Don't Be Unequally Yoked With Unbelievers

2 Chronicles 19:1-3---And Jehoshaphat the king of Judah returned to his house in peace to Jerusalem. And Jehu the son of Hanani the seer went out to meet him, and said to king Jehoshaphat, Shouldest thou help the ungodly, and love them that hate the LORD? therefore is wrath upon thee from before the LORD. Nevertheless there are good things found in thee, in that thou hast taken away the groves out of the land, and hast prepared thine heart to seek God.

Jehoshaphat had narrowly escaped death when he went out to battle in league with wicked Ahab. As he returned to Jerusalem, he was met by Jehu the seer. Jehu gave him a word from the LORD. "Should you help the wicked and love those who hate the LORD?" Most Christians today would quickly answer, "Yes!" He had almost given his life for wicked Ahab. It was not as though he did not know how wicked he was. Jehoshaphat had cleansed his country of idolatry and knew Ahab promoted it in his own land. Surely he had heard of Elijah's victory on Mt. Carmel and of Ahab and Jezebel's response. He must have known how evil he was, and yet, he joined forces with him. "Don't be unequally yoked with unbelievers," the Apostle Paul tells us. This surely was an unequal yoke. We know that God loves the world. Yet, here in this prophetic word, the wrath of God is upon Jehoshaphat because he helped the wicked and loved the man who hated the LORD. Ahab had crossed the line so many times, and in spite of all the chances God had given him, he set his heart against the LORD and against His prophets. We must have a discerning spirit to know when we are assisting those who have set themselves against the Kingdom of God. We are not to help them or even love them. I can hear the gasp as you read that line. Hate the sin and love the sinner? Yes, unless they have come to the place where they know the truth and yet hate the LORD. (see 2 John 10,11; Psalm 139:21)