May 27th 2
Chronicles 19
Jehu speaks to Jehoshaphat
1: And Jehoshaphat
the king of Judah returned to his house in peace to Jerusalem. 2: And
Jehu the son of Hanani the seer went out to meet him, and said to
king Jehoshaphat, Shouldest thou help the ungodly, and love them that
hate the LORD? therefore is wrath upon thee from before the LORD. 3:
Nevertheless there are good things found in thee, in that thou hast
taken away the groves out of the land, and hast prepared thine heart
to seek God.
Jehoshaphat
appoints judges
4: And Jehoshaphat
dwelt at Jerusalem: and he went out again through the people from
Beer-sheba to mount Ephraim, and brought them back unto the LORD God
of their fathers. 5: And he set judges in the land throughout all the
fenced cities of Judah, city by city, 6: And said to the judges, Take
heed what ye do: for ye judge not for man, but for the LORD, who is
with you in the judgment. 7: Wherefore now let the fear of the LORD
be upon you; take heed and do it: for there is no iniquity with the
LORD our God, nor respect of persons, nor taking of gifts. 8:
Moreover in Jerusalem did Jehoshaphat set of the Levites, and of the
priests, and of the chief of the fathers of Israel, for the judgment
of the LORD, and for controversies, when they returned to Jerusalem.
9: And he charged them, saying, Thus shall ye do in the fear of the
LORD, faithfully, and with a perfect heart. 10: And what cause soever
shall come to you of your brethren that dwell in their cities,
between blood and blood, between law and commandment, statutes and
judgments, ye shall even warn them that they trespass not against the
LORD, and so wrath come upon you, and upon your brethren: this do,
and ye shall not trespass. 11: And, behold, Amariah the chief priest
is over you in all matters of the LORD; and Zebadiah the son of
Ishmael, the ruler of the house of Judah, for all the king's matters:
also the Levites shall be officers before you. Deal courageously, and
the LORD shall be with the good.
2 Chronicles
20 Moab & Ammon defeated
1: It came to pass
after this also, that the children of Moab, and the children of
Ammon, and with them other beside the Ammonites, came against
Jehoshaphat to battle. 2: Then there came some that told Jehoshaphat,
saying, There cometh a great multitude against thee from beyond the
sea on this side Syria; and, behold, they be Hazazon-tamar, which is
En-gedi. 3: And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the LORD,
and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. 4: And Judah gathered
themselves together, to ask help of the LORD: even out of all the
cities of Judah they came to seek the LORD. 5: And Jehoshaphat stood
in the congregation of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the LORD,
before the new court, 6: And said, O LORD God of our fathers, art not
thou God in heaven? and rulest not thou over all the kingdoms of the
heathen? and in thine hand is there not power and might, so that none
is able to withstand thee? 7: Art not thou our God, who didst drive
out the inhabitants of this land before thy people Israel, and gavest
it to the seed of Abraham thy friend for ever? 8: And they dwelt
therein, and have built thee a sanctuary therein for thy name,
saying, 9: If, when evil cometh upon us, as the sword, judgment, or
pestilence, or famine, we stand before this house, and in thy
presence, (for thy name is in this house,) and cry unto thee in our
affliction, then thou wilt hear and help. 10: And now, behold, the
children of Ammon and Moab and mount Seir, whom thou wouldest not let
Israel invade, when they came out of the land of Egypt, but they
turned from them, and destroyed them not; 11: Behold, I say, how they
reward us, to come to cast us out of thy possession, which thou hast
given us to inherit. 12: O our God, wilt thou not judge them? for we
have no might against this great company that cometh against us;
neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon thee. 13: And all
Judah stood before the LORD, with their little ones, their wives, and
their children. 14: Then upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son
of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the
sons of Asaph, came the Spirit of the LORD in the midst of the
congregation; 15: And he said, Hearken ye, all Judah, and ye
inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou king Jehoshaphat, Thus saith the
LORD unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great
multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God's. 16: To morrow go
ye down against them: behold, they come up by the cliff of Ziz; and
ye shall find them at the end of the brook, before the wilderness of
Jeruel. 17: Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set
yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the LORD with
you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; to morrow go
out against them: for the LORD will be with you. 18: And Jehoshaphat
bowed his head with his face to the ground: and all Judah and the
inhabitants of Jerusalem fell before the LORD, worshipping the LORD.
19: And the Levites, of the children of the Kohathites, and of the
children of the Korhites, stood up to praise the LORD God of Israel
with a loud voice on high. 20: And they rose early in the morning,
and went forth into the wilderness of Tekoa: and as they went forth,
Jehoshaphat stood and said, Hear me, O Judah, and ye inhabitants of
Jerusalem; Believe in the LORD your God, so shall ye be established;
believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper. 21: And when he had
consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the LORD, and
that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before
the army, and to say, Praise the LORD; for his mercy endureth for
ever. 22: And when they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set
ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir,
which were come against Judah; and they were smitten. 23: For the
children of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of mount
Seir, utterly to slay and destroy them: and when they had made an end
of the inhabitants of Seir, every one helped to destroy another. 24:
And when Judah came toward the watch tower in the wilderness, they
looked unto the multitude, and, behold, they were dead bodies fallen
to the earth, and none escaped. 25: And when Jehoshaphat and his
people came to take away the spoil of them, they found among them in
abundance both riches with the dead bodies, and precious jewels,
which they stripped off for themselves, more than they could carry
away: and they were three days in gathering of the spoil, it was so
much. 26: And on the fourth day they assembled themselves in the
valley of Berachah; for there they blessed the LORD: therefore the
name of the same place was called, The valley of Berachah, unto this
day. 27: Then they returned, every man of Judah and Jerusalem, and
Jehoshaphat in the forefront of them, to go again to Jerusalem with
joy; for the LORD had made them to rejoice over their enemies. 28:
And they came to Jerusalem with psalteries and harps and trumpets
unto the house of the LORD. 29: And the fear of God was on all the
kingdoms of those countries, when they had heard that the LORD fought
against the enemies of Israel. 30: So the realm of Jehoshaphat was
quiet: for his God gave him rest round about.
Jehoshaphat’s
reign and death
31: And Jehoshaphat
reigned over Judah: he was thirty and five years old when he began to
reign, and he reigned twenty and five years in Jerusalem. And his
mother's name was Azubah the daughter of Shilhi. 32: And he walked in
the way of Asa his father, and departed not from it, doing that which
was right in the sight of the LORD. 33: Howbeit the high places were
not taken away: for as yet the people had not prepared their hearts
unto the God of their fathers. 34: Now the rest of the acts of
Jehoshaphat, first and last, behold, they are written in the book of
Jehu the son of Hanani, who is mentioned in the book of the kings of
Israel. 35: And after this did Jehoshaphat king of Judah join himself
with Ahaziah king of Israel, who did very wickedly: 36: And he joined
himself with him to make ships to go to Tarshish: and they made the
ships in Ezion-geber. 37: Then Eliezer the son of Dodavah of Mareshah
prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, Because thou hast joined
thyself with Ahaziah, the LORD hath broken thy works. And the ships
were broken, that they were not able to go to Tarshish.
2 Chronicles 21
1: Now Jehoshaphat
slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city
of David. And Jehoram his son reigned in his stead.
Ahaziah
rules Judah
2: And he had
brethren the sons of Jehoshaphat, Azariah, and Jehiel, and Zechariah,
and Azariah, and Michael, and Shephatiah: all these were the sons of
Jehoshaphat king of Israel. 3: And their father gave them great gifts
of silver, and of gold, and of precious things, with fenced cities in
Judah: but the kingdom gave he to Jehoram; because he was the
firstborn. 4: Now when Jehoram was risen up to the kingdom of his
father, he strengthened himself, and slew all his brethren with the
sword, and divers also of the princes of Israel. 5: Jehoram was
thirty and two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eight
years in Jerusalem. 6: And he walked in the way of the kings of
Israel, like as did the house of Ahab: for he had the daughter of
Ahab to wife: and he wrought that which was evil in the eyes of the
LORD. 7: Howbeit the LORD would not destroy the house of David,
because of the covenant that he had made with David, and as he
promised to give a light to him and to his sons for ever. 8: In his
days the Edomites revolted from under the dominion of Judah, and made
themselves a king. 9: Then Jehoram went forth with his princes, and
all his chariots with him: and he rose up by night, and smote the
Edomites which compassed him in, and the captains of the chariots.
10: So the Edomites revolted from under the hand of Judah unto this
day. The same time also did Libnah revolt from under his hand;
because he had forsaken the LORD God of his fathers. 11: Moreover he
made high places in the mountains of Judah, and caused the
inhabitants of Jerusalem to commit fornication, and compelled Judah
thereto. 12: And there came a writing to him from Elijah the prophet,
saying, Thus saith the LORD God of David thy father, Because thou
hast not walked in the ways of Jehoshaphat thy father, nor in the
ways of Asa king of Judah, 13: But hast walked in the way of the
kings of Israel, and hast made Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem
to go a whoring, like to the whoredoms of the house of Ahab, and also
hast slain thy brethren of thy father's house, which were better than
thyself: 14: Behold, with a great plague will the LORD smite thy
people, and thy children, and thy wives, and all thy goods: 15: And
thou shalt have great sickness by disease of thy bowels, until thy
bowels fall out by reason of the sickness day by day. 16: Moreover
the LORD stirred up against Jehoram the spirit of the Philistines,
and of the Arabians, that were near the Ethiopians: 17: And they came
up into Judah, and brake into it, and carried away all the substance
that was found in the king's house, and his sons also, and his wives;
so that there was never a son left him, save Jehoahaz, the youngest
of his sons. 18: And after all this the LORD smote him in his bowels
with an incurable disease. 19: And it came to pass, that in process
of time, after the end of two years, his bowels fell out by reason of
his sickness: so he died of sore diseases. And his people made no
burning for him, like the burning of his fathers. 20: Thirty and two
years old was he when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem
eight years, and departed without being desired. Howbeit they buried
him in the city of David, but not in the sepulchres of the kings.
Today we have read
of Jehu the Prophet who brings the Word of the Lord to Jehoshaphat.
Jehoshaphat is encouraged and establishes further reforms by
appointing judges. We read of the defeat of Moab and Ammon and of the
rest of the reign of Jehoshaphat and his death. Then we are
introduced to his successor Ahaziah king of Judah. After the death of
Ahab and of the deliverance of Jehoshaphat when he cried to the Lord
in the heat of battle, Jehoshaphat returns to his home in peace and
there he is visited by a prophet of the Lord. Jehu confronts him
saying should you help those who are the ungodly? And should you love
those that hate the LORD? This is why the judgment of the Lord has
come on you. However the Lord has found good things in you because
you destroyed the groves dedicated to the idolatrous cults and you
deliberately set your mind on seeking to know the Lord. Jehoshaphat
lived in Jerusalem but he went out into the nation from top to bottom
seeking to turn the people back to the Lord their God. (He was the
first missionary - in this sense) He also appointed judges in all of
the fenced cities of Judah from city to city. And he gave then clear
instructions on how to go about their important work. He told them to
be very careful to judge for the Lord and not just for man. They were
not to be men-pleasers. They were not to take bribes or even receive
gifts. He also established the priests in their work. They also were
to serve in the fear of the Lord with a perfect heart, i.e. a clear
mind on the Lord alone. They were to warn Israel to keep the law to
prevent the judgment of the Lord coming on them. He appointed Amaiah
as high priest – over them in all matters of the LORD. Zebadaiah
was the steward of the house of Judah in respect to all the issues
regarding the king and the Levites reported to him. He told them to
deal courageously and the Lord shall be with the good. A great motto.
After a while the tribe of Moab and Ammon gathered together to fight
against Judah. Jehoshaphat was afraid and set himself to seek the
LORD and he called for a fast in Judah. All the people of Judah
sought the Lord, they came to Jerusalem and stood before the Lord.
Jehoshaphat prayed and his prayer is magnificent…
O LORD God of
our fathers, aren’t you the God in heaven?
and don’t you
rule over all the kingdoms of the heathen?
and is there not
power and might in your hand, so that no-one is able to resist you?
Are you not our
God, who drove out the inhabitants of this land before your people
Israel,
and gave it to
the seed of Abraham your friend for ever?
And then they
lived in the land,
and they have
built for you a sanctuary in the land for your name,
saying, If a day
comes when evil comes on us,
the sword,
judgment, or pestilence, or famine,
we will stand
before this house, and in thy presence, (for your name is in this
house,)
and we will cry
unto you in our affliction, then you wilt hear us and help us.
And now, look on
us, because the children of Ammon and Moab and mount Seir,
who you would
not allow Israel to invade, when they came out of the land of Egypt,
but they turned
from them, and did not destroy them;
Look now on us
and see how they have paid us back,
to come to kick
us out of your land,
which you have
given to us as an inheritence.
O our God, will
you not judge them?
because we have
no defence against a great company like this that comes against us;
nore do we know
what to do: but we are looking to you.
Then we have a most
touching phrase - all
Judah stood before the LORD, with their little ones, their wives, and
their children.
Then the Spirit of the Lord came on a man and the LORD spoke through
him as he stood in the middle of the congregation saying, Do not be
afraid or even overcome by the size of the great army that has
gathered against you because the battle is not yours but God’s.
Tomorrow you will go down against them but you will not need to fight
against them. You will stand still and watch the salvation of the
Lord. Do not be afraid but go out to meet them because the LORD will
be with you. Jehoshaphat bowed his head to the ground and all Judah
followed his example and worshipped the Lord. The Levites stood up to
praise the Lord and they sang the Lords praises with a loud voice. In
the morning they all awoke and Jehoshaphat spoke to the people
telling them to believe in the LORD their God and he will establish
you. Believe his prophets and you will prosper. He appointed the
singers to go ahead of the army to praise the Lord in the beauty of
holiness. They sang Praise the Lord for his mercy endureth for ever.
When they began to sing the LORD sent Judah a great victory and the
enemy perished at the hand of the LORD. The joint armies destroyed
each other. When Judah eventually came on their enemies they found
them all destroyed in heaps of bodies, none had escaped. When Judah
came they found them dead with great riches and they took their
riches including jewels. It took them three days to spoil the dead.
On the forth day they gathered to bless the LORD and then they
returned to Judah with Jehoshaphat at their head leading them. They
returned to Jerusalem in great joy. Then the fear of the LORD fell on
all the nations round about when they heard what the Lord had done to
their enemies. God gave to Jehoshaphat rest from all his enemies.
Jehoshaphat was 35 when he began to reign and he was king for 25
years. He was faithful to the Lord all his days like his father Asa.
Yet even in his day the people did not fully follow his example in
destroying all the idolatrous groves and the people did not fully
seek the Lord. All the rest of the deeds of Jehoshaphat are written
in the book of Jehu. In his later years to allied himself to Ahaziah
king of the northern kingdom who was a wicked man. This displeased
the Lord and the LORD sent a prophet to him telling him that the Lord
would destroy his works and all his plans to make ships were broken.
He died and was buried in Jerusalem and his son Jehoram took his
place. His son was a wicked man like the kings of the north. He
murdered all his brothers after he came to the throne and he reigned
for only eight years. He married the daughter of Jezebel and Ahab. In
his days the Edomites revolted against him and anointed their own
king. He fought a number of engagements with his enemies but he led
Judah into great sin – spiritual fornication. Elijah the prophet
sent him a letter telling him of the judgment of God that was going
to come on him. The country would be invaded and even his family
would be stolen away and he would die of horrible sicknesses. All of
these things came to pass within two years. When he died nobody
mourned for him. They buried him in Jerusalem but not with the kings.
- What sort of person was Jehu the Prophet?
- How does the Lord encourage the Children of Israel when they face the great army?
- How did Elijah send his message to the king?
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