2 Chr 20.1-37 tells us that “after this” (Ramoth-Gilead) that the sons of Moab and Ammon, together with the Meunites, came to make war with Judah and Yehoshaphat. He has barely escaped the last battle, and now he has another war. The Meunites are probably from Meon, or “Maonites” (Judges 10.12) in Edom. Yehoshaphat is told about this army and he sought the Lord and proclaimed a fast. He gathered Judah together and he stood in the Temple and prayed. This is a model prayer that should be studied. He recognizes the great power of Yehovah over heaven and all the kingdoms of the earth. Paganism recognized “local” gods and each kingdom had their own. He pointed out God’s great works in the past so he can be asked for great things now. He stood where Solomon stood when he prayed in 2 Chr 6.20-25. He knows that Yehovah did not allow Israel to invade the nations coming against them now because of Deut 2.8-9, 19, so they were left alone. It would be unjust to allow them to destroy Judah now. He asked God to not allow Judah to suffer for obeying his command. He confessed that he did not have the answer on what to do, but they were looking to Yehovah for deliverance. Yehovah answers his prayer through Yahaziel (God will see), the son of Zechariah, a Levite, out of this huge assembly and said that they were not to be afraid because of this great army coming against them. This was Yehovah’s battle and he will fight for Judah. He told them to go down against them tomorrow. This is an important concept. One would think that Judah wouldn’t have to do anything, just let God do it, but Yehovah wanted them to participate in some way. This is telling us that we need to let God go to war for us against our enemies, but we need to do what he said, not stay back in our “Jerusalem” and pray. They still had to show up. He told them where they were coming and they would be at the end of the “valley.” This was the wilderness of Tekoa (2 Chr 20.20). Tekoa means “trumpet.” Judah will not need to fight, but they had to show up and position themselves, stand still, and believe that Yehovah would defend them against such a large army. God would defeat this army anyway he wanted, but he chose a way that required their faith in him. Yehoshaphat and the people responded by bowing with their face to the ground in gratitude. They accepted this word in faith. Then they worshiped in song, led by the Levitical choir. On the next day, they set out for battle being led by singing (2 Chr 20.20-23). This showed they really did believe the prophecy of Yahaziel. It is one thing to say you believe, and another thing to act on what God said to do (Jam 2.18). The wilderness of Tekoa is about ten miles south of Jerusalem. As they went out singing, Yehovah set ambushes against the sons of Ammon, Moab and Mount Seir and they began to fight against themselves. When Judah came to the wilderness, they looked and saw the corpses lying on the ground, and nobody escaped. Yehoshaphat and his army came to take the spoil, which included goods, garments and valuables. They couldn’t carry it all and it took three days to collect all of it. On the fourth day they assembled in a valley named “Berachah” which means “blessing.” They blessed the Lord there and gave him thanks for the victory and the spoils. Then they all returned to Judah with joy and came to Jerusalem with harps, lyres and trumpets to the Temple where they offered thanksgiving again. As a result, the fear of God was on all the kingdoms around Judah because of what the Lord had done. Now, this was not a pattern for warfare in Judah and that “praise” was all they had to do to win battles. They did this because of a specific word from Yehovah. To do it this way in every future battle would have been wrong. However, in our spiritual warfare, we should always trust in the Lord and participate (do) what he instructs us to do. This also alludes to the fact that Yeshua has fought our battle for salvation and he has already rescued us from eternal death. Yehoshaphat reigned for twenty-five years and his mother’s name (the Givorah) was Azubah (deserted) the daughter of Shilhi (weapon, armor). He walked in the way of his father Asa, who was a good king and followed the Torah. But he did not take down the bamot (high places) where offerings were given to the Lord. These were not permissible anymore since the Temple had been built (Mishnah, Zevachim 14. 4-8). These high places were not for idol worship. The people had not directed their hearts to Yehovah to offer only in Jerusalem and the Temple. He should have stopped this practice, but didn’t. The fault was not in Yehoshaphat but the people. Though they thought they were worshiping God, they did not go to the Temple because it was “inconvenient” to do so. It was hard for them to give up the “old ways.” The rest of the acts of Yehoshaphat were written in the annals of Yehu, the son of Hanani, which is written in the book of the Kings of Israel. Remember, he was the prophet who gave Yehoshaphat a word in 2 Chr 19.2-3. The writers of the Tanak, the Gospels and the Epistles used this source along with the Targums, the Book of Gad, The Book of Jasher, the Book of the Wars of the Lord, the Book of Enoch and the Septuagint (LXX). Yehoshaphat also allied himself with the ungodly King of Israel named Ahaziah. He got into the ship building business with him, and God destroyed these ships in 1 Kings 22.48-49. Eliezar the son of Dodayahu (Yehovah is loving) also rebuked Yehoshaphat saying, “Because you have allied yourself with Ahaziah, the Lord has destroyed your works (2 Chr 20 37).” So Yehoshaphat refused another alliance with Ahaziah (1 Kings 22.49) because he had learned his lesson. To some, it may sound cruel for Yehovah to destroy his “works” (the ships) with Ahaziah but it prevented him from entering into another alliance with the ungodly and it prevented him from getting hurt again. But Yehoshaphat helped “the wicked and loved those who hate the Lord” (2 Chr 19.2). This brought wrath upon himself from Yehovah and it is a lesson we all need to know. We can’t avoid all contact with the world and unbelievers, or we would have to be out of the world. But we should not be allied with them beyond what would be prudent. There is no doubt about it, “bad company corrupts good morals” ( 1 Cor 15.33). This chapter is also a picture of the Chevlai Shell Mashiach, or “Birth-pains of the Messiah.” Israel, like Yehoshaphat, will have entered into an ungodly relationship with the False Messiah and God will destroy that work, too. Israel will also be surrounded by enemies, but the Lord will also destroy them as well.
v 1…Now it came about after this (after Ramoth-gilead) that the sons of Moab and the sons of Ammon, together with some of the Meunites (orobaby from Meon or “Maonites”-Judges 10.12 in Edom), came to make war against Yehoshaphat (Israel was not allowed to make war with them coming out of Egypt-Deut 2.8-9, 19).
v 2…Then some came and reported to Yehoshaphat, saying, “A great multitude is coming against you from beyond the sea (Dead Sea), on this side of Syria (“Aram”-they passed by on their way to Judah), and behold, they are in Hazaon-tamar (that is Eb-gedi).”
v 3…And Yehoshaphat was afraid and turned his attention to seek the Lord (because of what the Lord told him in 19.2), and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah).
v 4…So Judah gathered together to seek help from the Lord; they even came from all the citie of Judah to seek the Lord.
v 5…Then Yehoshaphat stood (where Solomon stood prayed his great prayer in 2 Chr 6.20-25) in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the Lord before the new court (of the priests which was repaired by Asa-2 Chr 15.8; he stood in the court of the people; this is a model prayer for us also),
v 6…and he said, “O Lord (Yehovah), the God of our fathers, art thou not God in the heavens? And art thou not ruler over all the kingdoms of the nations? Power and might are in thy hand so that no one can stand against thee (Paganism recognized “local gods” and each kingdom had their own; not so with Yehovah).\
v 7…Didst thou not, O our God, drive out the inhabitants of this land before thy people Israel, and give it to the descendants of Abraham thy friend forever?
v 8…And they lived in it, and have built thee a sanctuary there for thy name, saying,
v 9…’Should evil come upon us, the sword, or judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we will stand before this house and before thee, for thy name is in this place, and cry to thee in our distress, and thou wilt hear and deliver us (1 Kings 8.33).’
v 10…And now behold, the sons of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir (Edom), whom thou didst not let Israel invade when they came out of the land of Egypt (Deut 2.8-9, 19), they turned aside from them and did not destroy them,
v 11…behold they are rewarding us (for not invading them), by coming to drive us out from thy possession which thou hast given us as an inheritance.
v 12…O our God, wilt thou not judge them? For we are powerless before this great multitude who are coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are on thee.”
v 13…And all Judah was standing before the Lord, with their infants, their wives, and their children.
v 14…Then in the midst of the assembly the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah (to answer his prayer), the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, the Levite of the sons of Asaph (out of all this great assembly because the Spirit of God blows where he wills);
v 15…and he said, “Listen, all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem and King Yehoshaphat: this says the Lord to you, ‘Do not fear or be dismayed because of this great multitue, for the battle is not yours but God’s.
v 16…Tomorrow go down against them (even though God said the battle was his, they still had to go down and participate). Behold, they will come up by the ascent of Ziz (Haztitz-a steep hill), and you will find them at the end of the valley (wilderness of Tekoa-20.20) in front of the wilderness of Jeruel.
v 17…You need not fight in this battle, station yourselves, stand and see the salvation of the Lord on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem.’ Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out to face them, for the Lord is with you.”
v 18…And Yehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down before the Lord, worshiping the Lord.
v 19…And the Levites, from the sons of the Kohathites and of the sons of the Korahites, stood up to praise the Lord God of Israel, with a very loud voice (now in song led by the Levitical choir).
v 20…And they arose early in the morning and went out to the wilderness of Tekoa (about ten miles south of Jerusalem (they really did believe the prophecy); and when they went out, Yehoshaphat stood and said, “Listen to me, OJudah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, put your trust in the Lord your God, and you will be established. Put your trust in his prophets and succeed.”
v 21…And when he had consulted with the people (his officers), he appointed those who sang to the Lord and those who praised him in majestic holiness, as they went out before the army (to inspire them) and said, “Give thanks to the Lord, for his lovingkindness is everlasting (Psa 136.1).”
v 22…And when they began singing and praising, the Lord set ambushes against the sons of Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; so they were routed (the Lord turned them against themselves in confusion).
v 23…For the sons of Ammon and Moab rose up against the inhabitants of Mount Seir destroying them completely, and when they had finished with the inhabitants of Seir (Edom) they helped to destroy one another (in their confusion).
v 24…When Judah came to look out of the wilderness, they looked toward the multitude; and behold, they were corpses lying on the ground, and no one had escaped.
v 25…And when Yehoshaphat and his people came to take their spoil, they found much among them, including goods, garments, and valuable things which they took for themselves, more than they could carry. And they were three days taking the spoil because there was so much.
v 26…Then on the fourth day they assembled in the valley of Berachah (blessing-on the main road from Hebron to Jerusalem) for there they blessed the Lord. Therefore they named that place “The Valley of Berachah” until today.
v 27…And every man of Judah and Jerusalem returned (no casualties) with Yehoshaphat at their head, returning to Jerusalem with joy, for the Lord had made them to rejoice over their enemies.
v 28…And they came to Jerusalem with harps, lyres, and trumpets to the house of the Lord.
v 29…And the dread (fear) of God was on all the kingdoms of the lands when they heard that the Lord had fought against the enemies of Israel (this is not a pattern to use praise every time to win battles, but the result of a specific word from Yehovah. However, in our spiritual warfare we should always trust in the Lord and participate as God directs).
v 30…So the kingdom of Yehoshaphat was at peace, for his God gave him rest on all sides.
v 31…Now Yehoshaphat reigned over Judah. He was thirty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-five years. And his mother’s name was Azubah the daughter of Shilhi (the queen mother or “Givorah”).
v 32…And he walked in the way of his father Asa and did not depart from it, doing right in the sight of the Lord (as defined by the Torah).
v 33…The high places, however, were not removed (the ones permitted to the Lord that were there before the Temple was built-Mishnah, Zevachim 14.4-8); the people had not directed their hearts to the God of their fathers (to offer only in Jerusalem and the Temple-Deut 12.5; he should have stopped the practice. It was inconvenient for the people to go to Jerusalem and it was hard to give up the “old ways”).
v 34…Now the rest of the acts of Yehoshaphat, first to last, behold, they are written in the annals of Jehu, the son of Hanani, which is recorded in the Book of the Kings of Israel (not the Scripture but a scribal record; the writers of the Tanak and Brit Chadasha drew from many sources like the Dead Sea Scrolls, the Targums Uzziel and Jonathan, book of Jasher -Josh 10.13, book of Gad -2 Chr 29.25, Book of the Wars of the Lord-Num 21.14; book of 1 Enoch, book 2-Jude 14).
v 35…And that this Yehoshaphat king of Judah allied himself with Ahaziah king of Israel (goes back to what he did previously as seen in the Kings account because Ahaziah only reigned two years, and not mentioned in Chronicles-see comments on this verse in the Artscroll Tanach Series on Second Chronicles, p. 146-147) who acted wickedly (Ahaziah walked in the ways of Ahab his father; Istrael will enter another ungodly alliance with the False MEssiah before the Birth-pains).
v 36…So he allied himself with him to make ships to go to Tarshish, and they made the ships in Ezion-geber.
v 37…Then Eliezer the son of Dodavahu of Mareshah prophesied against Yehoshaphat saying, “Because you have allied yourself with Ahaziah the Lord has destroyed your works.” So the ships were broken and could not go to Tarshish.
2 Chr 21.1-20 will be a picture of the False Messiah. Yehoshaphat dies and is replaced by his son Yehoram (“Yehovah is exalted”) and was thirty-two when he became king. He reigned eight years and was an evil king (like the False Messiah). He married Athaliah, the daughter of Ahab and Jezebel if that tells you anything, and he walked in the evil and idolatrous ways of the kings of Israel. Yehovah was not willing to destroy the House of David, however, because he had made a promise to David to have a “lamp” or descendant of his on the throne (1 Kings 11.36). The term “son of David” has messianic implications and is a title for the Messiah. Yehoram killed his six brothers (made war on the saints), even though Yehoshaphat has scattered them throughout the land. He also killed some chief nobles. Yehoshaphat, as we have seen, was a good king but he compromised with evil people. This habit will have serious consequences, like the marriage of his son to the evil Athaliah. Edom revolts against Judah and Yehoram goes to war and defeats them, but they will continue in revolt. As long as the Judean kings walked with God the nations were kept under control by Yehovah. However, when Judah revolted against God, these nations revolted. Yehoram also made high places (bamot) for idolatrous worship, something Asa (his grandfather) and Yehoshaphat (his father) opposed. So, in these ways, he is like the False Messiah. He was Jewish, made war on the saints (his brothers and nobles), was lawless (Torah-less) and he promoted idolatry. We learn in 2 Chr 21.12-15 that a letter came to him from Elijah the Prophet, ten years after the events of 2 Kings 2.1-14. We do not believe that Elijah was “taken to Heaven” because Yeshua said that nobody has “ascended to heaven” at least at the time he said this in John 3.13. So, let’s go over some of the things we have said before in 2 Kings 2.1-14. According to the Scriptures, we know that there are three “heavens” (2 Cor 12.2). There is the “heaven” where the clouds, birds and airplanes fly, and there is a second heaven containing the sun, moon and the stars. The third heaven is where God and his throne is. When Elijah departed, his ministry was over as far as God was concerned, and Elisha was given the double-portion as “heir” to the prophets and the ministry (2 Kings 2.9). When this event was over, some thought that they should go out and search for Elijah because “perhaps the Spirit of Yehovah” has taken him and cast him up on some mountain or into some valley (2 Kings 2.16). So, some thought Elijah could have been taken to another place, which is alluded to in 1 Kings 18.12, and actually done in Acts 8.39 with Phillip. We believe that Elijah was taken away to another location, having entered the first heaven (where the birds fly) by the Ruach Ha Kodesh, and later was able to write this letter about the politics of the day. The only other possibility is that this letter was written beforehand and then given ten years later, but we doubt it. For more information on this, we refer you to Tanak Foundations-Second Kings-Part 1. This letter from Elijah condemned Yehoram’s sins and predicted his demise. Because he had no “bowels” or compassion for his family and brothers, he will be struck with a disease of the bowels (21.15). Then Yehovah stirred up against Yehoram the spirit of the Philistines and the Arabs who bordered the Ethiopians. They came to Judah and invaded it and carried away all his possessions found in his house, along with his sons and his wives. Only one son, Yehoahaz, was left to him. There is a concept in the Scriptures called “Middah Kneged Middah” and it means “measure for measure.” In trying to protect his throne he murdered all his brothers. Now, all his sons were taken except one (a “lamp” for David as promised in 1 Kings 11.36). After this, Yehovah struck Yehoram in his bowels with an incurable sickness (Deut 32.39). In the course of time (two years) his bowels came out because of this disease and he died in great pain. The people “made no fire” in his honor like they did with Asa in 2 Chr 16.14. Nobody regretted his death and they buried him in the city of David, but not in the royal tombs. He was a cruel tyrant, promoted Baal worship and prostituted women to Ashtoret and made war on his brothers and chief nobles and he is a picture of the False Messiah. The problem with Yehoram is just because he has died doesn’t mean that his legacy has ended. His wife Athaliah will rule as the Givorah with Yehoram’s youngest son Yehoahaz. She will be his counselor and will advise him to do evil, just like the house of Ahab. When he dies, she will kill all the royal offspring and usurp the throne for herself. She will be another picture of the False Messiah and we will deal with her in 2 Chr 22 and 23.
v 1…Then Yehoshaphat slept with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the city of David, and Yehoram (Yehovah is exalted and a type of the False Messiah) his son became king in his place (he was thirty-two when he became king and he reigned eight years and was an evil king. He married Athaliah the daughter of Ahab and Jezebel).
v 2…And he had brothers, the sons of Yehoshaphat: Azariah, Jehiel, Zechariah, Azariahu, Michael, and Shephatiah. All these were the sons of Yehoshaphat the king of Israel (he was the rightful king of Israel and defended them, and he was king of two tribes of Israel).
v 3…And their father gave them many gifts of silver, gold, and precious things, with fortified cities in Judah but he gave the kingdom to Yehoram because he was the first-born.
v 4…Now when Yehoram had taken over the kingdom of his father and made himself secure, he killed all his brothers with the sword, and some of the rulers of Israel also (he made war on the saints like the False Messiah.
v 5…Yehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem.
v 6…And he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, just as the house of Ahab did, for Ahab’s daughter was his wife (her name is omitted here which deviated from the normal practice; Yehoshaphat married the daughter of Omri king of Israel, so a link to the royal house of the northern kingdom was already established and this would cause much damage to the Davidic line), and he did evil in the sight of the Lord.
v 7…Yet the Lord was not willing to destroy the house of David because of the covenant which he made with David, and since he had promised to give a lamp (an heir; messianic implications-1 Kings 11.36; he will leave one of his sons alive) to him and his sons forever.
v 8…In his days Edom revolted against the rule of Judah and set up a king over themselves.
v 9…Then Yehoram crossed over (Jordan) with his commanders and all his chariots with him. And it came about that he arose by night and struck down the Edomites who were surrounding him and the commanders of his chariots.
v 10…So Edom revolted against Judah to this day (they continued to make war even after their defeat). Then LIbnah revolted (Jews on the border of Judah and joined forces with Edom) at the same time against his rule, because he had forsaken the Lord God of his fathers.
v 11…However, he made high places (bamot that promoted idolatry) in the mountains of Judah, and caused the inhabitants of Jerusalem to play the harlot and led Judah astray.
v 12…Then a letter came to him from Elijah the prophet (ten years after 2 Kings 2.1-12 because Elijah remained on earth-see the comments above in the chapter introduction for an explanation of this), saying, “Thus says the Lord God of your father David, ‘Because you have not walked in the ways of Yehoshaphat your father and the ways of Asa king of Judah,
v 13…but have walked in the way of the kings of Israel, and have caused Judah and the inhabitants of Israel to play the harlot, and you have also killed your brothers, your own family, who were better than you,
v 14…behold, the Lord is going to strike your people, your sons, your wives, and all your possessions with a great calamity;
v 15…and you will suffer severe sickness, a disease of your bowels (because he had no “bowels of compassion” for his brothers that he killed-Gill commentary on v 15) until your bowels come out because of the sickness, day by day.’ “
v 16…Then the Lord stirred up against Yehoram the spirit of the Philistines and the Arabs who bordered the Ethiopians (Midianites);
v 17…and they came against Judah and invaded it, and carried away all the possessions found in the king’s palace together with his sons and his wives, so that no son was left to him except Yehoahaz, the youngest of his son (the lamp of v 7).
v 18…So after all this the Lord smote him in his bowels with an incurable sickness (Deut 32.39).
v 19…Now it came about in the course of time, at the end of two years, that his bowels came out because of his sickness and he died in great pain. And his people made no fire (in honor of him) like the fire for his fathers (Asa-16.14).
v 20…He was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years, and he departed with no one’s regret, and they buried him in the city of David, but not in the tombs of the kings (he was a civil tyrant, promoted Baal worship and prostituted the women to Ashtoret and made war on the saints, his brothers and chief nobles; in this he is a type of the False Messiah. But just because he dies, the threat is not over. His wife Athaliah will rule as the Givorah with her son Yehoahaz, and she will counsel him to do evil. When he dies, she will kill all the royal offspring, but one will be hidden from her, Joash. She will usurp the throne and she will also be a picture of the False Messiah).
Leave a Reply