Jun 26 (1 Kings 16; 2 Chronicles 17) Ahab and Jehoshaphat were both kings; they were contemporaries and allied by marriage, but you could not find two more different men. “Ahab did evil in the sight of the LORD more than all who were before him.” “(Jehoshaphat) sought the God of his father, (and) followed His commandments…He took great pride in the ways of the LORD.” Ahab married Jezebel “and went to serve Baal and worshiped him.” He even built a “house of Baal” in Samaria. But we read specifically that Jehoshaphat “did not seek the Baals.” “Ahab also made the Asherah” (wooden symbol of a female deity); whereas Jehoshaphat “removed the Asherim from Judah” (1 Kgs. 16:31-33; 2 Ch. 17:3-6).
The Bible is constantly presenting to us the challenge of making the right choice to follow God. In the words of Joshua: “Choose for yourselves today whom you will serve” (Josh. 24:15). In the words of Elijah that we will read tomorrow: “How long will you hesitate between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him” (1 Kgs. 18:15). Jesus stated it very clearly: “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth” (Mt 6:24) “Wealth” could represent any other thing, attitude or person that takes God’s place in your life.
That is why Jesus asked the twelve: “You do not want to go away also, do you?” Simon Peter gave the right answer for all of us: “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life” (Jn. 6:67-68). Perhaps the day is coming in our own time when we will be forced to make the choice between the true God and the god of this world, and our decision must be clear: “We will serve the Lord!”
– Al Gary
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