Useful Bible Studies > 1 Kings Commentary > chapter 22
The author of 1 Kings found it convenient to place his description of Jehoshaphat’s rule here. Our author places it here, in the middle of Jehoshaphat’s rule, because he is mainly describing events in northern and central Israel. Jehoshaphat was the king of Judah, that is, southern Israel.
There is a record of one of Jehoshaphat’s wars in 1 Kings 22:1-36; another is in 2 Kings chapter 3. However, there is much more detail about his life in 2 Chronicles chapters 17 to 20.
Jehoshaphat was one of the best of Judah’s kings. He ruled well, and he taught Judah’s people to serve God (2 Chronicles 17:7-9). Like his father Asa, he removed some but not all of the high places that people wrongly used for religion (2 Chronicles 17:6). God had said that his people should only offer to him sacrifices (animals) at his temple, the house of God in Jerusalem (Deuteronomy 12:1-14). Jehoshaphat allowed them to continue to offer sacrifices at the high places that remained.
However, Jehoshaphat made some of the worst decisions that any king of Judah made. In particular, he allowed his son to marry the daughter of Ahab. He did that to establish a peace agreement with Ahab’s family, who ruled northern and central Israel (2 Chronicles 18:1). Ahab was an extremely cruel and wicked king who fiercely opposed the true God. He was so evil that he brought God’s judgment against his whole family (21:21). Ahab’s family were like him. So now Jehoshaphat’s son, Jehoram, had an extremely wicked wife, Athaliah, the daughter of Ahab. She would cause great trouble in Judah.
Next part: Jehosaphat's wars, and his respect for God (1 Kings 22:45-47)
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