Jehoshaphat: King of Judah
Now the Lord was with Jehoshaphat, because he walked in the former ways of his father David; he did not seek the Baals, but sought the God of his father, and walked in His commandments and not according to the acts of Israel (2 Chronicles 17:3-4).
I was recently asked to speak about Jehoshaphat, king of Judah. We learn about this king in 2 Chronicles chapters 17-20. The title I was given for my talk was “Delighted Hearts”. It was based on verse 6 of chapter 17, “And his heart took delight in the ways of the Lord.” I think I am right in saying he is the only king who is described as delighting in the ways of the Lord. I am sure this was true of others, but sometimes God’s word links a particular characteristic to one person to emphasise it. Jehoshaphat did not do God’s will out of a sense of responsibility or duty; he enjoyed doing God’s will. We see in him a great simplicity of faith and delight in the ways of God. This faith was characterised by two great features. First, obedience. Obedience is one of our most significant challenges. Often our difficulty is not so much understanding the will of God, but doing it. From the outset of his reign, Jehoshaphat was obedient to God. What helped him in this course was that he learned from the most outstanding example: “He walked in the former ways of his father David.” God has provided us with the perfect example of obedience in the Person of Jesus Christ. He has also given us remarkable examples of obedience in the lives of the Old and New Testament saints. And he has given us the examples of Christians we have known. But Jehoshaphat also learned from those who made the biggest mistakes. He was a contemporary of the most wicked king Israel ever knew, Ahab. But Jehoshaphat did not fall into the trap of seeking “the Baals, but sought the God of his father, and walked in His commandments and not according to the acts of Israel”. Bad examples are a warning to us. God has graciously given us vivid illustrations of incredible disobedience and its consequences, to warn us and help prevent us from making the same mistakes.
The other feature of Jehoshaphat’s obedience to God was the spiritual care he had for his people. He ensured God’s word was at the centre of the life of his nation, “So they taught in Judah, and had the Book of the Law of the Lord with them; they went throughout all the cities of Judah and taught the people” (2 Chronicles 17:9). As their king, Jehoshaphat protected his people spiritually, morally and physically.
God responded to this demonstration of faith, obedience and care. He ensured the kingdom of Judah had peace: “And the fear of the Lord fell on all the kingdoms of the lands that were around Judah, so that they did not make war against Jehoshaphat” (2 Chronicles 17:10). And he made Jehoshaphat powerful: “So Jehoshaphat became increasingly powerful, and he built fortresses and storage cities in Judah” (17:12). The peace and security enjoyed by the nation resulted from the king’s delight in doing God’s will. Jehoshaphat’s reign was remarkable. He had fulfilled what Jeremiah would later write: “But this is what I commanded them, saying, ‘Obey My voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be my people. And walk in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well with you” (Jeremiah 7:23). All he needed to do was to continue along the clear path he had set himself in fellowship with God, and all would be well.
But Jehoshaphat also teaches us how the godliest people can become prey to spiritual dangers. We learn through him that we can be at our most vulnerable when we are most blessed. Jehoshaphat lacked wisdom when it came to choosing his friends, and the bitter lessons he learned teach us the importance of the Lord’s words for us to be as “wise as serpents” (Matthew 10:16) when dealing with the world and the spiritual, moral and physical dangers it presents.
