Jehoshaphat is probably not the first king of Judah that pops into your mind. But, in my judgment, he was one of the most remarkable leaders Judah ever had. He was one of the good kings, albeit imperfect, and both he and his nation were richly blessed by God.
A Bit of History
Let’s start with a little background in case your history is a bit rusty.
The Israelites lived as a single, unified people during the reigns of Saul, David, Solomon, and part of Rehoboam’s tenure. The kingdom was divided, with 10 of the 12 tribes aligning with Jeroboam and two, Judah and Benjamin, remaining loyal to Rehoboam (the two are not related). The two tribes came to be known as Judah, while the 10 tribes were called Israel. A cursory review of 1 & 2 Kings will show that every king of Israel was evil, while some of the kings of Judah were good.
Jehoshaphat was the great-grandson of Rehoboam. His father, Asa, was described as one who “did what was good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God” (2 Chronicles 14:2). Like fathers today, he was imperfect, but he seems to have left a lasting impact for good on his son.
Jehoshaphat Reigns
The Bible is clear on the quality of this king.
“The LORD was with Jehoshaphat, because he walked in the earlier 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 practices of Israel. Therefore the LORD established the kingdom in his hand. And all Judah brought tribute to Jehoshaphat, and he had great riches and honor. His heart was courageous in the ways of the LORD. And furthermore, he took the high places and the Asherim out of Judah.” 2 Chronicles 17:3-6
We should point out that the removal of the High Places (typically places of idol worship) was uncommon. Many of the kings were commended for their godliness, but did not remove the High Places nor always the Baals and Asherim (idols). However, Asa, Jehoshaphat’s father, did. In fact, he even banished his own mother because of her idolatrous life. Jehoshaphat, who began to reign at 35, certainly had a fine foundation from his youth.
But there is something unique about Jehoshaphat that the Chronicler faithfully records for us. In his third year he sent high-ranking officials throughout the kingdom to teach the people “The Book of the Law,” that is, the Law of Moses. The result was that “the fear of the Lord fell upon all the kingdoms of the lands that were around Judah…” (2 Chronicles 17:10). He would do this again in 19:4 when “ he brought them back to the Lord, the God of their fathers.”
It’s one thing to have a faithful leader, but can you imagine what it would be like to have a faithful leader who actually promotes Christ in some way other than as a political crutch?
