2 Chronicles 21

Jehoshaphat followed David’s example as king during his entire rule. He worshipped only God and followed the Mount Sinai covenant. He made sure that everyone he ruled over was taught the Law of Moses.

He appointed judges all throughout the southern kingdom. The judges helped people understand how to apply the law. They decided between hard cases fairly and with wisdom.

Jehoshaphat got rid of everything that had to do with worshipping false gods. These were things that every king was supposed to do. These things helped God’s people live as a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.

Jehoshaphat acted wisely when the Moabites, Ammonites and people from Edom were about to attack. He led the people of the southern kingdom to ask God for help. All together they went without eating food. This is called fasting. It showed how serious they were about praying to God for help.

This was very different from how people made decisions before kings ruled in Israel. During the time of the 12 judges, the people did anything they thought was right (Judges 21:25). Jehoshaphat was the kind of king that the book of Judges showed was needed.

Jehoshaphat’s prayer showed that he was humble. He trusted God to bring judgement against those who attacked them. God answered his prayer by sending a message through a Levite from Asaph’s family line. The message encouraged the people to have hope because God was with them. The people worshipped and praised God when they heard the message. That is how they marched into battle. People singing praises to God went in front of the soldiers. They didn’t have to fight because God caused the other armies to destroy one another.

The people groups around the southern kingdom noticed the way Jehoshaphat’s people lived. They noticed the ways God protected the southern kingdom. What they noticed made the other nations become afraid of the Lord. This meant that they respected God and wouldn’t attack his people. So the southern kingdom enjoyed the covenant blessings of peace and rest.

When Jehoshaphat did foolish things, prophets spoke against him. He listened to them and didn’t punish them. This happened when Jehoshaphat married a daughter of Ahab and joined Ahab in a battle. It also happened when Jehoshaphat made an agreement about trade with the northern kingdom.

Neither Jehoram nor Ahaziah led the southern kingdom the way kings were supposed to. Elijah’s letter to Jehoram made something very clear. God brought judgement against kings who didn’t worship God and follow the Law of Moses.

Yet God had promised to keep the lamp of David’s kingdom burning brightly. This meant that God didn’t want David’s family line to be destroyed. He wanted a son from David’s family line to rule as king for ever. God didn’t allow Athaliah to kill everyone in David’s family line who could be king.

God used Jehosheba and Jehoiada to save Joash. Jehoiada made sure that the Law of Moses was followed. He made sure that the Levites did their duties in the temple. They did them the way that David had appointed them to do.

When David was king, leaders had given very freely for the temple to be built. Under Joash, officials and people brought money and gave it freely. They did this so that the temple could be repaired. The king, people, priests and Levites once again worshipped God in the temple.

But when he was older Joash stopped worshipping God in the temple. He also stopped listening to wise advisors and to messages from God. He had Jehoiada’s son Zechariah killed and was held responsible for this sin. A very small army from Aram did a lot of harm to Judah and Jerusalem. God allowed this to happen as judgement against Joash.