He strengthened himself against Israel [2 Chr 17:1], the Lord was with him [2 Chr 17:3], his heart was lifted up in the ways of the Lord [2 Chr 17:6], he authorized the teaching of the words of God throughout Judah [2 Chr 17:7-9], the fear of God . Zavada, Jack. Ahaziah of Israel was king from 853852 BC. Ahab was penitent and humbled himself and so the Lord waited to fulfill the prophecy until Ahab's son reigned in his place. (see 2 Chronicles 17:10-12). Many commentators believe these prophets were pagan prophets, perhaps representatives of Asherah or other pagan gods or goddesses. Some people forget that Satan and his fellow fallen angels have access to heaven (Job 1:6, Revelation 12:10). Jehoshaphat had riches and honor in abundance; and by marriage he allied himself with Ahab. After King Ahaziah's death (1:18), his brother Jehoram (called Joram in 8:25), another son of evil King Ahab, became king over Israel since Ahaziah himself had no son (1:17; 3:1). So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah went up to Ramoth Gilead: It is easy to understand why King Ahab of Israel went to this battle; he didnt want to believe that Micaiahs prophecy was true and wanted to courageously oppose it. 30 The king of Syria had ordered his chariot commanders to attack no one else except the king of Israel. Then Ahab persuades Jehoshaphat to go into battle dressed in his royal robes, whilst Ahab disguises himself so he cannot be recognised in battle (vv. Unsurprisingly, Ahab still goes into battle. Three years later, Aram had failed to return the cities that Ben-hadad promised and so Ahab decides to go and take them for himself. b. This must have been a vivid and entertaining presentation. Micaiah assured him that he would simply repeat what God said to him. Jehoshaphat did so because he did not want to offend Ahab. He was a weak man, the tool of a crafty, unscrupulous, and cruel woman: and some of the worst crimes that have ever been committed have been wrought by weak men, at the instigation of worse but stronger spirits than themselves. (Meyer), After some years he went down to visit Ahab in Samaria; and Ahab killed sheep and oxen in abundance for him and the people who were with him, and persuaded him to go up with him to Ramoth Gilead. Despite his earlier experience with Ahab, Jehoshaphat entered into another alliance with Israel, through Ahab's son, evil King Ahaziah. That brought further stability to his kingdom. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your device and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. These passages show that God can allow evil in His presence, though He can have no fellowship with evil and one day all evil will be removed from His presence (Revelation 20:14-15). Israel and Judah had not been on good terms with each other in the years following their divide. They go to battle, but Ahab tries to be deceitful. We have compiled these articles to help you study those whom God chose to set before us as examples in His Word. 2 Now Ahaziah fell through the lattice in his upper chamber in Samaria, and lay sick; so he sent messengers, telling them, " Go, inquire of c Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, d whether I shall recover from this sickness. When Jehoshaphat took over the throne, he quickly established himself as a righteous ruler who feared the Lord. We need 2 cookies to store this setting. Let's go over some of the things he did. a. I saw the LORD sitting on His throne, and all the host of heaven standing: King Ahab and others at the court found it hard to explain how one prophet could be right and 400 prophets could be wrong. 3 He asked, Will you go with me to attack Ramoth?, Jehoshaphat replied, I am ready when you are, and so is my army. Despite the riches, fame, and military might that he possessed, Jehoshaphat had a humble heart that kept inquiring of the Lord for any detail of his life and that's what makes him a really great king (see 2 Chronicles 17:3-6). 10 Whenever your fellow citizens from any of the cities bring before you a case of homicide or any other violation of a law or commandment, you must instruct them carefully how to conduct themselves during the trial, so that they do not become guilty of sinning against the Lord. You can also change some of your preferences. 1 Chronicles 11:43:Hanan son of Maakah, Joshaphat the Mithnite.. We provide you with a list of stored cookies on your computer in our domain so you can check what we stored. At first, the alliance worked, but Ahab drew Jehoshaphat into a war that was against God's will. He was devoted to God in his heart and his actions. 1. Thus doth the unthankful infidel repay the mercy of his late victorbut God had a holy hand in it. (Trapp). Jehoshaphat and Compromise - Lincoln House Churches So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah went up to Ramoth Gilead. At the beginning of his reign, Jehoshaphat "strengthened himself against Israel (2 Chronicles 17:1). Ahab entered into a military alliance with Jehoshaphat for the purpose of recovering the ancient Israelite city of Ramoth-gilead from the Syrians (22:1-4). This is a stark change in policy from 17:1, where Jehoshaphat had strengthened himself against Israel. In a long line of righteous and unrighteous kings that ruled in the northern and southern kingdoms, these men were both evil kings. c. I hate him, because he never prophesies good concerning me, but always evil: Ahab hated the messenger because of the message. It wasnt surprising that Ahab picked prophets who would tell them what they wanted to hear. Let each return to his house in peace. And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, Did I not tell you he would not prophesy good concerning me, but evil?. Jehoshaphat still wanted to hear from a prophet of Yahweh, the LORD (Is there not still a prophet of the LORD here, that we may inquire of Him?). When we hear the name of Jehoshaphat some of us may be thinking of the Valley of Jehoshaphat mentioned in Joel 3:2 and Joel 3:12. Jehoshaphat, though a brilliant king, fell down in all three, not only allying himself with Ahab, but also with his two sons. We fully respect if you want to refuse cookies but to avoid asking you again and again kindly allow us to store a cookie for that. Dangerous Partnerships: The story of Jehoshaphat & Ahab Perhaps he was either not very smart or he had very great faith. Ahab had a very nonchalant attitude towards his sin and the sins of others. Click to enable/disable _ga - Google Analytics Cookie. Jehoshaphats life was half over by the time he took the throne, but that didnt stop God from moving in his life. 1 When King Jehoshaphat of Judah became rich and famous, he arranged a marriage between a member of his family and the family of King Ahab of Israel. His wife was Jezebel, the infamous queen. a. Because these cookies are strictly necessary to deliver the website, refusing them will have impact how our site functions. After that, they began to align with Ahab uncritically. The high places, however, were not removed, and the people still had not set their hearts on the God of their fathers. You shouldn't say that! Jehoshaphat replied. God orchestrated the unintended actions of man to result in an exercise of His judgment. He demanded that Micaiah tell nothing but the truth which Ahab believed and hoped was the message of the 400 other prophets. Because this king had God's interests at heart, for the most part, his reign was prosperous. Three years later they were willing to prophesy lies to Ahab if that was what he wanted to hear. He died at 60? According to 1 Kings 16:30, 33, Ahab was worse than all of the kings of Israel that . Jehoshaphat also pursued alliances with the kingdom of Israel in the North. He had amassed "riches and honor in abundance" ( 2Chronicles 18 . Although God protects Jehoshaphat, the king should not have made this friendship in the first place. (see 2 Chronicles 19). And, sure enough, he predicts that Ahab will be killed and that this is Gods purpose. Jehoshaphat may have needed a lesson on how to make smart political alliances. Just as Jehoshaphat allied himself with a wicked king. Be courageous and carry out these instructions, and may the Lord be on the side of the right!, Good News Translation (Todays English Version, Second Edition). But what about King Jehoshaphat? i. Trapp described this gathering of prophets as, An ecumenical council.. Jehoshaphat's Compromise, 2 Chr 17-20 - Bible Believers Baptist Church Following that disaster, Jehoshaphat appointed judges throughout Judah to deal fairly with the people's disputes. Please inquire for the word of the LORD today: Considering the generally adversarial relationship between Ahab and the prophets of Yahweh, this was a bold request of Jehoshaphat to ask of Ahab. We can be certain that every eye was on Zedekiah when he used the horns of iron to powerfully illustrate the point. 1) Jehoshaphat the faithful. But the Valley of Jehoshaphat does seem to be a judgment stomping ground for the enemies of Gods people. All rights reserved. Complete the following verse found in 2 Chronicles 18:1 - . Jehoshaphat was a powerful, prosperous king ( 2 Chr. Jehu - New World Encyclopedia You have removed all the symbols of the goddess Asherah which people worshiped, and you have tried to follow God's will., 4 Even though King Jehoshaphat lived in Jerusalem, he traveled regularly among the people, from Beersheba in the south to the edge of the hill country of Ephraim in the north, in order to call the people back to the Lord, the God of their ancestors. His heart was courageous in the ways of the Lord 2 Chronicles 17:3-6. All of Jehoshaphats male children and grandchildren were killed save one. Thus says the LORD: These unfaithful prophets (such as Zedekiah) prophesied in the name of the LORD, but they did not prophesy truthfully. Our Price: $5.99. Ahab proceeds to imprison Micaiah. Go up, for God will deliver it into the kings hand: When Ahab gathered the prophets, they were not faithful prophets of the LORD. When battle is joined, Ahab's plan seems to work. He also had a lot of property. At this point in history, the nation of Israel had split into two separate countriesone called Israel containing ten tribes and one called Judah containing two trib es. Saying "no" at this point would look 2. LESSONS FROM THE LIFE OF JEHORAM, THE SON OF JEHOSHAPHAT - Klang Church Fight with no one small or great, but only with the king of Israel: Ahabs previous mercy to Ben-Hadad (1 Kings 20:31-34) did not win any lasting favor with the rulers of Syria. . Dramas of this kind were a typical method of prophetic revelation (cf. Jehoshaphat responded as if the kings were of one mind and heritage. 1 a After the death of Ahab, Moab b rebelled against Israel. The King of Syria had instructed his men that the King Jehoshaphat of Judah - Biography - VTAide Source: 1 Kings 22:1-40; 2 Chronicles 18:1 - 19:3 Jehoshaphat's Later Reforms . PDF Jehoshaphat: The Tragedy of Compromise - SINGLE FOCUS Asa also did what was right in God's eyes and led Judah in a series of religious reforms. Ahab: Why Did He Go To War? 1 Kings 22 - Rose Avenue To honor Jehoshaphat and those with him, Ahab had a large number of sheep and cattle slaughtered for a feast. Thats old? Indeed, in ancient times, life expectancies didnt really exceed much beyond the age of 50. LICENSEE shall reproduce the following trademark and trademark notice on the copyright page of each copy of the Licensed Products: Read the surrounding text of 2 Chronicles 18:1-19:11. This strategy of the Syrian army made Ahabs counterstrategy of disguising himself in battle seem very wise. He seeks after Gods own heart throughout his reign. Unlike today, many mothers in Ancient Israel decided to name their children Jehoshaphat. Wicked men have the advantage of the way, godly men of the end. (Trapp). He said, "I am as you are, and my people as your people; we will join you in the war.". Only through the intervention of God did Jehoshaphat escape. . Jehoshaphat in the Bible was the fourth king of Judah. But we also know that only some good kings came from the Kingdom of Judah, Jehoshaphat being one of them. Pingback: Joining Forces with Ahab - CRIES from among US! But he also received a word of judgment: Jehu says, Because of this, wrath has gone out against you from the Lord 19:2. More importantly, he undid the pagan rituals and monuments other kings who came before him had practiced and worshipped. This is the same word that I Chronicles 21:1 says about Satan enticing David to sin by means of the census. It appears that the Israelites and Jews maintained the fight the whole of the day; but when at evening the king died, and this was known, there was a proclamation made, probably with the consent of both Syrians and Israelites, that the war was over. (Clarke), (c) 2021 TheEnduring WordBible Commentary by David Guzik ewm@enduringword.com. Since Ahab wanted to be deceived, God would give him what he wanted, using a willing fallen angel who worked through willing unfaithful prophets. He thought this would help protect him against Micaiahs prophecy of doom. We will focus on 2 Chronicles 18. . And sure enough, the enemy all came after Jehoshaphat thinking he was Ahab and he barely escaped death. Matthew 11:28-30, The church struggles with prejudice. Mark 12:1-12, Be faithful in the little things. The world will not be a true partner to you. But wait, it gets worse. We need to learn this. The man on the left is generally considered to be Jehoshaphat. Jehoshaphat starts the process by getting rid of Asherah poles. Enduring Word Bible Commentary 2 Chronicles Chapter 18 b. I will disguise myself and go into battle; but you put on your robes: Going into the battle, Ahab did not want to be identified as a king and therefore be a special target. In his disobedience, Jeroboam (the first king of the kingdom of the northern tribes) said, I will worship the LORD, but do it my way. Ahab said, I want to forget about the LORD completely and worship Baal., ii. First, Jehoshaphat allied himself with Ahab by taking Ahab's daughter . Hope Bolingeris an acquisitions editor at End Game Press, and the author 21+ books. To be sure, this is a case of misguided judgment. With whom did Jehoshaphat ally himself with by marriage? 42 Jehoshaphat was thirty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-five years. Though God will sometimes intervene for the sake of a righteous person in such circumstances (compare 2 Kings 3:14), we shouldn't count on itparticularly when we know better. Zavada, Jack. Save: $14.00 (70%) Buy Now. And finally, Jehoshaphat slinks back to Jerusalem, humiliated by his bad decision. Jehoshaphat was 35 years old when he began his reign and was king for 25 years. 2 Kings 1 - After the death of Ahab, Moab rebelled against Israel. Now The Lord has made these prophets of yours lie to you. Ahab asked Micaiah whether they should go up to Ramoth r. Vs. 29-40 describes the battle. Jehoshaphat, son of Asa, takes the throne about halfway through his life. Jehoshaphat's Defining Flaw. Now a certain man drew a bow at random, and struck the king of Israel between the joints of his armor. Many died in battle, or as is the case with King Asa, due to a painful foot disease. Chapter 22. After all it was 400 to 1! To solidify devotion to God, Jehoshaphat sent prophets, priests, and Levites throughout the country to teach people God's laws. He certainly did not walk in Gods ways. . Such arranged dynastic marriages were quite common in those days. He blew a trumpet as they carried the ark of God toward the city. Jehoshaphat believed prayer is a Rapid Response. 12, 14-19). But Jehoshaphat want to know if there is another prophet. Putting anything ahead of God is idolatry. I'm wounded! he cried out to his chariot driver. b. " 3 But the angel of the Lord said to . Obed-Edom and Jehiah were also to be doorkeepers for the ark.. Some other examples include a recorder for both king David and Solomon (2 Samuel 8:16) and a purveyor for Solomon (1 Kings 4:17). . For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Romans 1-8: Word Biblical Commentary [WBC] Retail: $52.99. After King Ahaziah's death (1:18), his brother Jehoram (called Joram in 8:25), another son of evil King Ahab, became king over Israel since Ahaziah himself had no son (1:17; 3:1). a. (2022, May 16). God's wrath in response to Jehoshaphat's unequal alliance with Ahab seems to be the connection. The Lord will give you victory., 15 But Ahab replied, When you speak to me in the name of the Lord, tell the truth! King Jehoshaphat comes to Samaria to visit with Ahab. Considering Jehoshaphat lived for a long time, according to the standards of his day, this meant that God really wanted him to rule for a long period of time. This city "was strategic in controlling the eastern caravan route" (Layman's Bible Book Commentary, Volume 6). It is possible that this was just a parable, but it is more likely that Micaiah had an accurate prophetic glimpse into the heavenly drama behind these events. Though disguised, Ahab is killed and Israel is defeated. Jehoram did evil in God's sight, but not to the extent that his father Ahab had, as he did put away his father's sacred pillar of Baal (verses 2-3). Jehoshaphat made some poor choices but he did have a heart for the Lord and "did what was right in the eyes of the Lord" (20:31.) He allied with Ahab's house by marrying his son (Jehoram) to Ahab's daughter (Athaliah) (18:1). He concluded with a foot disease instead of a bang on the throne. We should not love the world. and it begins well in chapter 17.
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