Jehoshaphat – His Legacy

We started this series by looking at Jehoshaphat’s father, Asa, and the legacy that he left his son.  We saw how Asa had begun the work of removing the high places, and set the groundwork for following after God that his son improved upon.  What should have followed was a story about how great the child of Jehoshaphat was.  Instead, we find out that his legacy was not as good as one could have hoped for.

Jehoshaphat’s Legacy (2 Chronicles 21)

Asa was a good king that left Jehoshaphat a kingdom pleasing to God, and Jehoshaphat continued this legacy.  The kingdom was expanding and had people from other countries bringing tribute.  The children of Judah were hearing about God and were being judged righteously. Male prostitutes, high places, and idol worship were being removed from the area and things seemed to be going well. Yet because of Jehoshaphat’s alliances, his son did not follow in his way.

There were six sons of Jehoshaphat—the oldest (who was crowned king) killed all the others when he ascended the throne. Jehoram is a king in the manner of Ahab and Jezebel—as his mother was their child. It took multiple generations of kings for Judah to get another king that pleased God.

Our legacy

We need to know that our priorities are reflected in future generations. More is caught than taught. While we may be able to do a lot of “good” for God, it may all be undone by future generations if we are not faithful to follow Him.

Jehoshaphat has a lot of lessons for us today. We must choose the people and groups we associate with wisely. We must help train our children to make wise decisions along this line as well. While we may have a good relationship with God ourselves, the associations we entertain and our priorities (if they do not match up with God’s) can cause future problems.

Jehoshaphat

• Jehoshaphat – The Good King
• Jehoshaphat – His Legacy
• Jehoshaphat – Faulty Alliances