The Mistakes and Restoration of Jehoshaphat, a Good King

This passage covers the life of Jehoshaphat, known as a good king of southern Judah. He removed idols and showed reverence for God, but he made fatal mistakes, such as making an alliance with the wicked King Ahab and joining him in battle. In particular, his going into battle disguised as King Ahab, even though he was in danger of death, raises serious questions about the situation of the time and his identity as a man of faith.

Through these actions of Jehoshaphat, the sermon points out the spiritual pride and complacency into which people thought to have good faith can easily fall. It points out that when God gives great blessing, the mistaken confidence that one can keep the faith in any situation led in the end to an alliance with those who hate God. It also tells of his path to restoration: when trouble came, he cried out earnestly to God, did not fight in human strength, and relied on God alone, going out with praise.

Yet considering that the mistakes Jehoshaphat repeated, and the chain of evil left unbroken because of them, affected even his children, we must take care not to trust our own faith too much. The sermon closes at the point where we look back on ourselves, asking whether we are truly standing honestly before God and whether our heart right now is one that pleases him.