Who was King Jehoshaphat in the Bible?

Son and successor of Asa king of Judah, B.C. 914 to 891. He sought God, walked in the 'first' ways of David, and took away the high places and groves out of Judah. God established the kingdom in his hand, and the fear of the Lord fell upon the kingdoms around. God gave him peace, and the Philistines and the Arabians brought him presents. He increased in riches, and was strengthened greatly. He not only feared the Lord himself, but he sent Levites and priests throughout all Judah, to teach the people. 2 Chr. 17:1-12. He erred, however, in making alliance with idolatrous Israel, and in allowing his son to marry Athaliah, the daughter of Ahab and Jezebel. He went with Ahab to war against Ramoth-gilead, and nearly lost his life, but God delivered him. 1 Kings 22; 2 Chr. 18. He was rebuked by Jehu the seer, who said, "Shouldest thou help the ungodly, and love them that hate the Lord? Therefore is wrath upon thee from before the Lord." Then he sought the Lord, and set his heart to bring all his people to fear the Lord. 2 Chr. 19.

Asa's son was Jehoshaphat, one of the best of Judah's kings. "His mother's name was Azubah the daughter of Shilhi. And he walked in all the ways of Asa his father; he turned not aside from it, doing that which was right in the eyes of the Lord." (1 Kings 22:42). "The Lord was with Jehoshaphat, because he walked in the first ways of his father David, and sought not unto Baalim; but sought to the Lord God of his father, and walked in His commandments, and not after the doings of Israel. Therefore the Lord established the kingdom in his hand; and all Judah brought to Jehoshaphat presents; and he had riches and honour in abundance. And his heart was lifted up in the ways of the Lord: moreover he took away the high places and groves out of Judah." (2 Chron. 17:3-6). Again: "thou hast prepared thine heart to seek God;" (2 Chron. 19:3), although, "as yet the people had not prepared their hearts unto the God of their fathers." (2 Chron. 20:33). The Lord seems to delight to heap His praises on this good king. Read the story of King Jehoshaphat for yourselves in 2 Chronicles from the beginning of Chapter 17 to the first verse of Chapter 21, and drink in the pure joy and gladness of the mighty victory over the children of Moab, and the children of Ammon, and the others who came against Jehoshaphat, as recorded in the Twentieth Chapter. Hear the noble words of strong faith: "Believe in the Lord your God, so shall ye be established; believe His prophets, so shall ye prosper." And that faith bursts forth (as indeed it so often does with us ourselves on lesser occasions) in songs of praise: "And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the Lord, and that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise the LORD; for His mercy endureth for ever." And all this was before God wrought for them, in overthrowing their enemies. Do you think God could let them be defeated with that song of praise, raised by faith, coming up before Him? Impossible! "And when they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten. For the children of Amnion and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of mount Seir, utterly to slay and destroy them: and when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, every one helped to destroy another." And so there was a mighty victory, and it took three days to carry off the spoil, and on the fourth day they assembled in the Valley of Blessing; for there they blessed the Lord.

Jehoshaphat was one of the best kings that sat upon the throne of David, and it is written concerning him that "The Lord was with Jehoshaphat, because he walked in the first ways of his father David, and sought not unto Baalim" (2 Chr. 17:3). Then it is added, he "sought to the Lord God of his father, and walked in his commandments, and not after the doings of Israel." Not content with seeking the Lord himself, the good king sent out princes and Levites, with the book of the law, to teach his people the right ways of the Lord (2 Chr. 17:7-9). Moreover, "his heart was lifted up in the ways of the Lord," and "he took away the high places and groves out of Judah." Because of the king's piety, "the Lord established the kingdom in his hand." The king's subjects evidently valued their king, for they brought him presents, "and he had riches and honour in abundance."

Jehoshaphat reigned twenty-five years, and died at the age of sixty. His mother, Azubah, was the single Scripture namesake of Caleb's first wife (I Chron. 2 18).

The first thing recorded of Jehoshaphat is that he "strengthened himself against Israel. And he placed forces in all the fenced cities of Judah, and set garrisons in the land of Judah, and in the cities of Ephraim, which Asa his father had taken" (2 Chron. 17:1-2). He began his reign with a determined opposition to the idolatrous northern kingdom. This was in the fourth year of Ahab. A few years later all this opposition ceases, and, we read, "Jehoshaphat made peace with the king of Israel" (1 Kings 22:44). This peace was brought about, evidently, by the marriage of Jehoshaphat's son Jehoram to Athaliah, daughter of Ahab and of the notorious Jezebel. Alas for Jehoshaphat, and his posterity, that he ever gave his consent to this unholy alliance, and made peace with him "who did evil in the sight of the Lord above all that were before him" (1 Kings 16:30)! But such is man, even at his best: "wherein is he to be accounted of?"

But like Asa his father, he made a bright beginning: "And the Lord was with Jehoshaphat, because he walked in the first ways of his father David" (i.e., before his sin in the matter of Uriah the Hittite), "and sought not unto Baalim; but sought to the Lord God of his father, and walked in his commandments, and not after the doings of Israel. Therefore the Lord established the kingdom in his hand; and all Judah brought to Jehoshaphat presents; and he had riches and honor in abundance. And his heart was lifted up (encouraged) in the ways of the Lord: moreover he took away the high places and groves out of Judah" (2 Chron. 17:3-6). This last statement does not contradict what is said in 1 Kings 22:43. The high places and groves used for the worship of Baalim were removed; "nevertheless the high places (dedicated to Jehovah) were not taken away; for the people offered and burned incense (to the true God) yet in the high places." Compare 2 Chron. 20:33. He abolished idolatry, but the people could not be brought to see the unlawfulness and danger of offering sacrifices elsewhere than at Jerusalem. Deuteronomy 12 condemned the practice; and it was probably to instruct the people as to this and kindred matters that he inaugurated the model itineracy described in 2 Chron. 17:7-9. "Also in the third year of his reign he sent to his princes, even to Ben-hail, and to Obadiah, and to Zechariah, and to Nethaneel, and to Michaiah, to teach in the cities of Judah. And with them he sent Levites; … and with them Elishama and Jehoram, priests. And they taught in Judah, and had the book of the law of the Lord with them, and went about throughout all the cities of Judah, and taught the people." By this little band of princes, Levites and priests, sixteen in all, Jehoshaphat did more toward impressing the surrounding nations with a sense of his power than the largest and best-equipped standing army could have secured to him. "And the terror of Jehovah was upon all the kingdoms of the lands that were round about Judah, and they made no war against Jehoshaphat. And some of the Philistines brought Jehoshaphat gifts and tribute-silver. The Arabians also brought him flocks, seven thousand seven hundred rams, and seven thousand seven hundred he-goats." This was the promise of God, through Moses, fulfilled to them. If they diligently obeyed and clave to Jehovah, He would, He said, "lay the fear of you and the dread of you upon all the land," etc. (Deut. 11:22-25). When the patriarch Jacob ordered his family to put away the strange gods that were among them, "the terror of God was upon the cities that were round about them" (Gen. 35:5). And it was when the infant church at Jerusalem "continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers," that "fear came upon every soul" (Acts 2:42-43). In obedience is power, and only right makes might in the nation or church that has God for its help.

Jehoshaphat, his son succeeds him, and begins his reign by walking faithfully with God. He strengthened his kingdom against Israel, an enemy more dangerous by their example than by their strength. When anything pretends to be in connection with God and to acknowledge Him, there is no safety except in judging it with a spiritual judgment — which can only be formed through a just sense of God's honour — making no terms with that which pretends to be connected with Him, and treating it as an enemy. This is what Jehoshaphat did at first; and, as he did not walk in the ways of Israel, Jehovah established the kingdom in his hand. Blessed of Jehovah, he takes away the high places and the groves, and seeks with much faithfulness and zeal to instruct the people in the true knowledge of the Lord; Jehovah preserves him from war, and some of the nations even become tributary to him on account of his power.

Jehoshaphat was one of the good kings of Judah of whom it was recorded, "The LORD was with Jehoshaphat, because he walked in the first ways of his father David, and sought not Baalim; but sought to the God of his father, and walked in His commandments, and not after the doings of Israel" (2 Chr. 17:3-4). Yet this good king "joined affinity with Ahab" (2 Chr. 18:1); although so faithful he had not learned the truth of separation or that association with evil is defiling. His father Asa had also been a good king, but he had failed in a similar way; he made a league with the King of Syria, and because he invoked the help of this king, rather than rely on the LORD, he was rebuked by God through His prophet. Although Ahab was King of Israel he was an idolater, and morally was no better than the King of Syria. Indeed, his state was worse, for he had turned from the LORD, and had made Israel to sin. This made Jehoshaphat's association with Ahab a very grievous sin in the sight of the LORD. How very solemn were the words of Jehoshaphat, "I am as thou art, and my people as thy people." Was Jehoshaphat a wicked man like Ahab? Were his people not worshippers of the true God and Ahab's worshippers of Baal? Yet this good man was led into this dreadful pronouncement because he had not learned that association with evil defiles.

When he commenced his reign, it is said that he "strengthened himself against Israel, and placed forces in all the fenced cities of Judah. … And the Lord was with Jehoshaphat." But afterwards he greatly erred in forming an alliance with Ahab to recover Ramoth-gilead, which all ended in disaster and confusion. 2 Chr. 17, 18.

After this, the men of Moab and of Ammon, a great multitude, came against Jehoshaphat. He turned to the Lord, proclaimed a fast, and prayed for help in the house of the Lord, where the Lord had set His name, pleading that He was their God, who had given the land to the seed of Abraham His friend, pleading also His response to the prayer of Solomon. He was at once assured by a prophet that the battle was not theirs, but God's, whose name they had invoked: they should see the salvation of the Lord. Jehoshaphat and all the people fell down and worshipped the Lord, and the next morning they marched toward the enemy singing. They had no need to fight, for the enemy destroyed one another, and there was much spoil. Praise was given to Jehovah. Subsequently the king, forgetting what was due to the name of the Lord, associated himself with the wicked Ahaziah king of Israel in sending ships to Tarshish. This action was condemned by the prophet Eliezer, and his ships were wrecked. 2 Chr. 20. He is called JOSAPHAT in Matt. 1:8.

In Jehoshaphat there was a heart true to Jehovah, and a desire to bring his subjects to the true worship of God, but his history was marred by his inconsistently allying himself with the ungodly and idolatrous kings of Israel. The faithfulness of the Lord in chastening Jehoshaphat is very marked, and in not allowing him to be in a false position which practically denied the name of the Lord.

The victory God had given Jehoshaphat had such lasting effect that the rest of his reign was quiet, with no more efforts of the enemy to molest him. It was God who gave him rest (v. 30). We are told that he was 35 years of age when he took the throne over Judah, and he reigned 25 years, thus was only 60 at his death. His mother's name is mentioned too, an indication she must have been a godly woman to have a son so devoted to the Lord. He walked in the way of his father Asa, whose earlier years were admirable, though Asa acted badly near the end inputting God's prophet in prison, which was not true of Jehoshaphat.