You may (or may not) have had a godly example in your life that could teach you about God and His ways, but whether you did or not, God wants you to know Him through your study of the Bible.
In the case of Jehoshaphat, his father, King Asa, was king of the southern kingdom of Judah. King Asa followed God for most of his reign (35 years) but did not finish well in terms of his life and leadership of God’s people. Anger, stubbornness, and disobedience to God marred the last five years of King Asa’s reign. After his father’s death, Jehoshaphat became king of the southern kingdom of Judah.
During Jehoshaphat’s reign, he made two strategic decisions that pleased God. First, he strengthened the borders surrounding Judah and fortified the cities. In biblical times, kings and their kingdoms were constantly vulnerable to attack from surrounding nations (2 Chronicles 17:1-2). Therefore, one of Jehoshaphat’s first acts as king was to strengthen the areas where God’s people were vulnerable to invasion.
The Lord was with Jehoshaphat because he followed the example of his father’s early years and did not worship the images of Baal. He sought his father’s God and obeyed his commands instead of following the evil practices of the kingdom of Israel. So the Lord established Jehoshaphat’s control over the kingdom of Judah. All the people of Judah brought gifts to Jehoshaphat, so he became very wealthy and highly esteemed. He was deeply committed to the ways of the Lord. He removed the pagan shrines and Asherah poles from Judah. 2 Chronicles 17:3-6
Second, Jehoshaphat loved God’s Word, so he organized a teaching ministry that required priests and Levites to teach God’s Word throughout all of Judah, both in Jerusalem and the surrounding cities and towns. God blessed Jehoshaphat because of his commitment to God and his desire for all God’s people to know and obey God’s Word. He made God’s Word accessible to all people.
In the third year of his reign Jehoshaphat sent his officials to teach in all the towns of Judah. … He sent Levites along with them … He also sent out the priests … They took copies of the Book of the Law of the Lord and traveled around through all the towns of Judah, teaching the people. 2 Chronicles 17:7a, 8a, 8c, 9
When the people of God were taught the Word of God, and they began to worship and obey God throughout Judah; “Then the fear of the Lord fell over all the surrounding kingdoms so that none of them wanted to declare war on Jehoshaphat” (2 Chronicles 17:10). Even the Philistines and the Arabs, known enemies of God and His people, brought gifts as tribute to Jehoshaphat which made him and the southern kingdom wealthy as well as established a time of no war.
There is no indication in 2 Chronicles that Jehoshaphat’s enemies were fearful or brought peace tributes because he strengthened the borders and fortified the cities. The fear of the Lord fell upon his enemies when God’s people were taught God’s Word, and they worshiped and obeyed God. God’s people being taught God’s Word enabled them to worship and obey God, which made all the difference in their lives, Jehoshaphat’s reign, and their enemies’ fear levels of the one, true God.
However, Jehoshaphat made a third strategic decision that did not please God. Because the northern kingdom of Israel was a constant threat to the southern kingdom of Judah, Jehoshaphat offered his daughter in marriage to the family of King Ahab, who is an evil king and is married to Jezebel, an evil queen. King Ahab led God’s people in the northern kingdom of Israel to worship Baal (1 Kings 16:29-33).
Although marriage between royal families was a common practice to secure an ally, God was not pleased with Jehoshaphat’s decision. Especially since Jehoshaphat is aware of King Ahab and Queen Jezebel’s leadership and behaviors, which led God’s people to abandon the worship of God – the very thing that King Jehoshaphat was committed to when he organized the teaching ministry throughout all of Judah.
Jehoshaphat likely knows his history and how powerful, wealthy, and respected God’s kingdom was under King Solomon as a united group of all twelve tribes of Israel and Judah. This time was before all the civil wars among God’s people, enemy invasions, and abandonment of God. Jehoshaphat may have had a good idea and even the right motive to unite God’s people, but his actions did not please God. You learn through Jehoshaphat’s decision that your ideas, motives, and actions need to all please God.
Additionally, King Ahab wants to go to war with one of his enemies and entices Jehoshaphat to unite their armies to go to war together. King Ahab has no desire to hear from God, or obey God, but Jehoshaphat does want to hear from God and obey God regarding going to war. All King Ahab’s advisors tell him to go to war, but a prophet of God communicates to Jehoshaphat what God will do if they go to war.
Regardless of what the prophet of God says, King Ahab insists on going to war. God allows King Ahab to be killed by his enemy, but God allows Jehoshaphat to live and return home to led God’s people in Judah.
When King Jehoshaphat of Judah arrived safely home in Jerusalem, Jehu son of Hanani the seer went out to meet him. “Why should you help the wicked and love those who hate the Lord?” [i.e., King Ahab and Queen Jezebel] he asked the king [Jehoshaphat]. “Because of what you have done, the Lord is very angry with you. Even so, there is some good in you, for you have removed the Asherah poles throughout the land, and you have committed yourself to seeking God.” Jehoshaphat lived in Jerusalem, but he went out among the people, traveling from Beersheba to the hill country of Ephraim, encouraging the people to return to the Lord, the God of their ancestors. 2 Chronicles 19:1-4
King Jehoshaphat knew the life-changing difference that occurs when God’s people know and obey God’s Word. Therefore, he committed himself to seeking God and spent his time as Judah’s king traveling around the region to encourage God’s people to know and obey God through learning God’s Word.
Consider these reflection questions from Jehoshaphat’s example.
- How committed are you to seeking God in your decision making? Do you talk with God about your ideas, motives, and actions to see if they all please Him?
- How have you experienced the life-changing difference that knowing and obeying God’s Word makes in your life?
- Who has encouraged you to know and obey God through the study of God’s Word?
- If you are seeking God by knowing and obeying God’s Word, are you faithfully teaching others God’s Word and encouraging others to study God’s Word for themselves?
