Click to enable/disable Google Analytics tracking. b. I. Ahab's proposal (18:1-3) As Jehoshaphat celebrated a feast with the most ungodly king Israel would know, Ahab hits him with a request. 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. . 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. At sunset he died. Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? 28-29). And so we can learn from him. Jehoshaphat believed prayer is a Rapid Response. Sitting in Ahab's palace, with a feast in front of him, surrounded by Ahab and related through marriage put him in a real awkward position. God intervened to help him. c. Who will persuade Ahab king of Israel to go up, that he may fall at Ramoth Gilead? During most of Jehoshaphat's reign, Ahab was ruling Israel. But he did not do all that he should have, as he did not remove all the high places from Judah (2 Chronicles 20:33). This king of Judah dared to do the right thing. 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). We can be certain that every eye was on Zedekiah when he used the horns of iron to powerfully illustrate the point. But what about King Jehoshaphat? Jehoshaphat did so because he did not want to offend Ahab. I got my facts mixed up. It will party with you (like Ahab with Jehoshaphat), It will give you honor and acceptance (like Ahab gave to Jehoshaphat), It will entice you to make compromises (like Ahab did with Jehoshaphat). b. q. a. Jehoshaphat had riches and honor in abundance: Because of his personal godliness (2 Chronicles 17:1-4) and public godliness (2 Chronicles 17:7-10), God blessed Jehoshaphat and exalted him among neighboring nations. 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). 17:10). Jehoshaphat was an ancient king, but he is not so different than us, for we do similar things in our lives. And the LORD said, These have no master. The high places, however, were not removed, and the people still had not set their hearts on the God of their fathers. They prophesied favorably, saying: "Go up, and Jehovah will give it into the king's hand." He received mercy: Jehu says, Nevertheless, some good is found in you, for you destroyed the Asherahs out of the land, and have set your heart to seek God 19:3. Put this fellow in prison: King Ahab responded the way many tyrants do when they are confronted with the truth. Jehoshaphat starts the process by getting rid of Asherah poles. We begin with noting that there was 3 years without war between Syria and Israel. We should not love the world. Click on the different category headings to find out more. Jehosaphat being a spiritual man wanted to know the will of God, concerning their going to Ramoth Gilead. Jehoshaphat and Ahab cemented their relationship by arranging a marriage between Jehoshaphat's son, Jehoram, and Ahab and Jezebel's daughter, Athaliah. i. The kings in the lands surrounding Judah did not dare to go to war against Jehoshaphat because they feared God. 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. Jehoshaphat made a bad alliance with King Ahab, one of the most wicked kings in Israels history. He allied with Ahab against Syria, nearly losing his life as a result (18:2ff.). He had amassed "riches and honor in abundance" ( 2Chronicles 18 . Vs. 28 - Micaiah does not back down. b. He used horns of iron to illustrate the thrust of two powerful forces, armies that would rout the Syrians. Ahab asks him if he would go with him to take the city of Ramoth in Gilead from Syria. Yet he was willing to listen to the king of Judah when he advised that Ahab should listen to the prophet Micaiah. Jehoshaphat gave his son in marriage to Ahab's daughter. A. The Hebrew that underlies the phrase rendered a spirit (came forward) reads literally, the (well-known) spirit, i.e., Satan the tempter (as in Job 1:6-12). You shouldn't say that! Jehoshaphat replied. 1. All rights reserved. He made his son, Jehoram, marry Ahab's daughter. This suggests that Jehoshaphat was a strong and effective leader, who worked hard to consolidate his power and improve Judah's position. Theologians have squabbled over this issue for centuries, and since the passage in Joel is prophetic in nature, we cant definitely say we know what it means. Just as Jehoshaphat allied himself with a wicked king. The Lord has made these prophets of yours lie to you. He allied himself with Israel by marrying his son Jehoram to King Ahab's daughter Athaliah. Here is the Bible's explanation: "for the daughter of Ahab was his wife" (2 Kings 8:18). 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 . With whom did Jehoshaphat ally himself with by marriage? . . 5 He appointed judges in each of the fortified cities of Judah 6 and instructed them: Be careful in pronouncing judgment; you are not acting on human authority, but on the authority of the Lord, and he is with you when you pass sentence. Obed-Edom and Jehiah were also to be doorkeepers for the ark.. God's wrath in response to Jehoshaphat's unequal alliance with Ahab seems to be the connection. He cried out to the LORD and was rescued when they turned back from pursuing him. Jehoshaphat solidified peace between Israel and Judah. God looked with favor on Jehoshaphat, strengthening his kingdom and making him wealthy. When Jehoshaphat arrived in Samaria, Ahab asked Jehoshaphat to join with him in battle against Ramoth Gilead. Mark 12:1-12, Be faithful in the little things. Unlike today, many mothers in Ancient Israel decided to name their children Jehoshaphat. You will succeed., 22 And Micaiah concluded: This is what has happened. Stay up to date with the latest Christian news! 21 The spirit replied, I will go and make all of Ahab's prophets tell lies. The Lord said, Go and deceive him. Jehoshaphat did not carry a rebuke in his heart toward the wrong that was in Ahab, a man who had sold himself to do evil in the sight of God. And then we have one of the most interesting stories in the Bible, which we cant get into in detail, but with regard to our focus . Learn Religions, May. You can check these in your browser security settings. He walked in Gods ways The Lord was with Jehoshaphat, because he walked in the earlier ways of his father David. 46 views, 7 likes, 0 loves, 3 comments, 1 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from Eubank Church of Christ: The Minor Prophets (22) He has Jehoshaphat dress like the king, while Ahab disguised himself. i. battle. 28 Then King Ahab of Israel and King Jehoshaphat of Judah went to attack the city of Ramoth in Gilead. Our Price: $5.99. It came about because Jehoshaphat allied himself to the king of Israel, Ahab, through marriage: his son and successor as king, Jehoram, married Athaliah, the daughter of Ahab. On His right hand and His left: Since the right hand was the place of favor, this may indicate that God spoke to the combined host of heaven, both faithful and fallen angelic beings. God brought Judgement on Pharaoh by outright hardening his heart, so that God could multiply His miracles and signs throughout Egypt. We may request cookies to be set on your device. Scholars have variously dated his reign to around 873-849 B.C.E. He walked in God's ways - "The Lord was with Jehoshaphat, because he walked in the earlier ways of his father David. B. The rest of chapter 19 he went back to reforming Judah. 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. 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. He was a good king but with the weakness of wanting to be friends with Ahab. Mindful of the fact that Judah was bordered by Moab, Ammon, and Israelall hostilehe knew he needed a strong and well-positioned military. He allied with Ahab's house by marrying his son (Jehoram) to Ahab's daughter (Athaliah) (18:1). Chapter 22. 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). 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. At the beginning of his reign, Jehoshaphat "strengthened himself against Israel (2 Chronicles 17:1). This is what the LORD says to you: Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. In Jehoshaphat we have one of Judah's finest rulers. Retrieved from https://www.learnreligions.com/jehoshaphat-king-of-judah-4114131. God brought Judgement on Ahab; he would not listen to Elijah and was bent on his evil ways. Probably this man already had shot many arrows, and he went on in his simplicity, little knowing that this particular arrow was to be guided through all the confusion straight to its mark by the unerring knowledge and power of God. The prophet Elijah had previously prophesied evil concerning Ahab. The phrase bread of affliction and water of affliction may be translated bread and water of scant measure. (Dilday), c. If you ever return in peace, the LORD has not spoken by me: The prophet Micaiah made one final and ultimate appeal. Only by divine intervention was one saved 2 Chronicles 22:10-12. The following cookies are also needed - You can choose if you want to allow them: You can read about our cookies and privacy settings in detail on our Privacy Policy Page. Not even his vast army is a match for the joint forces of the invaders. We should stay true to God. Now a certain man drew a bow at random, and struck the king of Israel between the joints of his armor. Here Micaiah explained the message of the 400 prophets. In other words, he should not have made a partnership with an evil king, who was Gods enemy. Carmel, and he killed all the prophets of Baal. The LORD has put a lying spirit in the mouth of these prophets of yours, and the LORD has declared disaster against you.. Ahab and his wife, Queen Jezebel, had well-deserved reputations for wickedness. Ahab, the father of the daughter, attempts to draw king Jehoshaphat into a war that God does not approve of. i. "Who Is Jehoshaphat in the Bible?" This is significant if we compare this with how many other Israelite kings passed away. 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). We need 2 cookies to store this setting. We will focus on 2 Chronicles 18. . 33 By chance, however, a Syrian soldier shot an arrow which struck King Ahab between the joints of his armor. 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. 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. He repented when he did wrong. 9 He gave them the following instructions: You must perform your duties in reverence for the Lord, faithfully obeying him in everything you do. (35) And after this.--The chronicler has omitted the notice that "Jehoshaphat made peace with the king of Israel" (1Kings 22:44), and now he omits two other short verses of the parallel account, viz., 1Kings 22:46-47: "And the remnant of the sodomites, which had remained in the days of his father Asa, he consumed out of the land.There was then no king in Edom: a deputy was king." You will remember him from the stories of Elijah. 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. They told Ahab to go into battle because God would give him victory. A Chronological Daily Bible Study regarding the Old Testament 7-Day Sections with a Summary-Commentary, Discussion Questions, and a Practical Almost Claim. "Ahab son of Omri did more evil in the eyes of the Lord than any of those before him. We know of many good kings of Israel because we name our children after them: David, Josiah, Jedidiah (Solomon). He seeks after Gods own heart throughout his reign. Ramoth Gilead belonged to Israel by the word of God but Ahab was out of the will of God. Ahab had wanted to restore back what materially belonged to them but spiritually he . First we see a picture of . Luke 2:40-52, How to overcome evil with good. If there's one mistake Jehoshaphat made, it's the time he decided to ally himself with King Ahab of Israel, the devious Jezebel's husband. Jehoshaphat strengthened Judah militarily by building an army and many forts. THEN he made another disastrous treaty with wicked King Ahaziah which resulted in all their ships wrecked. 1) Jehoshaphat the faithful. This show of friendship to Ahab was in reality hatred towards God (2 . First, Jehoshaphat allied himself with Ahab by taking Ahab's daughter . a. I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains, as sheep that have no shepherd: Micaiah was challenged to tell the truth, and now he changed his tone from mocking to serious. The Lord will give you victory., 12 Meanwhile, the official who had gone to get Micaiah said to him, All the other prophets have prophesied success for the king, and you had better do the same., 13 But Micaiah answered, By the living Lord I will say what my God tells me to!, 14 When he appeared before King Ahab, the king asked him, Micaiah, should King Jehoshaphat and I go and attack Ramoth, or not?, Attack! Micaiah answered. 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. The prayer was answered. He led the people to be faithful as well (like his father Asa). We provide you with a list of stored cookies on your computer in our domain so you can check what we stored. Now the king of Syria had commanded the captains of the chariots who were with him, saying, Fight with no one small or great, but only with the king of Israel. So it was, when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, that they said, It is the king of Israel! Therefore they surrounded him to attack; but Jehoshaphat cried out, and the LORD helped him, and God diverted them from him. i. To honor his ally's request, Ahab had Micaiah brought to the court. . c. With these you shall gore the Syrians until they are destroyed: Zedekiah used a familiar tool of ancient prophets the object lesson. As James says, whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God James 4:4. He said similar words to the 400 unfaithful prophets, but delivered a completely different message. Unsurprisingly, Ahab throws Micaiah in prison on bread and water rations. Jehoshaphats name means Jehovah judged. This is similar to Daniels name of may God be my judge. Both were very godly men. This chapter lists King Davids bodyguards, a variant form of the name Jehoshaphat within the mix. Click to enable/disable _ga - Google Analytics Cookie. He was rescued on the battlefield and was allowed to continue as king. Like Jehu told Jehoshaphat about his seeking an alliance with Ahab, he should not love those who hate the Lord. He was not satisfied with what God had given him, but was longing for something else among the nations around him. Asa also did what was right in God's eyes and led Judah in a series of religious reforms. 2. If you do not want that we track your visit to our site you can disable tracking in your browser here: We also use different external services like Google Webfonts, Google Maps, and external Video providers. 1 King Jehoshaphat of Judah returned safely to his palace in Jerusalem. 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. [1] One of the "good" kings in the Bible, he was a descendant of David, and his mother's name was Azubah . 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. For God had previously caused the "fear of the Lord [to fall] over all the surrounding kingdoms so that none of them wanted to declare war on Jehoshaphat" (2 Chron. Who Was Isaiah & Why Was He Important? Complete the following verse found in 2 Chronicles 18:1 - . (Amos 3:3.) 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. 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). By marriage he allied himself with Ahab: This manner of linking kingdoms by the bond of marriage was common in the ancient world, yet it was an unwise policy for Jehoshaphat. ii. 10 One of them, Zedekiah son of Chenaanah, made iron horns and said to Ahab, This is what the Lord says, With these you will fight the Syrians and totally defeat them. 11 All the other prophets said the same thing. No-one did more to educate the people of God than this man and that's why he's often known as Judah's great teacher, or Judah's teacher-king. He attempts to make peace with the northern kingdom of Israel but ends up getting tangled in some bad friendships along the way. He appointed judges that would hear cases among the people. Jehoshaphat also established a strong justice system. 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. 24 You will find out when you go into some back room to hide, Micaiah replied. The people's hearts were turned from the false worship of Baal that was present in the land during his time in power. According to tradition, Jehoshaphat was buried in a magnificent manner to mimic the actions of King David. They had a great party with lots of food. Also Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, Please inquire for the word of the LORD today. Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, four hundred men, and said to them, Shall we go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or shall I refrain? So they said, Go up, for God will deliver it into the kings hand. But Jehoshaphat said, Is there not still a prophet of the LORD here, that we may inquire of Him? So the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, There is still one man by whom we may inquire of the LORD; but I hate him, because he never prophesies good concerning me, but always evil. 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. . Will the actions of orthodox Anglicans be as strong as their words post-Kigali? Now when Jehoshaphat learned a great army has come against him ( 2 Chronicles 20:1-2 ), he immediately realized three things. Then he said, I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains, as sheep that have no shepherd. It forced him to comprise his faithfulness to God being away from his job of leading Judah, helping the wicked; participating in the persecution of a true prophet Micaiah. . Ahab was greatly influenced towards wickedness by his Phoenician wife Jezebel. This he construed into personal hatred. Perhaps some hesitation on his part? Jehoshaphat was a powerful, prosperous king ( 2 Chr. 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. When Jehoshaphat led the people out to meet the invaders, he ordered men to sing, praising God for his holiness.
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