Alliances

Greatness was often determined in ancient civilization by the alliances you held with other leaders.  Those alliances were often forged by marriages.  The old saying..."You are who you are by the people you know and the books you read" certainly bears weight but you better be sure those alliances are spiritually healthy.  Jehoshaphat wasn't real selective in one particular alliance when he married into a relationship with King Arab of Israel and could have cost him his life were it not for God's merciful intervention.  Forge great alliances(by the way...NOT by multiple marriages) and be very selective. 
II Chronicles 18:1; 29-31.                        NOW JEHOSHAPHAT had great riches and honor, but was allied [by marriage] with Ahab. And [Ahab] king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, I will disguise myself and will go to the battle, but you put on your royal robes. So King Ahab of Israel disguised himself, and they went into the battle. Now Syria's king had commanded his chariot captains, Fight not with small or great, but only with the king of Israel. And when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat [of Judah], they said, It is the king of Israel. So they turned to fight against him, but Jehoshaphat cried out, and the Lord helped him; and God moved them to depart from him.