KING JEHOSHAPHAT

Jehoshaphat was the fourth king of the southern kingdom of Judah, who reigned from around 870 to 849 BC. He was the son of King Asa and the father of King Jehoram.

According to the Bible, Jehoshaphat was a faithful and righteous king who followed in the ways of his father, Asa. He removed the idols from the land and encouraged the people to worship the Lord. He also sent out teachers and judges to help administer justice throughout the kingdom.

One of Jehoshaphat’s most famous acts was his alliance with King Ahab of Israel. Ahab was known to be a wicked king who worshiped idols and led the people astray. However, when Ahab was threatened by the king of Aram, he called on Jehoshaphat to help him. Jehoshaphat agreed to join forces with Ahab, but before doing so, he insisted that they consult a prophet of the Lord. The prophet Micaiah warned them that the battle would not go well, but Ahab ignored his words and went ahead with the battle. As prophesied, Ahab was killed, but Jehoshaphat was spared.

Jehoshaphat also faced a great challenge when he learned that an army of Moabites, Ammonites, and Meunites was preparing to attack Judah. He called on the Lord for help and assembled a large army to defend the kingdom. He also appointed singers to go ahead of the army, praising the Lord and singing, “Give thanks to the Lord, for his love endures forever.” When the armies of Judah arrived at the battlefield, they found that the Lord had already defeated their enemies, and they spent three days gathering the spoils of war.

Jehoshaphat reigned for 25 years and was succeeded by his son Jehoram. He is remembered as a king who sought the Lord and encouraged his people to do the same.