The rest of Jehosophat's reign (2 chronicles 20)

Jehosophat faced an invasion from a coalition of the armies of the Ammonites, Edomites, and Moabites.

He responded by pleading to God for deliverance, asking the people to fast, and then leading the people in a group prayer before the temple. The spirit of God fell on one of the people who prophesied that God will destroy the army before they even have to fight it. The next day, the God caused the coalition of armies to start fighting amongst themselves to the point that the entire army died. Jehosophat's troops went out to find a field full of dead bodies and wealth that it took them 3 days to plunder it.

The rest of his reign was peaceful. He had another blemish in that he agreed partner with Ahaziah (Ahab's wicked son) go build a trading fleet. God did not like this partnership with the wicked king so God destroyed the trading fleet before it set sail.

I am not sure why God did not like the trading fleet idea. I would think God would want to encourage southern and northern kingdom partnership and reconciliation. But maybe not if one of the kings is bad.

He also was not able to completely remove the pagan shrines from the land.

He became king when he was 35 and ruled for 25 years.

Ahab and Jehosophat (1 Kings 22; 2 Chronicles 18)

Jehosophat's son married Ahab's daughter. This may have been what God had originally wanted to reunify the two countries as the punishment of Solomon was to be temporary. The marriage did not reunify the countries, but it did result in a military alliance.

There was peace between Israel and Syria for 3 years. We also don't know when the event with Naboth's vineyard occurred. But it sounds like their was peace and calm with Elijah away.

One day, Jehosophat is visiting Ahab when Ahab proposes a joint military strike to retake Ramoth-Gilead. Jehosophat agrees but wants to know what God says before sending the troops.

Ahab brings in his 400 prophets (I guess he has surrounded himself with hundreds of Baal/Ashereth prophets again). These prophets promise him victory. Jehosophat realizes that none of them are prophets for God, so he asks for one. Ahab is aware of one, Micaiah. Where is Elijah? We don't know.

Ahab's problem with Micaiah is that he never has good things to say. We don't know for sure, but Micaiah may have been one of the prophets that interacted with Ahab in the previous chapters (i.e., the prophet who disguised himself as an injured soldier) during Elijah's absence.

Micaiah is instructed to only promise victory, which he does in a sarcastic manor. When pressed further, he then explains that in a vision he saw the people of Israel scattered like sheep without a shepherd. Then, Ahab tells Jesophat, "see, he only has bad things to say.".

Micaiah then gives an interesting account of a heavenly discussion that is reminiscent of Job 1-2. There in the heavens, God asks for suggestions among the spirits to entice Ahab to attack Ramoth-Gilead. One spirit suggested that he could fill the mouths of Ahab's prophets with lies. God agreed to this suggestion and tells the spirit to do it. This story prompts one of the other prophets, perhaps their leader, to strike Micaiah.

Ahab then orders Micaiah arrested and bound until Ahab comes back safely. As if that would help.

Ahab and Jehosophat lead a joint military strike at Ramoth-Gilead. The Syrians go after Jehosophat thinking that he is Ahab. God saves Jehosophat the Syrians realize he is not Ahab. Ahab dresses like a common chariot soldier and is struck by a random arrow. He dies at sunset.

His chariot was washed back in Samaria and dogs came to lick the blood, in fulfillment of Elijah's prophecy.

Ahab's son Ahaziah becomes the next king of Israel. He practiced Baal worship and had a short 2 year reign. If the rest of Elijah's prophecies come true, his reign will end very badly.

Jehosophat's reign (2 Chronicles 17)

Jehosophat had a peaceful reign and followed in the footsteps of Asa, his father. He did not worship Baal and took down the Ashereth poles. As a result, God blessed him with peace and made the surrounding nations fear him. The neighboring Philistines and Arabs even brought him gifts.

1 Kings 14-15; 2 Chronicles 11-14

A pattern is emerging. The kings of the north are almost always bad (corrupt in God's eyes). God replaces them with bloody internal revolts. The kings of the south are sometimes good, sometimes bad, even within the same reign. Their biggest threats do not come from internal revolts because of God's protection of the Davidic Dynasty, but rather external armies.

Kings of the North - Jeroboam, Nadab;

Baasha (new dynasty)

Jeroboam's child became sick. Jeroboam sent his wife to Shiloh to visit with the prophet, Ahijah, who told Jeroboam would be king. Jeroboam's wife is in disguise and the old prophet is blind, but God tells the prophet who it is.

Jeroboam's wife does not say a word in the text, but Ahijah gives her the worst news. Not only is the child going to die, but God is going to wipe out all of Jeroboam's family because of his sins.

She goes back to Jeroboam and the child dies.

Jeroboam is succeeded by Nadab. Nadab does evil and has a short reign. He dies in a violent coup d'etat led by Baasha. Baasha then kills the rest of the family of Jeroboam.

Baasha does evil in God's eyes but has a fairly long reign despite it (24 years). He has lots of wars with the southern kingdom.

King of the South - Rehoboam, Abijam, Asa

Rehoboam had a good reign for a while and fortified many cities. Eventually he abandoned God and allowed the people to have their pagan shrines which angered God. This includes allowing male and female shrine prostitutes. Uh oh.

The king of Egypt invaded the land, sacked the temple, and stole the gold from its treasury. The invasion prompts some repentance on the part of Rehoboam so God prevents his total destruction but still allows the city to be sacked.

During Solomon's reign, word had spread of his wealth and the gold in the temple. I imagine it was an inviting target for any regional army. It is also a sad corollary to the Queen of Sheba paying respect to Solomon while the King of Egypt plunders the riches that Solomon had for the temple during the reign of Solomon's son.

Anyway, Rehoboam replaced the gold shields of Solomon with bronze ones.

Rehoboam dies and is succeeded by Abijam. Abijam follows in his father's footsteps and does not please God. He had wars with Jeroboam had a short reign.

Still though, 2 Chronicles 13 describes a war between Jeroboam and Abijam in which one of men of the south makes an impassioned speech to the northern army about the futility of attacking the Davidic Dynasty and how that the southern people had not rejected God, whereas the northern had. The speech falls on deaf ears and the northern army loses in a big ugly battle.

Abijam is succeeded by Asa.

Asa was a good king and cleaned up the religious practices of the land. He still fought a lot of wars with Baasha of the north.

The Ethiopians invade the land with a huge army during Asa's reign. Asa calls on God to help and God defeats the Ethiopians.

Asa does something peculiar which shows a lack of confidence of God to fight his battles. During an invasion by Baasha, Asa used the gold from the temple and palace treasuries to bribe the king of Aram (Damascus is the capital) to break off his treaty with Baasha and invade the north. This works and Baasha withdraws his army.

Asa dies and is succeeded by Jehosophat.