Whom Do You Love? Jehoshaphat and Ahab

Right up front, the Chronicler tells us that he wants us to think of Jehoshaphat like we think of his father, Asa.

The pattern is very similar: an opening statement of their reform of worship, building programs, and large armies – followed by a battle report – followed by further reforms – followed by a second battle report, and concluding with transgression and death.

Both kings are said to have suppressed the high places – and 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. (What that means, in effect, is that the nations around them decided not to attack Judah, because the reward for conquering the little kingdom in the hill-country was simply not commensurate with the amount of effort it would take!)

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!)....