And Jehoshaphat the king of Judah returned to his house in peace to Jerusalem.
Jehoshaphat’s declension and recovery
I. God makes a difference between a backslidden child and an apostate.
1. He preserves the life of the child (2 Chronicles 19:1).
2. God reproves in grace His backslidden child (2 Chronicles 19:2-3).
3. God commends His backslidden child for the good he has done.
II. Jehoshaphat exemplifies the true spirit in which we should receive Divine reproof.
1. He received the Divine reproof without resentment and with real contrition for his sin.
2. He sought to make amends for past misconduct by greater personal efforts to promote the spiritual interests of his people.
III. Jehoshaphat lays down rules for the judges of the people which are applicable and essential to our own times.
1. That a true judge must have reference to God in his decisions (2 Chronicles 19:6).
2. That a true judge should be a real Christian (2 Chronicles 19:7).
Lessons:
1. Unholy alliances are fraught with the greatest danger to every child of God.
2. In his backslidden state the child of God should at once heed God’s warning and reproof through His servants.
3. God requires personal efforts for the promotion of His cause from the rich as well as poor; from those in the highest positions of State as well as from the obscure and lowly. (D. C. Hughes.)
Shouldest thou help the ungodly, and love them that hate the Lord?
Entangling alliances
I. The friendship of wicked men one of the most dangerous temptations to which Christians are subject. Modern life in cities illustrates this with special force.
1. The wealth of the world is largely in the hands of men who are not friends of Christ.
2. In many communities intelligence and culture are possessed mainly by the irreligious.
3. Interests of business sometimes create similar peril.
4. In a higher circle of life professional success often tempts young men of aspiring mind to ally themselves with those who love not God.
II. While Christian principle requires no narrow or ascetic seclusion from the world, yet it forbids seeking worldly friendships and alliances for selfish ends and to the peril of religious usefulness and religious character.
III. The irreligious friendships of religious men violate the ruling spirit of the Scriptures.
IV. Entangling alliances with the world often involve immense sacrifice of Christian usefulness.
V. Christian alliances with the wicked do not command the respect of the very man for whose favour they are formed.
VI. Loving those that hate God inflicts a wound of great severity on the feelings of Jesus Christ. It is from Calvary that the voice comes to each in our solitude, “Shouldest thou love them that hate the Lord?” (A. Phelps.)
Jehoshaphat’s connection with Ahab
I. What is that intimacy with the ungodly which God forbids?
1. An alliance with them.
2. A conformity with them.
3. An unnecessary association with them.
II. Why is it so displeasing to God?
1. On account of the state of mind it implies.
2. On account of its pernicious tendency.
3. On account of its Opposition to His revealed will. (J. Chapin.)
Associating with the ungodly
It is told of a sweet-voiced canary that it forgot how to sing by having its cage hung outside where it was constantly surrounded by sparrows. It gave up its once sweet notes and learned to chatter the meaningless, tuneless notes of the sparrow. The constant association with the Christless is apt to make our hearts grow Christless.
Jehoshaphat; or the dangers of indecision
I have to describe to you a man, not lost, but continually in danger of being lost; a man not wicked, but weak; a man possessing in his character much that was good, but allowing his goodness to be sullied by approach to evil and evil men. I have to show you how one ill-considered step, in the earlier part of his career, embarrassed his whole reign. Affinity with Ahab’s family affected more or less the whole life of Jehoshaphat. This should make us cautious.
I. In such serious matters as forming family connections, or partnerships in business.
II. In what appear minor things. Observe the man who is over-persuaded to what he believes to be evil; the man who consents to do what is wrong, and justifies himself by saying some good will come of it; the man who frequents the society of the vicious, yet believes that he can escape corruption; the man who enjoys the jest of the profane, yet supposes that his mind can retain its reverence for holy things; the man who is silent when he should declare openly his disapprobation of evil; the man who runs himself into temptation, yet trusts that God will find him a way out of it. All these persons do, in their measure and degree, expose themselves to danger--commit acts of indecision--take a step which may necessitate others, against which they may exert themselves in vain--impress a stain on their conscience which it may require years to efface--and plant on the soil of their souls a weed so vivacious, so self-spreading, so absorbent of moisture and nutriment, that by and by it may choke the growth of all Christian graces and virtues. (J. Hessey.)
Nevertheless there are good things found in thee.--
The stimulus of an encouraging word
The Lord will analyse a man’s disposition and a man’s character, and will assign to him all that is due. What man is wholly bad? Surely in the very worst of men there are excellences, and it ought to be our delight to consider these, and where possible, with due regard to justice, to magnify them and to call the man’s attention to them. A man may take heart when he sees some of his best points. Here is a lesson for parents, magistrates, and teachers and monitors of every name and position. Tell a boy that he has done something well. We are too much afraid of what is called flattery, forgetting that flattery is a lie; but we are called upon simply to state the truth, and to state it with affection and emphasis, that it may become an encouragement to hearts that are very easily cast down. (J. Parker, D.D.)
Good and bad things in moral character
Is a man whose character is good to the extent of six-sevenths to be pronounced a bad man? Is there not a spiritual arithmetic which looks into majorities and minorities of a moral kind? Will God, then, at last drive away from Him men who have had six good points out of seven? As business men, suppose a man be recommended to you in these terms: This man has seven qualities, and six of them are really admirable; the only thing about him is that you cannot trust him with money. Would you take him? Six points are good out of seven: will you go by the majority or by the minority? Another man is also good in six points, admirable; the only fault he has is that you cannot believe a word he says. Will you take him into your business? There is a minority greater than any majority can be. That is the doctrine which we have omitted when we have been criticising eternal providence and wondering about the issues of human action. Amongst ourselves it is right that we should say of one another, “He is a good man take him on the whole.” But what is the meaning of the reservation? Is it a grace, a posture that may be taught by a hired master? Or is it a morality, the want of which turns the whole being into a bog on which you cannot rest with security? (J. Parker, D. D.)
Jehu’s commendation
We may very well admit that the nearer we get to God and to His sunlight the more freely and fully we shall admit that there is no good thing to be found in us. But yet God sometimes allows His angels to say of a mortal man, “There are good things in him,” without any frown of supreme displeasure. This should--
1. Comfort us. Our good deeds are not useless, not forgotten.
2. Encourage us. If God speak so like an indulgent master to a trying servant, then we need not fear Him. We need dread no impatient frowns upon our insufficient strivings.
3. Humble us. We are perhaps not so good as Jehoshaphat. For his one backsliding ours, perhaps, are many.
Lessons:
1. Mutual forbearance. Let us not set down any of our neighbours as altogether bad.
2. Let us see that our good qualities are definite and discoverable.
3. Let us pray earnestly, agonisingly, that the good in us may overcome the evil. Evil must not for a moment be tolerated. Christ must reign. (S. B. James, M. A.)