Running head: JEHOSHAPHAT: A LEADERSHIP MODEL 1

Jehoshaphat: A Leadership Model of Divine Intervention

Jean-Marie Sumo, MTS

PhD in leadership candidate

Biblical Leadership/ LEAD 703

July 19, 2017

Paper presented to Dr. Rodney Jackson

Beulah Heights University, Atlanta, GA, USA

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Abstract

Leadership in the biblical context is sounding a new trumpet in a world of confusion

where the concept of “all about us” feeling, personality and practice has invaded as well the

secular world as the church, deteriorating the spiritual and moral qualities that the Scriptures

have freely offered humankind. This paper explores the leadership model of a biblical character

who has endeavored to lead Judah with the spirit of the fear of God, and provides a thorough

analysis of the leadership styles, strength and weakness of a biblical hero. King Jehoshaphat is

presented as the model of transformational, restoration, as well as victorious leader.

Jehoshaphat’s count reveals that abiding in God by doing His will and shunning evil is a source

of divine blessing, wealth and power. Power here is that of God who operates through His

people. King Jehoshaphat sends teachers all over the land of Judah to recycle the people’s

knowledge and turn them back to the God of their fathers, and subsequently, experiences

extraordinary victory at a war that he did not have to fight. However, Jehoshaphat ended his

reign displeasing God and bore the consequences from sustaining wrong alliances.
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Jehoshaphat: A Leadership Model of Divine Intervention

Jehoshaphat became king of Judah at a time when the previous kings had caused a lot of

damages to the nation with idolatry and by forsaking the Lord their God. The nation of Israel was

divided. One king ruled over Israel in Samaria, and another king ruled over Judah in Jerusalem.

Jehoshaphat’s father, king Asa, had begun to perform some administrative and religious reforms,

but he did evil in the eye of the Lord and did not remove the high places from the country. On

the other side, king Ahab and his Assyrian wife Jezebel, were fully involved in idol worship and

had led the people of Israel to forget about the Lord God. It is in this disorder that Jehoshaphat

undertakes a serious reform, because his heart is fully turned to God.

An Effective Beginning of Leadership

The reader of 2 Chronicles begins to see from the 17th chapter that “the Lord was with

Jehoshaphat, because he walked in the former ways of his father David” (2 Ch 17:3; NKJV). An

important assertion in the biblical leadership, as Boers (2015) expresses, is that “The most

prominent leaders in scriptures are political leaders of Israel, religious leaders . . .” (p. 40). The

kings have not shown much diligence in walking in the ways God required. It is striking how bad

characters can pass through generations, but good characters are not flowing down to

descendants much. “Jeroboam’s sin is repeated in most succeeding kings. The good of the few

worthy monarch does not descend very far into following generations” (Boers, 2015, pp. 74-75).

The good patterns of Jehoshaphat’s leadership are here expressed from the beginning of

his reign. Jerusalem and Israel were worshipping the Baal and Ashtoreth gods. When

Jehoshaphat came, he first “sought the Lord God of his father, and walked in His commandment,

and not according to the acts of Israel” (2 Ch 17:4; NKJV). Boers (2015) discusses that there is

“pessimistic litany about those considered to be prominent leaders in scriptures. What is

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remarkable is that God did not establish the Hebrew kingship, but it was created by the people.

The Israelites requested a king, in part to be like all the other nations (1 Sam 8:5, CEB)” (Boers,

2015, p. 75). Jehoshaphat falls among the few God fearing biblical leaders who subsequently

found grace and favor in the eye of the Lord. That is why “the Lord established the kingdom in

his hand; and all Judah gave presents to Jehoshaphat. And he had riches and honor in

abundance” (2 Ch 17:5, NKJV). Moreover, Jehoshaphat’s delighted in the Lord.

Restoration of the People of God

Jehoshaphat saw a beginning of reformation undertaken by his father King Asa, although

the latter did not fully place his heart toward God’s will, but did evil before the Lord.

Jehoshaphat new the law and most importantly knew that Israel had gone astray. Restoring the

spiritual, moral, and social fulfillment of his kingship became a priority. When Boers (2015)

analyses leadership in the biblical perspectives, he refutes falsehood a great deal; he believes that

“leadership is faddish; one might expect leadership to be about credibility, initiative, and setting

new directions rather than joining bandwagons” you see numerous leadership literatures that tell

how to be successful, or “How to Win Friends and Influence People” in society and so on, which

are ways to sell success secret for financial and material gains (p. xviii).

Jehoshaphat’s leadership is not about having the power to influence people as it is

defined in secular corporations and business leadership training. For example, in Yukl (2013) I

will select only two of the numerous leadership definitions that researchers have provided as

results of empirical studies: the first one is “Leadership is ‘the process of influencing the

activities of an organized group toward goal achievement’ (Ranch & Behling, 1984, p. 46), and

the second one is: “Leadership is the ability of an individual to influence, motivate and enable
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others to contribute toward the effectiveness of the organization. . . (House et al, 1999, p.184)”

(p. 3).

Whereas the common secular understanding conceives the terminology “Leader,” the

biblical concept says “Servant” of God. While the secular concept understands “influencing

people,” the biblical expression is obedience to God and service to the people. Jehoshaphat’s

effective leadership is based on this biblical approach of servanthood. He is counted among those

few obedient leaders who knew that God want Israel to get rid of foreign gods, and to worship

Him alone, as stated in the first of the ten commandments: “You shall have no other gods before

Me” (Exo 20:3). Jehoshaphat understood that there was a need for restoration back to God and to

His law. He gathered the elders of Judah, summoned the priests and all the Levites who were

serving at the temple, and he sent them out to carry the message of the Lord throughout his entire

territory of administration. “So they taught in Judah and had the book of the Law of the Lord

with them. They went throughout all the cities of Judah and taught the people” (2 Ch 17:9).

The topic of biblical leadership can be clearly marginalized from the above secular

context definitions of leadership because Jehoshaphat did not look after a personal gain in

kingdom, or seek to influence the people, but his concern was to restore the mind, the belief and

the heart of the people of God, to bring effective change throughout the land.

Toward a Transformational Leadership

Rodin, in Burns, Soup and Simmons (2014) describes the effective leadership of the king

Jehoshaphat as the transformation that is represented by “the journey of the Christian leader.”

The five inseparable marks of the journey of transformation take the leader to the place where

the leader’s heart delights in the Lord, because the leader, having a clear goal and vision, will

gravitate “a set of obstacles along the way” (p. 236). The leader’s heart is carried over to the
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followers who share the leader’s vision and work together to achieve the goal. The believers are

instructed to be transformed by the renewing of the mind, so “. . . that you may prove what is that

good and acceptable and perfect will of God” (Rom 12:2). Jehoshaphat knew that the people’s

hearts and minds needed to be changed, to be transformed so that they would think like him and

participate in the rebuilding of the spiritual temple of God, so that they “may prove what is that

good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” By sending messengers throughout the country,

and priest and teachers with the book of Law, the king had just begun a nationwide revival that

pleased God.

Because of the change and increase of knowledge, and subsequently the restoration of

social and spiritual life in Judah and Jerusalem, God can move powerfully among his people,

pour his blessing and provide all their needs, even beyond their imagination. God will cause his

people to be dreadful in the eyes of the enemy, and cause the nations around to be at peace with

them. “So Jehoshaphat became increasingly powerful” (2 Ch 17:12). He had a large amount of

properties, and mighty men of valor formed his army in Jerusalem.

To better apprehend the process of transformation in Jehoshaphat’s reign, I am led to

consider the evaluation of transformational leadership concept that Yukl (2013) analyses when

he suggests that “transforming leadership appeals to the moral values of followers in an attempt

to raise their consciousness about ethical issues and to mobilize their energy and resources to

reform institutions” (p. 321). The impact of the king’s ethical character on the followers is

discussed in this same line; “The process by which leaders appeal to followers’ values and

emotions is a central feature in current theories of transformational and visionary leadership in

organizations (e.g., Bass, 1985, 1996; Bennis & Nanus, 1985; Sashkin & Fulmer, 1988; Tichy &

Devanna, 1986; in Yukl, 2013). To enhance the moral value of the people and bring them to the
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standard of God’s worshippers, the servant-leader of Judah took the followers through the

process of teaching the law and create an environment of renewal of mind. Watching Judah from

the outside observers would argue that this nation is transformed and this king is blessed. It was a

time of serenity for Jehoshaphat and his kingdom.

The Battle Is Not Yours; But God’s

The reader of 2 Ch 17:1-30 is introduced to an extraordinary encounter king Jehoshaphat

had with the enemies of Israel, An extremely colorful and exciting account. It was during the

time when nations were attacking one another, the conquerors were subduing the defeated to

tributes or bitter labors. It happened that the armies of the Moabites, the Ammonites and other

people from Syria joined forces to come destroy Jerusalem. When the king heard this news, his

heart melted. “And Jehoshaphat feared and set himself to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast

throughout all Judah. So, Judah gathered together to ask help from the Lord” (2 Ch 20:3). The

leader of Judah knew that in time of trouble, fasting would make prayer more effective.

Jehoshaphat appears to be a spiritual leader, as Yukl (2013) suggests that “Spiritual leadership

describes how leaders can enhance the intrinsic motivation of followers by creating conditions

that increase their sense of spiritual meaning in the work” (p. 350).

The king stood amid the people and prayed wholeheartedly to God for help. He prayed in

a way that will create compassion in the Father’s heart. God has always demonstrated His

faithfulness to His promises, and He is the same throughout times, always sensitive when the

sinner repents and turns away from transgression. He said “Call to Me, and I will answer you,

and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know” (Jer. 33:3). After the king’s

prayer, as all the people of Judah, with their wives and children were standing before the Lord,

“Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jahaziel . . . a Levite of the sons of Asaph in the midst of
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the assembly” (2 Ch 20:14). God spoke through the prophet and encouraged the king and the

people, reassuring them that they will not have to fight this battle, for the Lord is with them. The

Spirit of the Lord said that they should only take their position and stand still to see the salvation

of the Lord. After the powerful word from God, they were uplifted, and they praise God with

songs, shouts, and trumpet. Early in the morning, the king gathered the war men showed himself

charismatic when he declared: “Hear me, O Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem: Believe in

the Lord your God, and you shall be established; believe His prophets, and you shall prosper” (2

Ch 20:20). They left for the battle field singing and praising. When they only began to praise, the

enemy was defeated, because God created confusion in their midst, causing them to destroy one

another until there was no survivor. When Jehoshaphat and his army arrived on top of the hill

facing down to the valley, the battle field, they got amazed to find the entire vast armies of the

coalition lying down dead. They spent three days to plunder the enemy. This encounter has given

the believers confidence that when you seek the Lord your God with all your heart, then the

battle is not yours, but God’s.

Leadership Weakness and Failure

Obviously, Jehoshaphat was to fear when he heard about the upcoming attack from the

coalition of three nations, not only because they had form a vast army, but when we look at the

previous account of Jehoshaphat relationship with the king of Israel, we find an area of his life

that might not have pleased God. “After some years (of Jehoshaphat’s reign) he went down to

visit Ahab in Samaria; and Ahab killed sheep and oxen in abundance for him and the people who

were with him, and persuaded him to go with him to Ramoth Gilead” (2 Ch 18:2). Ahab asked

his peer to accompany him to war against Ramoth Gilead. This was a moment of crucial

decision, because king Ahab and his wife Jezebel had turned Israel completely upside down,
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killed the prophets of God, and invade the country with the prophets of Baal and Ashtoreth gods.

Jezebel had led the king of Israel astray. “Do not be deceived: Evil company corrupts good

habits” (1 Cor 15:33). Ahab died at the battle against Ramoth Gilead.

When Jehoshaphat returned to his home in Jerusalem, a servant of God spoke to him and

said: “. . .Should you help the wicked and love those who hate the Lord? Therefore, the wrath of

God is upon you” (2 Ch 19:2). Makey (2007) discusses that

All in all, the extremely colorful biblical accounts of the reign of king Jehoshaphat of

Judah depict a highly successful king, greatly favored by Yahweh and his prophets. But

a king who, nevertheless, seemed forever incapable of learning of the folly of

making injudicious alliances. we read an account, again, of a war of king Jehoshaphat

with Moab, with no mention of any alliance with Jehoram of Israel. But this may be an

earlier war, from which King Jehoshaphat emerged triumphant

(https://www.academia.edu/25642192/Jehoshaphat_of_Judah_and_a_Revised_History._Part_T

hree_Contemporary_of_King_Jehoram_of_Israel)

Shoup and McHorney state in Burns, Shoup and Simmons (2014) that a leader’s primary

activity is Making Decisions (and that) the process of making decision is complicated” (p. 197);

and they further argue that “We are not by nature good at making critical decision. The

complexity of the human brain reveals that we are ‘fearfully and wonderfully made’ (Psalm

139:14) . . . Our brain is continuously filtering information” (p.198).

We may have all the love and wisdom that we need to implement great tasks in

leadership responsibilities, but we may also be limited in our decision making if the decision

criteria are not fully established in the process. Ackoff (1989) discusses in Burns, Shoup and

Simmons (2014) that valuable decision making is contingent on gathering the necessary

information when it is needed, but the challenge is to know if the information, or which one of
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the information is true and relevant; People typically say: “I left the information you wanted on

your desk” (p. 199).

Jehoshaphat’s proved to be a poor decision maker when serious matters like helping the

enemy of God to go to war was presented to him. The reader comes to the end of Jehoshaphat’s

life to find out that at the end, God was displeased with this king. Even though Jehoshaphat had

done good works and brought some reformation in Judah, “Nevertheless the high places were not

taken away, for as yet the people had not directed their hearts to the God of their fathers” (2 Ch

20:32). After Ahab’s death, Jehoshaphat allied himself again with a more wicked king of Israel,

Ahaziah, with whom he built ships. “But Eliezer the son of Dodavah of Mareshah prophesied

against Jehoshaphat, saying, “Because you have allied yourself with Ahaziah, the LORD has

destroyed your works” (2 Ch 20:37).

Poor decision making can be detrimental in leadership, either in organizations or in the

ministry. The people of Judah and Israel watch their leader’s relationship with the king who

hated God. His son Jehoram who succeeded him killed his six brothers to secure his position.
 
Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned eight years in

Jerusalem. 6 And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, just as the house of Ahab

had done, for he had the daughter of Ahab as a wife; and he did evil in the sight of

the LORD (2 Ch 21:5-6)

This is the inheritance of from a leader who started well, but ended in chaos because he

was not a good decision maker.

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References

Boers, A. P. (2015). Servants and fools: A biblical theology of leadership. Nashville, TN:

Abingdon Press.

Burns, J. S., Shoup, J. R., & Simmons Jr., D. C. (2014). Organizational leadership Foundations and

Practices for Christians. Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic.

Mackey, D. F. (n.d.). (2007). Jehoshaphat of Judah and a revised History, part three: Contemporary of

King Jehoram of Israel. AMAIC. Retrieved from

https://www.academia.edu/25642192/Jehoshaphat_of_Judah_and_a_Revised_History._Part_T

hree_Contemporary_of_King_Jehoram_of_Israel

Rodin R.S. (2014). Organizational leadership: Foundations and practices for Christians (p.

236). Downers Grove, IL: Inter Varsity Press.

Yukl, G. A. (2013). Leadership in organizations (8th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.