Jehoshaphat allies himself with Ahab to recover Ramoth Gilead. It is clear that he is ready to go because he already commits his resources to the alliance before he even seeks counsel with the Lord but at least he attempts to seek the Lord’s counsel. The prophets tell him “go” God will give it into the king’s hand. The interesting thing occurs in the next verse. Jehoshaphat questions, “Is there not a prophet of the Lord here…?” What is really being said here? He is saying that Ahab’s 400 prophets are worthless. They are prophets of Yahweh AND Baal because at this point we understand this is the Northern Kingdom because he had “gone down” to visit Ahab. Jehoshaphat was dealing with Northern prophets that were products of Dan and Bethel, centers of syncretistic Yahweh/Baal worship/interfaithism. The one prophet that can be relied upon to give accurate information is Micaiah who is a true prophet of God. Ahab petulantly claims that he never prophesies “anything good” which is understandable because Ahab is such an evil person deserving punishment from God. And this is probably what Ahab is always being told by this prophet, hence his hostile response.
Regardless, Micaiah is consulted. The other prophets attempt to sway what he will tell the king(s) but Micaiah being a true prophet of Yahweh speaks as the truth is revealed to him. The short of it: Ahab will meet his demise. Jehoshaphat was helped by the Lord by drawing his attackers away from him. He is spared because he wanted and called on the counsel of Yahweh. Heart intent people, it’s called heart intent. His heart was in the right place looking towards the right direction (the Lord’s). In this situation, he may not have been perfect but because of God’s grace foremost and Jehoshaphat’s true intent, he is spared…barely. This whole incident was nearly bungled because of spiritual half-measures and on Ahab’s side, evil and and apostasy. Ahab pays with his life and Jehoshaphat nearly paid with the same. I have to assume also that Jehoshaphat’s alliance with a wicked king did not help his chances at success either. Believers are not to be yoked with non-believers in a spiritual enterprise…
”Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?” 2 Corinthians 6:14
Not so in the following storyline of 2 Chronicles 20. We now see a corrected and chastened Jehoshaphat. His immediate modus operandi when warned of Moabites, Ammonites Meunites hostile intent is to “inquire of the Lord”, “fasting” and also had the entire people of Judah “come together to seek help from the Lord” and they came. No more half measures. The pendulum swung back the other direction into total dependence on the Lord. We observed this “half measure” and “total dependence” with David also during the time he spent as a renegade. Like David, Jehoshaphat and Judah cling tightly to the Lord in the time they needed to most and are aptly rewarded. The Lord tells Jehoshaphat, “Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God's.” God tells them what to do and He is rightfully praised. “As they began to sing and praise, the Lord set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated.” God delivers Jehoshaphat and the Israelites from the looming threat. Not only that, they are able to plunder the goods from the dead on the battle field. Instead of fighting against God’s will, Jehoshaphat align himself and the Israelites with Gods will and God fights for them. Obedience brings victory and life, disobedience brings defeat and death. Sin is punishable by death.
Sadly, we see at the very end of Jehoshaphat’s reign that he again foolishly makes and alliance with the North, King Ahaziah who was “guilty of wickedness”. Eliezer prophesied against him and told him the Lord will destroy what he had made. Jehoshaphat was a man with two hearts and trying to serve two masters: One heart for his Master which was God and one heart for for his other master himself and man. He'd have been better off getting rid of the latter altogther.
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