Jehoshaphat
Part 5
Heigh-ho, heigh-ho, It’s Off to Ramothgilead we go
So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah went up to Ramothgilead. (2 Chronicles 18:28)
And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, I will disguise myself, and will go to the battle; but put thou on thy robes. So the king of Israel disguised himself; and they went to the battle. (2 Chronicles 18:29)
Now the king of Syria had commanded the captains of the chariots that were with him, saying, Fight ye not with small or great, save only with the king of Israel. (2 Chronicles 18:30)
And it came to pass, when 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. (2 Chronicles 18:31)
That they may shoot in secret at the perfect: suddenly do they shoot at him, and fear not. (Psalm 64:4)
But God shall shoot at them with an arrow; suddenly shall they be wounded. (Psalm 64:7)
Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD: though hand join in hand, he shall not be unpunished. (Proverbs 16:5)
It is an abomination to kings to commit wickedness: for the throne is established by righteousness. (Proverbs 16:12)
Ramoth — City of Refuge
Why this obsession with RamothGilead? The city of Ramoth is on the east side of the river Jordan. Ramoth was part of the inheritance of Gad. When Joshua divided the land to the children of Israel this portion of land in Gilead fell to the tribe of Gad. Namely, Bezer in the wilderness, in the plain country, of the Reubenites; and Ramoth in Gilead, of the Gadites; and Golan in Bashan, of the Manassites. (Deuteronomy 4:43) Ramoth in Gilead, of the Gadites, the name is a composite name made up of a city ‘Ramoth’ and a territory which was the territory of Gilead. And on the other side Jordan by Jericho eastward, they assigned Bezer in the wilderness upon the plain out of the tribe of Reuben, and Ramoth in Gilead out of the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan out of the tribe of Manasseh. (Joshua 20:8) Ramoth in Gilead out of the tribe of Gad: Ramoth was one of the six cities that God had given the children of Israel as cities of refuge.
Speak to the children of Israel, saying, Appoint out for you cities of refuge, whereof I spake unto you by the hand of Moses: (Joshua 20:2)
That the slayer that killeth any person unawares and unwittingly may flee thither: and they shall be your refuge from the avenger of blood. (Joshua 20:3)
And when he that doth flee unto one of those cities shall stand at the entering of the gate of the city, and shall declare his cause in the ears of the elders of that city, they shall take him into the city unto them, and give him a place, that he may dwell among them. (Joshua 20:4)
Brief Background of the Prophetic History of Ahab, his son Joram, and Jehu
Each one of these six cities of refuge were important to the children of Israel. They were as their names described ‘cities of refuge.’ Throughout the history of Israel from Jeroboam to Ahab there had been many conflicts between Syria and Israel, and many treaties signed and not upheld on both sides. There was no trust between Israel (the ten tribes, or the northern kingdom) and the Syrians and their tribute kings. Ahab had previously been victorious over the Syrians, but by not slaying their king and conquering them and taking Damascus he allowed them to recover to once again invade his land. This could explain the obsession that he had to drive the Syrians out of Israel. We will see how Ahab failed in his plan, and after his death his son Joram would take Ramoth in Gilead out of the hands of Hazael king of Syria. This, once again, would only last for a season for Joram was wounded in the battle and returned to Samaria to recover from his wounds. Although the Syrian threat was over for now, the prophecy that was given to Jehu was beginning to be fulfilled. Jehu found Joram and put a divine arrow through his heart.
But king Joram was returned to be healed in Jezreel of the wounds which the Syrians had given him, when he fought with Hazael king of Syria.) And Jehu said, If it be your minds, then let none go forth nor escape out of the city to go to tell it in Jezreel. (2 Kings 9:15)
So Jehu rode in a chariot, and went to Jezreel; for Joram lay there. And Ahaziah king of Judah was come down to see Joram. (2 Kings 9:16)
And there stood a watchman on the tower in Jezreel, and he spied the company of Jehu as he came, and said, I see a company. And Joram said, Take an horseman, and send to meet them, and let him say, Is it peace? (2 Kings 9:17)
So there went one on horseback to meet him, and said, Thus saith the king, Is it peace? And Jehu said, What hast thou to do with peace? turn thee behind me. And the watchman told, saying, The messenger came to them, but he cometh not again. (2 Kings 9:18)
Then he sent out a second on horseback, which came to them, and said, Thus saith the king, Is it peace? And Jehu answered, What hast thou to do with peace? turn thee behind me. (2 Kings 9:19)
And the watchman told, saying, He came even unto them, and cometh not again: and the driving is like the driving of Jehu the son of Nimshi; for he driveth furiously. (2 Kings 9:20)
And Joram said, Make ready. And his chariot was made ready. And Joram king of Israel and Ahaziah king of Judah went out, each in his chariot, and they went out against Jehu, and met him in the portion of Naboth the Jezreelite. (2 Kings 9:21)
And it came to pass, when Joram saw Jehu, that he said, Is it peace, Jehu? And he answered, What peace, so long as the whoredoms of thy mother Jezebel and her witchcrafts are so many? (2 Kings 9:22)
And Joram turned his hands, and fled, and said to Ahaziah, There is treachery, O Ahaziah. (2 Kings 9:23)
And Jehu drew a bow with his full strength, and smote Jehoram between his arms, and the arrow went out at his heart, and he sunk down in his chariot. (2 Kings 9:24)
Then said Jehu to Bidkar his captain, Take up, and cast him in the portion of the field of Naboth the Jezreelite: for remember how that, when I and thou rode together after Ahab his father, the LORD laid this burden upon him; (2 Kings 9:25)
Surely I have seen yesterday the blood of Naboth, and the blood of his sons, saith the LORD; and I will requite thee in this plat, saith the LORD. Now therefore take and cast him into the plat of ground, according to the word of the LORD. (2 Kings 9:26)
This ended the reign of Joram, the son of Ahab, in Jezreel. This site of Naboth’s death (Jezreel) became an important part of Elijah’s partly fulfilled prophecy to Jehu, completely fulfilled in the death of Ahab and the destruction of the house of Ahab. We will deal with that prophecy later in our study. For now we are dealing with the battle at Ramoth in Gilead.
The Battle at Ramoth in Gilead
Ramoth:‘the height,’ and Gilead ‘heap of witness.’ This battle was to be a grand occasion for Ahab. For not only did he have his army, but had enlisted the army of Jehoshaphat. I believe that in this great host Ahab had visions of totally destroying the Syrian army and possibly riding his chariot all the way to Damascus. Jehoshaphat’s army was over a million strong. There is no number given to Ahab’s military, but according to previous battles it was probably over a half million men; consequently we have a large force approaching Ramoth in Gilead. There was only one thing lacking, and that was the Spirit of God. In 2 Chronicles 18:18-32 we read of both Ahab and Jehoshaphat approaching Ramoth in Gilead. They were both ignoring the prophecy of Micaiah. They were both out of the will of God in this endeavor. I must make this statement for there can be much confusion concerning the Sovereignty of God; simply,Â
After hearing the words of Ahab did Jehoshaphat question Ahab’s motives? Like a puppy dog he followed Ahab’s instructions. Do we not see this in the world today? Men with weak moral integrity giving themselves over to immoral and reprobate leaders of all kinds. These are truly leaders who have sold themselves to do evil. They wish to gain power or wealth or fame at the cost of others. Ahab was seeing victory for himself, and himself alone. Ahab wanted all the cheers and glory for himself; so he sent Jehoshaphat off into the battle clothed with his robes of glory and his banner waving in the wind riding in his gilded chariot. What a setup? Sounds like something from out of Langley or MI-5, (what ever). There is still no decision nor conviction about Micaiah’s words. How soon we forget. Remember, the very words of Jehoshaphat, he asked if there was a prophet of God. And Jehoshaphat said unto the king of Israel, Enquire, I pray thee, at the word of the LORD to day. (1 Kings 21:5) Jehoshaphat asked to hear the word of God in this matter. The matter was ‘should we go up to Ramothgilead or forbear?’ As Jehoshaphat listened to the prophets, he realized that the prophets before him were false prophets; these were the prophets of Baal, the hirelings of Baal. Their allegiance was to Ahab and Jezebel, their temple and their false god. This was the king from Judah, this was the king who was fulfilling the promise that Jehovah had given to David that his seed would continually sit on the throne in Jerusalem. Jehoshaphat was that seed, and he had begun his reign walking in the ways of David and following the Lord, but now he finds himself in the midst of an ungodly nation, next to an ungodly king, listening to the false prophets of Baal. He asks Ahab, Is there not here a prophet of the LORD? (1 Kings 22:7) And Jehoshaphat said, Is there not here a prophet of the LORD besides, that we might enquire of him? This is a king asking another king for the truth from Jehovah. Is there not a man of truth available? Can we not enquire of Jehovah? Is not the word of the Lord available for us? So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper [in the thing] whereto I sent it. (Isaiah 55:11) God sends Micaiah, and he speaks the word of God. Jehoshaphat hearing the word of God, hearing the truth, knowing the outcome, does he side with Micaiah, does he side with Jehovah? No, he sided with Ahab and the false prophets of Baal. He outwardly ignored the word of God, and did not side with nor defend Micaiah. He pulls his chariot along side the chariot of Ahab, and goes with Ahab to Ramoth in Gilead.
For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error. (2 Peter 2:18)
While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage.(2 Peter 2:19)
In 2 Peter we have men of corrupt thoughts bringing others under their corruption. These are men with no life. They have not the Spirit of God. They are in bondage in an evil system and go out to deceive others to lure and beguile that they might propagate their evil system. They are deceivers who are deceived themselves. It is the evil heart of apostasy that leads them without Christ to the gates of hell. With all this around us, may I remind you once again that man’s will does not trump God’s Sovereignty. No matter how dark the gloom to our eyes, God is Sovereign, and will fulfill all His desires towards the world, and towards those who love Him. The Church of the Lord Jesus Christ, or the Body of His Person can not be dissolved, nor taken out of the way by the lies of false prophets, and deceitful workers of iniquity. Peter applied the word of God to his time and also to our age; however, if we look at our example in the Old Testament through the life of Ahab, and his false prophets we will see the application of Peter played out in their age as well; yet, who did Jehoshaphat believe? He believed the false prophets, and the lying tongue of Ahab. He was in this, the battle for Ramothgilead, without obedience to the very word of God that he had requested and heard from God’s prophet Micaiah.
We enter, now, into the battle. As I said, we do not have the numerical statistics of the opposing forces. We consider that the armies were huge. Both commands, that of Israel and that of Syria, had been through many previous battles with the same opposing forces; thus, they knew each other well, they knew the strengths and the frailties of each other’s forces. Jehoshaphat was given the lead chariot; when the Syrians saw the glitter and the robes of Jehoshaphat they concentrated their forces against him. They pursued him into the very heat of the battle. When Jehoshaphat realized that he was in great danger and that he was about to be killed, he cried out.
But the king of Syria commanded his thirty and two captains that had rule over his chariots, saying, Fight neither with small nor great, save only with the king of Israel. (1 Kings 22:31)
And it came to pass, 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. ( 1 Kings 22:32)
We see another weakness in Jehoshaphat; Jehoshaphat cries out, but there is no mention of the Lord. In contrast to this, his father Asa also cried out, but he cried unto the Lord.
And Asa cried unto the LORD his God, and said, LORD, it is nothing with thee to help, whether with many, or with them that have no power: help us, O LORD our God; for we rest on thee, and in thy name we go against this multitude. O LORD, thou art our God; let not man prevail against thee. (2 Chronicles 14:11)
And it came to pass, when 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. (2 Chronicles 18:31)
Asa and Jehoshaphat Compared
The Lord shows us two kings: Asa and his son Jehoshaphat. In Asa, we see a man who had confidence in the Almighty God; he didn’t look right nor left, but cried to the heavens for help. Although his forces were small compared to the Ethiopian forces, Asa knew that the God of heaven would prevail. Concerning Jehoshaphat, he had ignored the word of God, he had turned his back on the truth, he had made a league with the ungodly, and this all took it’s toll on his spiritual life. He cried out, but to who? He did not know; yet, Jehovah heard his cry and delivered him. Can we not again see the sovereignty of God? On Jehoshaphat’s part, in his heart, there was no presence of Jehovah. Asa, his father, not only walked in the ways of the Lord, but knew the presence of Jehovah. When Asa cried he knew that he was crying to the greatest power of the universe, and to the Creator of all things. If God is in it, it is not by might, nor by power, but by the Spirit of God. There had been many men cry out in time of trouble, only for their own safety. This was Jehoshaphat in the flesh. He had journeyed to Samaria in the flesh, he had been entertained and lauded in the flesh, he had listened to the false prophets of Baal in the flesh, and he went hand in hand with evil into battle at Ramoth in Gilead in the flesh. So why should we not expect him to cry out in the flesh? But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now. (Galatians 4:29) For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. (Romans 8:13)
The Conflict between the Flesh and the Spirit
In the great conflict between God and man there are those who are born after the Spirit, and those who are born of the flesh. These are at enmity one with another. There can be no reconciliation between the two except in the new birth, and a glorious salvation through the finished work and shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul wants us to understand through Galatians 4:29 that this conflict did not start with the Church, but began all the way back to the conflict between Adam and God, Cain and Abel, Isaac and Ishmael; that they who are born of the Spirit are always in opposition to those who are born of the flesh. Heaven’s door was open, the eyes of the Lord were going to and fro throughout the whole earth. God was witnessing Jehoshaphat’s time of upheaval, and in His Sovereign Will deliver Jehoshaphat from the Syrians. Jehovah put in their hearts to turn away from Jehoshaphat. He changed the course of a mighty army to protect one of his own although Jehoshaphat was undeserving of God’s mercy. For it came to pass, that, when the captains of the chariots perceived that it was not the king of Israel, they turned back again from pursuing him. (2 Chronicles 18:32)
The Divine Scale of God’s Divine Justice
While all the attention of the Syrians was focused on Jehoshaphat, Ahab was slinking around behind the scenes of the battle. What he did not realize was that he was found in the balance and found wanting. TEKEL; Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting. (Daniel 5:27)
And a certain man drew a 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. (2 Chronicles 18:33)
And the battle increased that day: howbeit the king of Israel stayed himself up in his chariot against the Syrians until the even: and about the time of the sun going down he died. (2 Chronicles 18:34)
A Certain Man
We have another act of God’s sovereignty. It was a certain man, the exact man of God’s choosing. He was placed in the right place at the right moment in time. Every thing that was about to take place was to fulfill Micaiah’s prophecy that Ahab would not return. This certain man in the heat of the moment, in a moment of time drew his bow at a venture. Venture: according to chance, at random, without any particular aim or purpose. And a certain man drew a bow at a venture, and smote the king of Israel between the joints of the harness: wherefore he said unto the driver of his chariot, Turn thine hand, and carry me out of the host; for I am wounded. (1 Kings 22:34) Notice in these two verses (2 Chronicles 18:33, and I Kings 22:34) that we see the whimsicalness of man, and the divine sovereignty of God in action. This certain man had no intention of hitting Ahab, but God had other plans. It is amazing when you look with eyes of flesh what you don’t see, and when you look with eyes of the Spirit of God a whole new horizon opens to you. On man’s side, it was just a venture; on God’s side, it was His sovereign hand. The certain man, not even named, reaches into his quiver and takes out an arrow, the Lord’s arrow, which would be the instrument of Ahab’s death. He had been weighed in the balance, and must now pay for his sins. But God shall shoot at them with an arrow; suddenly shall they be wounded. (Psalm 64:7) He hath bent his bow, and set me as a mark for the arrow. (Lamentations 3:12) So the certain man places the arrow in the bow, and draws it tight, the wind makes the string sing, the impossible shot for man becomes the exact shot of the Lord. You hear a snap, the arrow soars through the air, the sun shining off the shaft, a reflection of light off the head like a spark of a diamond, the feathers like an eagle guide and hiss through the air, the Lord’s hand upon the shaft guiding it to the target. The man looks on his arrow going further than he could expect, soaring through the sky, and then like a rock it dropped out of the heaven, a single ordered arrow in all the confusion of battle. There is no time to take the shield for it comes suddenly upon Ahab. It is guided by the divine finger to the joint of Ahab’s armor, sinking into his flesh, blood running down inside his armor, and flowing into his chariot. Soon he would be king no longer, as the blood of Abel yet speaketh, so now the blood of Naboth speaketh in the judgment seat of God. Ahab has been brought down by the divine arrow from the Lord. Man may call it chance, but God calls it sovereignty. As the sun was setting over Samaria, and Ramoth in Gilead, the proud monarch Ahab took his last breath and he died. Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: (Romans 5:12) Ahab succumbed to death according to the prophecy of Micaiah because God had determined to destroy Ahab. His cup of sin and iniquity was full, now his days of evil were over, his days of murder were over, he was just a lifeless corpse sitting in a chariot. They removed the body of the king Ahab and they washed his chariot, and it is recorded that the dogs licked up his blood. And one washed the chariot in the pool of Samaria; and the dogs licked up his blood; and they washed his armour; according unto the word of the LORD which he spake. (1 Kings 22:38) Once again we have the prophecy of God being fulfilled. In 1 Kings 21:19 we have the prophecy against Ahab, now it is fulfilled and the dogs liked the blood of Ahab at the exact spot where Naboth was stoned. God never forgets!
And it came to pass, when Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, that Ahab rose up to go down to the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, to take possession of it. (1Kings 21:16)
And the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, (1Kings 21:17)
Arise, go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, which is in Samaria: behold, he is in the vineyard of Naboth, whither he is gone down to possess it. (1Kings 21:18)
And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith the LORD, Hast thou killed, and also taken possession? And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith the LORD, In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick thy blood, even thine. (1Kings 21:19)
God Never Forgets!
Elijah’s prophecy was fulfilled, the dogs licked the blood of Ahab at the exact location where Naboth’s blood was shed when he was stoned. God never forgets! The evil king was now subject to his own evil. Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. (Galatians 6:7) For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.(Galatians 6:8) Should we not weigh out actions before we do them? Think of what we sow, most people know what they are sowing; God sure knows. If when we sow, we think on God’s terms and God’s thoughts, we should walk a better walk, and live a better life. What you sow today, you know — what you will reap tomorrow — you don’t know; it will be according to God’s divine righteousness, and the seed that is sown will bring forth fruit accordingly. If you sow to the wind like Ahab, you will reap a whirlwind. Even today we see how the skies have been opened, and how God is casting down His judgment in the whirlwind for our sin. Let us not deceive ourselves in thinking that God is blind, that God is deaf, or perchance He is sleeping, for God never slumbers nor sleeps; and His eyes are always open to both good and evil. When a country (where ever that country maybe) denies the Almighty God, denies His Son, denies His Word, and has no moral character and lives in the filthiness of swine till their cup of sin is full; then, like Ahab, the sky will opened and the judgment will fall out of heaven as an arrow or a whirlwind. No country on this earth can participant in the wickedness that we see in our present age and not be judged by the Almighty God, both within and without. Whether God uses human terror, or plagues, or storms — God never forgets! The Lord will shake the whole earth if need be. The world has sowed to the wind, now it is the world that will be calling it’s own judgment. There will be pestilence, there will be death, there will be natural disasters that man has not yet experienced. For they have sown the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind: it hath no stalk: the bud shall yield no meal: if so be it yield, the strangers shall swallow it up. (Hosea 8:7) The battle was over for Ahab, and the battle was also over for Israel as Micaiah had prophesied, every survivor in this defeated military force returned to his own house. The Lord had scattered them, and they had returned for refuge in their own dwelling. All this could have been avoided if both kings (Ahab and Jehoshaphat) had listened and heeded the words of God’s prophet.
The Unequal Yoke: Family – Relationships – Fellowship
Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? (2 Corinthians 6:14)
And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? (2 Corinthians 6:15)
And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. (2 Corinthians 6:16)
Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, (2 Corinthians 6:17)
And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. (2 Corinthians 6:18)
If someone asked you to link yourself with Ahab, Jezebel, Samaria, and Baal, what would you say? Most likely you would say, No. As a believer your first alliance and your first love should be for Christ. When anything breaks that bound of peace with God, you have a Samaria. If we look at all of Christendom as just another religion of man, we would see the depth of evil that it has separated itself from Christ. They would rather have false prophets, they would rather be part of this world, they would rather worship the pomp and glory of Ahab than to worship a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. In a world of madness a believer must examine everything that would detract from Jesus Christ. We cannot in any way be unequally yoked with unbelievers or a system of unbelief. We are in a world of many false prophets, and many false voices (whether they be political or religious), the systems of this world wants you to be in bondage to them. This is achieved by denying the Word of God. Even though Paul was writing to the church at Corinth, he is addressing the individual believer. It is their responsibility to not only examine themselves, but to examine the things around them. He instructs them not to be unequally yoked.
The Unequal Yoke of Debt
This holds true not only in religious systems, but all the systems of the world. When one signs a mortgage for a business or a home, they are signing a contract with an unholy and unrighteous system. Debt is man’s biggest enemy in our modern age. It has divided families, it has caused divorce, and has caused the hearts to fail and death from it’s burden. We have become so encumbered by debt that we work and live for the ungodly systems that rule over us. I remember around 1953 or 1954 there was very little debt in most families. Then, some evil heart decided on a scheme and produced the first credit card. Man went wild and credit became the slave master of an entire society. Years ago, I used a word in describing the American society, I called it, ‘a slavitic society.’ A society under the bondage of government, under the bondage of debt, and under the bondage of sin. Don’t turn your thoughts off . . . this is very important for all of us . . . I will use one example for most of us have felt the debt in purchasing a home. The bank tells us that we own the home, and we pay every month so that one day we may be out from under the bondage of this ungodly system. Then we buy a car and our debt soars, and we are in bondage to another desire. Then we have the credit cards that rip our lives apart with 18% interest and higher. Just another ungodly system to put man in bondage, to be unequally yoked to a system of evil. The big bank debt system and the government appeasement of that system are married to each other. This is our modern slavistic society; a society given over to Samaria. In the days of Ahab and Jezebel we had an ungodly system that Jehoshaphat linked himself to, and so today, we have our Samaria’s all around us. The Spirit of God declares, for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?
Let us consider the religion of Ahab. There was nothing in it for God. He was completely removed from their thoughts. This led to the ungodly system of Baal, the ungodly ruling system of Ahab, and everything was done for the glory of man. Do we no see the same in government and religion today? Has not religion become big business? They not only borrow and are unequally yoked, but they also own banks, and burden others with debt. One building fund after another, or systems of borrowing within their own religion to keep others in bondage to them. Or, once again, Paul declares Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers. These systems devour widow’s houses and their lively hood so they can carry on their sham of religion in unrighteousness. If you were to stand in 1952 and tell someone of an elaborate plan of debt to enslave the American people and the people of the world, I am sure you would have been ridiculed. I am sure that many will ridicule me for suggesting the slavery to debt. I have seen the heartaches, the despair, and the absolute ruin of man and families over this ungodly debt system that is propagated by our world governments and the world banks. It is difficult in a world of slavery to convince the people that they are their own slaves. Their masters are the ungodly systems that they are in debt to. We should realize that these systems use evil methods and have purposely created a dominion over their debtors. The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender. (Proverbs 22:7) We can only go back a few years to see what debt once did to a great nation. It has not recovered, and will never recover. We are in a world wide glut of debt, and the scales are teetering on disaster. The financial system of the world is a house of cards ready to cave. In many individual cases, their house of cards has already collapsed. When we put ourselves in debt, then debt becomes our master, and even in our age we need to remove our debt so that we will not compromise our testimony for the Lord Jesus Christ. The devil and sinful man will use every thing that they can to take our testimony from us. This is not a judgment, for I judge not in these matters. It is an awareness of where we are in the time frame of this world, and the many system tentacles constantly reaching out to engulf and control us. Paul tells us that we are to keep ourselves unspotted from the world, this includes our debt. We are children of the light in Jesus Christ. We are not of this world. We need to protect ourselves against the Samaria’s of this world. We are not going to change the ungodly by having fellowship with them. It will, in truth, hinder our fellowship with the Lord. Ungodliness cannot make godliness. No matter how great you think the fellowship is, and how appeasing they might act to your faith; in the darkness of their hearts they will overthrow you at any chance. Jehoshaphat learned that lesson, and it nearly cost him his life. He went down to Samaria, he had fellowship with the ungodly. At one point he declared to Ahab, I am as thou art. For the believer this goes completely against the Word of God. If the world wants to play their socialistic games, then come out from among them. If the religious wants to play socialistic games for the ‘better good’ of man in Adam, come out from among them. I see building after building called places of worship that have left their mark all over the world. Baal is alive and well on planet earth today. We need to be aware that the systems of man are not of God.
The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet. (John 4:19)
Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship. (John 4:20)
Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. (John 4:21)
Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. (John 4:22)
But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. (John 4:23)
God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. (John 4:24)
Our Conflict with the Three Largest Armies of the World
Remember, we live in a slavistic society. Ahab’s society was a slavistic society. When it came to seizing property Ahab and Jezebel had no trouble in commanding that Naboth would be murdered in order to take possession of Naboth’s vineyard. The whole world system of our age, in regard to government, is based on taxation. Your property is in their hands, and you are just a renter. Don’t pay your land taxes and they surely will throw you out in the cold. Even if you pay your land taxes, there is always the unequal law known as ‘eminent domain,’ when your land and home can be taken from you and given to a developer for ‘the better good.’ The truth of government is that it knows no mercy, for it has separated itself from the Almighty God. Did Ahab and Jehoshaphat discuss the Bible? Did they talk about the Psalms of David? Did they speak of justification by faith? Did they declare that their father Abraham walked by faith? No. When one compromises with the world, the Word of God becomes irrelevant. You would think that the good king would influence the bad king, it was just the opposite. And so today, when one makes an alliance with evil (no matter how good your intentions) you will be overthrown by the evil either directly or under the guile and guise of something you might desire. We see this in the conflict between Ahab and Jehoshaphat. Was there ever a heated argument between them? I don’t think so. As we watched Jehoshaphat give in, give in, and give in over and over; he shined Ahab’s shoes. It works the same today for the righteous. If you go down to Samaria, Samaria will put you in a position where you will be out of the will of God. Paul was not merely suggesting that we be not unequally yoked, but he was trying to reveal to us that if we are unequally yoked we will have dire spiritual results. We are in a great battle. Every day we fight the three largest armies in the world — the world, the flesh, and the devil. It is only when we arm ourselves with the armor of God and go into battle with the Captain of the Lord’s host that we will be successful in our spiritual walk. It was the plan of Ahab from the very beginning to overthrow the righteous And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely: for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light. (Luke 16:8) Jehoshaphat’s only defense should have been to step back and examine all things, and all matters by the Word of God. If we approach each spiritual day examining all things by the Word of God then God’s Word will open our eyes so that we might see this ungodly world for what it truly is. Amen.
© Copyright 2016, Michael Haigh
Article may be used, but not for gain. Freely ye have received, freely give.
All Scripture references are from the Authorized King James Bible. (KJV)