GOOD, ALMOST TO THE END
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Opening Prayer
Loving Father, free my heart from distractions as I come to your Word today. Help me focus on what you would say to me.
Read 2 CHRONICLES 20:31—21:3
For additional translations of the passage, use this link to Bible Gateway.
2 Chronicles
2 Chronicles 20
31 So Jehoshaphat reigned over Judah. He was thirty-five years old when he became king of Judah, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-five years. His mother’s name was Azubah daughter of Shilhi.
32 He followed the ways of his father Asa and did not stray from them; he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD.
33 The high places, however, were not removed, and the people still had not set their hearts on the God of their ancestors.
34 The other events of Jehoshaphat’s reign, from beginning to end, are written in the annals of Jehu son of Hanani, which are recorded in the book of the kings of Israel.
35 Later, Jehoshaphat king of Judah made an alliance with Ahaziah king of Israel, whose ways were wicked.
36 He agreed with him to construct a fleet of trading ships. After these were built at Ezion Geber,
37 Eliezer son of Dodavahu of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, “Because you have made an alliance with Ahaziah, the LORD will destroy what you have made.” The ships were wrecked and were not able to set sail to trade.
2 Chronicles 21
1 Then Jehoshaphat rested with his ancestors and was buried with them in the City of David. And Jehoram his son succeeded him as king.
2 Jehoram’s brothers, the sons of Jehoshaphat, were Azariah, Jehiel, Zechariah, Azariahu, Michael and Shephatiah. All these were sons of Jehoshaphat king of Israel.
3 Their father had given them many gifts of silver and gold and articles of value, as well as fortified cities in Judah, but he had given the kingdom to Jehoram because he was his firstborn son.
Reflect
‘Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.’1
Jehoshaphat was a good king! There is no question about that. More space is given to his reign than to any other post-Solomon king except for Hezekiah. His faith, his attitude toward the people, and his constant guidance in directing them to God and God’s requirements and provisions are exemplary. He was convinced that his words to the people in 20:20: ‘Have faith in the Lord your God and you will be upheld’ applied also to himself! He challenges us to ensure that the things we share with others about faith are also evident in our own lives. However, (isn’t there always a but?) the chronicler wants us to be clear not just that he was good, but also that he was not perfect!
The final section of Jehoshaphat’s end-of-term report summarizes his twenty-five-year reign. He gets an A-minus mark! It really was good, but we have more evidence here of his one prevailing weakness that prevented him from getting an A+. We have already seen in Chapter 18 that he allowed his sense of, and even his knowledge of, God’s leading to be overruled by his loyalty to his relative, King Ahab of Israel. Loyalty to family can be a good thing, but not if it leads us away from God’s purposes for us and the people we are called to serve. In today’s passage, we see no reference to his usual seeking out of God’s perspective before he makes another alliance with Ahab’s son Ahaziah, who we are informed was ‘wicked’ (v. 35). If this was motivated by the desire for economic prosperity, then it was a miserable failure!
Apply
Make it your habit to come to God and seek his will as you anticipate making decisions and taking action.
Closing prayer
Lord, I know that even good, godly people can have blind spots. Help me to learn from the past, recognize my own blind spots, and avoid repeating the same mistakes.
1 Matt 24:12, 13 2 2 Chr 18:1.
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