The Reign Of Jehoshaphat, King of Judah c. 870-848 BC (1 Kings 22:41-50).
We have already come across Jehoshaphat with regard to his alliance with Ahab against the Aramaeans (1 Kings 22:1-38), although that incident was mainly connected with the conflict between Ahab and Micaiah the prophet. (We will also learn more about him as a result of his alliance with Jehoram of Israel against Moab - 1 Kings 3:1-27). What follows now briefly summarises Jehoshaphat's whole reign. As far as the prophetic author was concerned his life was satisfactory to YHWH, and that was what mattered. The placement of this summary of the reign of Jehoshaphat in this position follows the pattern of the whole book in that his reign began during the reign of Ahab, king of Israel, who has already previously been dealt with (and thus it also began before the reign of Ahab's successor)
Like Asa his father, Jehoshaphat ‘did what was right in the eyes of YHWH', although similarly failing to do away with all the unofficial high places, and he did also remove the cult prostitutes out of the land, as his father had done. It is further stressed that he made peace with the king of Israel, the first king of Judah officially to do so since the division of the kingdoms, although we should note that there is no indication of war between Omri and Asa. This was approved of because God's purpose was always that His people should be one in heart and spirit (hence the Central Sanctuary). One enterprise in which he did, however, fail, was in an attempt to re-establish trading connections with Ophir in partnership with Ahaziah, king of Israel. In the author's view this venture was clearly disapproved of by God. As we have seen continually throughout the book he frowned on attempts to build up great wealth, and always notes with quiet satisfaction the emptying of the treasury, seeing it as YHWH's chastening of His people. He had recognised what the process of amassing wealth had done to Solomon's kingdom, and he disapproved of it. Because of the methods used, and the attitude resulting from it, it had been the main cause for the division of the kingdom.
Analysis.
a And Jehoshaphat the son of Asa began to reign over Judah in the fourth year of Ahab king of Israel. Jehoshaphat was thirty and five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty and five years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Azubah the daughter of Shilhi (1 Kings 22:41-42).
b And he walked in all the way of Asa his father. He turned not aside from it, doing what was right in the eyes of YHWH. However, the high places were not taken away. The people still sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places (1 Kings 22:43).
c And Jehoshaphat made peace with the king of Israel (1 Kings 22:44).
d Now the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, and his might that he showed, and how he warred, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? And the remnant of the sodomites, who remained in the days of his father Asa, he put away out of the land (1 Kings 22:45-46).
c And there was no king in Edom, a deputy was king (1 Kings 22:47).
b Jehoshaphat made ships of Tarshish to go to Ophir for gold, but they did not go, for the ships were broken at Ezion-geber. Then Ahaziah the son of Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, “Let my servants go with your servants in the ships.” But Jehoshaphat would not (1 Kings 22:48-49).
a And Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David his father. And Jehoram his son reigned instead of him (1 Kings 22:50).
Note that in ‘a' we have details of the commencement of the reign, and in the parallel details of its cessation. In ‘b' we are told what he did which was on the whole right in the eyes of YHWH of which the prophetic writer approved, and in the parallel we are told of an enterprise of which the prophetic author appears to have disapproved. In ‘c' we are told of his relations with Israel, and in the parallel of his relations with Edom. Centrally in ‘d' we are referred for details of his history to the official annals of the kings of Judah, and also learn of his removal of cult prostitutes from the land.
‘ And Jehoshaphat the son of Asa began to reign over Judah in the fourth year of Ahab king of Israel.'
In accordance with the usual pattern, Jehoshaphat's reign follows that of the king of Israel who was still alive when he became king, which was Ahab. Asa had reigned for thirty eight years when Ahab came to the throne (1 Kings 16:29), and reigned in full for forty one years (1 Kings 15:10), which might have made us expect here to read of ‘the third year of Ahab'. The difference between three and four years can, however, be explained in terms of part years counted (or not counted) as whole years. The prophetic author took the figures that he found in his sources and did not attempt to reconcile them. Those figures sometimes differed because of different methods of reckoning years in Israel and Judah (e.g. at this time Israel included the part year of accession as a full year when reckoning the length of a reign, Judah excluded it. Both methods were in use among other nations).
‘ Jehoshaphat was thirty and five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty and five years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Azubah the daughter of Shilhi.'
Jehoshaphat began to reign when he was thirty five years old, and reigned ‘in Jerusalem', the city which YHWH chose out of all the tribes of Israel to put His Name there (1 Kings 14:21), because it was the wish of David His servant, who introduced the Ark which bore the Name of YHWH (2 Samuel 6:2 onwards) into Jerusalem his own city. Jehoshaphat was thus the next ‘lamp' of the house of David (1 Kings 15:4). He reigned there for twenty five years, which probably included four years of co-regency with Asa. As was usual with the kings of Judah his mother's name is given, demonstrating that he was a true ‘son of David'. The queen mother appears to have held a high position in Judah.
‘ And he walked in all the way of Asa his father. He turned not aside from it, doing what was right in the eyes of YHWH. However, the high places were not taken away. The people still sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places.'
Like his father, but like few kings after him, Jehoshaphat did what was right in the eyes of YHWH. In all his ways he did not turn aside from doing what was right in the eyes of YHWH. He was continually pleasing to YHWH. The only blot on his reign in this regard was that the illegitimate high places at which the people had become used to sacrificing and offering incense were not all taken away, with the result that in some parts they continued to be used for syncretistic worship, mixing up YHWH with Baal and Asherah, to YHWH's disadvantage.
There was now the Temple and there were legitimate high places (such as formerly on Mount Carmel - 1 Kings 18:32) where the worship was kept pure by the priests and prophets, but along with these there were many syncretised high places, which were ancient local sanctuaries, often also containing a Baal pillar and an Asherah pole/image, where the worship became a mixture of Yahwism and Baalism. These did not retain the purity of worship of the Temple and the legitimate high places, and would in fact later lead the people of Judah into grosser sin. But Jehoshaphat's position was complicated, as we might have expected when considering such a complicated situation. And it would appear from 2 Chronicles 17:6; 2 Chronicles 19:3-4 that he did make an effort to remove those which had become too obviously syncretistic, and came to his attention. What was lacking was a full-scale purge. (Note in contrast 2 Chronicles 20:33 which repeats what is said here).
‘ And Jehoshaphat made peace with the king of Israel.'
Jehoshaphat was also the first king to officially establish peace with Israel. This was mentioned because it was always YHWH's desire that His people be one in spirit. That had been the reason for the Central Sanctuary among diverse tribes from the beginning. But the author makes no mention here of his marrying of his son Jehoram to the daughter of Ahab and Jezebel as a ‘treaty wife' (see 1 Kings 8:18; 2 Chronicles 18:1; 2 Chronicles 21:6). The prophetic author appears to have approved of the idea of peace, but like the Chronicler he did not approve of the marriage, especially in view of its results (1 Kings 8:18).
‘ Now the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, and his might that he showed, and how he warred, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?'
As usual the author glides over secular affairs in dealing with the king's reign, and we are referred for them to the official annals of the Kings of Judah for details of his wars and of his might (some of which, however, we can find in 2 Chronicles 17-10. Also in 1 Kings 22:1-38; 2 Kings 3:1-27). They were of no concern to the prophetic author whose concern was with what pleased or displeased YHWH. We do in fact learn more about them in the narratives in respect of the kings of Israel, which are dealt with in more detail simply because of their interplay with the prophets of YHWH, something which the writer did consider to be of importance, for it demonstrated that YHWH had given Israel every chance, and why they therefore doubly merited what finally came to them.
There is a reminder to us here that much of what we spend our lives in building up is an irrelevance to God. His concern is whether we have walked in His ways and done what is pleasing in His sight. Some labour for earthly honours, but we are to ensure that we seek the honour that comes from God alone.
Note on The Other Activities Of Jehoshaphat.
The Chronicler gives us a great deal of further information about Jehoshaphat, which the prophetic author of Kings was not interested in, for Jehoshaphat was a capable and vigorous ruler as well as being a godly one.
1). He established garrisons, both throughout Judah (2 Chronicles 17:2; 2 Chronicles 17:14-19), and in the parts of Israel that his father had retaken (2 Chronicles 17:2).
2). He totally reorganised the judicial system in the land seeking to make it fair for all (2 Chronicles 19:5-7).
3). He despatched teachers throughout Judah to teach the Law of YHWH to the people (2 Chronicles 17:7-9).
4). He built up the wealth of Judah (2 Chronicles 17:12-13).
5). He was successful beyond the borders of Judah, and received tribute from some of the Philistines and from some Arabians (2 Chronicles 17:11).
6). And all this as well as assisting Ahab in his venture at Ramoth-gilead (1 Kings 22:1-38; 2 Chronicles 18), and Jehoram of Israel against Moab (2 Kings 3:1-27).
End of note.
‘ And the remnant of the sodomites, who remained in the days of his father Asa, he put away out of the land.'
One thing that did please YHWH was that he removed the remnants of the cult prostitutes out of the land, something which his father had attempted to do, without fully succeeding. (It was not always easy as they would go into hiding and the people would often be supporting them).
‘ And there was no king in Edom, a deputy was king.'
It would also appear that Edom was now back under the control of Judah, with Jehoshaphat's deputy ruling there (compare 2 Kings 3:7-9). We have not been told anything about Edom since the days of Hadad (1 Kings 11:14-22). But as we saw previously Hadad had probably only established himself in the mountainous part of Edom, and we do not know what happened after Solomon died. It is quite possible that the trade routes had remained under the control of the kings of Judah, although subject to attack, and it may have been the nuisance of these attacks which made Jehoshaphat retake control of Edom as a whole.
‘ Jehoshaphat made ships of Tarshish to go to Ophir for gold, but they did not go, for the ships were broken at Ezion-geber. Then Ahaziah the son of Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, “Let my servants go with your servants in the ships.” But Jehoshaphat would not.'
Another feature of Jehoshaphat's reign, only possible because of his control of Edom, was an abortive attempt to re-commence trading with Ophir (compare 1 Kings 9:26-28). But it proved ill-fated and the ‘ships of Tarshish' (large merchantmen) which he built were destroyed in a storm while still at Ezion-geber. He appears to have seen that as YHWH's will and therefore to have resisted any further attempts to persuade him. The fact that the author tells us about this would suggest that he also saw in their destruction the hand of YHWH, and approved of Jehoshaphat's subsequent decision. He knew that such building up of wealth was partly what had led Solomon astray, and the author always indicates with cynical approval the times when Judah was despoiled of its wealth (e.g. 1 Kings 14:26; 1 Kings 15:18).
‘ And Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David his father. And Jehoram his son reigned instead of him.'
Jehoshaphat died peacefully and was not assassinated (he ‘slept with his fathers') and was buried with his fathers in the city of David his ‘father'. Jehoram his son then reigned instead of him. The house of David continued.