1 Kings 22:1-4 – Be careful who we run with

First King 22:1-4 tell us that three years had elapsed since Ahab had the peace treaty with Ben-hadad. The Syrians did not trouble Israel during that period and peace was experienced in those three years. Then Ahab had the intention to wrestle Ramoth-gilead back from the Syrians. For since the treaty that city was under the control of the Syrians.

So when Jehoshaphat the king of Judah came to visit Ahab, the latter connived to solicit his help to annex Ramoth-gilead. It looked like he deliberately asked his servants loudly in the hearing of Jehoshaphat saying, “Do you know that Ramoth-gilead belongs to us, and we are still doing nothing to take it out of the hand of the king of Aram?” With that question, he immediately turned to Jehoshaphat and asked if he would help him in what he intended to do. Pointedly he asked Jehoshaphat, “Will you go with me to battle at Ramoth-gilead?” Without hesitation, Jehoshaphat responded in the affirmative. Verses 4 said he told Ahab, “I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses.”

Why was Jehoshaphat so willing to help Ahab? It was because they were in-laws. Jehoram, his son was married to Athaliah, Ahab’s daughter. Through that marriage, Judah and Israel were now in an alliance. So Jehoshaphat was obliged to assist Ahab in his attempt to take back Ramoth-gilead. We can sense that Ahab took advantage of the situation to get the help of Jehoshaphat. While we try to understand Jehoshaphat’s needs for alliance, but why the ungodly Ahab? This leaves us wondering why he would entangle himself with the evil man. Instead of being helped, he was drawn into the sin of Ahab. Unwittingly he was made to participate in the evil expedition of Ahab.

We all need friends who can walk with us in our spiritual journey. Good friendships should be forged so that we can strengthen each other. But we must be watchful of who we are running with. In seeking such friends, we need to be prayerful and discerning. If we sleep with stray dogs, do expect to have fleas. Be sure to have good friends but don’t let them come in between us and our walk with God. We must not allow anyone to build a fence between God and us or we will live to regret it. Be discerning who we choose to be our bosom friends!