1 Kings 22:41-50

1 Kings 22:41-50

[41] And Jehoshaphat  the son  of Asa  began to reign  over Judah  in the fourth  year  of Ahab  king  of Israel.  [42] Jehoshaphat  was thirty  and five  years  old  when he began to reign;  twenty  and five  years  in Jerusalem.  And his mother's  name  was Azubah  the daughter  of Shilhi.  [43] in all the ways  of Asa  his father;  he turned not aside  from it, doing  that which was right  in the eyes  of the LORD:  nevertheless the high places  were not taken away;  for the people  offered  and burnt incense  yet in the high places.  [44] And Jehoshaphat  made peace  with the king  of Israel.  [45] Now the rest  of the acts  of Jehoshaphat,  and his might  that he shewed,  and how he warred,  are they not written  in the book  of the chronicles  of the kings  of Judah?  [46] And the remnant  of the sodomites,  which remained  in the days  of his father  Asa,  he took  out of the land.  [47] There was then no king  in Edom:  a deputy  was king.  [48] Jehoshaphat  ships  of Tharshish  to Ophir  for gold:  but they went  not; for the ships  were broken  at Eziongeber.  [49] Then said  Ahaziah  the son  of Ahab  unto Jehoshaphat,  Let my servants  in the ships.  But Jehoshaphat  would  [50] And Jehoshaphat  slept  with his fathers,  and was buried  with his fathers  in the city  of David  his father:  and Jehoram  his son  reigned  in his stead.

What does 1 Kings 22:41-50 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

Jehoshaphat began ruling over Judah as coregent with his father Asa (873-870 B.C.). When Asa died, he reigned alone for17 more years (870-853 B.C.). He concluded his25-year reign with another period of coregency with his son Jehoram that lasted eight years (853-848 B.C.). For all but Jehoshaphat"s first year on Judah"s throne, Ahab ruled over Israel. Jehoshaphat became Judah"s sole ruler in Ahab"s fourth year ( 1 Kings 22:41).
Jehoshaphat was one of the eight good kings of Judah and one of the four reforming kings. He was better than his father Asa but not as highly acclaimed by the writers of Scripture as Hezekiah and Josiah, the other reforming kings who followed him years later. Especially in his earlier years Jehoshaphat walked with Yahweh. He removed idolatry from Judah ( 1 Kings 22:46) except for the high places ( 1 Kings 22:43). Evidently earlier in his reign he removed these ( 2 Chronicles 17:6), but when the people rebuilt them he let them stand ( 2 Chronicles 20:33).
The peace that existed between Israel and Judah ( 1 Kings 22:44) gained strength through the marriage of Jehoshaphat"s Song of Solomon , Jehoram, and Ahab"s daughter, Athaliah ( 2 Kings 11). A prophet rebuked Jehoshaphat for his alliance with Israel ( 2 Chronicles 19:2).
Edom ( 1 Kings 22:47) had been under Judah"s control but revolted during Jehoshaphat"s reign. It may well have been the Edomites who destroyed his ships at Edom"s port of Ezion-geber ( 1 Kings 22:48). [1] For Jehoshaphat"s other achievements, see2Chronicles17-20.
Jehoshaphat submitted to Yahweh"s sovereignty, but he relied on human wisdom and resources at crucial moments in his life. This resulted in mixed blessing and discipline for both himself and Israel.