Jehu the
son of Hanani the seer went out to meet King Jehoshaphat and said to him,
“Should you help the wicked and love those who hate the Lord and so bring wrath on yourself from the Lord?”
(v.2)
Here in chapter
19, king Jehoshaphat had just returned safely to his house in Jerusalem from
battle against the Arameans in support of king Ahab, one of the most wicked
rulers in the history of Israel. Why did he support Ahab, the bible does not
say. However, many commentators speculate that Jehoshaphat did it to link
himself to Ahab in hopes of unifying the nations, even against the prophetic
advise of Micaiah.
Jehoshaphat’s
alliance with Ahab had two consequences; 1) it caused the people to backslide,
the tragedy of his compromised leadership and 2) the wrath of the Arameans and
their allies would soon come upon them. This time however, Jehoshaphat would
take to heart the warning given to him by the Lord, through Jehu the seer. He
would make reforms and bring the people back to the LORD, the God of their
fathers (v.4), and eventually be victorious in battle against a great multitude (2
Chronicles 20:22).
Admitting
we have made a mistake is sometimes difficult due to our pride. Hearing it
from the lips of another can often make matters worse, if done in an “I told
you so” manner. However, if the correction is given in love, and hits the mark
of our transgression, we should receive it in love, make the needed reforms,
and return to the Lord our God. Then we can move forward in victory, no longer weighed down in our sin.
The Truth:
“As many
as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent.”
(Revelation 3:19)
