Ahab & Jezebel, Elijah, and Jehoshaphat lived contemporaneously. Jehoshaphat became king of Judah in the 4th year of Ahab’s reign over Israel. Jehoshaphat was 35 and reigned 25 years. Ahab was killed before Jehoshaphat died, so part of Jehoshaphat’s reign was during Ahab’s sons’ reigns. Elijah outlived them both. The link below is a chronology of the Old Testament, but Old Testament dates are by no means without differences of opinion.
https://biblehub.com/timeline/old.htm
1 Kings 17—Elijah vs Ahab & the drought/famine
Elijah the Tishbite (of Gilead, east of the Jordan River) comes to Ahab and makes a serious pronouncement to Ahab, invoking God’s authority: there will be no rain, nor even dew, until Elijah says so. This is not going to endear him to Ahab.
God tells Elijah to hide out at the brook Cherith, on the east side of the Jordan River valley. There he will have water from the brook and be fed by ravens. A documentary I saw years ago showed that ravens would drop the bones of an animal that has been killed from high in flight so that on hitting the ground they would be broken open and reveal the nutrition inside.
But eventually that brook dries up, and God sends Elijah to Zarephath, belonging to Zidon/Sidon (a Phoenician city on the east coast of the Mediterranean Sea). We don’t have any background on this woman, except that she is a widow, had a son & household (of which she was mistress), and Elijah encountered her at the gate of the city gathering sticks for her kitchen fire. We might speculate whether or not she was an Israelite living in exile during the famine (as Naomi had done), whether she was some relative of Elijah’s, or whether she might have been a type of innkeeper (if her house was at the city gate, though we don’t know if that was the case, that’s just where Elijah met her). We find in this chapter that Elijah lived in her loft.
God has told Elijah that He has commanded that widow to take care of him. That doesn’t mean necessarily that God spoke to her (though He may have), she may have got the message from Elijah, and in fact the command may have been God’s decree spoken or ordained in heaven.
Elijah, by whatever means, recognizes who to call to. He asks her for a drink. No doubt he’s very thirsty from the road/travel. As she’s going for that he calls to her again and asks for a little bread. She protests that she doesn’t have any (bread was made in a flat shape similar to a modern pancake—though not with the same leavening agent). She’s got only a handful of flour and a little oil, for which she is gathering 2 sticks to make a fire for their last meal before starving to death. It may be that she was exaggerating a bit (surely she’d need more than 2 sticks for a fire to cook on) to excuse herself from taking on another mouth to feed, but because she had been willing to get him a drink, and after all agrees to Elijah’s request (believing his promise), we are inclined to believe that she and her son/household really were in dire straights due to the famine/drought.
Elijah tells her not to fear, and tests her faith with the request to feed him first. This would not go over well in today’s society, and probably wouldn’t have been popular then either. But Elijah makes a promise in God’s name that she’ll never run out of flour/meal or oil until God sends rain. She does as he says, and is rewarded in that her whole household never runs out of food. Now this could mean that a miracle similar to turning water to wine or feeding 5000 with a few fish and loaves of bread occurred, or nearly as miraculous in that they were perhaps always able to procure what they needed to live during such destitute, desperate times.
But another test comes, in that the widow’s son becomes so desperately ill that he stops breathing. She’s not shy in her reproach of both Elijah and herself. Whatever her sin was, small or great, she’s afraid she’s being punished for it. Elijah says, Give me the boy. He carries him up to his own loft room, puts him on his own bed and prays for him, and for her. Three times he stretches out on the boy, pleading for God to restore him. He may have felt that the warmth of his body, or the weight of it, would bring back the boy’s breath—God willing. And God was willing. Now the woman is sure that Elijah really is a man of God, who speaks God’s word.
1 Kings 18—Elijah vs Ahab & the priests of Baal, a showdown
Many days later (the 3rd year of drought—no small emergency at any time, but especially in an agrarian society), God sends Elijah to Ahab, with the promise of rain to come. Elijah was a man of extraordinary courage/faith. He would be persona non grata with Ahab, who was not known for gentleness.
Ahab has a steward over his house named Obadiah, a God-fearing man. He had ventured his own position and life to save 100 prophets of God from Queen Jezebel, hiding them in a couple caves and feeding them. Ahab sends this steward out searching everywhere for some place that has enough water to grow feed for Ahab’s horses & mules. Ahab goes one way, Obadiah goes the other way.
Elijah meets Obadiah, who guesses who he is. Elijah confirms his identity, and Obadiah pays him respect. But then Elijah asks an hard thing of Obadiah. It’s one thing to do something secretly, but Elijah is asking him to go face to face with Ahab. Is Elijah setting him up to be put to death? Ahab has been searching high and low for Elijah, making every kingdom/nation swear that Elijah is not among them (and the implication is that if they found him they had better turn him over). You can almost hear the man’s anxious answer: And now you’re asking me to go tell Ahab where you are? As soon as I do, the Spirit of the Lord will whisk you away somewhere, so that when I bring Ahab he’ll kill me. And yet I have been true to God since I was young! Haven’t you heard that I saved 100 of God’s prophets from Jezebel and took care of them?
Elijah promises with an oath on God that he will show himself to Ahab the very day, and Obadiah goes to get the king. “And it came to pass, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said unto him, Art thou he that troubleth Israel?” Elijah answers, “I have not troubled Israel; but thou, and thy father’s house…” Because they have led Israel astray to worship Baalim.
Elijah tells Ahab to bring the 450 prophets of Baal as well as the 400 prophets of the groves (places of worship in the woods) to Mt Carmel. All these eat at Jezebel’s table (a hefty tax burden on the people). So they all come for a showdown.
21 And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the Lord be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word.
22 Then said Elijah unto the people, I, even I only, remain a prophet of the Lord; but Baal’s prophets are four hundred and fifty men.
The challenge is set: the 450 prophets of Baal will have a bull to sacrifice, and Elijah will have a bull to sacrifice. Each bull will be cut in pieces and laid on the wood without fire. Each will call on their deities, and whichever answers with fire will be proof of who is the true God. Everybody says, Fair enough.
Elijah sits by while the prophets of Baal call on him all morning. No response. They leap on the altar, cut themselves “till the blood gushed out”. Elijah makes fun of them . . . “And it came to pass at noon, that Elijah mocked them, and said, Cry aloud: for he is a god; either he is talking, or he is pursuing, or he is in a journey, or peradventure he sleepeth, and must be awaked.”
Evening comes. Elijah calls the people over. He repairs God’s altar that has been broken down, either on purpose or through neglect. He takes 12 stones, for the 12 tribes of Israel, and builds an altar in God’s name. He digs (or has dug) a trench around the altar large enough to hold 2 measures of seed (what measure is not explained). He puts the wood on the altar, and the cut up beef. He has them pour 4 barrels of water over the meat and the wood. A 2nd and a third time he has them drench the meat and fuel. The trench is full of the run-off. Elijah prays that God will hear his plea, show the people that He is God, and that Elijah speaks for him. He prays that the people’s hearts will be brought back to worship the true God.
Fire falls and consumes not only the meat sacrifice, but the wood, the stones, the dust, and the trench full of water. The people fall on their faces in worship and acknowledgement that “The Lord, he is the God; the Lord, he is the God,” perhaps a well-known phrase they recite.
Elijah has the people take the prophets of Baal, nor let any escape. Elijah takes them down to the brook Kishon, and kills them (or has them killed).
Elijah tells Ahab to start feasting/celebrating because it’s going to rain in abundance. Ahab does so, and Elijah climbs to the top of Mt Carmel. He drops to the ground with his face between his knees. He sends his servant to look for clouds toward the Mediterranean, only a few miles away. Nothing. Seven times he sends him, and at last a little cloud rises from the sea, the size of a man’s hand. Elijah tells him to go tell Ahab to get down off the mountain before he is stopped by the rain. Meanwhile the sky becomes black with clouds, wind, and rain. Ahab goes to Jezreel. Elijah beats him there and meets him at the entrance.
1 Kings 19—Elijah vs Ahab & Jezebel, Elijah flees for his life, despondent in a cave
Ahab tells the whole story to Jezebel, who had not made the effort to go. Jezebel is incensed for the killing of her prophets, and sends a threat to Elijah that she means to do the same to him by the same time the next day. Elijah flees for his life all the way down to Beer-sheba, south in Judah.
Elijah is discouraged to death. He leaves his servant in Beer-sheba, and travels a day’s journey into the wilderness. He sits under a juniper tree and asks God to take his life. He says he’s no better than his ancestors. He falls asleep, and an angel wakes him with a touch, saying, “Arise and eat.” There is a cake/bread on the coals and a cruse of water. He eats and drinks and lies down again.
Again, the angel of God wakes him, saying, “Arise and eat; because the journey is too great [arduous] for thee.” Elijah gets up and eats, and it gives him enough strength for 40 days and nights until he gets to Mt Horeb, “the Mountain of God”. Forty days and nights may be an idiom meaning many, but to travel from Beer-sheba to Mt Horeb was still a considerable trek. (Mt Horeb/Sinai was where the 10 commandments were given, exact location uncertain).
https://bibleatlas.org/mount_horeb.htm
Elijah finds a cave on the mountain in which to stay. God asks, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” Elijah replies sorrowfully, “I have been so anxious for Thee, because the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and killed thy prophets . . . I’m the only one left, and they are seeking my life as well." God tells Elijah to stand on the mount before Him . . .
“And, behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the Lord; but the Lord was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the Lord was not in the earthquake: And after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.”
When Elijah hears God’s voice, he wraps his face in his cloak (lest he see God and be destroyed) and goes to the cave entrance. The Voice again asks him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
Elijah repeats himself . . . he’s done all he can, and the people just won’t listen, and they are after his life. God sends him back up to the wilderness of Damascus, where he is to anoint Hazael king over Syria, Jehu king over Israel, and Elisha as his own successor (Elijah would serve as mentor to Elisha for some while before succeeding him). God says that whoever escapes death by Hazael, will be killed by Jehu, and whoever escapes Jehu will be killed by Elisha (presumably He speaks of the heirs/armies of Ahab).
And yet, says God, I have still 7000 men in Israel who are still true to me: they have not bowed the knee, nor kissed the image of Baal. Have the people forgotten the showdown so soon? Are they so stubborn? Or are they merely trying to get along in the world, and choose the most politically correct actions/expediencies?
Elijah leaves and finds Elisha plowing with 12 pair of oxen—others are each plowing with a team, and he is plowing with the 12th. It appears that Elisha is from a wealthy family. Elijah tosses his cloak on Elisha. Elisha runs to catch up with him and asks leave to say goodbye to his parents. Elijah replies indifferently, “Go back, what have I done to you?” Elisha goes back and makes a sacrifice of his team of oxen, feeding the people as would be culturally correct. Then he gets up and follows Elijah, and becomes his servant/caregiver.
1 Kings 20—Ahab vs Ben-hadad of Syria
King Ben-hadad of Syria and 32 allied kings (perhaps city-states) besiege Samaria, the capital of Ahab’s Israelite kingdom. The Syrian king sends a message to Ahab boasting/demanding that all Ahab’s silver, gold, wives, children, and all his best goods are his. Ahab acquiesces. Hadad sends messengers again saying the next day his people will come and search Ahab’s residence and take away whatever they like. Ahab feels pushed too far, and calls the elders of Israel, saying that Hadad is looking for any excuse to keep expanding his demands. The elders tell him not to consent to Hadad’s demands. So Ahab replies that he will comply with the first demands, but no more.
Ben-hadad vows that he will beat Samaria to dust. Ahab replies, “ Let not him that girdeth on his harness boast himself as he that putteth it off.” In other words, don’t boast as if you have already accomplished the deed. Hadad gets the message while drinking, and orders the armies to set for battle.
An unnamed prophet comes to Ahab and says that despite the huge armies set for battle against him, God will give Ahab the victory, and he will know who is truly God. Obviously Ahab is greatly influenced by his pagan wife Jezebel. Ahab inquires about how to meet the attack. He’s got 232 princes leading 7000 warriors, with himself at the head. They go out to battle at noon. Ben-hadad and his allied leaders have been drinking themselves drunk in their pavilion/tent, operational command. Word comes of the little army come out of the city for its defense. He says to take them alive (presumably the princes), whether they’ve come out as a peace embassage or for war.
Amazingly, the little Israelite army puts the Syrians to flight. Ben-hadad escapes, but it’s a great slaughter.
A prophet, probably the same unnamed man, tells Ahab to ready his forces for the next season of war, expecting Ben-hadad will return. Hadad’s counsellors say, Our defeat came because their gods are gods of the hills. We should fight them on the plain, and we’ll best them. Replace the army you’ve lost man for man, horse for horse, chariot for chariot—which would require no paltry sum.
So when the season of fighting returns, Ben-hadad numbers his men and comes against Israel again. The Israelites look like 2 little flocks of kid goats or sheep, while the Syrian army fills the country.
An unnamed man of God (perhaps the same unnamed prophet?) tells Ahab that because the Syrians think God is only a God of the hills and not of the valleys, God will deliver the Syrians to Ahab, and again, he will know that God is God of all.
For 7 days the armies face one another, and on the 7th day they meet in battle. The Israelites again beat the Syrians: 100,000 footmen killed in one day. The Syrians flee to the city of Aphek where a wall falls upon 27,000 more. Ben-hadad escapes into the inner city. His counsellors suggest that he humble himself (the king and his cabinet put on sackcloth and a rope around their heads/necks—symbolizing the submission/slavery of the vanquished) and throw themselves on the mercy of the Israelite king.
Ahab accepts Ben-hadad into his chariot, calls him a brother. Ben-hadad says he’ll return the cities his father took from Ahab’s father, and allow privileges in his capital (Damascus), as his father had done in Samaria. Ahab agrees and sends him away. As ever, wealthy and powerful leaders feel more kinship with one another than with their people—no matter what price the people have to pay for their rulers to be buddies.
One of the sons of the prophet tells his compatriot to hit him, which he refuses. So the man says that because he refused to obey the voice of the Lord, he will be killed by a lion as soon as he leaves. So it happens. The son of the prophet approaches another with the same request that he hit him. His request is granted, and he is wounded. The wounded man (disguised with ashes on his face) meets Ahab. He tells the king a little story about dereliction of duty, and Ahab quickly passes judgment. The prophet cleans his face from the ashes and Ahab recognizes that he is one of the prophets. The prophet tells Ahab that because he let Ben-hadad go, his own life and people are set for destruction. Ahab returns to Samaria “heavy and displeased”.
A note about Ben-hadad. It seems he was the same king of Syria that Jehoshaphat’s father Asa had enticed to break alliance with Israel against Judah. Ben-hadad would die during Elisha’s calling as prophet to Israel (see 2 Kings 8:7-15). Remember that in the previous chapter (1 Kings 19), God had sent Elijah to anoint Hazael king over Syria, Jehu king over Israel, and Elisha as his own successor. Just as it had been when David was anointed successor to Saul by Samuel, it didn’t happen right away, but it happened.
1 Kings 21—Ahab & Jezebel take what they want
King Ahab covets his neighbor Naboth’s vineyard in Jezreel. This must be another royal residence, as it is north of Samaria, the capital city of the kings of Israel after they split from Judah under Jereboam. Ahab offers a trade or to buy it. But Naboth doesn’t want to sell his ancestral home. Ahab is despondent. Jezebel sees his distress (he’s not eating). She says, Are you king or not? Hang tight, I’ll get it for you. She writes letters in Ahab’s name and seals them with his seal, to the elders & nobles of the city demanding a fast and a charge of blasphemy against Naboth. She hires false witnesses, Naboth is found guilty of blasphemy against God and the king, and is executed (stoned). Now whether the judges didn’t know about the suborned testimonies, or whether they found it politically expedient not to know, the injustice is carried through. Jezebel tells Ahab to take Naboth’s vineyard (no heirs, or were they too afraid to object?).
https://bibleatlas.org/jezreel.htm atlas entry about Jezreel
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/22/bb/c9/22bbc9ff89c166b9a2f80c0907b0bcfc.jpg map
God sends Elijah to Ahab with this tidy message, “Hast thou killed, and also taken possession? . . . Thus saith the Lord, In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick thy blood, even thine.” Ahab’s reply: “Hast thou found me, O mine enemy?” Elijah shoots back, “I have found thee: because thou hast sold thyself to work evil in the sight of the Lord,” and gives him the consequences of his badness: Ahab’s posterity will be wiped out (those that die in the city will be eaten by the dogs, those outside the city will be eaten by the birds; both carrion eaters), and Jezebel’s carcass will be eaten by the dogs of Jezreel.
25 ¶ But there was none like unto Ahab, which did sell himself to work wickedness in the sight of the Lord, whom Jezebel his wife stirred up.
26 And he did very abominably in following idols, according to all things as did the Amorites, whom the Lord cast out before the children of Israel.
27 And it came to pass, when Ahab heard those words, that he rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his flesh, and fasted, and lay in sackcloth, and went softly.
28 And the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying,
29 Seest thou how Ahab humbleth himself before me? because he humbleth himself before me, I will not bring the evil in his days: but in his son’s days will I bring the evil upon his house.
1 Kings 22—Ahab & Jehoshaphat vs the Syrians
Three years of peace pass between Syria & Israel. But in the 3rd year King Jehoshaphat of Judah has come to visit Ahab, obviously to effect an alliance. Ahab wants Jehoshaphat to help him recover Ramoth in Gilead from Syria. Jehoshaphat says ok, but he is not certain whether they’ll have God’s blessing in the endeavor (we will see next the kind of man/king he is). Ahab gathers 400 prophets to inquire, and they all give the go-ahead. Jehoshaphat is still uncertain, and asks if there’s not another prophet, one of God’s prophets. Perhaps he detects the character of those 400.
8 And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, There is yet one man, Micaiah the son of Imlah, by whom we may inquire of the Lord: but I hate him; for he doth not prophesy good concerning me, but evil. And Jehoshaphat said, Let not the king say so.
9 Then the king of Israel called an officer, and said, Hasten hither Micaiah the son of Imlah.
The messenger warns Micaiah about political expediency: you’d better agree with the others. Micaiah replies that he’ll only say what God tells him. He goes with the messenger to Ahab, and says the words Ahab wants to hear, but Ahab knows he’s just saying the words . . .
16 And the king said unto him, How many times shall I adjure thee that thou tell me nothing but that which is true in the name of the Lord?
17 And he said, I saw all Israel scattered upon the hills, as sheep that have not a shepherd: and the Lord said, These have no master: let them return every man to his house in peace.
18 And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, Did I not tell thee that he would prophesy no good concerning me, but evil?
Micaiah says God has sent a lying spirit to Ahab’s prophets to convince him to go to Ramoth-gilead in battle where he’ll be killed. One of the false prophets, a man named Zedekiah, walks up and slaps Micaiah on the cheek, saying with a sneer, “Which way went the Spirit of the Lord from me to speak unto thee?” To which Micaiah replies that on the day he tries to hide (from the enemy), he’ll find the answer to his mocking question.
Ahab has Micaiah tossed in prison on a measly diet of bread and water until he returns alive. Micaiah says, if you come back alive, God hasn’t spoken by me. Where was Elijah at this time? Obviously Ahab & Jezebel would be making his life a misery, and God didn’t call on him to take the heat this time.
Ahab & Jehoshaphat decide to go to battle. Ahab disguises himself, but has Jeshoshaphat wear his royal apparel—a decoy. Syria’s king tells his 32 chariot captains not to bother with anyone but Ahab. They go after the regally dressed Jehoshaphat, who calls out, so they know he’s not Ahab. They turn away. Just by chance an arrow hits Ahab. He barely lasts the day of battle, and dies in the evening, his blood running out of his chariot. At sundown the battle is called for the night, and Ahab is taken back to his capital city Samaria and buried. When his chariot is washed out, true to the prophecy, dogs lick up his blood. For the fulfillment of Elijah’s prophecies about Ahab’s wife & posterity (1 Kings 21) see 2 Kings 9-10.
39 Now the rest of the acts of Ahab, and all that he did, and the ivory house which he made, and all the cities that he built, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
40 So Ahab slept with his fathers; and Ahaziah his son reigned in his stead.
The rest of this chapter tells briefly about Jehoshaphat, as well as Ahab’s wicked son and successor (who only lasted 2 years), but Chronicles gives a more complete story about Jehoshaphat.
2 Chron 17-20 Jehoshaphat (cross reference 1 Kings 22:41-50)
2 Chron 17—Jehoshaphat succeeds his father Asa as king of Judah
Jehoshaphat succeeds his father, good/mostly good King Asa. He fortifies his land against Ahab, king of Israel.
3 And the Lord was with Jehoshaphat, because he walked in the first ways of his father David, and sought not unto Baalim [plural of Baal];
4 But sought to the Lord God of his father, and walked in his commandments, and not after the doings of Israel.
5 Therefore the Lord stablished the kingdom in his hand; and all Judah brought to Jehoshaphat presents; and he had riches and honour in abundance.
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.
Not only Jehoshaphat honors God, he sends out teachers with “the law of the Lord” (the Torah, the Law of Moses) to teach all the people. God honors Jehoshaphat, and gives him peace (“the fear of the Lord fell upon all the kingdoms of the lands that were round about Judah, so that they made no war against Jehoshaphat”) and prosperity (tribute & gifts). Jehoshaphat builds castles (military defenses) and cities of store (strategic reserves of food and such). It may seem that Judah alone (plus the tribe of Benjamin, and others who had fled as refugees of Israel) was at a major disadvantage against the 10 tribes of the kingdom of Israel. But this chapter says Jehoshaphat had 1.16 million fighting men in his various walled cities (including 200,000 bowmen from the tribe of Benjamin).
2 Chron 18—reiteration of the battle in which Ahab was killed
“Now Jehoshaphat had riches and honour in abundance,” but he decides to make an unholy alliance with wicked King Ahab of Israel. This chapter recounts the fatal (for Ahab) battle at Ramoth-gilead, told in 1 Kings 22 (see above).
2 Chron 19—Jehoshaphat’s righteous ways (but one fault)
When Jehoshaphat returns in peace to Jerusalem, the seer Jehu rebukes him for allying himself with Ahab, “Shouldest thou help the ungodly, and love them that hate the Lord? therefore is wrath upon thee from before the Lord.” But he also acknowledges Jehoshaphat’s goodness: “Nevertheless there are good things found in thee, in that thou hast taken away the groves out of the land, and hast prepared thine heart to seek God.” As mentioned above, he has also sought to bring his people back to God, by sending teachers of the Law throughout his land. He sets up judges in the cities, and admonishes them to be honest and God-fearing, not accepting bribes or favoring the powerful, but judging as God would. In Jerusalem he sets up the Levites & priests, and the tribal leaders as judges in all controversies, not only for his people, but for any religious pilgrims (for Jewish holy days): “Thus shall ye do in the fear of the Lord, faithfully, and with a perfect heart . . . Deal courageously, and the Lord shall be with the good.”
2 Chron 20 and 2 Kings 3—Jehoshaphat relies on God, leads his people to trust in God
An alliance of Moabites, Ammonites, and others come to attack Jehoshaphat’s kingdom. “And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.” (Wouldn’t it be interesting if our leaders called a fast before engaging in any wars?!) The people gather in Jerusalem from all the cities of the kingdom to seek God and His help. Jehoshaphat comes to the Temple and offers a public prayer (wouldn’t this also be interesting, if our leaders led us in prayer asking for God’s help?!) His prayer is worth reading, 2 Chron 20:6-12. “And all Judah stood before the Lord, with their little ones, their wives, and their children.”
The Spirit of the Lord comes upon one of the Levites, and he speaks for God, saying, “Hearken ye, all Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou king Jehoshaphat, Thus saith the Lord unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God’s.” He gives them the strategy, but says they will not even have to fight—God will make them victorious. The king and all his people bow to worship God, and the Levite singers stand up to praise God “with a loud voice on high.”
Next day King Jehoshaphat encourages his men with “Hear me, O Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem; Believe in the Lord your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper.” He sets up singers to go ahead of the army, praising God. God causes the foes to ambush one another. Jehoshaphat and his men take the booty off the dead . . . it seems at least the officers/commanders liked to dress richly for battle. There’s so much it takes 3 days to gather it all.
Jehoshaphat and his men return to Jerusalem joyous, victorious, praising God with psalteries, harps, and trumpets all the way to the Temple. All the neighboring kingdoms are in the fear of God, and Jehoshaphat’s kingdom is in peace. The king had reigned since he was 35, and reigned 25 years.
2 Chron 20:35-37 says that Jehoshaphat allied with Ahab’s son/successor Ahaziah on a trading mission to Tarshish (remember where Paul of the New Testament was from?), but God caused the ships to be wrecked. 1 Kings 22:48-49 sounds like Jehoshaphat refused the joint venture with Ahab’s son. Some accounts don’t seem to match, but differences in detail don't destroy the truths of the Bible.
2 Kings 3 also records that Jehoshaphat agreed to ally himself/his kingdom to Ahab’s other son Jehoram (who succeed his brother Ahaziah to the throne of Israel) as he tries to reclaim the vassalage of Moab. When they run out of water after 7 days, Jehoshaphat asks that they inquire of a prophet of God. They find Elisha (Elijah’s successor), and he says if it wasn’t for Jehoshaphat, he would ignore them. Elisha asks for a minstrel/musician, and then he is inspired to tell them to fill the valley with ditches, and without wind or rain, the ditches will be filled with water for their animals. He also promises them victory over the Moabites. The Moabites see the water and think it’s blood, so they come to grab the booty. The armies of Israel, Judah, and Edom rise up and win the battle, pursue them, destroy their cities, wells, and trees. When the king of Moab sees it’s useless, he offers his son as a burnt offering on the city wall, which disgusts Israel’s allies, and they all leave.
Jehoshaphat’s fault in allying with the wicked kings of Israel brought their wickedness to take over his kingdom, as his eldest son, heir to the throne, marries the wicked daughter of Ahab & Jezebel. More about that next post.
2 Kings 1—Elijah vs Ahab’s son/successor
Elijah has outlived both Ahab and Jehoshaphat. Ahab’s son/heir Ahaziah falls through the lattice of his upper room and is injured. Perhaps a disease sets in (like infection). He sends for word from the false god of Ekron, Baal-zebub (those familiar with the New Testament will recognize this name as becoming synonymous with the Devil) whether he will live or die. God sends Elijah to intercept the messengers and reprove the king for inquiring of the false god, and telling him he’ll never leave his bed alive.
And here we have a picture of Elijah. He is described as “an hairy man, and girt with a girdle of leather about his loins.”
The king recognizes Elijah from the description. He sends a captain with 50 men to get Elijah. The Captain calls to Elijah, “Thou man of God, the king hath said, Come down.” Elijah smartly replies, “If I be a man of God, then let fire come down from heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty. And there came down fire from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty.” The king sends another captain with 50, who calls on Elijah to come down quickly. He and his men suffer the same. A third captain, goes up the hill and falls to his knees before Elijah and pleads with him not to let the same fate befall him and his men.
God sends an angel to tell Elijah not to be afraid of the captain, but to go with him to the king. Elijah goes and delivers his message directly to the king, which happened.
Now a certain Jehoram becomes king in Israel, because Ahab’s son/heir didn’t have a son. Jehoshaphat’s son & heir is also named Jehoram. Jehoram of Israel begins his reign in the 2nd year of Jehoram of Judah.
2 Kings 2—the mantle of Elijah passes to Elisha
Elijah and Elisha go to Gilgal, and Elijah tells Elisha to wait there, as God has called him to go to Beth-el. Elisha insists on accompanying him. The sons of the prophets there ask Elisha if he realizes the Elijah will be taken from him that day. He says, Yes, let it be.
Elijah again tells Elisha to wait for him while he has been sent by God to Jericho. Elisha again insists on going with him. The sons of the prophet in Jericho likewise ask Elisha if he realizes Elijah will be taken from him. And Elisha answers as he did before.
Elijah says God has sent him to Jordan, and bids Elisha to wait for him. But again, Elisha continues with him. 50 of the sons of the prophets go to watch from afar. Elijah hits the water with his cloak, and it divides so the 2 men walk across on dry ground (an important motif for the children of Israel, proving the calling of these 2 prophets). Elijah then asks Elisha what favor he’d like before he leaves him. Elisha asks for a double portion of Elijah’s spirit to be on him. Elijah says that’s a hard thing to promise, but if Elisha sees him when he is taken away, it will be so. They walk on, talking as they go. A chariot and horses of fire appear between them, and Elijah is taken up into heaven in a whirlwind.
12 ¶ And Elisha saw it, and he cried, My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof. And he saw him no more: and he took hold of his own clothes, and rent them in two pieces.
13 He took up also the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and went back, and stood by the bank of Jordan;
14 And he took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and smote the waters, and said, Where is the Lord God of Elijah? and when he also had smitten the waters, they parted hither and thither: and Elisha went over.
15 And when the sons of the prophets which were to view at Jericho saw him, they said, The spirit of Elijah doth rest on Elisha. And they came to meet him, and bowed themselves to the ground before him.
The sons of the prophets offer 50 strong men to go with Elisha to see if God has dropped Elijah off somewhere. He tells them not to bother, but they keep bothering him, so at last he says, OK, go ahead. They search for Elijah 3 days and return. Elisha says, What did I tell you?
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