2 Chronicles 20:37
Arabic Bible ERV 2009
فَنَقَلَ ألِيعَزَرُ بْنُ دُوداوا المَرِيشِيُّ رِسالَةً مِنَ اللهِ إلَى يَهُوشافاطَ قالَ فِيها: «لِأنَّكَ انضَمَمْتَ إلَى أخَزْيا، سَيُحَطِّمُ اللهُ أعْمالَكَ.» فَتَحَطَّمَتْ سُفُنُ يَهُوشافاطَ وَأخَزْيا، فَلَمْ يَقدرا أنْ يُرسِلاها إلَى تَرْشِيشَ.
What Does This Mean?
In this verse, Eliezer warns Jehoshaphat that God has broken his works because he joined forces with Ahaziah. As a result, Jehoshaphat's ships were destroyed and unable to sail to Tarshish.
Explained for Children
Imagine you're building a big sandcastle, but your friend starts adding things that make it unstable. Your castle falls apart because you shouldn't have let your friend help that way. That's kind of what happened to Jehoshaphat when he worked with the wrong friend.
Historical Background
The Chronicler, a post-exilic author, wrote this verse to recount events in Jehoshaphat's reign. The text reflects the cultural and religious context of the time, emphasizing divine judgment and warning against alliances with wicked kings.
Living It Out Today
In today's world, this verse reminds us to be careful about the people we choose as friends or business partners. Bad choices can lead to failures, much like Jehoshaphat's ships that were destroyed because he teamed up with the wrong person.
Topics
alliancesdivine judgmentconsequencesfriendshipadvicewarnings
Related Verses
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Eliezer prophesy against Jehoshaphat?
Eliezer prophesied against Jehoshaphat because God wanted to warn him about the negative consequences of his alliance with Ahaziah, who was a wicked king.
What were the ships that were broken?
The ships referred to were likely trading vessels that Jehoshaphat had built to trade with Tarshish. God destroyed them as a sign of his displeasure with Jehoshaphat's alliance.
What can we learn about choosing friends from this verse?
We can learn that we should be cautious about the people we choose as friends or partners. Associating with the wrong people can lead to significant setbacks and failures.
How does this verse relate to divine judgment?
This verse shows that God can judge and punish even righteous kings when they make wrong decisions, like forming alliances with wicked individuals, which highlights the importance of following divine guidance.