Trusting God ALONE (Or Not)

Jehoshaphat enjoyed great riches and high esteem, and he made an alliance with Ahab of Israel by having his son marry Ahab’s daughter. A few years later he went to Samaria to visit Ahab, who prepared a great banquet for him and his officials. They butchered great numbers of sheep, goats, and cattle for the feast. Then Ahab enticed Jehoshaphat to join forces with him to recover Ramoth-gilead. [2 Chronicles 18.1-2] 

This passage should not be overlooked for the idolatry found in it. We have two different kings with whom God had separate dealings with. And, as always with God, He demands singular undivided trust in Him ALONE. 

Here in this passage, both kings are resorting to an alliance that violates their trust in God ALONE. As this instance will play out, the result of this alliance will cost Ahab his life and nearly cost Jehoshaphat his.

Such is the costly price of idolatry - trusting anything in addition to, or besides God ALONE.

The solution is simple from both an Old Testament perspective and a New Testament perspective (because God's warning against idols is not just limited to the Old Testament):

“O Israel, stay away from idols! I am the one who answers your prayers and cares for you. I am like a tree that is always green; all your fruit comes from me.” [Hosea 14.8]

Dear children, keep away from anything that might take God’s place in your hearts. [1 John 5.21]

Jesus Christ, present at the Creation, prophesied of throughout the Old Testament, and present again in the New Testament was no less exclusive in His demand for undivided allegiance:

If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. [Matthew 16.24 (also, Mark 8.34 & Luke 9.23)]

Question: What alliances in our lives today render us idolaters? Answer: Every alliance that offers to do for us what God said He Himself would do for us. These idols can be easily identified by the existence of two primary but telling factors: "agreements" (alliances and contracts: "marriages" of what is Godly and what is not) and the exchange of value (most commonly, money). These two factors are just as present in man's industries of debt, insurance, medicine and technology today as they were in nearly every instance of idolatry in the Bible.

Here is where we really need to pay attention: Ahab was on a God-ordained mission to destroy Ben-hadad. Instead of trusting God ALONE however, Ahab solicited Jehoshaphat as an ally. It was a reasonable move, but not a "God" move. The overwhelming majority of religious leaders (prophets of the day) all joined in Ahab's fallacy:

So the king of Israel summoned the prophets, 400 of them, and asked them, “Should we go to war against Ramoth-gilead, or should I hold back?” They all replied, “Yes, go right ahead! God will give the king victory.” [2 Chronicles 18.5]

Notice that all the prophets agreed with Ahab that God would give victory albeit using Ahab's alliance with Jehoshaphat. NOTE: THEY DID NOT EXCLUDE "GOD" but were all convinced that the alliance with Jehoshaphat would insure a handy victory - they all agreed that would be "God's way."

But a true prophet of God, Micaiah, disagreed. While the story is actually about Ahab and Jehoshaphat, there is also the undeniable story about Micaiah standing alone in opposition to the religious consensus (of the 400 prophets). 

Why would Micaiah prophesy Ahab's doom when, as a true prophet, he would have known that Ahab was ordained to destroy Ben-hadad (see 1 Kings 20.28)? The answer is simple: Ahab had forsaken trusting in God ALONE and had idolatrously solicited the help of Jehoshaphat!

God is not calling us to join in idolatrous agreement with religion that allows and in most cases even endorses man's alliances with debt, insurance, medicine and technology. God is calling us to give up our own way, take up our cross, and follow Jesus ONLY. We are to forsake every way of, and alliance with, the world and instead rely entirely upon God as did Jesus, pulling a coin from a fish's mouth if necessary, walking through danger as if it weren't there, living in miraculous healing, and denying "self" any control over us. The cross on our shoulder testifies that death itself has no influence over us and certainly invokes no fear. This resolve is what Micaiah's refusal to "go with the crowd" screams at us today. Unfortunately, Micaiah's stance is more resolve than most are willing to make. 

What's worse is that mainstream religion has twisted the Scriptures to deceive the masses that their faith-lessness in not following Jesus ONLY but soliciting outside help (their idolatry) is forgiven by God's grace. This supposed condition of "grace" upon "idolatry" is an impossible arrangement - a ludicrous presumption - because idolatry is not faith in God ALONE.

So the promise is received by faith. It is given as a free gift. And we are all certain to receive it, whether or not we live according to the law of Moses, if we have faith like Abraham’s. For Abraham is the father of all who believe. [Romans 4.16]

We are given Ahab's story for a reason. We are given Micaiah's story for a reason. We are given the entire Bible for a REASON!

Dear children, keep away from anything that might take God’s place in your hearts. [1 John 5.21]

In another translation... 

Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen. [1 John 5.21 NKJV] 

A person cannot trust God - they cannot trust Jesus - and hold to the ways (alliances/idols) of the world. 

Father, help us to give up our own way (with all the practical reasoning behind it), take up our cross (with a resolve that not even death can deter), and follow Jesus. So be it.