"Please, inquire of the LORD today.". We provide you with a list of stored cookies on your computer in our domain so you can check what we stored. 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. He allied with Ahab against Syria, nearly losing his life as a result (18:2ff.). (He) sought the God of his father and walked in his commandments. 42 Jehoshaphat was thirty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-five years. Jehoshaphat and Compromise - Lincoln House Churches Sermon Notes on Jehoshaphat's battle in 2 Chronicles 20:1-30 | The Art What you have done has brought the Lord's anger on you. This city "was strategic in controlling the eastern caravan route" (Layman's Bible Book Commentary, Volume 6). Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah went near and struck Micaiah on the cheek: Zedekiah responded the way some do when they are defeated in an argument he responded with violence. We have different frameworks and directions to our lives. Jehoshaphat - Chabad.org Jehoshaphat had riches and honor in abundance; and by marriage he allied himself with Ahab. Such arranged dynastic marriages were quite common in those days. b. Jehoshaphat's Compromise, 2 Chr 17-20 - Bible Believers Baptist Church It appears to be a judgment ground for any nation who came up against Gods people, in a plot of land situated between Jerusalem and the Mount of Olives or Kidron Valley. Believers and unbelievers have different values and commitments. Answer. 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 . PDF Why Did Ahab Go To Battle? 1 Kings 22 - Rose Avenue And now what joy could Ahabs black soul, ready to depart, have of his ivory house? Check out her books at hopebolinger.comfor clean books in most genres, great for adults and kids. i. But first, Jehoshaphat wanted to inquire of the Lord 18:4. 39. 1 Kings, 2 Kings, 2 Chronicles, Obadiah, Psalms (Jehosophat, Ahab Secondly, Jehoshaphat teaches us the importance of breaking the familial cycle of mistakes. Save: $14.00 (70%) Buy Now. Jehu says, Should you help the wicked and love those who hate the Lord? 19:2. The Bible doesnt really say, but we can assume he died of old age. An enormous army of Moabites, Ammonites, and Meunites gathered at En Gedi, near the Dead Sea. In this article, well explore the life of Jehoshaphat (the good and the bad), well lightly touch on a place known as the valley of Jehoshaphat, and discuss what lessons we can learn from the fourth monarch from the kingdom of Judah. 3 But even so, there is some good in you. Ahab was a king of Israel, first mentioned in 1 Kings 16. There I will put them on trial for what they did to my inheritance, my people Israel, because they scatteredmy people among the nationsand divided up my land., Joel 3:12 Let the nations be roused; let them advance into the Valley of Jehoshaphat, for there I will sit to judgeall the nations on every side.. 24 You will find out when you go into some back room to hide, Micaiah replied. Thus doth the unthankful infidel repay the mercy of his late victorbut God had a holy hand in it. (Trapp). And, sure enough, he predicts that Ahab will be killed and that this is Gods purpose. Click to enable/disable Google Analytics tracking. 1) Jehoshaphat the faithful. PDF Jehoshaphat: The Tragedy of Compromise - SINGLE FOCUS But the Valley of Jehoshaphat does seem to be a judgment stomping ground for the enemies of Gods people. 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. That brought further stability to his kingdom. It was certainly persuasive to have 400 prophets speak in agreement on one issue. b. Ahab, whose wife was the infamous Jezebel, was possibly the most wicked king who ever ruled over Israel. 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. Asa also did what was right in God's eyes and led Judah in a series of religious reforms. 1. 1992 American Bible Society. 1. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your device and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. This must have been a vivid and entertaining presentation. We may not name our children after this king, but we can certainly look to his example and his trust in God during his reign. Zavada, Jack. King Jehoshaphat was the fourth king of Judah under the divided monarchy, the son of Asa. Learn Religions. 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. b. a. For so it was, when the captains of the chariots saw that it was not the king of Israel, that they turned back from pursuing him. . The joint forces of the invaders are no match for God almighty. When Micaiah said this, his tone was probably mocking and sarcastic. 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. He allied himself with Israel by marrying his son Jehoram to King Ahab's daughter Athaliah. He also devised a system for teaching God's laws to people. The prophets' counsel did not sit well with Jehoshaphat, who then asked for another opinion. He builds many forts and attempts to help the kingdom prosper in a financial sense. 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. 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. Trapp described this gathering of prophets as, An ecumenical council.. Jehoshaphat still wanted to hear from a prophet of Yahweh, the LORD (Is there not still a prophet of the LORD here, that we may inquire of Him?). God orchestrated the unintended actions of man to result in an exercise of His judgment. Ramoth Gilead belonged to Israel by the word of God but Ahab was out of the will of God. A. Complete the following verse found in 2 Chronicles 18:1 - . He has Jehoshaphat dress like the king, while Ahab disguised himself. A Lesson in Stupidity: Jehoshaphat and Peer Pressure - Part 1 Jehoshaphat and Peer Pressure - Part 2 - Shepherd Press I mean here, serious, committed relationships with unbelievers dating, marriage, business whatever. q. . King Jehoshaphat led a mostly prosperous life. Jehoshaphat made a bad alliance with King Ahab, one of the most wicked kings in Israel's history. 21 The spirit replied, I will go and make all of Ahab's prophets tell lies. The Lord said, Go and deceive him. Lessons from Jehoshaphat's Alliances - Medium 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). We need 2 cookies to store this setting. Or what fellowship has light with darkness? c. Now a certain man drew a bow at random, and struck the king of Israel: This seemed to be pure chance. He died at 60? Ahab's treatment of Micaiah (vv. Let each return to his house in peace. And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, Did I not tell you he would not prophesy good concerning me, but evil?. 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. Only by divine intervention was one saved 2 Chronicles 22:10-12. 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. We see a prophet in rags and chains stand before two kings, ready to speak on behalf of the LORD. Using traveling teachers, he educated the people on God's laws. Sunday (2 Chronicles 18-23) Jehoshaphat Allies with Ahab. Elijah Denounces Ahaziah. Romans 1-8: Word Biblical Commentary [WBC] Retail: $52.99. Jehoshaphat - Wikipedia 7-27) should have alerted Jehoshaphat to the true character of the man he had befriended. The alliance is - in my opinion - an example of Jehoshapat trying t. Joining Forces with Ahab - CRIES from among US! They butchered great numbers of sheep, goats, and cattle for the feast. Click to enable/disable _ga - Google Analytics Cookie. Jehoshaphat: A Godly Compromiser - Proclaim & Defend For all the good that Jehoshaphat did, one sore thumb that stands out is his alliances with the house of Ahab in Israel. Jehoshaphat made a disastrous treaty with AHAB (as in Ahab and Jezebel). Although Asa didnt worship the idols placed throughout Judah, he didnt do a whole lot to tear them down. 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. He attempted to have Elijah arrested (2 Kings 1:9). Since Ahab wanted to be deceived, God would give him what he wanted, using a willing fallen angel who worked through willing unfaithful prophets. In another time of crisis, Jehoshaphat's obedience to God saved the country. Jehosaphat being a spiritual man wanted to know the will of God, concerning their going to Ramoth Gilead. Click to enable/disable _gid - Google Analytics Cookie. (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. 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. Therefore please let your word be like the word of one of them, and speak encouragement. And Micaiah said, As the LORD lives, whatever my God says, that I will speak. Then he came to the king; and the king said to him, Micaiah, shall we go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or shall I refrain? And he said, Go and prosper, and they shall be delivered into your hand! So the king said to him, How many times shall I make you swear that you tell me nothing but the truth in the name of the LORD?. So he said to the driver of his chariot, Turn around and take me out of the battle, for I am wounded. The battle increased that day, and the king of Israel propped himself up in his chariot facing the Syrians until evening; and about the time of sunset he died. 2 A number of years later Jehoshaphat went to the city of Samaria to visit Ahab. 4-5 - Jehoshaphat agrees to go, BUT he has a request first. LICENSEE shall reproduce the following trademark and trademark notice on the copyright page of each copy of the Licensed Products: Read the surrounding text of 2 Chronicles 18:1-19:11. i. 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. Now Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah had made horns of iron for himself; and he said, Thus says the LORD: With these you shall gore the Syrians until they are destroyed. And all the prophets prophesied so, saying, Go up to Ramoth Gilead and prosper, for the LORD will deliver it into the kings hand.. Was Ahab Truly the Evilest King in Israel's History? ii. Jehoshaphat came onto the scene after this. (see 2 Chronicles 19). Because these cookies are strictly necessary to deliver the website, refusing them will have impact how our site functions. We begin with noting that there was 3 years without war between Syria and Israel. Jehoshaphat also established a strong justice system. 16 In the fifth year of Joram son of Ahab king of Israel, when Jehoshaphat was king of Judah, Jehoram son of Jehoshaphat began his reign as king of Judah. Source: 1 Kings 22:1-40; 2 Chronicles 18:1 - 19:3 Jehoshaphat's Later Reforms . SPIRITUAL GEMS: May 1-7-2023, 2 Chronicles from 17 to 19, Answers. First of all, the king shows us that we all can make mistakes of judgment. The prophet Elijah had previously prophesied evil concerning Ahab. Though disguised, Ahab is killed and Israel is defeated. Jehoshaphat (also spelled Jehoshaphat or Yehoshafat) ( , " Yahweh is judge," Hebrew: Yhoafat) was the son and successor of Asa and king of Judah. Jehoshaphat and Ahab cemented their relationship by arranging a marriage between Jehoshaphat's son, Jehoram, and Ahab and Jezebel's daughter, Athaliah. When Jehoshaphat arrived in Samaria, Ahab asked Jehoshaphat to join with him in battle against Ramoth Gilead. He attempts to make peace with the northern kingdom of Israel but ends up getting tangled in some bad friendships along the way. Jehoshaphat goes forward with the plan. But the world will betray you (just as Ahab set up Jehoshaphat by disguising himself and making Jehoshaphat the target of the enemy, not caring if he died). Once back, the Lord rebukes him through his prophet Jehu, whose father, by the way, had rebuked Jehoshaphats father King Asa. We will see what we can learn from this. Scripture tells us to exercise discernment, especially with those in whom we place our trust. Please be aware that this might heavily reduce the functionality and appearance of our site. 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. 1 Kings 22:29 So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah went up against Ramoth-gilead.