Ahab suggested that Jehoshaphat wear his kingly robes while he disguised himself and went to the battle. In this way he hoped he would be unnoticed on the battlefield, that Macaiah’s prophecy would fail, and that he would return to his house in peace. Poor Jehoshaphat was in a sad position, learning the hard way how selfish and thoughtless the world really is. But he had promised to help Ahab; so he agreed to Ahab’s proposal and went to the battle in his robes. Soon he was mistaken for the king of Israel by the Syrians, and their chariots started to pursue him. It was only by the gracious intervention of the Lord that he escaped with his life. When he called for help, the Lord caused the Syrians to see that he was not Ahab, and they turned away, for it was Ahab whom they were specially seeking to kill. Undoubtedly we can see in this a picture of the priestly work of the Lord Jesus for us as believers now, for Jehoshaphat was a true child of God though in a wrong position. How often we have been preserved in our own lives, when we called upon the Lord for “grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews 4:1616Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:16). And how often too, when we have failed, we have been restored, because “we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” 1 John 2:11My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: (1 John 2:1). He is ever faithful and will carry every one of His own safely home to glory.
But what about Ahab? Poor Ahab, he could not escape the hand of God, and his plan to go to the battle unnoticed did not help him, for “a certain man drew a bow at a venture, and smote the king of Israel between the joints of the harness.” Yes, the arrow came through, and he received a deadly wound. He appeared very brave at the time, and would not give in, for he stayed himself up in his chariot during the day, but he died in the evening, as Micaiah had said. How sure are the words of God! How vain to try to escape His dealing hand.
Not only did Ahab die, but the words of the prophet were fulfilled to the very letter (1 Kings 21:2424Him that dieth of Ahab in the city the dogs shall eat; and him that dieth in the field shall the fowls of the air eat. (1 Kings 21:24)), for the dogs licked up his blood. Oh how solemn it is to go on in sin, but still more terrible to reject God’s message of warning and to persecute those who speak His truth, as Ahab did. May the Lord awaken any unsaved one who reads these lines to the awful judgment in the lake of fire that awaits those who continue in their sins and spurn God’s remedy. Ahab had a beautiful house of ivory here in this world, And the fields of Naboth for his own, yet “it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.” Hebrews 9:2727And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: (Hebrews 9:27). You too, dear reader, may have grand things in this world and great possessions, but do you have Christ as your own personal Saviour?
Jehoshaphat was a godly king, but he made the sad mistake of forming the friendship of which we have spoken, with the ungodly king Ahab, and he lost in his soul by it. He did not take away the high places of the land, though he was faithful in many other things, for carelessness in one thing generally leads to carelessness in another. One sin seldom goes alone in a believer’s life, but usually leads to other things. So here, the next step in Jehoshaphat’s life was to become occupied with the accumulation of wealth, not being satisfied with the abundance God had already given him.
ML 09/02/1956