Study Desk

Before they went into battle, Ahab said, "Jehoshaphat, I'll disguise myself, but you wear your royal robe." Ahab disguised himself and went into battle.

So when they saw Jehoshaphat in his robe, they thought he was Ahab and started to attack him. But Jehoshaphat prayed, and the Lord made the Syrian soldiers stop.

But the prophet Jehu son of Hanani met him and said: By helping that wicked Ahab, you have made friends with someone who hates the Lord . Now the Lord God is angry at you!

But not everything about you is bad. You destroyed the sacred poles used in worshiping the goddess Asherah—that shows you have tried to obey the Lord .

Jehoshaphat lived in Jerusalem, but he often traveled through his kingdom, from Beersheba in the south to the edge of the hill country of Ephraim in the north. He talked with the people and convinced them to turn back to the Lord God and worship him, just as their ancestors had done.

but he did not destroy the local shrines. So the people still worshiped foreign gods, instead of faithfully serving the God their ancestors had worshiped.

But the prophet Eliezer warned Jehoshaphat, "The Lord will destroy these ships because you have supported Ahaziah." The ships were wrecked and never sailed.

Jehoshaphat gave each of them silver and gold, as well as other valuable gifts. He also put them in charge of the fortified cities in Judah, but he had chosen his oldest son Jehoram to succeed him as king.

but because the Lord had made a solemn promise to King David that someone from his family would always rule in Judah, he refused to wipe out David's descendants.

but Judah was never able to regain control of Edom. Even the town of Libnah rebelled at that time. Those things happened because Jehoram had turned away from the Lord , the God his ancestors had worshiped.

Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he ruled eight years from Jerusalem. He died, and no one even felt sad. He was buried in Jerusalem, but not in the royal tombs.

but Jehosheba rescued Joash son of Ahaziah just as the others were about to be murdered. Jehosheba, who was Jehoram's daughter and Ahaziah's half sister, was married to Jehoiada the priest. So she was able to hide her nephew Joash and his personal servant in a bedroom in the Lord 's temple where he was safe from Athaliah.

She tried to escape, but the commanders caught and killed her near the gate where horses are led into the palace.

He called together the priests and Levites and said, "Go everywhere in Judah and collect the annual tax from the people. I want this done right away—we need that money to repair the temple." But the Levites were in no hurry to follow the king's orders.

but he still sent prophets who warned them to turn back to him. The people refused to listen.

The Syrian army was very small, but the Lord let them defeat Judah's large army, because he was punishing Joash and the people of Judah for turning away from him.

Joash was severely wounded during the battle, and as soon as the Syrians left Judah, two of his officials, Zabad and Jehozabad, decided to revenge the death of Zechariah. They plotted and killed Joash while he was in bed, recovering from his wounds. Joash was buried in Jerusalem, but not in the royal tombs.

But the children of those officers were not killed; the Lord had commanded in the Law of Moses that only the people who sinned were to be punished.

Amaziah ordered the troops from Israel to go home, but when they left, they were furious with the people of Judah.

But before the prophet finished speaking, Amaziah interrupted and said, "You're not one of my advisors! Don't say another word, or I'll have you killed." The prophet stopped. But then he added, "First you sinned and now you've ignored my warning. It's clear that God has decided to punish you!"