2 Chronicles 18:1

2 Chronicles 18:1 says, Now Jehoshaphat had riches and honour in abundance, and joined affinity with Ahab.  Jehoshaphat had many riches and a lot of honor among the people, and he joined in an alliance with Ahab, a very bad king of Israel.  Matthew Henry says this presents Ahab in a better light than anywhere else in the Bible and that it is the one blemish on Jehosaphat's record that he entered into an alliance with such a bad man.  If people who call themselves Christians today do things that go against God's law, especially if they claim there is another way to salvation other than through faith in Jesus Christ, we do not need to join with them.  Verse two adds,  And after certain years he went down to Ahab to Samaria. And Ahab killed sheep and oxen for him in abundance, and for the people that he had with him, and persuaded him to go up with him to Ramothgilead.  Jehosaphat went to Samaria after several years to see Ahab, and Ahab put on a feast for him and those with him.  He was seemingly at peace with Judah, and people who are outside of God's will, may still try to entice us to enter into an alliance with them.  Verse three continues, And Ahab king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat king of Judah, Wilt thou go with me to Ramothgilead? And he answered him, I am as thou art, and my people as thy people; and we will be with thee in the war. Then, Ahab asked Jehosaphat to join him in war to recover Ramoth-Gilead.  We would think that God's people working together to reclaim something that has been lost by the church would be a good thing, but we need to first make sure that it is something that God leads us to do.  Jehoshaphat said that he was with Ahab and that his people were as Ahab's people, but they really weren't.  The people of Israel were following false god's under Ahab's rule.  They all needed to be under the leadership of God alone to be God's people and as one in the world.  Verse four states, And Jehoshaphat said unto the king of Israel, Enquire, I pray thee, at the word of the LORD to day.  To his credit, Jehosaphat asked that Ahab inquire of God what they should do.  This should always be our first step in doing anything.  We should inquire of God whether He would have us do it or not.  Verse five adds, Therefore the king of Israel gathered together of prophets four hundred men, and said unto them, Shall we go to Ramothgilead to battle, or shall I forbear? And they said, Go up; for God will deliver it into the king's hand.  Ahab gathered four hundred prophets to inquire whether they should go to reclaim Ramoth-Gilead, and they said go.  The only problem was these were not prophets of God.  There are still people today who claim to have some new revelation from God and who would lead Christians way from God's will if they joined with them.  Verse six continues, But Jehoshaphat said, Is there not here a prophet of the Lord besides, that we might enquire of him?  Again, to his credit, even though four hundred prophets had said go, Jehosaphat asked if there was not a prophet of God that they might ask as well.  No matter how many people may claim something is being done in the name of God, that doesn't mean it is necessarily true.  As followers of Christ, we need to always make sure we are following God's will, and I believe the Holy Spirit will always guide us to the truth, if we rely on Him.  Verse seven states, And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, There is yet one man, by whom we may enquire of the Lord: but I hate him; for he never prophesied good unto me, but always evil: the same is Micaiah the son of Imla. And Jehoshaphat said, Let not the king say so.  Ahab said there was yet one man who could prophesy of God, but he hated him because he never said what Ahab wanted him to say.  People of the world still hate what Christians have to say if it goes against their desires.  Jehoshaphat didn't let that stop him but told Ahab to send for him.  We need to always seek someone that we know is speaking the truth of God when we are trying to decide what we need to do and want advice from some other person who also follows God.  Verse eight adds, And the king of Israel called for one of his officers, and said, Fetch quickly Micaiah the son of Imla.  This prophet of God was in prison because he would not prophesy what Ahab wanted.  There may come a time in America as it already is in many countries when proclaiming the truth of God will cause us to be imprisoned, but we can't allow that to stop us from doing so.  Ahab sent guards to bring Micaiah to them.