2 Chronicles 19
In this chapter Jehoshaphat safely returns home to Jerusalem after the battle with the Syrians. He is met by a seer, Jehu, who questions his actions in helping ungodly Ahab and tells him that because of it God's wrath was upon him. However, he acknowledges that Jehoshaphat has sought to follow God in destroying pagan worship in the land and 'preparing his heart to seek God'.
The remainder of the chapter records Jehoshaphat's organisation of judges throughout Judah and Jerusalem and his exhortations to them to be honourable, judging for the Lord and to be courageous.
Nothing instantly seemed to speak to me from this chapter this morning, but I did start thinking about the words of the seer to Jehoshaphat:
"Shouldest thou help the ungodly, and love them that hate the LORD? therefore is wrath upon thee from before the LORD" (verse 2).
My thoughts straight way went to Jesus's command to us to 'love our enemies', but then to, 'Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?' (2 Corinthians 6:14).
So let's unpick this a little...
Jehoshaphat has formed an alliance with Ahab by marrying his son to Ahab's daughter. Perhaps this was to have a political advantage by promoting peace between them. But it appears that Jehoshaphat had formed a friendship with Ahab, who in the previous chapter had made a feast for him, and Jehoshaphat had responded warmly when Ahab asked if he would go to battle with him.
On more closely looking at the origin of the word 'love' used in this verse, Strong's concordance tells us that it is 'the sense of having a strong emotional attachment to and desire to possess or be in the presence of the object'. This appears to confirm that Jehoshaphat had formed a strong bond with Ahab.
Now, when Jesus tells us to 'love our enemies' (Matthew 5:44), Strong's tells us that the word 'love' means in a social or moral sense. This would make sense for the context in which Jesus is speaking, when he says to 'do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute you.' This seems to me to speak more of being kind to our enemies, rather than the previous love of being emotionally attached.
So, it seems that God will have us be kind to those who are unkind to us, or who hate God, but not to become emotionally attached and desire to be with them. This can be supported by the admonition to not be 'yoked to unbelievers', because when you think about it, how can a Christian truly remain loyal to God and focused in their following him if they become emotionally involved and attached to somebody who doesn't love God? In Amos 3:3 we read, 'Can two walk together, except they be agreed?' It is much harder to live in a way pleasing to God if those who are close to us don't agree with us.
I have experienced this myself, with wanting to go to worship God, but being torn between staying with friends who were wanting to do other things and telling me I could go to worship another time. How easy it would be to say 'okay, just this time', and then realise our desire to go is gradually being eroded and taken over with activities that are more pleasing to our natural desires - because if we are honest, we don't always want to do what is pleasing to God, such as going to worship. We are not always 'in the mood' especially after a long day at work or on a lazy Sunday morning.
This is just one example, but it could be much more complex when friends ask us to do things that are actually abhorrent to God. Then we become torn between pleasing them or God and losing our friendship or our closeness to God. Although God has told us he will never forsake his children, we can grieve him (Ephesians 4:30), and may receive God's chastening for it - but out of love to bring us back to him, and his ways. And for a Christian who loses the sense of being at one with God, the guilt and loneliness is utterly miserable, even if not fully acknowledged - it may be a deeply hidden unease within us, but it will surface.
What love God shows to his children, who when they return to him after drifting away, he receives with such love and forgiveness.
"Return unto the LORD thy God...say unto him, Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously...I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely" (Hosea 14:1-4)
"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9).
Let us pray to God to keep us from drifting away and loving those things which are opposed to God or which don't love him; to be kept from grieving him; to be kept in a tender conscience, and to be given love to him which shines bright and strong.
Damascus Gate Photo by Levi Clancy on Unsplash
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