FRAMEWORKS:
2 Chronicles 17: Jehoshaphat
king of Judah
[Introductory
Notes: With the death of Asa, we are introduced to his
son, Jehoshaphat who was faithful to the Lord.]
v.1,2
Jehoshaphat's emphasis was on strengthening the kingdom
v.1
Jehoshaphat
his
son succeeded him as king and strengthened himself against Israel.
v.2
He
stationed troops in all the fortified cities of Judah and put
garrisons in Judah and in the towns of Ephraim that his father
Asa had captured.
v.3,4
The Lord blessed him because he followed the Lord
v.3
The
Lord
was with Jehoshaphat because he followed the ways of his father
David before him. He did not consult the Baals
v.4
but
sought the God of his father and followed his commands rather
than the practices of Israel.
v.5,6
The Lord strengthened him as king because he was devoted to the
Lord
v.5
The
Lord
established the kingdom under his control; and all Judah brought
gifts to Jehoshaphat, so that he had great wealth and honour.
v.6
His
heart was devoted to the ways of the Lord;
furthermore, he removed the high places and the Asherah poles
from Judah.
v.7-9
He sent teachers to teach his people the Law of Moses
v.7
In
the third year of his reign he sent his officials
Ben-Hail, Obadiah, Zechariah, Nethanel and Micaiah to
teach in the towns of Judah.
v.8
With
them were certain Levites – Shemaiah, Nethaniah, Zebadiah,
Asahel, Shemiramoth, Jehonathan, Adonijah, Tobijah and Tob-Adonijah –
and the priests Elishama and Jehoram.
v.9
They
taught throughout Judah, taking with them the Book of the Law
of the Lord;
they went round to all the towns of Judah and taught the people.
v.10-13a
The Lord blessed how his neighbours viewed him
v.10
The
fear of the Lord
fell on all
the kingdoms of the lands surrounding Judah, so that they did
not go to war against Jehoshaphat.
v.11
Some
Philistines brought Jehoshaphat gifts and silver as tribute, and
the Arabs brought him flocks: seven thousand seven hundred rams
and seven thousand seven hundred goats.
v.12
Jehoshaphat
became more and more powerful; he built forts and store cities
in Judah
v.13
and
had large supplies in the towns of Judah.
v.13b-19
He kept a strong garrison at Jerusalem
He
also kept experienced fighting men in Jerusalem.
v.14
Their
enrolment by families was as follows:
from
Judah, commanders of units of 1,000:
Adnah
the commander, with 300,000 fighting men;
v.15
next,
Jehohanan the commander, with 280,000;
v.16
next,
Amasiah son of Zikri, who volunteered himself for the service
of the Lord,
with 200,000.
v.17
From
Benjamin:
Eliada,
a valiant soldier, with 200,000 men armed with bows and shields;
v.18
next,
Jehozabad, with 180,000 men armed for battle.
v.19
These
were the men who served the king, besides those he stationed in
the fortified cities throughout Judah.
Continue
to Ch.18