Have you ever wondered how a godly leader seemed to suddenly transform into something else? Someone who was walking with God at one time, but then one day you learned they had a moral failure or perhaps united in a business or made an alliance or endorsement for someone who was not following after God?
It’s confusing and disappointing. Sometimes we just don’t believe it can be true. But…
Actions are indicators.
A dear friend shared with us recently that he had partnered with an investor for his business. “We signed the contract last week,” he said excitedly. It seemed like an answer to prayer.
The alliance was with a well-recognized man in the city who was renowned for his philanthropic donations. Lesser-known, however, was how he also used his money to reshape the city and our nation, with programs to usher in a globalist, one-world government agenda.
When our friend told us of the new partnership, my husband and I were horrified.
I guess it showed on our faces. “I know that some people think he isn’t so good in some areas,” our friend said. “But it’s just business.”
Is that how God sees it?
SEE ALSO: How Should We Respond to Threats and Manipulation within the “Church”?
In 2 Chronicles 20:35-36, King Jehoshaphat made a “just business” decision. Ir came on the heels of an amazing victory which could only be called a God-intervention.
The story in 2 Chronicles is of three enemy armies who were headed toward Judah to destroy Jehoshaphat and his people. They were greatly outnumbered and outgunned. It was a no-win scenario. Desperate, Jehoshaphat did the only thing he knew. He instructed the people to fast and pray and cry out to God.
The short version of the historical account is that God heard their cry for help and said to them, “You need not fight in this battle; station yourselves, ‘stand and see the salvation of the Lord on your behalf…Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out to face them, for the Lord is with you” (2 Chron 20:17).
As the people began to sing and worship God, the armies intent on destroying them went into a state of confusion, turned on each other and destroyed each other!
Because of that, most people would say Jehoshaphat was a godly king. But was he?
He certainly was in that moment, but in the very same chapter, it says Jehoshaphat allied himself with the wicked King Ahaziah in a business venture. They pooled their resources together to build a fleet of ships. (2 Chron 20:35-37)
What happened next reveals that God holds us accountable for alliances we make.
SEE ALSO: Can Disaster be Averted?
The prophet Eliezer told Jehoshaphat, “Because you have allied yourself with Ahaziah, the Lord has destroyed your works” (2 Chron 20:37). The chapter ends revealing that the fleet of ships was broken and unable to sail.
It didn’t prosper because it was based on an unholy alliance.
There’s more to Jehoshaphat’s story.
As a king, he was a mixed bag. God delivered him and his people when the three armies were set on destroying them, but prior to that and after that, he made some really bad decisions.
In 2 Chron 18:1, he allied himself in marriage with the wicked King Ahab. Then he gave Ahab his complete support in a battle. That alliance almost cost Jehoshaphat his life as Ahab backstabbed him.
That’s what happens when we align with evil. Evil always works to prosper itself at others expense.
What can We learn about Jehoshaphat that applies to today?
Just because he had one major victory from the Lord, didn’t mean everything he did was blessed. Just because God delivered him at one point, didn’t mean there weren’t consequences for his poor choices in other areas when he aligned with ungodly leaders.
Why do we expect anything different today?
I have watched in the last few weeks especially as numerous political leaders or friends have endorsed elected officials up for re-election whose voting record and actions indicate those endorsements are really poor decisions.
They are in essence an unholy alliance.
For several, I don’t think they believe they are making poor alliances. I think they haven’t done the research needed and instead are taking the advice of someone they trust–perhaps even the candidate. As a result, perhaps innocently enough, they have aligned themselves as they said, “I endorse…”
And yet, in doing so, are making an alliance/partnership just as Jehoshaphat did, that will not be blessed.
There is also a multitude who don’t like what is going on and as a result simply choose to not get involved. Perhaps they don’t want to make a bad decision, so they make no decision. Or they don’t like either candidate, so they choose no candidate. Some have convinced themselves that we aren’t to be involved in politics, but should just serve the Lord.
But those responses doesn’t change the outcome that evil is fast approaching! It just chooses to ignore that which is coming.
Enemy armies are coming whether we acknowledge it or not.
We can either cry out to God and do something—or we can stick our head in the sand and hope it goes away. (It won’t.) Or worse, we can make unholy alliances because we refuse to pay attention to actions which are indicators of who is really serving God revealed in their actions.
Or We just listen naively to what people say and we will pay the price later.
When people tell me, “Well I asked them if they did such and such and they said they didn’t!” Okay so when was the last time you heard someone caught up in evil announce, “Oops. Yeah, I’m evil. I lied. I had ulterior motives. You caught me!”
Surely we are more discerning than that.
Almost everywhere we see good leaders who start well, but end bad. This is one main reason why. But it applies to us as well when we align with those who say they are one thing, but in truth do something else. We aren’t responsible for their actions, but we ARE responsible for ours.
Let’s choose wisely.
