1 Kings 22:48 tells us - "Jehoshaphat made ships of Tharshish to go to Ophir for gold: but they went not; for the ships were broken at Eziongeber."

 

"Ships of Tharshish" was an _expression denoting ships bound for a long journey.

 

The departing place? Eziongeber, located on the shore of the Red Sea in the land of Edom.

 

Job 22:24; 28:16 - Destination? Ophir(coptic name for India), the land of gold.

 

1 Kings 9:26,28 says - "And king Solomon made a navy of ships in Eziongeber, which is beside Eloth, on the shore of the Red Sea, in the land of Edom...And they came to Ophir, and fetched from thence gold..."

 

1 Kings 10:22 designates the timing of the journey - "For the king(Solomon) had at sea a navy of Tharshish with the navy of Hiram: once in three years came the navy of Tharshish, bringing gold..."

 

However, our initial verse tells us that Jehoshaphat made these huge ships destined for Ophir, the land of gold, but - "they went not; for the ships were broken at Eziongeber."

 

What happened? Why was Solomon successful in his pursuit of the land of gold while Jehoshaphat wasn't? Who or what caused his fleet to be shipwrecked at the starting point?

 

2 Chronicles 20:35-37 offers an explanation - "And after this did Jehoshaphat king of Judah join himself with Ahaziah king of Israel, who did very wickedly: And he joined himself with him to make ships to go to Tharshish: and they made the ships in Eziongaber. Then Eliezer the son of Dodavah of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, Because thou hast joined thyself with Ahaziah, the Lord hath broken thy works. And the ships were broken, that they were not able to go to Tharshish."

 

Have you ever worked so hard at something? Perhaps you have spent precious time and money only to meet with a broken dream or great disillusionment. Examine yourself. Could it be that you lowered your godly standard to make your plans work?

 

 

 

Would such a God of Love and Grace do such a mean(?) thing? Apparently so!

 

Why do you suppose the Bible tells us that He is to be feared above all gods? You can't mess with Him!

 

 

Why didn't God stop Jehoshaphat before he wasted time, energy, and money on such a project? Why did He wait till the ships were already built, only to destroy them?

 

 

Sometimes God allows us to go on in our stubborn ways and then when we have gone too far, He lets everything come crashing down around us to let us know that He is not pleased with our lives as we thought He was.

 

Speaking of broken ships, what about Jonah?

 

The Bible relates that "the word of the Lord" came to him.

Jonah 1:2 - He was ordered by God to "Arise, go to Ninevah, that great city, and cry against it."

Instead, he boarded a ship going to Tarshish to flee from the presence of the Lord. God then ordered a violent storm to chase His man down.

 

Jonah 1:4 declares - "But the Lord sent out a great wind into the sea, and there was a mighty tempest in the sea, so that the ship was like to be broken."

 

"...so that the ship was like to be broken" - In other words, the crew was about to experience total shipwreck.

 

 

God gave an order, and the Prophet simply ignored His Word and did his own will.

 

The Book of Acts also gives an account of a broken ship. Thinking that Paul was just another prisoner, the captain and the crew did not heed the warning of God's chosen servant.

 

Acts 27:9-11 says - "Now when much time was spent, and when sailing was now dangerous, because the fast was now already past, Paul admonished them, And said unto them, Sirs, I perceive that this voyage will be with hurt and much damage, not only of the lading and ship, but also of our lives. Nevertheless the centurion believed the master and the owner of the ship, more than those things which were spoken by Paul."

 

As a result, they scarcely escaped death's jaws, and met with total shipwreck - all because they did not heed God's Word of Warning.

 

Many Pastors and Leaders need to wake up to God's ways.

How many times has the Lord sent an absolute "unknown" into their churches with a Word of Warning, only to have it rejected because it was spoken by a nonmember or simply because the message was "negative"?

 

How many churches or Pastors have suffered "shipwreck" because they didn't give heed to the messenger of God, speaking His Holy Ghost-led message?

 

Shipwreck comes in many shapes and sizes. It can involve the total destruction or loss of a ship, or it can involve the wreckage of a few parts. Depending upon the amount of damage, the loss or ruin may, at times, be irretrievable.

 

1 Timothy 1:19 - In the Book of Timothy, the Holy Spirit through Paul establishes the powerful metaphor of the Christian life as a ship which "some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck." In other words, some have wrecked their faith. They made a ruin of it. Driven to and fro by every wind of doctrine, they ran their ships on the rocks, resulting in shipwreck.

 

 

Have you encountered shipwreck in your life, church, or ministry because you compromised God's Holy Standards on your job or with your family or friends? Has everything fallen apart because you chose to take the easy or broad road rather than take a stand for holiness?

 

Did you blend in with the crowd because you were afraid to "make waves" or lose friends?

Did you cast aside God's Word because you couldn't take the "heat" of persecution coming from your family?

 

Have you joined yourself with the ungodly in an unholy alliance? Are you more concerned with pleasing men than God?

 

When God sent a Word of Warning to you, how did you react? Did you heartily receive it or reject it?

 

Has God told you to do something which you refuse to do? Are you, like Jonah, running from God?

 

 

We must interject here that because someone is encountering troubles does not necessarily indicate that they are in rebellion toward God. Job, at first, lost it all, yet he was a very righteous man who did nothing to cause his afflictions. On the other hand, Jonah ran from God and reaped the consequences -the threat of shipwreck and near death!

 

You do not need anyone to tell you if you have not been living right before God.

You know if you have compromised His Holy Word to please family and friends.

 

 

It's time to examine our hearts and to repent before God of any and all compromise.

If our works or dreams have not been broken, ruined, or destroyed, they will be - as a result of sin.

Just as it happened for Jehoshaphat, Jonah, and the crew on Paul's ship, it will happen for us if we fail to heed God's commands.