Don’t Lose It In The End - 2 Chronicles 17-20

2 Chronicles 20:35-37 (ESV Strong's)
After this Jehoshaphat king of Judah joined with Ahaziah king of Israel, who acted wickedly. He joined him in building ships to go to Tarshish, and they built the ships in Ezion-geber. Then Eliezer the son of Dodavahu of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, “Because you have joined with Ahaziah, the Lord will destroy what you have made.” And the ships were wrecked and were not able to go to Tarshish.

Failure in Old Age

In the above passage Jehoshaphat has reached “old age.”   He is at the end of his reign as king of Judah.   Regretfully, like many in old age, he forgot the God of his youth and fell into the temptations of “legacy” and “power.”   Instead of living out his life of service to God to the end, he decided to follow the wickedness of the king of Israel.  Together they would seek power and riches in boat building.   You can almost imagine the conversation they had about this “endeavor” to get rich off building boats.  

Why in his old age and with this experience would he be lead to do this?  Pride?  Geed?   If we read the life of the king he as actually a “good” king.  In the beginning of his reign he did the right things.   Yet, in his old age, he forgot his way.   The Bible has a history of those who have walked a similar path:

Moses - instead of speaking to the rock, hit the rock and lost the opportunity to enter the promise land.

David had an affair and a baby by the woman in his old age.

Hezekiah in his later years showed off his riches and God punished his kingdom for his pride.

Solomon in his later years succumbed to his many wives and began to honor their gods.

Notice what Paul tells us about the old in the church:


Titus 2:2 (ESV Strong's)
Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness.

Notice the last word, “steadfastness.”  Perhaps Paul was thinking of these men in their old age when the Spirit of God prompted him to write those words.   Here is what old age should bring for the believer.   We are not to fall off our faith in the end.  We are to set the example to the end.