The Prayer of Jehoshaphat

We saw last time that the Chronicler wants us to think of Jehoshaphat like we think of his father, Asa.

Both kings are said to have suppressed the high places – and are said to have failed to suppress the high places. As we saw last time with Asa, that is easy to understand, since worship at the high places had been a practice in Israel and Judah for generations. It was unlikely that any king could successfully suppress it for his entire reign without diligent and constant attention to the subject.

Both Asa and Jehoshaphat enjoyed the rewards of their piety – and during their reigns the fear of the LORD fell upon the nations around them.

Also, both Asa and Jehoshaphat get in trouble for entangling foreign alliances: Asa with Syria (against Israel) and Jehoshaphat with Israel (against Syria). Asa, the father, is corrected by the prophet Hanani. Jehoshaphat, his son, is corrected by the prophet Jehu (the son of Hanani!).