Mon.’s Devo - Jehoshaphat's Death

Read: 2 Kings 1, 3; 1 Kings 22:41-50: 2 Chron. 20:31-37; 2 Chron. 21:1-7; 2 Kings 8:16-22
Ahaziah, king of Israel, fell and was ill so he sent messengers to Baal for answers. Elijah answered instead. He sent word to Ahaziah that since he required of Baal and not God that he would die. Ahaziah sent a commander with 50 men to kill Elijah but fire came down and killed them all. This happened again so the next commander didn’t stand at the bottom of the hill Elijah was roosted on, he humbly climbed the hill and bowed before Elijah pleading for his life. God saw his humility and allowed Elijah to go with him.
Elijah went to the king and personally gave him the same prophecy. The king died and his brother, Joram became king. He tore down his fathers pillar to Baal, but continued in other idolatry.
After Ahab had died, the king of Moab decided he didn’t want to pay Israel his yearly tribute. Mesha, king of Moab gathered his troops and came against Israel. King Joram asked Jehoshaphat if he would join him in fighting Moab. He agreed and so did the King of Edom. They traveled into the wilderness to meet with the army of Moab and ran out of water. Ahaziah panicked, but Jehoshaphat searched for a prophet. Elisha was with them but he was hesitant to speak. He told them to ask their pagan prophets since that was who they relied on. King Joram blamed the Lord for bringing them there to die but Elisha asked for a harp player. As the harp was being played, Elisha saw what God was going to do. He would fill the valley with so much water, the enemy would think it was blood. They would be able to ambush them and win. It happened just as he said and God gave them victory.
Jehoshaphat had seven sons that he blessed with cities and authority. He passed the kingdom to his oldest son, Jehoram. He should have passed him his faith in God instead. Jehoram did not follow in his fathers’ footsteps, but followed in the footsteps of evil Israel and killed all his brothers. This was the beginning of his downfall. Other kingdoms that were aligned with him, rebelled and his kingdom became weak.
How sad that Jehoshaphat’s son chose not to rule as his father did. He had seen the mighty things the Lord did for his father, but chose not to follow.
Lord, we pray that our children will choose to follow in the Lord,’s footsteps all the days of their lives.