Dedicated To The Men of God Who Preach the Word of God As It
Is To Men As They Are
"Preach The Word"
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CHAPTER 6-BLESSED WITHOUT
OBEDIENCE???
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Some preachers are foolish enough to proclaim that
those who disobey matters of separation, as discussed
in this book, cannot be blessed or used of God. That
shows a careless study of the Word of God. You need
look no farther than Samson to find one who was blessed
of God and yet he lived in constant disobedience to
God's Word. Jacob is another who was blessed of God
during, and in spite of, a life of trickery and family
idolatry. Ahab, the most wicked king Israel had, was
used of God to defeat the Syrians (I Kings 20). Balaam
was used of God to deliver God's message in spite of
his "perverse" way (Numbers 22:32).
Someone might ask then, "What difference does it
make whether you obey God or not?" Whereas it is
true that God did bless and use some who were not
right in their actions, he did not bless them as much,
nor use them as much as they could have been used had
they been right with God in obedience to His Word.
Plus, in each case, the disobedience of one had a
devastating effect on others.
Let's consider the example of Jehoshaphat. I chose
Jehoshaphat because there is no doubt about his love
for God and his dedicated life for God. And yet there
was an area of disobedience in his life that clearly
demonstrates the consequences of disobedience. II
Chronicles 17 through 21 gives us his story.
In 17:3,4,6, and 12 we read of his dedication to God.
"And the Lord was with Jehoshaphat, because he
walked in the first ways of his father David, and
sought not unto Baalim: (3)
"But sought to the Lord God of his father, and
walked in his commandments, and not after the
doings of Israel. (4)
"And his heart was lifted up in the ways of the
Lord: moreover he took away the high places and
groves out of Judah. (6)
"And Jehoshaphat waxed great exceedingly; and
he built in Judah castles, and the cities of store."
(12)
It is obvious that Jehoshaphat was dedicated to the
work of God. Clearly, God blessed him with great
riches and power because of his obedience. I Chronicles
18:1 states:
"Now Jehoshaphat had riches and honour in abundance,
and joined affinity with Ahab."
With God's blessings upon him, Jehoshaphat made a
serious error. He made a deal with Ahab, the wicked
king of Israel. Near the end of the chapter the two
kings are defeated in battle, resulting in the death of
Ahab. Chapter 19, verses 1-3 state:
"And Jehoshaphat the king of Judah returned to
his house in peace to Jerusalem.
"And Jehu the son of Hanani the seer went out to
meet him, and said to king Jehoshaphat,
Shouldest thou help the ungodly, and love them
that hate the Lord? Therefore is wrath upon thee
from before the Lord.
"Nevertheless there are good things found in thee,
in that thou hast taken away the groves out of the
land, and hast prepared thine heart to seek God."
Jehoshaphat's disobedience brought personal and
national defeat. God did not allow this to be a complete
defeat because of his heart attitude. His disobedience
also brought a rebuke from God. His disobedience also
caused the death of some in his army. How Christians
need to understand that disobedience always hurts
others. We never just sin to ourselves.
Keep in mind, Jehoshaphat was not a wicked king. He
was good. He loved God. He went on to restore the order
of worship in the rest of chapter 19. In chapter 20, in
answer to Jehoshaphat's prayer, God gave a miraculous
victory over his enemies. But notice verses 35-37:
"And after this did Jehoshaphat king of Judah
join himself with Ahaziah king of Israel, who did
very wickedly:
"And he joined himself with him to make ships to
go to Tarshish: and they made the ships in Eziongaber.
"Then Eliezer the son of Dodavah of Mareshah
prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, Because
thou hast joined thyself with Ahaziah, the Lord
hath broken thy works. And the ships were
broken, that they were not able to go to Tarshish."
Again Jehoshaphat is found making an alliance with
a wicked king in Israel. Evidently, in spite of a
precious rebuke from God, Jehoshaphat was "not convicted
about it yet" that such an alliance was wrong.
But whether he was convicted about it or not, it was
wrong. God broke his ships.
Jehoshaphat was a good king. He had been blessed of
God. But we see him defeated in battle, and defeated
in business because of his disobedience in one area of
his life. Had he been obedient he would have been
blessed more and used more.
We should also be reminded of those who suffered
because of his disobedience. The men who died in the
battle he never should have had a part in suffered, as
well as their families. The men who perished with his
ships suffered, as well as their families. A Christian
never sins without hurting others. Sometimes their sin
keeps a lost person from coming to Christ. Sometimes
their sin hurts a young Christian. But the worst result
of all has not even been discussed yet — the effect on
one's children.
The results discussed thus far of Jehoshaphat's sin are
bad enough in themselves, but the effect in his home
was devastating. We read in chapter 21, verses 1-4:
"Now Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers, and was
buried with his fathers in the city of David. And
Jehoram his son reigned in his stead. (1)
"And he had brethren the sons of Jehoshaphat,
Azariah, and Jehiel, and Zechariah, and Azariah,
and Michael, and Shephatiah: all these were the
sons of Jehoshaphat king of Israel. (2)
"And their father gave them great gifts of silver,
and of gold, and of precious things, with fenced
cities in Judah: but the kingdom gave he to
Jehoram; because he was the firstborn. (3)
"Now when Jehoram was risen up to the kingdom
of his father, he strengthened himself, and slew
all his brethren with the sword, and divers also of
the princes of Israel." (4)
Someone might concede that Jehoram was wicked,
but ask, "what does that have to do with Jehoshaphat's
sin?" The answer is found in verse 6:
"And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel,
like as did the house of Ahab: for he had the
daughter of Ahab to wife: and he wrought that
which was evil in the eyes of the Lord."
Where did Jehoram learn to walk in the ways of the
kings of Israel? Could it have been when he went with
his father to Ahab's palace, and then Ahaziah's palace?
Shouldn't Jehoram have known better than to marry
the ungodly daughter of Ahab and Jezebel? Although
Jehoshaphat loved God, his friendship with the wicked
cost him his family. Christians cannot be friends with
the world, whether it be the world's fashions, the
world's amusements, or the world's lifestyles, and keep
their children.
"Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that
the friendship of the world is enmity with God?
Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world
is the enemy of God."
(James 4:4)
"Love not the world, neither the things that are in
the world. If any man love the world, the love of
the Father is not in him.
"For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh,
and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is
not of the Father, but is of the world.
"And the world passeth away, and the lust
thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth
forever."
(I John 2:15-17)
RELIGIOUS COVER-UP DOESN'T WORK
All of Jehoshaphat's good works did not stop the
harvest of his sin. The law of sowing and reaping is
still in effect, even for the most sincere Christians.
Good service in one area does not excuse disobedience
in another. As King Saul learned many years ago, "To
obey is better than sacrifice."
Jehoshaphat is not an isolated case Many are the examples
in the Scriptures of good men who disobeyed in
seemingly small areas, and all their good works did not
stop the reaping day. Usually the most devastating
result was in their families.
Sure, you can disobey portions of God's Word and
still be blessed. But remember, you will not be blessed
nor used as much as you could have been, and your
disobedience will hurt others. Are you willing to risk
the possibility of the result being in your family.
STUDY FROM DR. MIKE ALLISON
