2 Chronicles 20:35-21:1535And after this did Jehoshaphat king of Judah join himself with Ahaziah king of Israel, who did very wickedly: 36And he joined himself with him to make ships to go to Tarshish: and they made the ships in Ezion-geber. 37Then Eliezer the son of Dodavah of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, Because thou hast joined thyself with Ahaziah, the Lord hath broken thy works. And the ships were broken, that they were not able to go to Tarshish. 1Now Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David. And Jehoram his son reigned in his stead. 2And he had brethren the sons of Jehoshaphat, Azariah, and Jehiel, and Zechariah, and Azariah, and Michael, and Shephatiah: all these were the sons of Jehoshaphat king of Israel. 3And their father gave them great gifts of silver, and of gold, and of precious things, with fenced cities in Judah: but the kingdom gave he to Jehoram; because he was the firstborn. 4Now when Jehoram was risen up to the kingdom of his father, he strengthened himself, and slew all his brethren with the sword, and divers also of the princes of Israel. 5Jehoram was thirty and two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem. 6And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, like as did the house of Ahab: for he had the daughter of Ahab to wife: and he wrought that which was evil in the eyes of the Lord. 7Howbeit the Lord would not destroy the house of David, because of the covenant that he had made with David, and as he promised to give a light to him and to his sons for ever. 8In his days the Edomites revolted from under the dominion of Judah, and made themselves a king. 9Then Jehoram went forth with his princes, and all his chariots with him: and he rose up by night, and smote the Edomites which compassed him in, and the captains of the chariots. 10So the Edomites revolted from under the hand of Judah unto this day. The same time also did Libnah revolt from under his hand; because he had forsaken the Lord God of his fathers. 11Moreover he made high places in the mountains of Judah, and caused the inhabitants of Jerusalem to commit fornication, and compelled Judah thereto. 12And there came a writing to him from Elijah the prophet, saying, Thus saith the Lord God of David thy father, Because thou hast not walked in the ways of Jehoshaphat thy father, nor in the ways of Asa king of Judah, 13But hast walked in the way of the kings of Israel, and hast made Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to go a whoring, like to the whoredoms of the house of Ahab, and also hast slain thy brethren of thy father's house, which were better than thyself: 14Behold, with a great plague will the Lord smite thy people, and thy children, and thy wives, and all thy goods: 15And thou shalt have great sickness by disease of thy bowels, until thy bowels fall out by reason of the sickness day by day. (2 Chronicles 20:35‑21:15).
AFTER this we read that king Jehoshaphat failed again in joining himself with king Ahaziah, the wicked son of Ahab, who reigned over Israel. This time it was to build ships to go to Tarshish to trade. But God sent a message to him through his servant Eliezer, saying, "Because thou hast joined thyself with Ahaziah, the LORD bath broken thy works." The ships were broken; God put an end to this venture.
In spite of his failures there was that in the course of Jehoshaphat that refreshes the spirit; there were some "good things found in him." God by His Spirit has faithfully recorded both for our admonition and encouragement. His snare was worldly association. May we seek grace from the Lord to profit from the history of His devoted servant, and to beware of this evil. "Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty." 2 Cor. 6:17, 1817Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, 18And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. (2 Corinthians 6:17‑18).
Jehoshaphat reigned for twenty-five years in Jerusalem; and it tells us "he slept with his fathers." He was at last beyond the labors and conflicts of the path of faith, and too, beyond the temptations and snares of the enemy.
It would appear that before Jehoshaphat died, he made his eldest son Jehoram to reign with him. It seems strange to us that such a godly, devoted king could not see that Jehoram was not a man of faith. Jehoram reigned for eight years in Jerusalem and became very wicked in the eyes of the Lord. He followed in the ways of Ahab, the wicked king of Israel, and married his daughter, Athaliah. This was one of the sorrowful results of Jehoshaphat's league with Ahab, an effect from which his house never fully recovered. We learn in the government of God that our unfaithfulness has far-reaching results. How solemn this is! Often have Christian parents who have been drawn into the world and perhaps mercifully restored by the Lord in later years, passed through the bitter experience of seeing their children lost in the world. May the Lord help us to "make straight paths for [our] feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way" (Heb. 12:1313And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed. (Hebrews 12:13)), and to pray daily the prayer of the godly man in Psalm 16:1: "Preserve me, O God: for in Thee do I put my trust."
As soon as the kingdom was established under him, Jehoram caused his six brothers to be slain. Though he did not escape the judgment of God, still God would not destroy his whole family on account of His covenant with king David, the man after His own heart. A letter came to the king from Elijah the prophet who, as we learned from the book of the Kings, lived and witnessed against the sins of the house of Ahab in Israel. Elijah foresaw the results in Judah of this unholy alliance with Ahab and had written this letter. Elijah was translated to heaven about the time of Jehoshaphat's death, but evidently the letter was not delivered to Jehoram until after he had committed his wicked acts. The letter rebuked him for following the idolatrous ways of the heathen and for slaying his brethren; then followed the solemn pronouncement that with a great plague the Lord would smite him, his people, his wives and his goods, and that terrible disease would come upon him.
Messages of the Love of God 8/24/1958