“And the destruction of Ahaziah was of God by coming to Joram: for when he was come, he went out with Jehoram against Jehu the son of Nimshi, whom the LORD had anointed to cut off the house of Ahab” (2 Chronicles 22:7).
TEXT — 2 Chronicles 22:1-12
Message
There is danger in befriending someone who does not reflect your values in life. Such friendship is risky.
Our text reveals the bitter end of Ahaziah the king of Judah. He met his death when he went to Jezreel to visit Joram the son of Ahab. During the visit, it happened that God, through Jehu, was executing judgment on Joram that same day. Ahaziah was killed in that incident. This friendship dates back to the days of Jehoshaphat, the righteous king of Judah who joined affinity with wicked Ahab and Jezebel that nearly ended his life prematurely. He exposed the royal household of Judah to the idolatrous kings of Israel. The devastation and destruction that came to Judah is incalculable.
A catalogue of disasters happened through this unequal yoke friendship. It brought about unholy marriages between the house of Ahab and the king of Judah. Baal worship and witchcraft was introduced to Judah by Athaliah who eventually killed all the seed royal and took over the reins of governance in Judah until God removed her.
We have heard of incidents where innocent people are arrested or killed unfortunately by law enforcement agents while in company of bad friends. They suffer such a terrible fate because they maintained friendship with those who do not have the same values and principles as them. We should understand that the people we befriend can either make up or bring down our value and standing in society. We need to watch over our children too and teach them how to choose the right friends so they do not suffer the same ill fate as Ahaziah.
Listed among “500 most powerful people on the planet” by the Foreign Policy magazine in 2013, Pastor (Dr.) William F. Kumuyi is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry (DCLM) headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria. DCLM started in 1973 as a 15-member Bible study group right in Kumuyi’s apartment at University of Lagos where he was a lecturer. His revolutionary Bible teaching on personal holiness and commitment to evangelism soon gained so much traction and resulted in a widespread revival.
I am greatly blessed