Sometimes good people associate with bad people. That’s the short story of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah. Under Jehoshaphat’s leadership Judah experienced growth and blessing. He was devoted to the God of Israel, and even removed the high places out of reverence to Him. The king of Judah had the priests teach the people from the Law (2 Chr. 17:7-9).
Though Judah encountered revival during Jehoshaphat’s reign, he made the mistake of getting involved with the wrong kinds of people. He visited Ahab, king of Israel, and agreed to fight with Ramoth-gilead (2 Chr. 18:1-3). Ahab was the vilest of Israel’s kings, and for Jehoshaphat to make an alliance with him was quite troubling. In fact the Lord sent a prophet to him to say so (2 Chr. 19:1-2).
You’d think that Jehoshaphat would have never made friends with evil people again after the Lord’s rebuke. But that’s what he did. He joined himself with Ahab’s predecessor, Ahaziah, who also did wickedly. The two of them had ships built to travel to Ohpir for the purpose of bringing back gold (1 Kings 22:48). The Lord wasn’t pleased with the alliance and the ambition and He destroyed the ships before they could set sail.
Jehoshaphat was a godly man who just couldn’t shake his affinity to associate with bad people. The people of God desire to be an influence for good. But there are times that we have to shun those who desire to influence us for evil. If there are people who always create drama, keep the lines of gossip open, and propagate jealousy and envy, then you need to disassociate yourselves from them. The apostle Paul said, “Do not be misled: Bad company corrupts good character” (1 Cor. 15:33). Believers must be kept from the sins of this world, and not have fellowship with darkness, or with anyone who would attempt to draw them away from the light of the Lord (2 Cor. 6:14-17).