We may rise above the low spiritual state of those around us by finding our delight in the Lord.
Apart from the first sentence, the account in 2 Chronicles 17 is only found here, another benefit of reading this book. It is the sterling record of a good king. Asa had died, and “Jehoshaphat his son reigned in his place” (v 1). Was the young prince named Jehoshaphat, meaning “Jehovah has judged,” because Asa got the point? The Lord gets the last word, and we do well in life to remember that God’s assessment of a matter is always the right one. Once again, God’s evaluation is as follows. Jehoshaphat’s reign was marked by greatness because Jehoshaphat’s life was marked by godliness. Here’s his three-star approval rating: “Now the Lord was with Jehoshaphat, because he walked in the former ways of his father David; he did not seek the Baals, but sought the God of his father, and walked in His commandments and not according to the acts of Israel. Therefore the Lord established the kingdom in his hand…and he had riches and honor in abundance. And his heart took delight in the ways of the Lord…And the fear of the Lord fell on all the kingdoms of the lands that were around Judah” (vv 3-6, 10). Notice the three actions of Jehoshaphat and the three responses of Jehovah. He “sought the God of his father,” he “walked in His commandments,” “and his heart took delight in the ways of the Lord.” In response, “the Lord was with Jehoshaphat,” “the Lord established the kingdom in his hand,” and “the fear of the Lord fell on all the kingdoms of the lands…around Judah,” causing prosperity and peace to settle over the land. Note that his fortifying of Judah included sending out teachers of “the Book of the Law of the Lord” (v 9). When Judah took God’s Word seriously, their Gentile neighbors took God seriously (v 10). Now there’s a point to ponder!