The story is told of a farmer who one day went happily and with great joy in his heart to report to his wife and family that their best cow had given birth to twin calves, one brown and one white. And he said, " You know I suddenly had a feeling and impulse that we must dedicate one of these calves to the Lord. We will bring them up together, and when the time comes we will sell one and keep the proceeds, and we will sell the other and give the proceeds to the Lord's work." His wife asked him about which calf he was going to dedicate to the Lord. " There is no need to bother about that now," he replied. " We will treat them both in the same way, and when the time comes we will do as I say." And off he went. In a few months the man entered his kitchen looking very miserable and unhappy. When his wife asked him what was troubling him, he answered " I have bad news to give to you. The Lord's calf is dead."

Why is it always the Lord's calf that dies ? We laugh at that because we all tend to lay up treasure on earth. The pull of the sin that is in us is like a magnet dragging us down to the earth. We want to be rich toward self and poor toward God. Where is your heart this .... ? The Lord Jesus said, " Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." ( Matt 6:21 ) Is the concentration and preoccupation of your life consumed with the things of your own, or with the things of God ? What particular object do you spend most of your thinking, planning and energy on ? Chances are, we're like most people and spend our time thinking about a house, a car, furniture, a bank account, an investment, property, land and so on. We are creatures committed to things. Ill: Mark Twain once said, " Civilization is a limitless multiplication of unnecessary necessities."

We get all wrapped up in things. Now it is not wrong to own things for God made things: ( Gen 1:31 ) God knows we need things: ( Matt 6:32 ) and God wants us to enjoy and use things: ( 1 Tim 6:17 ) the problem comes when things begin to own us. Things are marvellous servants but terrible masters. Yes, often we get all wrapped up in things and sometimes God has to employ drastic methods to teach us invaluable lessons.

He dashes our hopes to the ground: He explodes our fond dreams and He destroys our fair castles that are build in the air. God uses THE DISCIPLINE OF DESTRUCTION. Is this not what Jehoshaphat, King of Judah experienced. Let's look at his story this .... in order to determine what is involved in The Discipline of Destruction. There are 4 aspects of his story that deserve out attention.

The record states, " Jehoshaphat made ships of Tharshish to go to Ophir for gold." ( 22:48 )

Now geographically Ophir was probably located in south west Arabia. Evidently gold reserves in Judah were low, and Jehoshaphat decided to build ships in order to send them to Ophir for gold. Now there was a time when the king had " riches and honour in abundance," ( 2 Chron 17:5 ) but probably through the expenditures involved in his military alliance with Ahab, King of Israel, the Kings resources were low. By importing more gold Jehoshaphat thought he would strengthen his position financially and economically.

Perhaps he desired to restore the Glory of Judah as it was in the days of Solomon, for had not he too, " made a navy of ships in Ezion-geber, which is beside Eloth, on the shore of the Red Sea, in the land of Edom ?"

( 9:26 ) Solomon had sent his fleet " to Ophir, and fetched from thence gold, four hundred and twenty talents." ( 1 Kings 9:28 ) My .... it was this gold, the gold of Ophir, that lured Jehoshaphat to undertake a ship-building programme. Now:

(a) GENERALLY: This King was STEADFAST:

As a King, Jehoshaphat received general commendation from the Lord. Look at ( 22:43 ) Here was a King that experienced the Lord's Presence: ( 2 Chron 17:3 ) a King that walked in the Lord's Precepts: ( 17:4 ) a King that was enjoying the Lord's Prosperity: ( 17:5) and a King whose " heart was lifted up ( encouraged ) in the ways of the Lord." ( 17:6 ) This was a man of prayer: a man of faith: and a man of hope. (a) But:

(b) SPECIFICALLY: This King was SIDETRACKED:

And what was it that lured Jehoshaphat ? GOLD ! Look at ( 2 Chron 20:35-37 ) and notice:

.... " ( 20:36 ) Now that phrase, " to make ships to go to Tarshish," may originally have been " ships of Tarshish." That is ships of a particular class, " ships like those with which the Phoenicians used to trade to Tarshish." So you can see (1) (2)

( 1 Kings 22:48 ) Now in the ancient world the gold of Opir represented the finest kind of gold to be obtained.

In exhorting Job to return to God, Eliphaz said, " Then shalt thou lay up gold as dust, and the gold of Ophir as the stones of the brooks." ( Job 22:24 ) Job himself, describing wisdom and its worth said, " It cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir." ( Job 28:16 ) Now here was Jehoshaphat's AMBITION: to amass gold from Ophir. Was this wrong ? Yes ! Many years before his time Moses had outlined how the Kings of Israel were to govern. One of the laws related to the Greed for Gold. For the King was not to " greatly multiply to himself silver and gold." ( Deut 17:17 )

There is no record of the King seeking the Lord in this matter: there is no indication that he brought his need to the Lord, asking his guidance in the matter. Finding himself in a financial strait jacket, the King naturally thought of the gold mines of Ophir. Ill: John Stott said,

" Worldly ambition has a strong fascination for us. The spell of materialism is hard to break." He is right .... it is difficult. Do you not find yourself at times having a greed for gold ? A passion to possess ? The itch to

have ? Yet the Lord Jesus said, " Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth .... but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven." ( Matt 6:19-20 ) What did Christ mean ? Did He mean that we should not possess anything ? No ! The Lord never condemns possessions. ( Deut 8:18 28:1-14 Exod 20:15 ) But He does condemn greed and covetousness. ( Col 3:5)

If I want to invest, or pursue a successful business, be honest in what I do, or do the best I can for others, for God, for my children, for my parents, for the poor, and for the oppressed .... that is one thing. But when I pile it up for myself in extravagant luxury and become materialistic then I have violated the Saviour's teaching.

What evidence do we have that God was displeased with Jehoshaphat's enterprise ? Well, look at:

( 2 Chron 20:37 ) Now Eliezer was God's " man on the spot." And what a man ! And what a message ! Commissioned by the Lord, he came into the palace of Jehoshaphat and confronted the erring King. He was no crank or coward. Faithfully and fearlessly he delivered the Divine Word to Jehoshaphat. Notice that in this message:

Look at ( 20:37 ) A.T. " The Lord will destroy what you have made." " The decree has gone forth. Your ships Jehoshaphat are doomed and destroyed." Ill: M. Henry says: " A storm broke the ships in the port before they set sail." (a) But notice also:

" Because thou hast joined thyself with Ahaziah."

( 20:37 ) The son of the notorious Ahab .... Ahaziah

" who did evil in the sight of the Lord." ( 22:52-53 )

Can you imagine it ? Jehoshaphat and Ahaziah .... partners in a ship- building project. But God could not and would not recognise this " royal firm of shipbuilders." O Jehoshaphat, " know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God."

( James 4:4 ) My .... are you travelling down the road of sinful compromise ? Are you walking the pathway of an unequal yoke ? Then listen to the Word of the Lord,

" Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers."

Paul says there is to be: ( 2 Cor 6:14 )

" What fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness ?"

The believer must ever be governed by the uncompromising principles of honesty and justice. Deviation from these standards constitute unholy practices. (1)

" What communion hath light with darkness ?"

My .... if we cannot enjoy the pleasures around us today in the light of God's Word and with a sense of God's approval they are unclean and we must shun them. (2)

" What concord hath Christ with Belial ?" My .... false prophets are with us today. They stand in the pulpits in our land and often there is too much hobnobbing .. them

A person who does not believe whether he be an atheist: a moralist: or a religionist can have no part with the child of God. (4)

" What agreement hath the temple of God with idols ?"

Now of course an idol can be a substitute for God so when anything takes the place of God in our lives its time to seperate ourselves from it. My .... in any context of (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) God says " Come out from among them and be ye seperate .... and touch not the unclean thing." ( 2 Cor 6:17 ) But lets come back to Jehoshaphat

there was (1) (2)

Did you notice how the writer of 1 Kings puts it ?

( 22:48 ) and ( 2 Chron 20:37 ) states: " The ships were broken, that they were not able to go." Do you know what that is ? That is God disciplining his wayward servant ! My .... the ships were built. Their keels were laid. Their hulls were formed. The masts were placed in position. The ships were fitted out. They were manned by the men of Judah. But before they could set sail for Ophir they were destroyed on the rocks which " lie in jagged ranges on each side," of the port of

Ezion-geber. God's Word was fulfiled. Jehoshaphat undertook to carry through with his project: the Lord undertook to bring his project to nothing. The fleet of ships never reached Ophir. They were wrecked at the harbour mouth.

Do you know something ? What God did in the life of Jehoshaphat He has done and continues to do in the life of His children. He intervenes to break our pet schemes and our darling intentions. He breaks them on the rocks of judgment. He permits storms to arise that wreak havoc with our ambitions.

Especially if that relationship is outside the will of God.

Are you forming a relationship contrary to God's

Word ? Is there any unholy alliance which threatens to undermine your devotion to Christ ? ( Deut 7:2-4 )

The worship of some idol that has won the believers heart and displaced God Himself. ( Exod 20:3 ) These are the ships that He lets founder on the rocks.

It was so here. A maritime business venture was brought to nought by God Himself. My .... can you not identify with this ? Has God not allowed some of your business schemes to founder on the rocks ? Have some of your ships been wrecked in recent days ? Could it be that its because you've permitted something in your

life ? Is God speaking to you in that failed business venture ? In that crash that you thought would bring

cash ? The Lord certainly spoke to Jehoshaphat for notice not only (1) (2) (3) but:

You see after the ships were broken at Ezion-geber Ahaziah approached his partner in the ship-building enterprise and urged Jehoshaphat to permit Ahaziah's servants to go with Jehoshaphat's servants in the ships

which suggest that Ahaziah wanted a new fleet built, but to be manned this time by Israelites. Did you notice Jehoshaphat's response ? We read, " But Jehoshaphat would not." ( 22:49 ) It seems that the King of Judah had learned his lesson. My .... through God's dealing Jehoshaphat learned:

He had learned something about the waywardness of his own heart. Here was a King who allowed his heart to be gripped by a passion for gold and had entered into an alliance with an ungodly king in order to get it. ( 22:4 )

Here was a King who learned something about the need for seeking God and His Word in every decision. Here was a King who was reminded that he was subject to the King of Heaven. Ill: Someone has said: " The Lord often confounds our purposes and destroys our plans, which reach so far and so high, that we may not become puffed up, but learn to yield to His holy will and to say, ' It is the Lord: let Him do what seemeth Him good.' " Yes, the King learned (a) but the King ....

He learned that " God is the King of all the earth."

( Ps 47:7 ) He was reminded that all men including Kings, are under His dominion.

Jehoshaphat could say with the psalmist, " Thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me." ( Ps 119:75 ) He learned that " faithful are the wounds of a friend," ( Prov 27:6 )

and when that friend is God Himself the wounds are designed to bring health. My .... has God broken your ships in order that He might break your heart ?

Do you see what God did ? He stretched out His Hand and destroyed the very thing that had encircled itself around the Kings heart ? .... The fleet of ships that were going for gold. God did not destroy the Temple and the city of Jerusalem. He destroyed the fleet. My .... in God's dealings with you have you not got to wonder at His wisdom ?

How patient God was with this man. On serveral occasions he had departed from the way of righteousness ( 2 Chron 18:1 ) but dealt with him as he deals with you in infinite patience.

For was it not better that his ships were broken and his project ruined than he make shipwreck of his faith ?

The Discipline of Destruction ! Have you passed are you passing through it ? Has God wrecked your ships: broken your plans: ruined your projects? Have you come to the place where you can say with the poet?