Cooperation Without Compromise – 1 Kings 22:41-53

I recall years ago when J. I. Packer and R. C. Sproul (all cool leaders go by their initials, right?) had a falling out over Packer’s willingness to engage in conversation with Roman Catholics about possible reconciliation and cooperation. It raises the question of whether one can cooperate with those of principles antithetic to your own without compromising your principles.

King Jehoshaphat of Judah wrestled with this very issue.

Jehoshaphat the son of Asa began to reign over Judah in the fourth year of Ahab king of Israel. Jehoshaphat was thirty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty-five years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Azubah the daughter of Shilhi. He walked in all the way of Asa his father. He did not turn aside from it, doing what was right in the sight of the LORD. Yet the high places were not taken away, and the people still sacrificed and made offerings on the high places. Jehoshaphat also made peace with the king of Israel.

Now the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, and his might that he showed, and how he warred, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? And from the land he exterminated the remnant of the male cult prostitutes who remained in the days of his father Asa.

There was no king in Edom; a deputy was king. Jehoshaphat made ships of Tarshish to go to Ophir for gold, but they did not go, for the ships were wrecked at Ezion-geber. Then Ahaziah the son of Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, “Let my servants go with your servants in the ships,” but Jehoshaphat was not willing. And Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the city of David his father, and Jehoram his son reigned in his place.

Ahaziah the son of Ahab began to reign over Israel in Samaria in the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and he reigned two years over Israel. He did what was evil in the sight of the LORD and walked in the way of his father and in the way of his mother and in the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin. He served Baal and worshiped him and provoked the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger in every way that his father had done. (1 Kings 22:41-53, ESV)

Here, at the end of 1 Kings, some questions are answered for us. Jehoshaphat has taken the throne from his father Asa and continued to rule as he did, doing what was right before Yahweh, ridding the land of cult prostitution (prostitution done in the name of a god to re-enact the fertilization of the earth by the god), but still allowing the high places (shrines at places of elevation for group or individual worship of Yahweh, even though Yahweh designated all ritual worship to take place at the temple in Jerusalem).

We learn that Jehoshaphat made peace with Israel, ending years of warfare, and this explains why he was willing to go to war with Israel’s enemy, Syria, even though Yahweh prophesied against it. For some reason, however, he cannot bring himself to allow Israelites to sail in Judah’s ships. Perhaps he felt this gave them too much advantage or perhaps there were religious reasons. But his ship industry is brought low by God in a mishap at sea.

In Israel, on the other hand, the rule of Ahaz comes to an end and his son Ahaziah picks up in his place doing evil as his father and mother did, reigning only two years and earning God’s wrath.

Leaders are always called upon to consider alliances. Instead of working at cross purposes with others it makes sense to join together to achieve common goals. However, there is always a potential for compromise of one’s principles in alliances. I recall attending an interfaith supper and meeting in which we learned about Islam, broke fast with Muslims as Ramadan came to an end that evening, and gave awards to those who had furthered interfaith unity. The first part of it seemed fine, because we do need to learn from each other. Understanding helps bring peace. But the latter part was where it seemed people from each faith were compromising their beliefs and advocating that all religions are basically the same. Learning from each other would have pointed out just how wrong that was. There must be a way to have an alliance without compromise. And that, as a leader who serves the true and living God, is your and my responsibility to achieve. We will make mistakes, as Jehoshaphat seems to have done, but we can learn from our mistakes, too.