ISRAEL'S POSTEXILIC HISTORY--LESSON 20 NOTES, PART 1

LESSON 20: Jehoshaphat and Ahab—war with Moab and Ammon (2 CHR. 18-20)

CHAPTER 18

Jehoshaphat’s relation with the northern kingdom was not entered into with a view to weakening the southern kingdom. The king of Judah probably wanted to share some of the prosperity of his kingdom with Ahab. Jehoshaphat’s reign extended over a period of twenty five years. His peaceful overtures toward the northern kingdom probably came during the first half of his reign. The “affinity” with Ahab was effected in the marriage of Jehoshaphat’s son, Jehoram, with Athaliah, daughter of Ahab.[1]

"The son of the best king Judah ever had married the daughter of about the worst king Israel ever had!" This marriage was probably eight years before Jehoshaphat's visit to Samaria.[2]

As there had been a Jezebel in Samaria, there would be an Athaliah in Jerusalem. There were state visits between the royal houses. On such an occasion Ahab made lavish provisions for Jehoshaphat. The Syrians had set a great army against Ramoth-gilead, a village thirty miles southeast of the southern tip of the Sea of Chinnereth. Ahab needed military assistance. Jehoshaphat agreed to bring Judah’s army into this conflict. Certainly in these matters Judah’s king failed to seek Jehovah’s will.[3]

Jehoshaphat did another strange thing. After committing himself to fight with Israel, he then wanted to find out what God's will was. Why did he not ask the prophet before he made the decision?

The false prophets told Ahab what they knew he wanted to hear. "Go up; for God will deliver it into the king's hand" (2 Chr. 18:5). Zedekiah made horns of iron and said to Ahab, "Thus saith the Lord, with these thou shalt push Syria until they be consumed" (2 Chr. 18:10). All the prophets prophesied, "Go up to Ramoth-gilead, and prosper: for the Lord shall deliver it into the hand of the king" (2 Chr. 18:11).

Jehoshaphat knew they were false prophets, so he requested a prophet of God. Ahab told him of Micaiah, "But I hate him: for he never prophesied good unto me, but always evil..." (2 Chr. 18:7). An officer was sent for Micaiah who told him, "Behold, the words of the prophets declare good to the king with one assent; let thy word therefore, I pray thee, be like one of theirs, and speak thou good" (2 Chr. 18:12). Micaiah replied, "As the Lord liveth, even what my God saith, that will I speak" (2 Chr. 18:13).

Micaiah's first statement to the kings was "Go ye up, and prosper, and they shall be delivered into your hand" (2 Chr. 18:14). Ahab suspected Micaiah's sincerity and said to him: "How many times shall I adjure thee that thou say nothing but the truth to me in the name of the Lord" (2 Chr. 18:15)? Micaiah then revealed the truth in two outstanding ways:

1. He told him that the shepherd (Ahab) would be killed and Israel would be like sheep that have no shepherd. Do not go to battle (2 Chr. 18:16)!

2. Your prophets are lying. "The Lord hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of these prophets, and the Lord hath spoken evil against thee" (2 Chr. 18:18-23).[4]

Micaiah is one of the most courageous men in the Old Testament. Surrounded by four hundred false prophets and two kings before him, he spoke the Truth of God with courage and conviction. Such an attitude reminds us of Elijah on Mount Carmel (1 Kings 18), Hanani before Asa (2 Chr. 16:7), Daniel before Belshazzar (Dan. 5:13), John the Baptist before Herod (Matt. 14:4), and Paul before Felix and Agrippa (Acts 24:25). The Lord needs preachers with courage and conviction to speak the Truth of God.

[5]

Following the warning from Micaiah Jehoshaphat should have withdrawn his army, but the two kings decided to go to battle. Jehoshaphat was saved from death by God (2 Chr. 18:31), but Ahab was severely wounded by an arrow shot at random (even though it was shot at random, God guided the arrow to Ahab). Ahab later died (2 Chr. 18:34).

One final observation on Jehoshaphat's joining forces with Ahab is in order. "We cannot suppose Jehoshaphat to have had the least sympathy with the idolatrous court of Ahab and Jezebel, so far as religion and morals were concerned."[6] After Ahab's death Jehoshaphat joined forces with Jehoram, Ahab's son, but Elisha still respected him as a good man and righteous king with these words: "As the Lord of hosts liveth, before whom I stand, surely, were it not that I regard the presence of Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, I would not look toward thee nor see thee" (2 Kings 3:9-19). Jehoshaphat evidently did it as a matter of policy in state affairs; it was the thing to do.[7]

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[1] Robert E. Black. The Books of Chronicles in Bible Study Textbook Series. Joplin, MO: College Press, 1991.

[2] James Meadows. “Judah Under Abijah, Asa, and Jehoshaphat” in Studies in 1, 2 Kings and 1, 2 Chronicles. Ed. By Dub McClish, Denton, TX: Valid Publications, Inc., 1993.

[3] Robert E. Black. The Books of Chronicles in Bible Study Textbook Series. Joplin, MO: College Press, 1991.

[4] James Meadows. “Judah Under Abijah, Asa, and Jehoshaphat” in Studies in 1, 2 Kings and 1, 2 Chronicles. Ed. By Dub McClish, Denton, TX: Valid Publications, Inc., 1993.

[5] Thomas C. Brisco. Holman Bible Atlas. Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1998.

[6] Isaac Errett. Evenings with the Bible, Old Testament Studies. Nashville, TN: Gospel Advocate Company, 1956.

[7] James Meadows. “Judah Under Abijah, Asa, and Jehoshaphat” in Studies in 1, 2 Kings and 1, 2 Chronicles. Ed. By Dub McClish, Denton, TX: Valid Publications, Inc., 1993.