Like King David and his son King Solomon, Jehoshaphat made a great impact during his reign as the King of Judah. In this article, we will discuss the lessons we learn from the story of Jehoshaphat in the Bible and how we can apply them to our lives as Christians.
King Jehoshaphat feared the Lord and obeyed His commands, even though he wasn’t perfect. As a result, God made his reign peaceful despite the battles he fought and the challenges that he faced.
Let’s find out exactly who this great king is, the exploits he did during his reign, and the lessons to learn from his life, as described in the books of 2 Chronicles 17-20 and 1 Kings 22:41-50.
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Jehoshaphat, the son of Asa, was the fourth king of Judah. His mother’s name was Azubah, the daughter of Shilhi. The meaning of the name Jehoshaphat is “Yahweh judges” or “God has judged.”
King Jehoshaphat began to reign in the kingdom of Judah at thirty-five years and followed the ways of his father Asa by leading the people of Judah with the fear of God.
During his reign of twenty-five years, the king did not bow to any other god except to the God of his father. Instead, Jehoshaphat destroyed the high places of worship to strange gods and the Asherah poles and rid the land of idolatry. The king fortified cities of Judah against the northern kingdom of Israel, making the surrounding nations around Judah fear them and bring presents and silver for tribute.
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Because Jehoshaphat, King of Judah, lived a righteous life and didn’t go against God’s Laws, he found favor in the sight of the God of Israel. However, Jehoshaphat made a bad alliance when his own son married the daughter of Ahab, the wicked king of Israel. This marriage alliance was a great mistake of his reign because the Lord did not approve of it. Even though this unhealthy relationship with King Ahab almost cost Jehoshaphat his life, God protected him.
Jehoshaphat built a fleet of trading ships to Ophir, but they were wrecked at Ezion Geber. This was because Ahaziah king of Israel, the son of Ahab, was involved in the building of the ship, and God was displeased with him.
Then Jehoshaphat died, and he was buried in the city of David, and his son Jehoram replaced him as the king of Judah.
6 Lessons from the Story of Jehoshaphat in the Bible
While there are several lessons to learn from the story of Jehoshaphat, we will discuss 6 of them.
1. Obey God’s Command
King Jehoshaphat enjoyed a great measure of peace because he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord. Instead of imitating the practices of Israel, the king continued to follow the ways of the Lord just like King David did. And because of Jehoshaphat’s obedience and commitment, God established his kingdom and gave him great wealth and honor (2 Chronicles 2:3-6).
Obedience to God’s commands is important for all true believers who want to grow in their Christian journey. While obeying some divine instructions may seem difficult sometimes, it is the most rewarding action to take.
Temptations will surely arise from different sources, especially when we’re going through challenging times. Other times, those who claim to have our backs will desert us because we refuse to compromise our faith in God. But we must continue to put our faith in Christ Jesus, and He would always reward us for trusting in Him just like He rewarded Jehoshaphat.
2. Prioritize God’s Word
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One of the remarkable things Jehoshaphat did was that he ensured that the people of Judah were taught the Book of the Law. During the third year of his reign, the king sent officials to teach the word of God in the towns of Judah.
For this reason, the kingdoms surrounding the Land of Judah began to fear the Lord, and they did not wage war against Jehoshaphat. (2 Chronicles 2:7-10). This confirms the word of God in Proverbs 16:7, which says, “When a man’s ways please the Lord, he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.”
Like King Jehoshaphat, we must value the laws of the Lord and keep them in our hearts if we want to be prosperous and successful, according to Joshua 1:8.
It says, “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.”
Knowing the word of God is necessary for our spiritual growth, as it cautions us from sinning against God. By living a holy and righteous life, we will receive divine blessings from God.
Additionally, we must be willing to spread the message of the love of God to as many people as possible through our words and actions.
3. Develop the Habit of Praying and Fasting
When the Moabites, Ammonites, and some of the Meunites came to fight against Jehoshaphat, he resorted to fasting and prayer. At the time when some people came to inform the king that a large army was coming against him from Edom and they were already in En Gedi, he was afraid.
Nevertheless, Jehoshaphat went to God in prayer before declaring a fast for all the people of Judah. In the book of 2 Chronicles 20:6-12, we can see Jehoshaphat’s prayer of humility, requesting God’s intervention concerning those who want to wage war against them.
Indeed, God proved Himself mighty among the people of Judah by giving them victory against their enemies. Prayer and fasting are spiritual weapons that we can use to overcome the power of the enemy.
Jesus confirms the efficacy of fasting in the Book of Mark 9:28-29, when his disciples asked why they couldn’t drive the impure spirit out of the afflicted boy. He answered by saying, “This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting.”
If we want to build our spiritual strength, we need to develop the habit of praying and fasting regularly, not only when we’re in need. Sometimes, fasting may not be convenient, but we must do it as a form of spiritual exercise. Apart from being a sign of humility, prayer and fasting are also signs of discipline and spiritual maturity.
As faithful as King Jehoshaphat was, his unholy alliances with King Ahab and his son King Ahaziah greatly affected his reputation. One of the mistakes Jehoshaphat made during his reign was allowing his son to marry King Ahab’s daughter, which contributed to their unhealthy closeness.
When King Ahab planned to go to war with Jehoshaphat at Ramoth Gilead, he brought together 400 false prophets who assured him of victory. However, it was only Micaiah son of Imlah, a true prophet of the Lord, who gave him a contrary prophecy. For this reason, King Ahab asked Micaiah, son of Imlah, to be imprisoned and fed only water and bread.
As both kings went to Ramoth Gilead to battle against them, King Ahab deceived king Jehoshaphat into wearing royal robes while he disguised himself on the battlefield. Unknowing to King Jehoshaphat, King Ahab was a target for attack by the king of Aram.
So when the chariot commanders saw King Jehoshaphat in his royal robes, they assumed he was King Ahab and wanted to kill him. But the Lord delivered Jehoshaphat from their hands and turned the plan of King Ahab against him, leading to his death during the bloody battle of Ramoth-Gilead. (2 Chronicles 18:1-34) (1 Kings 22:1-40).
From this story, we can see one of the numerous implications of mingling with those who don’t regard God in their affairs. There’s no limit to the evils they can do to others out of desperation because the fear of God is not in their hearts.
Let’s live with the consciousness of the words of Colossians 15:33, which says, “Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.”
Despite receiving information that a vast army was coming to attack the land of Judah, King Jehoshaphat gathered men of Judah together to sing to God and worship Him. As they began to worship, the Ammonites and Moabites began to wage war against the people of Mount Seir.
After murdering the Mount Seir men, they began to attack one another. By the time the people of Judah looked towards the large army, they saw dead bodies on the ground. Realizing that no one survived, Jehoshaphat and the people of Judah went to carry their plunder and saw the large amount of items and clothing their enemies left behind. We learned that the plunder was so much that it took three days for the men of Judah to completely carry it. (2 Chronicles 20:21-25).
In this Bible story, not only did Jehoshaphat and the people of Judah become victorious, but they also gained a lot of valuable materials from the battle ground.
Paul and Silas displayed the same kind of attitude as Jehoshaphat when they were thrown into the prison. Instead of blaming each other for their predicament, these two men began to pray and to sing hymns to God. Being a faithful father, God sent a violent earthquake that shook the foundation of the prison, opening all its doors and breaking all the prisoners’ chains. (Acts 15:25-26).
Sometimes, our challenges can become emotionally overwhelming, even after we’ve fasted and prayed. Let’s imitate the attitude of King Jehoshaphat by worshipping and praising God, and He will give us victory.
6. Be an Exemplary Leader
Even though Jehoshaphat made some mistakes during his reign as the king of Judah, he laid a good example for the people to follow. He began his reign by destroying the places of idol worship and encouraging the people of Judah to worship the true God.
The king also made sure that there were no longer male shrine prostitutes in the land of Judah. He encouraged the people to know about the Book of the Law by sending his officials to teach them. Jehoshaphat kept only experienced fighting men in Jerusalem and appointed judges throughout Judah. Furthermore, he made peace with Israel, and the nations surrounding Judah became fearful of them.
Jehoshaphat is considered a great king and an exemplary leader because of the exploits he did in Judah. He made a great impact in his lifetime that the generations to come will continue to read about.
As believers, we’re representatives of the Kingdom of God and potential leaders. Therefore, let’s endeavor to live a life worthy of emulation and touch as many lives as possible with our good deeds. Some of the qualities we must possess include humility, diligence, integrity, compassion, godly wisdom, and empathy.
Final Thoughts
There are lots of lessons to learn from the story of King Jehoshaphat as true followers of Christ. But the most important lesson is that he walked with God and obeyed His divine instructions. As a result of this, God rewarded this great king with honor, wealth, peace, progress, and victory over his enemies.
When we determine to serve God with all our heart, He will make our life peaceful and meaningful. While obedience to God’s commands may not be easy sometimes, it is the best decision to take.
Like the king of Judah, let’s determine to serve the Lord and encourage others to do the same, and we won’t regret this decision.
Kennie Oguntoyinbo is a freelance content writer, editor and proofreader with over 4 years of experience. She is highly skilled in creating captivating and informative content across the Christian, relationship, and parenting niches. With a deep love for Christian-related articles, she writes content that inspires the readers, combining biblical lessons with practical knowledge. Whether writing devotional blogs, relationship advice, or family-focused articles, she aims to glorify God while connecting with readers through relatable, encouraging, faith-driven articles.
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