Morgan County republican. (Versailles, Mo.) 1906-1914, 1911-01-26
REIGN OF
JEHOSHAPHAT
Sunday School Lesson for Jan. 20, 1911
Specially Arranged for This Paper

you."-Matt. 6:33.
TIME-Jehoshaphat's reign OF 25 years
was from b. C. 90 Cor $50 to SVI tor 500.
The 6lst to the Seth years of the kingdom.
PLACE-The reform extended to the hill
country of Ephraim. The battle against
tho Syrians took place at Ramoth-Gilead,
to the east of the Jordan; the "hallclujah
victory" near Tekoa. south of Bethlehem.
This lesson overs the entire reign
of the good King ~Jehoshaphat. His
name means Jehovah Judged a
name given by his religious father.
His parents were Asa, the good king,
and Azubah, about whom nothing
more is known. His age at his acces.
sion was 80 years, and he reigned for
25 years. liis character was pious,
prudent, e~nterprising. He was a skill
full general, a wise statesman, a cour-
ageous reformer. lie was alone
counted worthy in later ages to rank
with Hezekiah and Josiah among the
most pious rulers of the Davidic line"
His reign was among. the best and
most prosperous in all Judah's eXis.
tence. His great error, equally with
his success, points out to us the way
Of true prosperity. lie had Il great
advantage in having q religious fath.
Ell, who had done much toward re-
forming his kingdom, and uplifting
his people. a good inheritance of vir.
tue and religion is II of the greatest
blessings ever bestowed upon a young
man.
Jehoshaphat strengthened himself
against Israel because there had been
war with Israel, there having been a
long rivalry between them, which was
renewed in q border warfare during
the last days of Asa. Baasha king of
Israel had not only attacked Judah,
but had fortified Ramah, a own only
a few miles north of Jerusalem. The
warrior Ahab was on the throne of
Israel when Jehoshaphat began TO
reign. He placed forces, "arsenals
for the supply of war material" as
we'll as soldiers, in all the fenced, for.
tilted, cities, set ga%rrisons, probably
food supplies with leaders TO take
charge OF obtaining and caring for
them.
The Lord was with J~ehoshaphat, be-
cause ~Jehoshapllat stood for the
things which God loved and wished to
do for the nation. The Lord cannot
in this sense be with those whose
whole life and conduct are opposed to
all God wants to accomplish. This
was shown by the fact known to all
that he walked in the first ways of
his father David. The Greek transla.
ton omits David" The reference
then might be to the beautiful life
David lived before his fall and re-
storation, but probably to his father
Asa. who began his reign by devotion
to Jehovah. and sought not unto Baa-
linn. the false and impure idols of the
heather.
His heart was lifted up in the ways
of the Lord; lifted up above worldly
considerations and fears, filled with
high motives and en~thusiasms, in the
cause of God, as in the case of the
apostles who when filled with the
Spirit joyfully went on in their hard
task against all the powers of Jew.
ish Sanhedrims and Roman emperors.
He was lifted up into union with
God.
Jehoshaphat, like all other men was
not perfect. All Gods work through
men is done with imperfect instru.
ments, but the nearer perfection they
are, the better work God can do
through them. The great mistake of
Jehoshaphat's life was not his being
a friend to Ahab, and seeking to live
at peace with him, but his making so
close an alliance as to injure both
kingdoms. He Joined Ahab in an I'M
necessary war; and he married his
son TO the heather daughter OF Ahab
and JeZebel. 1t was doubtless done
with the good motive of uniting the
divided nation into one kingdom
again. It vas n beautiful vision and
glorious hope. THE church and the
world were delightfully."- at one" But
II was an almost fatal alliance, for u
led to religious and moral d~eclension,
and to the almost total extinction OF
the royal family.
Jehosphaphat took away the high
places. Affairs and places OF worship
on wooded hilltops. where there were
also idols for worship. These places
were near towns, and convenient for
the gatherings Of the people for pleas.
ure. and social worship, which was
often of the most licentious character.
And the groves. more correctly as In
r. v. Asherim. wooden poles or posts
representing the female goddess Ash.
teroth.
II must be remembered that there