1 Kings 22:37-44: a reflection

37So the king died, and was brought to Samaria; and they buried the king in Samaria. 38They washed the chariot by the pool of Samaria; and the dogs licked up his blood where the prostitutes washed themselves, according to the LORD’s word which he spoke. 39Now the rest of the acts of Ahab, and all that he did, and the ivory house which he built, and all the cities that he built, aren’t they written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? 40So Ahab slept with his fathers; and Ahaziah his son reigned in his place. 41Jehoshaphat the son of Asa began to reign over Judah in the fourth year of Ahab king of Israel. 42Jehoshaphat was thirty-five years old when he began to reign; and he reigned twenty-five years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Azubah the daughter of Shilhi. 43He walked in all the way of Asa his father. He didn’t turn away from it, doing that which was right in the LORD’s eyes. However, the high places were not taken away. The people still sacrificed and burned incense on the high places. 44Jehoshaphat made peace with the king of Israel.

In summarizing the reign of Jehoshaphat, the account gives him real commendation, yet notes one thing left undone: he did what was right in the LORD's eyes, and did not turn from it; however, the high places were not taken away, and the people still sacrificed there. He walked in the way of his father Asa and did not turn from it, doing what was right; and yet the high places remained. Jehoshaphat was a good king who did much right, and yet there was a reform he left incomplete, a thing he did not fully deal with. His faithfulness was real, but not complete; something was left undone. This is an honest and instructive note: even in a life of real faithfulness, there can be something left undone, an incomplete area. Even a faithful king left the high places standing. Real faithfulness can still leave something undone. Jehoshaphat did much right, yet left a reform incomplete. Even genuine faithfulness may have an incomplete area.

Notice the honesty of this summary: real commendation, and one thing noted as left undone. Jehoshaphat is genuinely praised; he did what was right, walked faithfully, did not turn away. And yet the account notes that the high places were not removed, that this reform was left incomplete. His faithfulness was real but not total; there remained an area he did not fully address. This is instructive for us, and honest about the reality of even faithful lives. We can be genuinely faithful, doing much right, and yet have some area left undone, some habit not dealt with, some corner of life not brought fully under God. The point is not to diminish real faithfulness, but to be honest that faithfulness can be incomplete, and to invite us to let God address the areas we have left undone. We can ask ourselves what high places remain in our own lives, what we have left standing though we know it should go. Real faithfulness invites completion, not complacency about what is left undone. Even in a faithful life, ask what has been left undone. Let God address the areas of life left incomplete. Do not be complacent about the high places left standing.

That is worth taking to heart, for even a life of real faithfulness can have something left undone, some area not fully brought under God, as Jehoshaphat did much right yet left the high places standing. We can be genuinely faithful, doing much right, and yet grow complacent about some area we have left undone, some habit or corner of life not fully addressed; but the account, while commending Jehoshaphat, honestly notes the high places he did not remove. Real faithfulness invites completion. Ask what high places remain in your own life, and let God address the areas left undone, rather than growing complacent. Let the honest note about Jehoshaphat, who did what was right and did not turn from it, yet left the high places standing so that the people still sacrificed there, prompt you to ask what has been left undone in your own faithfulness; for we can be genuinely faithful, doing much right and not turning away, and yet have some area left incomplete, some habit not dealt with, some corner of life not fully brought under God, and the point is not to diminish real faithfulness but to be honest that it can be incomplete and to invite us to let God address what we have left undone, so that rather than growing complacent about the high places still standing in our lives we ask what remains and let God bring it too under him.

Lord, in summarizing the reign of Jehoshaphat, the account gives him real commendation, yet notes one thing left undone: he did what was right in your eyes, and did not turn from it; however, the high places were not taken away, and the people still sacrificed there. He walked in the way of his father Asa and did not turn from it, doing what was right; and yet the high places remained. Jehoshaphat was a good king who did much right, and yet there was a reform he left incomplete, a thing he did not fully deal with. His faithfulness was real, but not complete. This is an honest and instructive note: even in a life of real faithfulness, there can be something left undone. Show me the honesty of this summary: real commendation, and one thing noted as left undone. Jehoshaphat is genuinely praised; he did what was right, walked faithfully. And yet the account notes that the high places were not removed. His faithfulness was real but not total; there remained an area he did not fully address. This is instructive for me, and honest about the reality of even faithful lives. I can be genuinely faithful, doing much right, and yet have some area left undone, some habit not dealt with, some corner of life not brought fully under you. The point is not to diminish real faithfulness, but to be honest that it can be incomplete, and to invite me to let you address the areas I have left undone. I can ask myself what high places remain in my own life. Take that to my heart, for even a faithful life can have something left undone. Help me ask what high places remain in my own life, Lord, and let you address the areas I have left incomplete, rather than growing complacent about what I have left standing though I know it should go, that my faithfulness to you may grow toward completeness.