The Good Kings Of Judah Series

This our fifth study on the royal family of Israel and I’m grateful to take this journey with you. This study has caused me to do a lot of research! Tonight, we are going to meet the unknown lady who saved Christmas, join with a king in asking soul-searching questions about our security and safety, and listen in on the private prayers of a king. It’s been a couple of weeks since we have met and I am grateful for you joining us this evening. In our concluding message to this series, we will focus on the good kings of Judah.

Only four kings in Judah’s history are godly men (Asa, Jehoshaphat, Hezekiah, and Josiah) while none of the kings in Israel (Northern Kingdom) are godly men. Asa, Jehoshaphat, Hezekiah, and Josiah are all men you want to take home to meet your parents. We have covered Asa some weeks ago, leaving the remaining three..

Quick Overview

Let me offer you a summary of what we’ll see with the Divided Monarchy of Northern and Southern Kingdoms. The Southern Kingdom has 20 kings over its history. These 20 kings will reign from around 930 BC to 587 BC, or The Northern Kingdom will have 19 kings (with a caveat) from around 930 BC to 722 BC. The Southern Kingdom is known a Judah and will last for around 345 years. The Northern Kingdom is known as Israel which is confusing. This would be similar to our Civil War and had the confederate states won, the northern states may have very well called themselves the United States. So Israel is the name of the nation when it is united and it’s the name of the northern kingdom when the nations are divided. The Northern Kingdom will last for around 210 years (less than the length of the US). Now, Judah’s kings are all sons of King David where in Israel (Northern Kingdom), none of the kings are the sons of David. Judah is the unbroken succession Davidic dynasty where in Israel (Northern Kingdom), you have a series of mini-dynasties.

1. Jehoshaphat of Judah

Jehoshaphat is fourth king of Judah and the son of Asa (873-848). He probably co-reigned three years with his father, Asa (873-870). If you remember it was in the 39 year of Asa’s reign that Asa became seriously ill by being diseased in his feet. It’s probably this event, coming at the end of Asa’s 41 year reign that caused him to make Jehoshaphat the king alongside him for thee 3 years. “This was the first instance of a co-rule of a father and son except for the brief coregency of David and Solomon before the division of the nation. The coregency system was used, all told, nine times in Israel and Judah.”

He is one of only four good kings that you want to take home to meet your mother: “The LORD was with Jehoshaphat, because he walked in the earlier ways of his father David. He did not seek the Baals, 4 but sought the God of his father and walked in his commandments, and not according to the practices of Israel. 5 Therefore the LORD established the kingdom in his hand. And all Judah brought tribute to Jehoshaphat, and he had great riches and honor. 6 His heart was courageous in the ways of the LORD. And furthermore, he took the high places and the Asherim out of Judah” (2 Chronicles 17:3-6).

He was 35 years old when he became king and he lasted for 25 years: “He walked in all the way of Asa his father. He did not turn aside from it, doing what was right in the sight of the LORD. Yet the high places were not taken away, and the people still sacrificed and made offerings on the high places. 44 Jehoshaphat also made peace with the king of Israel” (1 Kings 22:43-44).

He took control of many trading routes in the south, and the new friendship between the two states was eventually sealed by the marriage of Ahab’s daughter, Athaliah, to Jehoshaphat’s son, Jehoram (2 Chronicles 21:1-6).

1.1 Religious Reform

Jehoshaphat even appointed traveling prophet group to go around all of Judah to instruct the people in the ways of God (2 Chronicles 17:7-9). Jehoshaphat’s traveling prophets were headed up by 5 officials (we might call these laymen) and 10 religious personnel (8 Levites and 2 priests). Years before, we need to remember how God had commanded the king to come into office. Long before Saul, David, and Solomon, God says through Moses how he wanted the first days of the King’s reign to be spent: “And when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, he shall write for himself in a book a copy of this law, approved by the Levitical priests. 19 And it shall be with him, and he shall read in it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the LORD his God by keeping all the words of this law and these statutes, and doing them, 20 that his heart may not be lifted up above his brothers, and that he may not turn aside from the commandment, either to the right hand or to the left, so that he may continue long in his kingdom, he and his children, in Israel” (Deuteronomy 17:18-20).