(1 Chronicles 17: 1-6, 10) However, although he could have relied totally on God to protect him, Jehoshaphat allied himself with the evil king of Israel, Ahab. 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. Three years later they were willing to prophesy lies to Ahab if that was what he wanted to hear. Jehoshaphat was an ancient king, but he is not so different than us, for we do similar things in our lives. No matter how powerful and persuasive the presentation, their message was unfaithful. Luke 2:40-52, How to overcome evil with good. He repented when he did wrong. We have different frameworks and directions to our lives. Now a certain man drew a bow at random, and struck the king of Israel between the joints of his armor. Despite his misgivings(?) But wait, it gets worse. As the LORD lives, whatever my God says, that I will speak: The assistant of King Ahab tried to persuade Micaiah to speak in agreement with the 400 other prophets. Ahaziah became sick, and rather than establishing a relationship with the true God and placing his trust in Him, he attempted to inquire of the pagan god Baal-Zebub whether he would live or die. William Higgins. He made an alliance with marriage with Ahab, 18:2 plus after several years went down to visit Ahab in Samaria. Otherwise you will be prompted again when opening a new browser window or new a tab. So Ahab brings out . Jehoshaphat failed to foresee the long-term consequences of his bad decisions. At age 35, Jehoshaphat succeeded his father, Asa, who was the first good king over Judah. Despite Jehoshaphat's errors in this regard, it appears that he later recognized that he should not have allied himself with Ahaziah (compare 1 Kings 22:49). 2 Chronicles 17:1. His wife was Jezebel, the infamous queen. In general, Christians can't work effectively in close relationships with unbelieversin godly peace and harmonyany more than mismatched animals can make a useful plowing team for a farmer. Christian family to appeal after court dismisses school Pride parade complaint, British public don't want a secular coronation, poll finds, Relic of crucifixion cross to be used in King Charles' coronation, Challenged by the faith of those who suffer. 1) Jehoshaphat the faithful. 30 The king of Syria had ordered his chariot commanders to attack no one else except the king of Israel. King Jehoshaphat was the fourth king of Judah under the divided monarchy, the son of Asa. 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. b. Click on the different category headings to find out more. 400 prophets predict that they should go out to war for they will be successful. "Who Is Jehoshaphat in the Bible?" c. Who will persuade Ahab king of Israel to go up, that he may fall at Ramoth Gilead? Week 39. Ahab is basically threatening God here with consequences. He required these judges to be just, impartial, and take no bribes, for they "do not judge according to man but the Lord" (see 2 Chronicles 19:4-10). Without God's help, we can do nothing worthwhile. He prioritized the worship of Yahweh, the true God of Israel. Matthew 11:28-30, The church struggles with prejudice. 41 Jehoshaphat son of Asa began to rule over Judah in the fourth year of King Ahab's reign in Israel. May their lives and walks with God strengthen your faith and encourage your soul. i. 24 You will find out when you go into some back room to hide, Micaiah replied. A. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. This strategy of the Syrian army made Ahabs counterstrategy of disguising himself in battle seem very wise. Soon after this, Moab, Ammon and Edom declared war against Jehoshaphat. The king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah, clothed in their robes, sat each on his throne; and they sat at a threshing floor at the entrance of the gate of Samaria; and all the prophets prophesied before them. Sin never pays! God straight up used that man for His own Glory. Our website uses cookies to store user preferences. i. First of all, the king shows us that we all can make mistakes of judgment. Ahab pretended herein to honour Jehoshaphat, but intended to save himself, and to elude Micaiahs prophecy. (Trapp). Scholars have variously dated his reign to around 873-849 B.C.E. Thus says the LORD: These unfaithful prophets (such as Zedekiah) prophesied in the name of the LORD, but they did not prophesy truthfully. The Levites have the responsibility of seeing that the decisions of the courts are carried out. Let's go over some of the things he did. 2 A number of years later Jehoshaphat went to the city of Samaria to visit Ahab. Instead, Jehoshaphat removes places of worship to foreign gods such as Asherah poles, and he fortifies Israels defenses against their enemies. He was buried at age 60 in the City of David in Jerusalem. Jack Zavada is a writer who covers the Bible, theology, and other Christianity topics. 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. Jehoshaphat responded as if the kings were of one mind and heritage. 1992 American Bible Society. Stay up to date with the latest Christian news! After all, the dangerous one he made almost got him killed. This is significant if we compare this with how many other Israelite kings passed away. 3 But even so, there is some good in you. 21 The spirit replied, I will go and make all of Ahab's prophets tell lies. The Lord said, Go and deceive him. Though disguised, Ahab is killed and Israel is defeated. 11 Amariah the High Priest will have final authority in all religious cases, and Zebadiah son of Ishmael, governor of Judah, will have final authority in all civil cases. Jehoshaphat himself stepped before the congregated crowd and fervently implored Gd for help in this hour of distress, for the sake of His own glory and the salvation of His people. Ahab knew in his heart that Micaiah would not fear or flatter him, but only declare the word of Jehovah. [1] One of the "good" kings in the Bible, he was a descendant of David, and his mother's name was Azubah . Asa also did what was right in God's eyes and led Judah in a series of religious reforms. After all it was 400 to 1! 17-20 CLICK TITLE FOR AUDIO. 17:10-13 ). (Amos 3:3.) Jehoshaphat's son Jehoram married Athaliah, daughter of king Ahab of Israel. 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). He should have believed the prophecy of Micaiah and known that the battle would end in disaster and the death of at least Ahab. 2 A prophet, Jehu son of Hanani, went to meet the king and said to him, Do you think it is right to help those who are wicked and to take the side of those who hate the Lord? During Jehoram's reign, Edom successfully revolted against Judah (2 Kings 8:20-22; 2 Chronicles 21:8-10). You will succeed., 22 And Micaiah concluded: This is what has happened. a. Click to enable/disable _ga - Google Analytics Cookie. (2022, May 16). Ahab determined that he should take the city of Ramoth-Gilead back from the Syrians. "Who Is Jehoshaphat in the Bible?" Secondly, Jehoshaphat teaches us the importance of breaking the familial cycle of mistakes. Here is the Bible's explanation: "for the daughter of Ahab was his wife" (2 Kings 8:18). He campaigned against idolatry and the renewed worship of the One True God. 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). God does not want us to enter into binding partnerships with the wicked that could conflict with our commitment to Him and His ways. Zavada, Jack. At first, the alliance worked, but Ahab drew Jehoshaphat into a war that was against God's will. All rights reserved. God gave the evil spirit permission to entice Ahab, and the evil spirit . A bold and faithful follower of Yahweh, Jehoshaphat consulted God's prophets before making decisions and credited God for every victory. He makes a bad alliance by marrying his son to the wicked king of Israels daughter. Jehoshaphat's Defining Flaw. Asa, his father, followed in the footsteps of God until the end of his reign. We also should not go about longing for what the world has. We should not make partnerships with the world. King Jehoshaphat, son of Asa, reigned for 25 years once he took the throne at the age of 35. That is, he gave his son in marriage to Ahabs daughter. Perhaps these were true followers of Yahweh who were seduced by Ahabs sincere but shallow repentance three years before (1 Kings 21:27-29). 9 The two kings, dressed in their royal robes, were sitting on their thrones at the threshing place just outside the gate of Samaria, and all the prophets were prophesying in front of them. Jehoshaphat, though a brilliant king, fell down in all three, not only allying himself with Ahab, but also with his two sons. He certainly did not walk in Gods ways. He said similar words to the 400 unfaithful prophets, but delivered a completely different message. We use cookies to let us know when you visit our websites, how you interact with us, to enrich your user experience, and to customize your relationship with our website. b. Yet on the other hand very few men did more than Jehoshaphat to bring the nation to the brink of ruin. Trans Britain: are the numbers really adding up. (see 2 Chronicles 19). But the one we want to focus on today reigns a little after the time of Solomon and David, long after the kingdom splits into two. The Prophet Micaiah Warns Ahab (1 Kings 22.1-28)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. The Lord substantially blessed Jehoshaphat and Judah during Jehoshaphat's reign. Ahab asked Micaiah whether they should go up to Ramoth Mark 12:1-12, Be faithful in the little things. 1 Chronicles 11:43:Hanan son of Maakah, Joshaphat the Mithnite.. He sometimes followed the world's ways, such as making alliances with questionable neighbors. . (NIV), 2 Chronicles 20:32-33He walked in the ways of his father Asa and did not stray from them; he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD. Even then, King Ahaziah did not humble himself and repent, as his father Ahab had done at least temporarily (1 Kings 21:17-29). 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. He allied with Ahab against Syria, nearly losing his life as a result (18:2ff.). He drove out the male cult prostitutes and destroyed the Asherah poles where the people had worshiped false gods. Sunday (2 Chronicles 18-23) Jehoshaphat Allies with Ahab. Jehoshaphat made a disastrous treaty with AHAB (as in Ahab and Jezebel). 30 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, " I will disguise myself and go into . Unsurprisingly, Ahab throws Micaiah in prison on bread and water rations. His real conflict was with God, but he focused his hatred against the prophet Micaiah. Perhaps he felt as many do today that he should not judge, or perhaps he felt that the end justified the . He died at 60? You can check these in your browser security settings. a. Many died in battle, or as is the case with King Asa, due to a painful foot disease. q. 12, 14-19). God's hand was on Jehoshaphat and He blessed the kingdom of Judah under his reign. 17 He was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years. God, however, made it very clear that He was with Elijah, and that He would protect him from the king's evil devices (2:10-15). i. Registered in England and Wales 5090917, Christian Today, International House, 24 Holborn Viaduct, London EC1A 2BN, God is on the move in the broken Anglican Communion, Church of England bishops urged 'to step back from the brink' on same-sex blessings, Lessons for today from the Salem Witch Trials. Complete the following verse found in 2 Chronicles 18:1 - . The Lord will give you victory., 15 But Ahab replied, When you speak to me in the name of the Lord, tell the truth! A more apparent weakness of Jehoshaphat can be seen in the compromising nature of his allying himself with evil rulers, a fault that became evident again near the end of his life when he allied himself with Israel's wicked King Ahaziah, son of Ahab (1 Kings 22:51-53). i. We have compiled these articles to help you study those whom God chose to set before us as examples in His Word. It is less easy to understand why King Jehoshaphat of Judah went to this battle with Ahab. When choices come along, you may want to keep your commitment to God, but you have to act in a way that works for the unbeliever as well. Sat each on his throne, and they sat at a threshing floor at the entrance of the gate of Samaria: This illustrates the ancient custom of holding court and making decisions at the gates of the city. There is a well-intentioned but mistaken teaching that God can allow no evil in His presence, meaning that Satan and other fallen angels could not be in His presence. 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.) Ahab, the king of the northern kingdom of Israel, was an evil king who, through the influence of his wife Jezebel, spread pagan practices and Baal worship. Ahab tells Jehoshaphat his plan. 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. He attempts to make peace with the northern kingdom of Israel but ends up getting tangled in some bad friendships along the way. In a long line of righteous and unrighteous kings that ruled in the northern and southern kingdoms, these men were both evil kings. Lets begin by getting oriented. Meet King Pharaoh: Arrogant Egyptian Ruler, Biography of King Solomon: The Wisest Man Who Ever Lived, Battle of Jericho Bible Story Study Guide, Scripture Readings for the Fourth Week of Lent, Crossing of the Jordan River Bible Study Guide, M.A., English Composition, Illinois State University, B.S., English Literature, Illinois State University. THEN he made another disastrous treaty with wicked King Ahaziah which resulted in all their ships wrecked. And the Lord said, These men have no leader; let them go home in peace., 17 Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, I told you that he never prophesies anything good for me; it's always something bad!, 18 Micaiah went on: Now listen to what the Lord says! . c. I hate him, because he never prophesies good concerning me, but always evil: Ahab hated the messenger because of the message. Not only that, but Ahab decides that he can get around all of this by dressing Jehoshaphat up in his robes and putting him at the front and disguising himself as a soldier. This might have daunted the good prophet, but that he had lately seen the Lord sitting upon His throne with all the host of heaven standing by Him, and hence he so boldly looked in the face these two kings in their majesty; for he beheld them as so many mice. (Trapp). Obviously this was thanks to the help of Jehovah. Ahab got King Jehoshaphat of Judah to ally himself with him in war against Ramoth-gilead then held by the Syrians. 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. He also had a lot of property. The world will not be a true partner to you. Answer (1 of 3): The tone of the book, especially in that chapter, shows Jehoshapat as a humble man who obeys God, and Ahab as a reckless man who does only as he thinks right, without thinking of anything but what he means to do. Though Jehoshaphat had already committed himself to the enterprise (2 Chronicles 18:3), and though he went on to disregard the guidance that was given him (2 Chronicles 18:28), he still retained the religion of Yahweh to the extent that he insisted on seeking the counsel of the Lord. (Payne). 2. The wisest strategy for the protection of his kingdom was obedience instead of compromise with the ungodly King Ahab of Israel and his wife, Queen Jezebel. When Jehoshaphat arrived in Samaria, Ahab asked Jehoshaphat to join with him in battle against Ramoth Gilead. We may request cookies to be set on your device. They butchered great numbers of sheep, goats, and cattle for the feast. Once back, the Lord rebukes him through his prophet Jehu, whose father, by the way, had rebuked Jehoshaphats father King Asa. More than 1400 of her works have been featured in various publications. He worked to remove the "high places" of worship, did not participate in any Baal worship, and cut down the Asherahs, which were worshipped in various places. 42 Jehoshaphat was thirty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-five years. How? He demanded that Micaiah tell nothing but the truth which Ahab believed and hoped was the message of the 400 other prophets. Jehu says, Should you help the wicked and love those who hate the Lord? 19:2. i. Ahab induced or enticed him to form a league with him to retake a disputed city in northern Israel Ramoth-gilead. God wanted to bring judgment against Ahab, so He asked this group of the host of heaven for a volunteer to lead Ahab into battle. Learn Religions, May. Why did Ahab enter into a military alliance with Jehoshaphat? He was rescued on the battlefield and was allowed to continue as king. To solidify devotion to God, Jehoshaphat sent prophets, priests, and Levites throughout the country to teach people God's laws. We need to learn this. Then the messenger who had gone to call Micaiah spoke to him, saying, Now listen, the words of the prophets with one accord encourage the king. For the battle is not yours, but Gods." Mindful of the fact that Judah was bordered by Moab, Ammon, and Israelall hostilehe knew he needed a strong and well-positioned military. Jehu ( , Yehu " The Lord is he") was king of Israel, 842-815 B.C.E. Yet he was willing to listen to the king of Judah when he advised that Ahab should listen to the prophet Micaiah. As a consequence, God sent the prophet Elijah to the king and informed him that he would not be healed (2 Kings 1:1-6, 15-17). Daniel 3, The Parable of the Vineyard Tenants. Ahab. i. This brings us to our focus today: King Ahab, the king of the northern kingdom of Israel was a very wicked man, who opposed Yahweh. The prayer was answered. God orchestrated the unintended actions of man to result in an exercise of His judgment. Not only was he faithful he was a reformer. Apparently this was a city that Ben-Hadad never returned to Israel and it was in a strategically important location. But, not only that, so many times our sin ends up wounding those we love more than us. Joel 3:2: I will gatherall nationsand bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. This show of friendship to Ahab was in reality hatred towards God (2 . He concluded with a foot disease instead of a bang on the throne. Who had not rather be a Micaiah in the jail than Ahab in the chariot? . Then a spirit came forward and stood before the LORD, and said, I will persuade him. The LORD said to him, In what way? So he said, I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And the Lord said, You shall persuade him and also prevail; go out and do so. Therefore look! 2 Chronicles 18:1-3 "Now Jehoshaphat had great riches and honor; and he allied himself by marriage with Ahab." IT WAS THIS ALLIANCE That got Jehoshaphat into a battle that nearly got him . His story is told in 1 Kings 22 and 2 Chronicles 17-20. 3. By proceeding, you consent to our cookie usage.
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