Once Bitten, Twice Shy Series

While Jehoshaphat was known for the gifts he received and the great wealth and honor he possessed (v 5), the biggest legacy he left behind was the spiritual revival that he brought continually to the kingdom, that which the 35-year old king ordered and oversaw for the next 25 years he was on the throne (1 Kings 22:42). Revival did not come because of the king’s programs and prosperity, but the king’s pursuit of God. The greatest testament to Jehoshaphat’s reign was the seven times the Hebrew text recorded that he “sought” God and not Baal (2 Chron 17:3, 4, 18:4, 6 7 19:3, 20:3). The word “sought” appeared more times in Jehoshaphat’s case and in his favor than all other kings noted together. He did something that even his father could not do (2 Chron 15:17), that is, he removed the high places from Judah (v 6). Also, while his father was credited with cutting down the Asherah poles (2 Chron 15:16), Jehoshaphat was credited with removing them from Judah (v 6). He more than made a difference; he made a dent. Jehoshaphat did not merely follow his father’s footsteps; he matched his father stride by stride and charted his own course in history. The son’s achievement corresponded with the Chinese sayings, “Green stems from blue (color), but surpasses the blue” or “Back ocean waves (those after) pushing the front waves (those before).”

Not one to rest on his laurels after he was firmly seated on the throne, settled and secure in his reign, Jehoshaphat made lasting changes instead of cosmetic changes. In the third year of his reign (v 7) he appointed four head officials (Hebrew for “prince”), nine Levites and two priests and sent them throughout the towns of Judah to teach the people the law of the Lord, with the Book of the Law of the Lord in tow. This verb “teach”– in the intensive piel (vv 7, 9 twice) - was powerfully used 17 times in Deuteronomy (Deut 4:1, 4:5, 4:10, 4:10, 4:14, 5:1, 5:31, 6:1, 11:19, 14:23, 17:19, 18:9, 20:18, 31:12, 31:13, 31:19, 31:22), especially in Moses’ commission and reminder to teach the law to the children of Israel (Deut 4:10, 11:19, 31:19), but the teaching ministry had fell on hard times and the teaching of the law was not mentioned after Deuteronomy. What an object lesson the traveling Book of the Law was. The first public exhibition of the Book of the Law of the Lord created a stir, sparked a revival, and dismayed their enemies (v 10), who later showered Jehoshaphat with gold and silver and livestock as tribute and gifts (v 11).

Jehoshaphat reached the pinnacle of a king’s reign and power in his heyday. The same Hebrew word for “exceedingly” (17:12), powerful translated as “more and more” powerful in NIV, was used to describe Solomon’s stature before the latter’s famous fall (1 Chron 29:25, 2 Chron 1:1).

Get Your Principles Right

18:1 Now Jehoshaphat had great wealth and honor, and he allied himself with Ahab by marriage. 2 Some years later he went down to visit Ahab in Samaria. Ahab slaughtered many sheep and cattle for him and the people with him and urged him to attack Ramoth Gilead. 3 Ahab king of Israel asked Jehoshaphat king of Judah, “Will you go with me against Ramoth Gilead?” Jehoshaphat replied, “I am as you are, and my people as your people; we will join you in the war.” 4 But Jehoshaphat also said to the king of Israel, “First seek the counsel of the LORD.” 5 So the king of Israel brought together the prophets-four hundred men-and asked them, “Shall we go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or shall I refrain?” “Go,” they answered, “for God will give it into the king’s hand.” 6 But Jehoshaphat asked, “Is there not a prophet of the LORD here whom we can inquire of?” 7 The king of Israel answered Jehoshaphat, “There is still one man through whom we can inquire of the LORD, but I hate him because he never prophesies anything good about me, but always bad. He is Micaiah son of Imlah.” “The king should not say that,” Jehoshaphat replied. (2 Chron 18:1-7)