“And they taught in Judah, and had the book of the law of the Lord with them, and went about throughout all the cities of Judah, and taught the people.” — 2 Chronicles 17:9

Today’s text tells how Jehoshaphat assigned princes and Levites to teach the people of Judah about the Law of Moses. In the centuries since that time, the desire to teach and help others live for God has been a hallmark of those who serve the Lord. 

Cato Bush described himself as a rough young man who developed a love for gambling and would always find the time and place to do it. When he was eighteen years old, he married and then had a child. He said, “I left my wife and baby at home and went out to gamble all night. But one night the Lord began to speak to my heart about the way I was living, and I lost my desire for gambling. I wanted to change my way of living but did not know how.” Step by step God led him to a group of people who taught him about salvation, and he was wonderfully born again. Then he received the experiences of sanctification and the baptism of the Holy Ghost. 

Brother Bush did not want to be a preacher, but God worked with him until he was willing to yield. In 1924 he began to preach going from house to house in Alabama and Florida. He said, “It was not an easy road to travel. Many times I would have to walk because I didn’t have carfare. Some time later, the Lord blessed me with a car, but then it was difficult to buy gasoline and to cover the other expenses of travel. Often I had to sleep in my car. At times I had only a baked potato to eat. I would never give up, because I had the desire to spread the Gospel that I had found to other people.” 

Over time, God blessed the efforts of Brother Bush, and he became a pioneer of the Apostolic Faith work in the southeast part of the United States. He was a man with an evangelist’s heart, and he did much traveling for many years because of his insatiable desire to spread the Gospel. He went through many cities, towns, and states, preaching and instructing believers. 

God is still calling people to teach others about Him. We may not be called to be a traveling evangelist, but we can tell the Good News to our children, grandchildren, and the people we come into contact with. People today need the Lord just as much as those of past generations. May God help us to do our part in spreading the Gospel.

BACKGROUND

Chapter 17 begins a record of the reign of King Jehoshaphat that continues through chapter 20. This chapter describes the reforms that Jehoshaphat instituted in the land after he succeeded his father, Asa, on the throne of Judah. Specifics are given regarding the nature of Jehoshaphat’s reign (verses 1-6), the actions he took toward national reform (verses 7-9), and the prosperity and power that Judah enjoyed because of the king’s commitment to God (verses 10-19). 

According to the details given in 1 Kings 22:41-50, Jehoshaphat was thirty-five years of age when he began to reign, and he ruled for twenty-five years. (Some historians believe that he served as co-regent with his father for about three years.) Jehoshaphat’s determination to institute reforms in Judah likely was influenced by Asa, who sought God and wanted to be part of a committed return to Him, especially during the early part of his reign. 

Verse 2 records that Jehoshaphat strengthened Judah’s defenses against external threats by placing troops in the border cities and establishing “garrisons” or military outposts in strategic locations. This included the cities that his father had captured from the Northern Kingdom of Israel. 

Verse 4 recounts that Jehoshaphat “sought to the Lord God of his father” and did not follow “the doings of Israel”—a reference to the widespread idol worship in Israel (see 1 Kings 16:29-33). Because of this, God lifted him up and exalted him as a king, and allowed the nation of Judah to prosper (verse 5). 

Verse 6 indicates that one of Jehoshaphat’s reformatory actions was to remove the high places and groves from Judah, probably by means of royal decrees. “High places” referred to shrines used for idolatrous worship. The word “groves” is asherah in the original Hebrew, and it referred to the female goddess who was the consort of Baal, her idols, and wooden poles and trees dedicated to worship of her. 

The group of princes and Levites sent out by Jehoshaphat to instruct the people in the Law, noted in verses 7-9, is the first recorded instance of religious education taking place in Israel outside of the home and the Temple. 

The prosperity and relative peace that Judah enjoyed during this period is attributed to the “fear of the Lord” that fell upon the surrounding nations (verse 10). This was true even of Philistia and Arabia, who were longtime antagonists (see verse 11). Jehoshaphat built “castles” (fortresses) and “cities of store” (locations where the wealth and treasures of Judah were kept) and “had much business” that promoted economic prosperity (verses 12-13). He also had a vast army that numbered about 1,160,000, based on the record in verses 14-18.

AMPLIFIED OUTLINE

III. The history of the kings of Judah
      D. The reign of Jehoshaphat
           1. The reformation under Jehoshaphat (17:1-19)
                a. The character of his reign (17:1-5)
                b. The reform during his reign (17:6-9)
                c. The prosperity during his reign (17:10-19)

A CLOSER LOOK

1. What were some of the results of Jehoshaphat’s purpose to serve God?
2. Why is it valuable to teach people God’s Word?
3. How might a purpose to serve God be demonstrated in our lives?

CONCLUSION

Perhaps there is someone you can share the Gospel with today. God wants to help each one of us to tell the Good News to others.