What is the meaning of 2 Chronicles 20:36? The setting • Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, had just returned from a victorious deliverance the LORD accomplished over invading armies (2 Chron 20:22–30). • Instead of resting in that divine sufficiency, he “made an alliance with Ahaziah king of Israel, who was guilty of wickedness” (2 Chron 20:35), repeating the mistake he had been warned about earlier (2 Chron 19:2; cf. 2 Chron 18:1). • The verse under study sits in that uneasy context—faithful Judah partnering with apostate Israel. Agreement between kings “They agreed to make ships…” • Jehoshaphat and Ahaziah formed a joint commercial venture—a tangible expression of their political alliance (1 Kings 22:48). • Scripture never condemns industry itself; the issue is the unequal partnership with a king characterized by evil (2 Corinthians 6:14 finds an Old-Testament echo here). • The agreement signals compromise: the righteous king seeking prosperity through companionship with darkness rather than exclusive trust in the LORD (Psalm 33:16–18). Purpose of the ships “…to go to Tarshish…” • Tarshish symbolized distant, lucrative trade (1 Kings 10:22). For Jonah it represented the farthest edge of the known world (Jonah 1:3). • The plan promised gold, silver, ivory, and exotic goods—an enticing shortcut to wealth. • Yet the LORD had already bestowed abundance on Jehoshaphat (2 Chron 17:5). Seeking more through compromise revealed discontent and misplaced confidence (Proverbs 15:16). Construction site: Ezion-geber “…and these were built in Ezion-geber.” • Ezion-geber, at the northern tip of the Red Sea, was Solomon’s former naval yard (1 Kings 9:26). • The site was ideal: deep water access to the Red Sea and onward to the Indian Ocean. • Using this inherited facility should have reminded Jehoshaphat of Solomon’s prosperity under covenant faithfulness—but he chose to imitate Solomon’s ships without Solomon’s wholehearted devotion (1 Kings 3:3, 13). Divine assessment and outcome • Though our verse records only the construction, the very next sentence reveals God’s verdict: “Because you have made an alliance with Ahaziah, the LORD will destroy what you have made” (2 Chron 20:37). • The ships never left harbor; they were “wrecked,” a direct act of divine judgment (Psalm 127:1). • God’s action underscores the message: achievements birthed in compromise cannot carry His blessing, no matter how impressive the plans. summary 2 Chronicles 20:36 captures a seemingly harmless business deal—two kings pooling resources to build a fleet at Ezion-geber for Tarshish trade. Yet, read in context, the verse warns that partnerships with ungodliness, even for noble-sounding goals, court disaster. Jehoshaphat’s ships illustrate that success pursued apart from wholehearted trust and obedience sinks before it sails. |
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