Disobedience brings Evil Influence- Resulting in Dire Consequences

Thursday Aug. 25, 2016

I have been thinking more along the line of influences, and in lieu of this, what a powerful impact we have on one another for good or evil.  Through our obedience to God's word, we can influence others toward doing good. We can also influence them toward doing evil through our disobedience to God’s word. Amos 5:15 teaches us to “Hate evil, and love good...” When we are not loving good but giving in to evil (which is any action contrary to scripture’s teaching), we will suffer the consequences of our wrong actions, and we are not the only ones who will suffer the consequences. Many other people may suffer the consequences of our disobedience. A good illustration of this can be found in the story of Jehoshaphat.

Jehoshophat, the king of Judah, was a man who feared God, “The Lord was with Jehoshaphat, because he walked in the earlier ways of his father David” (2 Chronicles 17:3). Jehoshophat made a very grave mistake however in making an alliance with Ahab, by giving his son in marriage to Ahab’s daughter. Now, “…..Ahab the son of Omri reigned over Israel in Samaria twenty-two years. And Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the Lord, more than all who were before him” (1 Kings 16:29-30). As one who feared God, Jehoshaphat should have been more discerning. God clearly commanded His people not to intermarry with those who did not follow after Him.

Nehemiah 13:25 states, “….. You shall not give your daughters to their sons, or take their daughters for your sons or for yourselves.” This was due to the other nations wicked practices that would lead the people astray from following God, yet Jehoshaphat "allied himself with Ahab by marriage" (2 Chronicles 18:1), a man who was known for his wicked practices. Jehoshaphat (and his son) were to suffer the consequences of this wrong action. Scripture tells us that Jehoshaphat's son "..walked in the way of the kings of Israel, as the house of Ahab had done, for the daughter of Ahab was his wife. And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord" (2 Kings 8:18).

Jehoshaphat not only allied himself in marriage with Ahab, but he also helped him in war, “Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel,“I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses,”(1 Kings 22:4). God was not pleased with Jehoshaphat's actions however, and "Jehu the seer, the son of Hanani, went out to meet him and said to the king, “Should you help the wicked and love those who hate the Lord? Because of this, the wrath of the Lord is on you" (2 Chronicles 19:2).

Jehoshophat did not take to heart the above admonishment however, for “After this Jehoshaphat king of Judah joined with Ahaziah (who was Ahab’s son) king of Israel, who acted wickedly. He joined him in building ships to go to Tarshish, and they built the ships in Ezion-geber. Then Eliezer the son of Dodavahu of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying,“Because you have joined with Ahaziah, the Lord will destroy what you have made.” And the ships were wrecked and were not able to go to Tarshish" (2 Chronicles 20:35-37). A few wrecked ships are nothing in comparison to the many lives in Jehoshaphat’s family that were influenced toward doing evil for generations to follow- due to his alliance with Ahab. Jehoshaphat’s grandson also followed in the wicked ways of Ahab, and Jehoshaphat’s daughter-in-law had all the royal family destroyed so she could reign as queen, (see 2 Kings 8:25-27; 11:1). They would have been totally wiped out, but for the grace of God, (see 2 Kings 11:2-20). We must understand that many people may suffer the consequences to our disobedience to God’s commands.

Even though Jehoshaphat was a king who followed after God, he still suffered the consequences of his disobedience to God’s commands in regard to his ungodly companionships, and his family suffered from those wrong choices as well. We should not think that things will go any differently for us when we are disobedient in this area. In 2 Corinthians 6:14-16 we read, “Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, “I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.”

This does not mean we should shun unbelievers, but that we should exercise discernment as to how we spend our time in the company of those who may end up influencing us in ways that could tempt us to compromise our biblical standards. To show kindness and to point others to Christ is one thing, but to spend so much time (in the company of those who do not love God) that one would consider entering into partnership with an unbeliever, or even marrying one- is quite another. We must be a part of this world, but that does not mean we should be absorbed into it in such a way as to compromise our biblical principles. James 4:4 makes a very strong statement, “You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.” In 1 Corinthians 15:33 we are told “Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.” (NIV)

God tells us in His word, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect” (Romans 12:2).

In Amos 5:14-15 we are told to “Seek good, and not evil, that you may live; and so the Lord, the God of hosts, will be with you, as you have said. Hate evil, and love good, and establish justice in the gate; it may be that the Lord, the God of hosts, will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.”