hanani the seer went out to meet Jehoshaphat, and said, - "Shouldest
thou help the ungodly, and love them that hate the LORD? therefore is wrath
upon thee from before the LORD."
Do we desire to please the LORD? Here is a
lesson for us : Do not let us mix ourselves up with idolaters! Let us not "join
affinity with them in any way whatever." If Romanists are not idolaters, then
there never have been any idolaters. Romanists and Ritualists say they do not
worship the actual bread, but Christ in it: but, if that is not idolatry, there
is no idolatry in the world. Romish idolatry is far worse than any other.
Romanists and Ritualists are not only idolaters, but they degrade their God by
eating Him. We learn from this history that we must not have anything to do
with idolaters if we wish to please God."Whatsoever was written aforetime was
written for our learning" it was written to teach us. The Word of God is not
only as a light for our eyes, but a lamp for our feet, to show us where to
place them in passing through the quagmire of this evil world. But,
notwithstanding all that Jehoshaphat had gone through, we are told (chap. xix.
i) that " he returned to his house in peace to Jerusalem." Note the contrast of
this with Ahab's return. He did not return in peace. This is just a picture of
how "the God of all grace" deals with us; He is our covenant God. The God of
Jacob means practically the God "of all grace". The God of Jacob means the God
that Jacob had to do with when he deserved nothing but wrath. God met him, and
gave him unmerited grace and favour! He gave him everything, although he
deserved nothing: therefore it is written : "Happy is he that hath the God
Jacob for his help " (Ps, cxlvi. 5).
We should have thought that
Jehoshaphat had now learn his lesson thoroughly : but look at the 35th verse of
the 2nd. chapter. We are coming to the end of his reign, and must notice the
beauty and perfection of the words, and the fulness of the truth that is in
them. And after this terrible mistake, and the great trouble he got into after
the wonderful grace of God that delivered him, after solemn warning he had
received Jehoshaphat king of Judah JOINED HIMSELF with Ahaziah king of Israel."
We might think, perhaps, that Ahaziah was a better man than his father; but no
- it adds, "who did very wickedly." JOINED HIMSELF to "make ships to go to
Tarshish." This was a commercial alliance. First we have a matrimonial
alliance; then we have a military alliance ; and, lastly, have a.commercial
alliance : and then we read, " Eliezer son of Dodavah of Mareshah prophesied
against Jehoshaphat, saying, Because thou hast JOINED THYSELF to Ahaziah, the
Lord hath broken thy works." That is the sum of it. Three times the Holy Spirit
repeats these words ''joined thyself" in order to show us the true secret of
the evil: but from the Book of Kings (i Kings xxii. 48) we have this additional
fact:
When the ships were broken, the enemy did not let him go
without another assault. True, the ships which they were building were broken,
but there were others, and Ahaz said, " Let my servants go with thy servants in
the ship but "Jehoshaphat would not" Thank God ! he had learnt his lesson at
last. Oh, that we may have grace to learn And now, there are two great lessons
for our times.
(i) It is a remarkable thing that in England we have gone
through this same experience in our national history. Our Jehoshaphat was James
I. It is through him that we have our Authorised Version; he was a good but
weak man.
James I., like Jehoshaphat, married his son Charles to an
idolatress, Henrietta, the daughter of Henry, King of France. Of course we know
he should not have done it; and, if he had read this narrative, he would have
saved the country a vast amount of misery. It led to just the same trouble as
it did in the case of Jehoshaphat; it led to national disaster. Jehoshaphat's
sin made Jerusalem run with blood. Jehoram made a beginning by killing all his
brethren (2 Chron. xxi); and then the Arabians came, and killed all his sons
except one (Ahaziah, 2 Chron. xxi. 16, 17; xxii. i) ; and then Athaliah slew
all Ahaziah's sons, with the exception of Joash (2 Chron. xxii. 10-12). It was
nothing but a scene of bloodshed and murder: and it was the same in England.
James married his son Charles to this idolatress, and she came to England in
great state. A writer of that period said : "If the people of London had known
what troubles were coming with that woman, they would have put on mourning
instead of their holiday attire." England was at war on behalf of the
Protestant cause, and was engaged in the siege of Rochelle. As fast as the King
and Council resolved to do certain things, it went through the Confessional,
and all their plans were frustrated. Things went so far that Parliament
actually sent a remonstrance to the King. It led to trouble; it ended in civil
war. The whole country ran with blood. Charles lost his head, and James II.
lost his throne, all through this "joining affinity" with idolaters. The people
who had gone through that sea of trouble were determined that England should
never again pass through such an experience ; and they set up great bulwarks,
so as to prevent the throne of England ever be: occupied by a Papist, again.
But for the last fifty years have been allowing these bulwarks to be destroyed.
We have now little left beyond the King's Declaration, and the enemy is doing
his utmost to take that away; and he will so if we are foolish enough to allow
it. The cause of all the trouble was alliance with idolaters. Let us therefore
learn this lesson in our private life, and in our public life ; for it the root
of all the evil.
(2) But there is another lesson. The former was politic
This is religious, and is connected with Christian work.
In 1804 the
British and Foreign Bible Society was formed in London. The late Mr. John
Radley (a member of its committee tells us, in a pamphlet published in defence
of that Society that one of the earliest letters on record was from a Roman
Catholic Priest in Swabia, asking the Committee to circulate Roman Catholic
Versions of the Latin Vulgate. But the founders of the Society would on no
account join themselves thus with idolaters and their works. The request was
repeated, but the answer was a final refusal and a grant of Protestant
Versions.
Some time after this, one of the Society's agents abroard
expended the sum of £200 in the purchase of these corrupts Versions ; but
the Committee of that day paid the whole sum out of their own pockets, "rather
than involve the Society in a transaction, the propriety of which might be
questioned." While these assaults were being made on the Society the enemy of
God's Truth, and apparently without success a more insidious attempt to
undermine its work was undertaken.
Where Ahab's men of war failed, Ahab's
daughter succeeded. From the first, the aid of Socinians and Arians was invited
; and, before many years had elapsed, a Committee was found which went back on
the principles of their faithful predecessors, and formally adopted the
circulation of Romish or Vulgate Versions. They thus joined themselves in the
use of the false Versions prepared by the enemies of the Protestant Faith.
The result of these alliances was disaster, as it had been in the cases of
Jehoshaphat, in Judah, and of James I. in England: for these Romish Versions
contained the Apocryphal books, and a great controversy arose which had its
chief seat in Scotland. The late James and Robert Haldane and Dr. Andrew
Thompson were the champions of a. Pure Bible ; while the circulation of the
Apocrypha was defended by arguments which undermined the Canon of Scripture
itself.
The first disaster came in the secession of Scotland.
Separate
Bible Societies were formed in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen; which were
afterwards united in "The National Bible Society of Scotland" in 1861. Alter
this first disaster, new laws were passed, and added to the Constitution of the
British and Foreign Bible Society, forbidding the circulation of the Apocryphal
books in any form or manner. This was in 1824 and 1825.
But all this time
the Society differed from other Societies in not opening its meetings with
prayer ; and the godly among its members set themselves to repair the breaches
and prevent further trouble by moving, at the Annual Meeting of the Society in
1831. that the word "Christians" in Law ix. "should not be taken as including
those who denied the Divinity and Atonement of Christ." This resolution was
rejected: and then the second great disaster came, by secession of many of its
"best and holiest " members, who formed a new Society, and called it "The
Trinitarian Bible Society," the name being intended as an explanation and a
justification of its separate existence.* Prayer was adopted by the old Society
on June 8, 1857 but Socinian ministers, being members, are still able "attend
and vote" at the meetings of its committees ; the Vulgate Versions are still
circulated (though without Apocryphal books). As the circulation of the
Apocrypha was defended arguments which undermined the Canon of Scripture, the
circulation of these versions is defended by arguments which undermine the
Inspiration of Scripture.
Moreover, the plea is made that good men (ie
Jehoshaphat) would not approve of this policy if it was wrong; and that it is a
"good work" to circulate these books (as Jehoshaphat thought it good to regain
Ramoth gilead).
But it is written : "Better is he that ruleth his spirit th
he that taketh a city" (Prov. xvi. 32). Jehoshaphat did not rule his spirit;
neither did he take the city.
But we are not left in any doubt as to the
Lord's verdict on these alliances, either with Romish Versions, Jesuit policy,
or Socinian fellowship. The word of the prophet Jehu is written for all time,
and it comes with its solemn note of warning for all the Lord's People today :
" Shouldest thou help the ungodly, and love them that hate the LORD ? "2
Chron. xix. 2.