2 Chronicles 17

Back to the Kings of Judah.  (1 Kings 16 was about the Kings of Israel during Asa's reign.  17 Chronicles begins with Asa's successor in Judah, Jehoshaphat.  (Couldn't help but think Jehoshaphat the great jumping.)

Jehoshaphat puts soldiers in all the fortified cities and garrisons others.  He walks in the ways of David, does not worship false gods, nor the gods of Israel.  He even went so far as to take the Asherims and the high places out of Judah. 

2021 - He was one of the few to ever do this, once they had been put in place.  Mostly, even the good Kings left the high places alone.  Why were they that way?  What was the cost to them of removing the high places?

He also sends out teachers of the law, and instructs the people of Judah in the ways and teachings of the Lord - and uses the Book of the Law to do it.  Many names are given of those sent out to teach, including Obadiah and Zechariah.    I looked these up and it looks to me like neither of these were the same as the writers of the books with these names.  Obadiah was a couple kings later, Zechariah was about 300 years later.  Some of those sent out to teach were officials, others were Levites.

The nations around Judah became afraid, and no one attacked Judah during this time.  His army consisted of 1.16 million men, PLUS the ones in the garrisons and fortified cities.  This seems to me a a huge army for a nation of that size, but other nations were paying tribute to Jehoshaphat, which may have included food in addition to gold and silver. 

First notes, 8/22/18

Kings of Israel getting worse and worse.  Ahab and Jezebel in power.

God prospers Judah under Jehoshaphat, because Jehoshaphat follows God's teaching.  And he sends teachers to teach all of Judah. 

During his reign, God makes the leaders of the surrounding countries leave Judah alone.  They just don't attack it.