This week, we turn our attention to another good king. But before going any further, let’s be reminded of what Jesus said in Mark 10:18, “… No one is good—except God alone.” Jesus did not exaggerate. No matter which king we look at, or what kingdom he belonged to, none finished his life with a perfect score. And that’s okay. We get to see how these people lived and led, and learn from each of them, strengths and mistakes alike. Moving on from Hezekiah, it is now Jehoshaphat’s turn.
I confess, Jehoshaphat 約沙法 King of Judah fascinates me largely because of his name. For some reason, it carries a natural gravitas that inspires respect, even before I know anything about him. There is no strict guideline on how to pronounce his name in English. Personally, I either say it as [juh-HOH-shuh-fat] or closer to Hebrew as [yuh-HOH-shah-faht]. For Mandarin, it’s as simple as 約沙法 {yue1-sha1-fa3}.
Jehoshaphat grew up under another good king, Asa, laying the foundation for his righteous reign that began at the age of 35. He was devoted to the ways of the Lord and strengthened Judah in terms of defense, education, and foreign relations. Among his accomplishments were religious reform, kingdom-wide teachings of the law, and fortification of cities and armies. The Lord blessed him greatly, to a point that even Israel’s archenemy, the Philistines, paid tributes to him.
Jehoshaphat was most well-known for his war, or more precisely the lack thereof, with the Moabites 摩押人{mo2-ya1-ren2} and Ammonites 亞捫人 {ya3-men2-ren2} (descendants of Lot, Abraham’s nephew). Upon hearing such a vast army was pressing on his border, he did not rally the strategists, or diviners, or allies. Rather, he immediately “resolved to inquire of the Lord, and he proclaimed a fast for all Judah.” (2 Ch 20:3) He led the kingdom to a public prayer to beseech the Lord for deliverance, and in doing so, announced to the world to whom the kingdom belonged and from whom salvation must come, as a good leader should.
In response, God informed them that the battle was His and they needed only to face the enemies and watch them vanquished, in 3D. Jehoshaphat, encouraged by God’s revelation and promise, led his army with praises and singing that reminded us of Ps 136, “Give thanks to the Lord, for his love endures forever.” As they sang, the Lord caused the enemies to annihilate each other so that when the king’s army finally arrived, there was nothing left but dead bodies.
The phenomenal accomplishments of Jehoshaphat make us scratch our heads as we read that he was an ally with King Ahab 亞哈 {ya3-ha1}, the most notorious king of Israel. Before the War of Moab and Ammon, Jehoshaphat went as far as fighting alongside Ahab despite the warnings of the Lord’s prophet.
As a consequence, Ahab died in the battle, and Jehoshaphat escaped by the skin of his teeth. We would think he learned his lesson to “not walk in step with the wicked… or sit in the company of mockers“, but no. He later allied with Ahaziah 亞哈謝 {ya3-ha1-xie4}, son of Ahab (!) and another evil king, in another futile enterprise, which was thwarted by the Lord yet again.
So, Jehoshaphat, along with all his good and bad, demonstrated to us what it takes to be a godly leader of God’s people. As an interpreter, I also thank him for living a remarkable life that tied together so many rich narratives as well as friends and foes. How else would I keep track of these people?
Photo by Elisabeth Wales on Unsplash