Topical Bible: Idolatry: Zeal Against: Jehoshaphat

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Jehoshaphat, the son of Asa, was the fourth king of the Kingdom of Judah and reigned from approximately 873 to 849 BC. His reign is noted for religious reforms and a fervent zeal against idolatry, which was prevalent in the surrounding nations and had infiltrated Judah itself. Jehoshaphat's efforts to eradicate idolatry and restore the worship of Yahweh are documented in the biblical narrative, particularly in the books of 1 Kings and 2 Chronicles.

Jehoshaphat's commitment to purging idolatry from Judah is first evident in 2 Chronicles 17:3-6 : "Now the LORD was with Jehoshaphat because he walked in the earlier ways of his father David. He did not seek out the Baals, but sought the God of his father and walked by His commandments rather than the practices of Israel. So the LORD established the kingdom in his hand, and all Judah brought him tribute, and he had riches and honor in abundance. And his heart took delight in the ways of the LORD; furthermore, he removed the high places and Asherah poles from Judah."

Jehoshaphat's reforms were comprehensive and aimed at both the removal of physical idols and the spiritual education of the people. He sent officials, Levites, and priests throughout the land to teach the people the Law of the LORD, as recorded in 2 Chronicles 17:7-9. This initiative was not merely about removing idols but also about instilling a deep understanding of God's commandments among the people, thereby fostering a culture resistant to idolatry.

Despite his zeal, Jehoshaphat's reign was not without challenges. His alliance with Ahab, the king of Israel, through marriage and military cooperation, brought him into contact with the idolatrous practices of the northern kingdom. This alliance is critiqued in 2 Chronicles 19:2 , where Jehu the seer rebukes Jehoshaphat: "Should you help the wicked and love those who hate the LORD? Because of this, the wrath of the LORD is upon you."

Nevertheless, Jehoshaphat's overall legacy is one of devotion to God and a determined effort to lead his people away from idolatry. His reforms laid a foundation for spiritual renewal in Judah, and his reign is often remembered for its emphasis on returning to the worship of the one true God. Jehoshaphat's zeal against idolatry serves as a testament to his commitment to uphold the covenantal relationship between God and His people, striving to ensure that Judah remained distinct from the idolatrous practices of its neighbors.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

2 Chronicles 17:6
And his heart was lifted up in the ways of the LORD: moreover he took away the high places and groves out of Judah.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Jehoshaphat's Reform
... side by side with the removal of idolatry, this king ... or 'laymen,' because of their
zeal in the ... attempt to diffuse the remedy against idolatry throughout the ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture g/jehoshaphats reform.htm

Of Antichrist, and his Ruin: and of the Slaying the Witnesses.
... hath taken it, and done that execution on it that their zeal and piety ... came upon
the armies of the Gentiles, when they came up to fight against Jehoshaphat. ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/of antichrist and his ruin .htm

The Assumption of Moses
... The, proneness of the Jews to idolatry, the likelihood ... Jude, as also against the
Assumption of Moses, on ... coupled with an energetic and fanatical zeal for the ...
//christianbookshelf.org/deane/pseudepigrapha/the assumption of moses.htm

The Old Testament Canon from Its Beginning to Its Close.
... its ceremonial precepts and penalties against transgressors, the ... of the nation, the
extinction of idolatry, the general ... at first by the reforming zeal of one ...
/.../davidson/the canon of the bible/chapter ii the old testament.htm

Of Civil Government.
... consulted for the human race, that pious zeal may the ... its only object, but it is,
that no idolatry, no blasphemy ... the name of God, no calumnies against his truth ...
/.../the institutes of the christian religion/chapter 20 of civil government.htm

Covenant Duties.
... to truth, are ignorant of that unholy zeal with which ... defence, not against the others,
but against a common foe ... Idolatry, or the whole of false religion and all ...
/.../cunningham/the ordinance of covenanting/chapter iv covenant duties.htm

An Exposition on the First Ten Chapters of Genesis, and Part of ...
... must needs more shamelessly spurn and reject, when he doth it against the evident ...
together, as such, is to commit most gross and horrible idolatry: For albeit ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/an exposition on the first.htm

The Hebrews and the Philistines --Damascus
... Samaria: Ahab and the Tyrian alliance"The successors of Hiram I. at Tyre: Ithobaal
I.--- The prophets, their struggle against Phonician idolatry, the story ...
/.../chapter iiithe hebrews and the.htm

A Holy Life the Beauty of Christianity: Or, an Exhortation to ...
... in faith, in love, in repentance, in zeal, in humility ... it has provoked the justice
of God against him, and ... made them idols.' The sin of idolatry threw their ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/a holy life the beauty.htm

A Treatise of the Fear of God;
... will they ever resist unto blood, striving against sin; they ... the law of righteousness,
they had a zeal of God ... lions, because they had set up idolatry in the ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/a treatise of the fear.htm