The Lord blessed Jehoshaphat because he followed the example of his father’s early life…
May I likewise be found to follow you minus the caveat Lord. Please be with me.
In the third year of his reign he sent out the following officials to teach in the cities of Judah…
What Solomon should have been doing instead of building and accumulating stuff (1 Kings 10:14-29).
Some of the Philistines brought Jehoshaphat a large amount of silver and other gifts, and some Arabs brought him 7,700 sheep and 7,700 goats.
Proverbs 16:7.
When King Jehoshaphat of Judah became rich and famous, he arranged a marriage between a member of his family and the family of King Ahab of Israel.
Jehoshaphat was a visionary in seeing the two people’s as one but he went too far here – a decision that would be very costly to uproot years later (2 Kings 11). Always remember that behavior is thicker than blood (Mark 3:33-35).
Ahab… tried to persuade Jehoshaphat to join him in attacking the city of Ramoth in Gilead. …Jehoshaphat replied, “I am ready when you are, and so is my army. We will join you.” Then he added, “But first let’s consult the Lord.”
So Ahab called in the prophets, about four hundred of them, and asked them, “Should I go and attack Ramoth, or not?”
“Attack it,” they answered. “God will give you victory.”
But Jehoshaphat asked, “Isn’t there another prophet through whom we can consult the Lord?”
Ahab answered, “There is one more, Micaiah son of Imlah. But I hate him because he never prophesies anything good for me; it’s always something bad.”
Like Saul years earlier (1 Samuel 14:36), Ahab did not want to consult the Lord. May I do so, Father, even if I think I want like the response – the opposite of the hypocrites in Jeremiah 42:5-6; 43:1-3).