Jehoshaphat

Jehovah-judged. (1.) One of David's body-guard (1 Chr. 11:43). "(2.) One of the priests who accompanied the removal of the ark to Jerusalem (1 Chr. 15:24). "(3.) Son of Ahilud, "recorder" or annalist under David and "Solomon (2 Sam. 8:16), a state officer of high rank, chancellor" or vizier of the kingdom. "(4.) Solomon's purveyor in Issachar (1 Kings 4:17). "(5.) The son and successor of Asa, king of Judah. After "fortifying his kingdom against Israel (2 Chr. 17:1, 2), he set" himself to cleanse the land of idolatry (1 Kings 22:43). In the third year of his reign he sent out priests and Levites over the land to instruct the people in the law (2 Chr. 17:7-9). He "enjoyed a great measure of peace and prosperity, the blessing of" "God resting on the people "in their basket and their store." "The great mistake of his reign was his entering into an alliance "with Ahab, the king of Israel, which involved him in much" "disgrace, and brought disaster on his kingdom (1 Kings 22:1-33)." "Escaping from the bloody battle of Ramoth-gilead, the prophet" Jehu (2 Chr. 19:1-3) reproached him for the course he had been "pursuing, whereupon he entered with rigour on his former course" "of opposition to all idolatry, and of deepening interest in the" worship of God and in the righteous government of the people (2 Chr. 19:4-11). "Again he entered into an alliance with Ahaziah, the king of "Israel, for the purpose of carrying on maritime commerce with" Ophir. But the fleet that was then equipped at Ezion-gaber was speedily wrecked. A new fleet was fitted out without the "co-operation of the king of Israel, and although it was" "successful, the trade was not prosecuted (2 Chr. 20:35-37; 1" Kings 22:48-49). "He subsequently joined Jehoram, king of Israel, in a war against "the Moabites, who were under tribute to Israel. This war was" successful. The Moabites were subdued; but the dreadful act of Mesha in offering his own son a sacrifice on the walls of Kir-haresheth in the sight of the armies of Israel filled him "with horror, and he withdrew and returned to his own land (2" Kings 3:4-27). "The last most notable event of his reign was that recorded in 2 Chr. 20. The Moabites formed a great and powerful confederacy "with the surrounding nations, and came against Jehoshaphat. The" allied forces were encamped at Engedi. The king and his people "were filled with alarm, and betook themselves to God in prayer." "The king prayed in the court of the temple, "O our God, wilt" thou not judge them? for we have no might against this great "company that cometh against us." Amid the silence that followed," the voice of Jahaziel the Levite was heard announcing that on "the morrow all this great host would be overthrown. So it was," "for they quarrelled among themselves, and slew one another," leaving to the people of Judah only to gather the rich spoils of the slain. This was recognized as a great deliverance wrought "for them by God (B.C. 890). Soon after this Jehoshaphat died," "after a reign of twenty-five years, being sixty years of age," and was succeeded by his son Jehoram (1 Kings 22:50). He had "this testimony, that "he sought the Lord with all his heart" (2" Chr. 22:9). The kingdom of Judah was never more prosperous than under his reign. "(6.) The son of Nimshi, and father of Jehu, king of Israel (2 "Kings 9:2, 14)."

"Mentioned in Scripture only in Joel 3:2, 12. This is the name" given in modern times to the valley between Jerusalem and the "Mount of Olives, and the Kidron flows through it. Here" Jehoshaphat overthrew the confederated enemies of Israel (Ps. 83:6-8); and in this valley also God was to overthrow the "Tyrians, Zidonians, etc. (Joel 3:4, 19), with an utter" overthrow. This has been fulfilled; but Joel speaks of the final "conflict, when God would destroy all Jerusalem's enemies, of" "whom Tyre and Zidon, etc., were types. The "valley of" "Jehoshaphat" may therefore be simply regarded as a general term" for the theatre of God's final judgments on the enemies of Israel. "This valley has from ancient times been used by the Jews as a burial-ground. It is all over paved with flat stones as "tombstones, bearing on them Hebrew inscriptions."

Definition of Jehoshaphat:
"the Lord is judge"

Related Bible Dictionary Terms:
Jehoshaphat Valley of