If you look at the amount of space given to them, only four kings stand out in Chronicles: David, Solomon, Jehoshaphat, and (as we shall see later), Hezekiah. Good king Josiah is fifth in this ranking, but he gets only about half the space of Hezekiah.
The space they get has nothing to do with how long they reign. Manasseh will rule for fifty-five years, but get only twenty verses (compared to Jehoshaphat’s twenty-five years and 104 verses).
The story of Jehoshaphat is a long story, and chapter eighteen focuses on his alliance with a wicked king – Ahab. Against all reason and despite his near death experience and God’s warning, he will do it again.
I’d imagine it’s hard to be a king. If you are looking for friends among your peers, it will be a very small group. Jehoshaphat’s quest for acceptance and friendship among his peers led him to compromise his relationship with God. But this is not just a problem for kings. We all struggle with this. The space given to this king stands as a warning to returning Israel concerning being careful about political alliances, but it also warns us about the destructive influence of wicked people in our lives when we court their favor.