35Later, Jehoshaphat king of Judah made an alliance with Ahaziah king of Israel, who was guilty of wickedness.
Sometimes even the best leaders make mistakes. King Jehoshaphat’s obedience and submission to the LORD has just been recounted earlier in this chapter. He did exactly the right thing when he was confronted with an overwhelming enemy. He sought the LORD wholeheartedly and he lead the people in seeking Him. There was no ambiguity is who won the battle. It was the LORD. They arrived at the battlefield only to find that the enemy had all killed each other. The Israelites only had to collect the plunder. Even when great decisions are made, and the Lord brings victory, that does not mean that every decision after that will be a correct one. We all can stray. We all have the capability to blow it. And so the King chooses to join together in a trading partnership with the King of Israel who has strayed from following the LORD. He might have had the best of intensions, but the result is catastrophe for that business venture. Everything is lost. We must be careful with whom we make alliances. You can’t make a pact with the Devil and expect him to keep his side of the bargain. You can’t make a deal with deceivers and expect them to be honest this time.
The Arnold Journey 