Chronicles 17-20
The kings of Judah were…
- Jeroboam, the foolish first king.
- Abijah, the sinful king who denounced the idols Jeroboam set up!
- Asa, a king of highs and lows.
- Jehoshaphat, a good king who walked in the ways of his father, David.
All four chapters for today focus on Jehoshaphat, but nowhere does it say that Jehoshaphat did any jumping! He sought the God of his father, Asa, and walked in God’s commandments. God established the kingdom for Jehoshaphat because of this. The only foolish thing the Chronicler records for Jehoshaphat was his near-deadly alliance with King Ahab of Israel. For one thing, Ahab found it difficult to produce a “prophet of the Lord;” for another, Ahab tried to save his own hide by riding into battle in disguise, while Jehoshaphat rode into battle in his kingly robes. Ahab’s idea seems to have been: Shoot him, not me! But, in the end, Ahab was the one who was shot, and Jehoshaphat went back to Jerusalem. From there, he enacted reforms, fortified the cities, and appointed judges from among the priests and Levites!
The greatest moment in Jehoshaphat’s reign came when a huge multi-national fighting force came up against Jerusalem. Though Jehoshaphat was afraid, he sought the Lord, proclaimed a fast, called an assembly, and prayed a glorious prayer (2 Chronicles 20:5-12). God heard his prayer and answered through a man named Jahaziel, who simply said, You will not need to fight in this battle. Stand firm, hold your position, and see the salvation of the Lord on your behalf. (2 Chronicles 20:17) Jehoshaphat received this word with humility.
The next day, Jehoshaphat sent the Levitical worship team ahead of the army to say: “Give thanks to the Lord, for his steadfast love endures forever!” As they began to praise, the Lord set an ambush for the attacking armies, and they destroyed each other!
Here is lesson for us. When we face difficult battles, learn to praise the name of the Lord. Through praise, the power of the Lord is released!
Until tomorrow, as the parade proceeds,
Pastor Gary
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