Topic: Say No To Unequal Yoke [DCLM Daily Manna 29 May 2019 Daily Devotional]
Text: 2 Chronicles 18:1-12 (KJV)
Key Verse: “And Ahab king of Israel said unto Jehosaphat king of Judah, Wilt thou go with me to Ramoth-gilead? And he answered him, I am as thou art, and my people as thy people; and we will be with thee in the war” (2 Chronicles 18:3)
MESSAGE:
A yoke is a wooden bar that joins two oxen to each other and to the burden they pull. An unequally yoked team has one stronger ox and one weaker, or one taller and one shorter. The weaker or shorter ox would walk more slowly than the taller, stronger one, causing the load to go around in circles. When oxen are unequally yoked, they cannot perform the task set before them. Instead of working together, they are at odds with one another.
From the text, Jehoshaphat, king of Judah paid a visit to King Ahab of the northern backslidden nation. And during the meeting of the two kings, Ahab asked Jehoshaphat to join him in fighting against the Syrians to reclaim Ramoth-gilead (a captured Israelites territory). After a period of prolonged prophecy from four hundred sycophants and compromising prophets, Jehoshaphat asked for a different prophet to be brought so he could be double sure it was God’s will to proceed. The king of Israel then asked a messenger to bring Micaiah, a true prophet of God, after he complained that Micaiah’s prophecy was always unfavourable to him. Micaiah kept to his calling and declared the true word of God, despite mounting pressure and intimidation.
A lot was wrong with this meeting of Jehoshaphat with Ahab who was a serial breaker of God’s commandments and an idolater. This was already an unequal yoke. The problem again here was that Jehoshaphat pledged the army of Judah to fight alongside Israel’s idolatrous army without first enquiring from the Lord. Of course, the Lord would not support this kind of settlement with an evil man. Reading further in Scriptures, we found out that the compromise of Jehoshaphat brought the displeasure of God and was a blot on his leadership (2 Chronicles 19:1,2).
We must beware of unequal yoke in business, friendship, marriage and worship. Leaders over the flock of God must keep the church free from compromise and corruption. As believers, we must take our stand in the midst of a perverse and sinful generation.
Thought For The Day: Compromise starts in the little ways but does great damage.
The Bible In One Year: 1 Samuel 17-18
DCLM Daily Manna was written by Pastor William Folorunso Kumuyi; is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Life Bible Church situated at KM 42 on the busy Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Nigeria.
