A Great Question
Scripture Reading: 2 Chronicles 18:28-19:3
Jehoshaphat was a good king. He did a lot of good things. For some reason, though, he took a liking to Ahab king of Israel. Ahab was a horrible guy. Evil. Unholy. Idolatrous. Why Jehoshaphat would align with Ahab is a mystery. Predictably, things didn’t go well for them when they went out to battle at Ramoth-Gilead. Ahab died and Jehoshaphat turned tail and ran back home to Jerusalem.
When Jehoshaphat arrived at Jerusalem, he was met by Hanani the prophet. Hanani asked him, “Should you help the wicked and love those who hate the LORD?” The question is rhetorical. The answer is an obvious “No!”
To be clear, when I say the answer to the first part of the question (should you help the wicked?) is no, I don’t mean we don’t do acts of mercy and show grace with the intent of helping the wicked get free from their wickedness. What I mean, and what Hanani meant, is we don’t help the wicked pursue their wickedness with the intent of advancing them in it and helping them be successful in their wicked goals.
Further, when I say the answer to the second part of the question (should you love those who hate the LORD?) is no, I don’t mean we don’t love them with the kind of love that desires to see them turn from their wickedness and trust Christ. What I mean, and what Hanani meant, is we don’t love them in a way that helps to confirm them in their wickedness.
Help and love the wicked but help and love them toward Christ. Don’t help and love them in ways that only harden them more against the gospel and carries them further down the path of their own destruction.