1 Kings 2:41-46 ESV
41 Jehoshaphat the son of Asa began to reign over Judah in the fourth year of Ahab king of Israel. 42 Jehoshaphat was thirty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty-five years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Azubah the daughter of Shilhi. 43 He walked in all the way of Asa his father. He did not turn aside from it, doing what was right in the sight of the Lord. Yet the high places were not taken away, and the people still sacrificed and made offerings on the high places. 44 Jehoshaphat also made peace with the king of Israel.

45 Now the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, and his might that he showed, and how he warred, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? 46 And from the land he exterminated the remnant of the male cult prostitutes who remained in the days of his father Asa.

A GODLY LEGACY
While the northern kingdom was in turmoil, the southern kingdom Asa was a good king and Jehoshaphat his son followed his footsteps and did what was right in the eyes of the Lord.” The Lord was with Jehoshaphat, because he walked in the earlier ways of his father David. He did not seek the Baals, 4 but sought the God of his father and walked in his commandments, and not according to the practices of Israel. 5 Therefore the Lord established the kingdom in his hand. And all Judah brought tribute to Jehoshaphat, and he had great riches and honor.”[2 Chron 17:3-5]

As summarized by author, D. Guzik, who said, “The writer of 1 Kings actually summarized many of the remarkable accomplishments of Jehoshaphat, who was one of the better kings of Judah. From 2 Chronicles we learn many of Jehoshaphat’s other accomplishments.

· He sent teachers of God’s Word out to his entire kingdom (2 Chronicles 17:7-10). “By this little band of princes, Levites and priests, sixteen in all, Jehoshaphat did more toward impressing the surrounding nations with a sense of his power than the largest and best-equipped standing army could have secured to him.” (Knapp)
· He established a permanent military garrison along the northern frontier (2 Chronicles 17:1-2, 12).
· He trained and equipped a sizeable army (2 Chronicles 17:14-19) that was able to quell a Transjordan invasion (2 Chronicles 20:1-30).
· He placed Edom under Judean control, controlling an important caravan route to the south (2 Kings 3:8-27; 2 Chronicles 20:36).
· God blessed his reign so much that the fear of the Lord came upon neighboring nations so that they did not make war against Jehoshaphat (2 Chronicles 17:10).
· Jehoshaphat was also an able administrator, implementing judicial reforms (2 Chronicles 19:5-11) and religious reforms (2 Chronicles 17:3-9).
· Jehoshaphat was also the king connected to the famous incident when the army of Judah saw a great victory won as the Levites led the battle with praise (2 Chronicles 20:15-23).”

Stability was the order his reign. More than his father did, Jehoshaphat ‘exterminated the remnant of the male cult prostitutes who remained in the days of his father Asa.’ Yet the high places were not taken away, and the people still sacrificed and made offerings on the high places. Perhaps, these high places were consecrated for God as opposed to idolatrous practices. For we read in 2 Chron 17:6, “His heart was courageous in the ways of the Lord. And furthermore, he took the high places and the Asherim out of Judah.” Commentator Adam Clarke wrote, “Allowing that the text is right in 2 Chronicles the two places may be easily recognized. There were two kinds of high places in the land: 1. Those used for idolatrous purposes. 2. Those that were consecrated to God, and were used before the temple was built. The former he did take away, the latter he did not.”

Forty years of Asa’s reign and twenty five years of Jehoshaphat’s reign were marked of blessings at the southern kingdom. Indeed, ‘righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people.’ [Prov 14:34] May by God’s grace , we will continue to prolifirate a godly legacy in our homes, churches and nations.

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