Consequence of an Evil Influencer

2 Chronicles 20:22-37

    22 Now when they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set ambushes against the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; and they were defeated. 23 For the people of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of Mount Seir to utterly kill and destroy them. And when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, they helped to destroy one another.  24 So when Judah came to a place overlooking the wilderness, they looked toward the multitude; and there were their dead bodies, fallen on the earth. No one had escaped.

    25 When Jehoshaphat and his people came to take away their spoil, they found among them an abundance of valuables on the dead bodies, and precious jewelry, which they stripped off for themselves, more than they could carry away; and they were three days gathering the spoil because there was so much. 26 And on the fourth day they assembled in the Valley of Berachah, for there they blessed the LORD; therefore the name of that place was called The Valley of Berachah until this day. 27 Then they returned, every man of Judah and Jerusalem, with Jehoshaphat in front of them, to go back to Jerusalem with joy, for the LORD had made them rejoice over their enemies. 28 So they came to Jerusalem, with stringed instruments and harps and trumpets, to the house of the LORD. 29 And the fear of God was on all the kingdoms of those countries when they heard that the LORD had fought against the enemies of Israel. 30 Then the realm of Jehoshaphat was quiet, for his God gave him rest all around.

   31 So Jehoshaphat was king over Judah. He was thirty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned twenty-five years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Azubah the daughter of Shilhi. 32 And he walked in the way of his father Asa, and did not turn aside from it, doing what was right in the sight of the LORD. 33 Nevertheless the high places were not taken away, for as yet the people had not directed their hearts to the God of their fathers.  34 Now the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, first and last, indeed they are written in the book of Jehu the son of Hanani, which is mentioned in the book of the kings of Israel.

    35 After this Jehoshaphat king of Judah allied himself with Ahaziah king of Israel, who acted very wickedly. 36 And he allied himself with him to make ships to go to Tarshish, and they made the ships in Ezion Geber. 37 But Eliezer the son of Dodavah of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, "Because you have allied yourself with Ahaziah, the LORD has destroyed your works." Then the ships were wrecked, so that they were not able to go to Tarshish.

God’s victory given to Jehoshaphat and Judah was by having the overwhelming forces attack and devour each other for empty gain.  Jehoshaphat found their bodies strewn about the quiet battlefield and his army stripped the dead of so much that the jewelry and other valuables took three days of trips back and forth to carry it all away.  They all followed Jehoshaphat back into Jerusalem with merrymaking in songs of joy with musical accompaniment.  Then peace and tranquillity followed for a while because the testimony of how it was the LORD who fought their battles to such unimaginable victory put the fear of God in all their adversaries.  The sad part after all this glory in following God according to His word, doing what God said was right, ended with a bad alliance.  Jehoshaphat came alongside corrupt Ahaziah of Israel and was led astray by that wicked example.  Bad company corrupted the good of all Jehoshaphat had done and lived for (1 Corinthians 5:6, 13, 15:33).  The LORD brought his efforts to ruin after that as a consequence of an evil influencer.  The life of Jehoshaphat is then both an example to follow and a warning to stay the course in our associations for serving the Lord Christ in the gospel for His church.  Aligning with those who do evil in God’s name corrupts us in that association over time, so our actions should be instead to call such to repentance and reconciliation or restoration, otherwise to disassociate when the others do not follow Christ by living according to sound doctrine (1 Corinthians 5:9-10, 12-13).  Let us not participate in evil by continuing association for the Lord’s work with those opposed to God by their doctrine, actions, and opposition to the truth in their refusal of accountability to the Lord according to the scriptures.  Remember the example of Jehoshaphat and the consequence of an evil influencer.  May we wisely choose who to align with, especially in the work of the Lord and His gospel.