Unhealthy Relationships

Jehoshaphat (In the text)

King Jehoshaphat, son of Asa, reigned for 25 years. Once he took the throne at the age of 35. He attempts to make peace with the northern kingdom of Israel but ends up getting tangled in some bad friendships along the way.

Lessons from Jehoshaphat

First of all, the king shows us that we all can make mistakes of judgment.

Scripture tells us to exercise discernment, especially with those in whom we place our trust. Jehoshaphat made a bad alliance with King Ahab, one of the most wicked kings in Israel’s history. Although Jehoshaphat didn’t die from the friendship, he made a massive mistake by trusting the wrong person.

Secondly, Jehoshaphat teaches us the importance of breaking the familial cycle of mistakes.

Although Asa didn’t worship the idols placed throughout Judah, he didn’t do a whole lot to tear them down. Jehoshaphat starts the process by getting rid of Asherah poles.

Finally, Jehoshaphat shows us that God can start new parts of his plan for our lives at any time.

Jehoshaphat’s life was half over by the time he took the throne, but that didn’t stop God from moving in his life. He accomplishes a great deal in the last 25 years of his life, ushering Israel into a time of prosperity and military fortitude.

Jehoshaphat may have needed a lesson on how to make smart political alliances. After all, the dangerous one he made almost got him killed. But we also know that only some good kings came from the Kingdom of Judah, Jehoshaphat being one of them. We may not name our children after this king, but we can certainly look to his example and his trust in God during his reign.