575.) 2 Chronicles 25

“Half-Hearted Cookies” are one thing! Half-hearted obedience to God is quite another.

2 Chronicles 25   (New Living Translation)

Amaziah Rules in Judah

Amaziah was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years. His mother was Jehoaddin from Jerusalem. ²Amaziah did what was pleasing in the Lord’s sight, but not wholeheartedly.

³ When Amaziah was well established as king, he executed the officials who had assassinated his father. ⁴ However, he did not kill the children of the assassins, for he obeyed the command of the Lord as written by Moses in the Book of the Law: “Parents must not be put to death for the sins of their children, nor children for the sins of their parents. Those deserving to die must be put to death for their own crimes.”

He obeys the law of Moses.  So far, so good.

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⁵ Then Amaziah organized the army, assigning generals and captains for all Judah and Benjamin. He took a census and found that he had an army of 300,000 select troops, twenty years old and older, all trained in the use of spear and shield. ⁶ He also paid about 7,500 pounds of silver to hire 100,000 experienced fighting men from Israel.

⁷ But a man of God came to him and said, “Your Majesty, do not hire troops from Israel, for the Lord is not with Israel. He will not help those people of Ephraim! ⁸ If you let them go with your troops into battle, you will be defeated by the enemy no matter how well you fight. God will overthrow you, for he has the power to help you or to trip you up.”

⁹ Amaziah asked the man of God, “But what about all that silver I paid to hire the army of Israel?”

The man of God replied, “The Lord is able to give you much more than this!” ¹⁰ So Amaziah discharged the hired troops and sent them back to Ephraim.

It is unsettling that he hires mercenaries and that he thinks first of the money he spent rather than faithfulness of God.  But he obeys the prophet, even at a loss of profit!  Good for him.

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This made them very angry with Judah, and they returned home in a great rage.

¹¹ Then Amaziah summoned his courage and led his army to the Valley of Salt, where they killed 10,000 Edomite troops from Seir. ¹² They captured another 10,000 and took them to the top of a cliff and threw them off, dashing them to pieces on the rocks below.

¹³ Meanwhile, the hired troops that Amaziah had sent home raided several of the towns of Judah between Samaria and Beth-horon. They killed 3,000 people and carried off great quantities of plunder.

¹⁴ When King Amaziah returned from slaughtering the Edomites, he brought with him idols taken from the people of Seir. He set them up as his own gods, bowed down in front of them, and offered sacrifices to them!

What?!  An ungrateful, even irrational response!

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¹⁵ This made the Lord very angry, and he sent a prophet to ask, “Why do you turn to gods who could not even save their own people from you?”

¹⁶ But the king interrupted him and said, “Since when have I made you the king’s counselor? Be quiet now before I have you killed!”

This further ungrateful response is a direct rejection of God.

So the prophet stopped with this warning: “I know that God has determined to destroy you because you have done this and have refused to accept my counsel.”

¹⁷ After consulting with his advisers, King Amaziah of Judah sent this challenge to Israel’s king Jehoash, the son of Jehoahaz and grandson of Jehu: “Come and meet me in battle!”

He doesn’t like this counsel, so he goes elsewhere to get the advice he wants / to confirm his own intentions.  (Where have we seen this before in 2 Chronicles?  –or in my own heart?)

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¹⁸ But King Jehoash of Israel replied to King Amaziah of Judah with this story: “Out in the Lebanon mountains, a thistle sent a message to a mighty cedar tree: ‘Give your daughter in marriage to my son.’ But just then a wild animal of Lebanon came by and stepped on the thistle, crushing it!

¹⁹ “You are saying, ‘I have defeated Edom,’ and you are very proud of it. But my advice is to stay at home. Why stir up trouble that will only bring disaster on you and the people of Judah?”

²⁰ But Amaziah refused to listen, for God was determined to destroy him for turning to the gods of Edom. ²¹ So King Jehoash of Israel mobilized his army against King Amaziah of Judah. The two armies drew up their battle lines at Beth-shemesh in Judah.

Now let’s guess what will happen.  How about humiliating defeat and loss of national wealth?

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²² Judah was routed by the army of Israel, and its army scattered and fled for home. ²³ King Jehoash of Israel captured Judah’s king, Amaziah son of Joash and grandson of Ahaziah, at Beth-shemesh. Then he brought him to Jerusalem, where he demolished 600 feet of Jerusalem’s wall, from the Ephraim Gate to the Corner Gate. ²⁴ He carried off all the gold and silver and all the articles from the Temple of God that had been in the care of Obed-edom. He also seized the treasures of the royal palace, along with hostages, and then returned to Samaria.

²⁵ King Amaziah of Judah lived on for fifteen years after the death of King Jehoash of Israel. ²⁶ The rest of the events in Amaziah’s reign, from beginning to end, are recorded in The Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel.

I must confess:  I have always thought it was unfortunate that these ancient books were lost.  However, now that we are deep into 2 Chronicles, I am thinking it is a good thing.  How depressing to read even more of these records of half-heartedness, unfaithfulness, idolatry, revenge, disobedience, assassination, destruction, stupidity . . .

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²⁷ After Amaziah turned away from the Lord, there was a conspiracy against his life in Jerusalem, and he fled to Lachish. But his enemies sent assassins after him, and they killed him there. ²⁸ They brought his body back on a horse, and he was buried with his ancestors in the City of David.

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Music:

It is a short distance from Amaziah’s half-hearted devotion to God –  to my own.  How grateful I am that I can find God’s grace and forgiveness “At the Cross.”

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New Living Translation (NLT)   Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Images courtesy of:

cookies.    http://www.momsapplepieco.com/product_images/half_hearted_cookies_lg.jpg

Moses and the law.    http://www.tstl.net/children/coloring/Moses-ReceivingLaw.gif

money flying away.    http://frugalosopher.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/losing-money-1-748205.jpg

cat.    http://www.toptenz.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/what_are_you_doing.jpg

I did it my way.    http://image.spreadshirt.net/image-server/image/composition/16225022/view/1/producttypecolor/10/type/png/width/378/height/378/i-did-it-my-way_design.png

It won’t work.    http://lucyinnovation.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/failure.gif

sad face.    http://inlandpolitics.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Sad-Emoticon.jpg

574.) 2 Chronicles 24

"The Murder of Zechariah" by William Brassey Hole (1846-1917)

2 Chronicles 24   (New Living Translation)

(To subscribers who have trouble getting the links to work, here is a suggestion.  When you open your new email of DWELLING, click on the top line, which is the number and text of the day’s posting — today’s is  574.) 2 Chronicles 24.  Or hit the URL link at the far right just above the opening picture.  Either one will take you to the DWELLING site.  You will find the page looks better, all the links work, and you can make and read comments!)

Joash Repairs the Temple (Joash’s Reform)

Joash was seven years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem forty years. His mother was Zibiah from Beersheba. ² Joash did what was pleasing in the Lord’s sight throughout the lifetime of Jehoiada the priest.  ³Jehoiada chose two wives for Joash, and he had sons and daughters.

⁴ At one point Joash decided to repair and restore the Temple of the Lord. ⁵ He summoned the priests and Levites and gave them these instructions: “Go to all the towns of Judah and collect the required annual offerings, so that we can repair the Temple of your God. Do not delay!” But the Levites did not act immediately.

⁶ So the king called for Jehoiada the high priest and asked him, “Why haven’t you demanded that the Levites go out and collect the Temple taxes from the towns of Judah and from Jerusalem? Moses, the servant of the Lord, levied this tax on the community of Israel in order to maintain the Tabernacle of the Covenant.”

⁷ Over the years the followers of wicked Athaliah had broken into the Temple of God, and they had used all the dedicated things from the Temple of the Lord to worship the images of Baal.

⁸ So now the king ordered a chest to be made and set outside the gate leading to the Temple of the Lord. ⁹ Then a proclamation was sent throughout Judah and Jerusalem, telling the people to bring to the Lord the tax that Moses, the servant of God, had required of the Israelites in the wilderness. ¹⁰ This pleased all the leaders and the people, and they gladly brought their money and filled the chest with it.

2 Corinthians 9:6-8   (New International Version)

Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.  Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.  And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.

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¹¹ Whenever the chest became full, the Levites would carry it to the king’s officials. Then the court secretary and an officer of the high priest would come and empty the chest and take it back to the Temple again. This went on day after day, and a large amount of money was collected. ¹² The king and Jehoiada gave the money to the construction supervisors, who hired masons and carpenters to restore the Temple of the Lord. They also hired metalworkers, who made articles of iron and bronze for the Lord’s Temple.

The reform of Joash was, in fact, one of the significant landmarks in the development of the upkeep of the Temple.  This is not principally because of the apparent extent of the repairs, which was considerable.  It can be imagined how much routine repair would have been necessary on a building as large, opulent—and by now as old!—as Solomon’s Temple.  The importance of the change lies in the shifting of financial responsibility for the upkeep from king to people; the people recognized that the way of blessing was that of obedience.

–J. G. McConville

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¹³ The men in charge of the renovation worked hard and made steady progress. They restored the Temple of God according to its original design and strengthened it. ¹⁴ When all the repairs were finished, they brought the remaining money to the king and Jehoiada. It was used to make various articles for the Temple of the Lord—articles for worship services and for burnt offerings, including ladles and other articles made of gold and silver. And the burnt offerings were sacrificed continually in the Temple of the Lord during the lifetime of Jehoiada the priest.

¹⁵ Jehoiada lived to a very old age, finally dying at 130. ¹⁶ He was buried among the kings in the City of David, because he had done so much good in Judah for God and his Temple.

Jehoiada’s Reforms Reversed (Joash’s Apostasy)

¹⁷ But after Jehoiada’s death, the leaders of Judah came and bowed before King Joash and persuaded him to listen to their advice. ¹⁸ They decided to abandon the Temple of the Lord, the God of their ancestors, and they worshiped Asherah poles and idols instead! Because of this sin, divine anger fell on Judah and Jerusalem.

Such a betrayal!  Such a fatal weakness of character!

¹⁹Yet the Lord sent prophets to bring them back to him. The prophets warned them, but still the people would not listen.

²⁰ Then the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah son of Jehoiada the priest. He stood before the people and said, “This is what God says: Why do you disobey the Lord’s commands and keep yourselves from prospering? You have abandoned the Lord, and now he has abandoned you!”

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Music:

“You have abandoned the Lord”; other versions say forsaken, or deserted.  The opposite is James 4:8, which says, “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.”  That verse and this song, “Jesus, Draw Me Close,” serve to counter the disgraceful attitude shown in Joash above.

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²¹ Then the leaders plotted to kill Zechariah, and King Joash ordered that they stone him to death in the courtyard of the Lord’s Temple. ²² That was how King Joash repaid Jehoiada for his loyalty—by killing his son. Zechariah’s last words as he died were, “May the Lord see what they are doing and avenge my death!”

Joash did not seek God.  So with his last breath, Zechariah asks God to seek Joash.

Hebrews 10:30-31   (New King James Version)

For we know Him who said, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. And again, “The LORD will judge His people.”  It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

The End of Joash’s Reign

²³ In the spring of the year the Aramean army marched against Joash. They invaded Judah and Jerusalem and killed all the leaders of the nation. Then they sent all the plunder back to their king in Damascus. ²⁴Although the Arameans attacked with only a small army, the Lord helped them conquer the much larger army of Judah. The people of Judah had abandoned the Lord, the God of their ancestors, so judgment was carried out against Joash.

²⁵ The Arameans withdrew, leaving Joash severely wounded. But his own officials plotted to kill him for murdering the son of Jehoiada the priest. They assassinated him as he lay in bed. Then he was buried in the City of David, but not in the royal cemetery. ²⁶ The assassins were Jozacar, the son of an Ammonite woman named Shimeath, and Jehozabad, the son of a Moabite woman named Shomer.

²⁷ The account of the sons of Joash, the prophecies about him, and the record of his restoration of the Temple of God are written in The Commentary on the Book of the Kings. His son Amaziah became the next king.

Have you ever read the short story by the Southern American writer Flannery O’Connor (1925-1964) called “A Good Man Is Hard to Find”?  In the closing scene, an escaped convict, called “The Misfit,” kills the grandmother, a woman who has been more concerned about looking like a good Christian than being one.  As he looks at her dead body, The Misfit remarks:

“She would of been a good woman, if it had been somebody there to shoot her every minute of her life.”

I think of this line in relation to Joash.  He, like the grandmother, is a phony, and is good only under direction and pretense.  Once Jehoiada dies, Joash has no godly character of his own to guide him.  Unfortunately, Joash does not get the opportunity for a deathbed revelation, the way O’Connor’s grandmother does.

I do recommend the story to you!  O’Connor was a devout Christian whose works center on God’s mysterious grace.

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New Living Translation (NLT)   Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Images courtesy of:

Hole.    http://www.orientalism-in-art.org/The-murder-of-Zechariah.html

God loveth a cheerful giver.    http://guardianchihuahuas.com/myPictures/God-Loves-a-Cheerful-Giver.jpg

Solomon’s Temple.    http://www.templesanjose.org/JudaismInfo/faq/templewall/temple.jpg

Flannery O’Connor.    http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2009/4/22/1240415111859/Flannery-OConnor-001.jpg

573.) 2 Chronicles 23

Little Boy Joash crowned king

2 Chronicles 23   (New Living Translation)

Revolt against Athaliah

¹ In the seventh year of Athaliah’s reign, Jehoiada the priest decided to act. He summoned his courage and made a pact with five army commanders: Azariah son of Jeroham, Ishmael son of Jehohanan, Azariah son of Obed, Maaseiah son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat son of Zicri. ² These men traveled secretly throughout Judah and summoned the Levites and clan leaders in all the towns to come to Jerusalem. ³They all gathered at the Temple of God, where they made a solemn pact with Joash, the young king.

Jehoiada is the husband of Jehosheba, the woman who saved little Joash.  It is likely that he was a father figure to the child.  But he clearly saw his responsibility “as unto the Lord” to bring back a descendant of David to the throne.  For all practical purposes, everyone thought that wicked Athaliah had killed off all of David’s line.  So what a wonderful surprise is in store for these godly men, gathered at Jehoiada’s invitation!

Jehoiada said to them, “Here is the king’s son! The time has come for him to reign! The Lord has promised that a descendant of David will be our king. ⁴ This is what you must do. When you priests and Levites come on duty on the Sabbath, a third of you will serve as gatekeepers. ⁵ Another third will go over to the royal palace, and the final third will be at the Foundation Gate. Everyone else should stay in the courtyards of the Lord’s Temple. ⁶ Remember, only the priests and Levites on duty may enter the Temple of the Lord, for they are set apart as holy. The rest of the people must obey the Lord’s instructions and stay outside. ⁷ You Levites, form a bodyguard around the king and keep your weapons in hand. Kill anyone who tries to enter the Temple. Stay with the king wherever he goes.”

Again we see how carefully Jehoiada has reasoned things out, so that the restoration of the throne to David’s line will be done decently and in order.

⁸ So the Levites and all the people of Judah did everything as Jehoiada the priest ordered. The commanders took charge of the men reporting for duty that Sabbath, as well as those who were going off duty. Jehoiada the priest did not let anyone go home after their shift ended. ⁹ Then Jehoiada supplied the commanders with the spears and the large and small shields that had once belonged to King David and were stored in the Temple of God. ¹⁰ He stationed all the people around the king, with their weapons ready. They formed a line from the south side of the Temple around to the north side and all around the altar.

¹¹ Then Jehoiada and his sons brought out Joash, the king’s son, placed the crown on his head, and presented him with a copy of God’s laws.

Deuteronomy 17:18   (English Standard Version)  

And when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, he shall write for himself in a book a copy of this law, approved by the Levitical priests.

They anointed him and proclaimed him king, and everyone shouted, “Long live the king!”

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Music:

What a wonderful gift for all of us!  “Sweet Little Jesus Boy”  by Casting Crowns.

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The Death of Athaliah

¹² When Athaliah heard the noise of the people running and the shouts of praise to the king, she hurried to the Lord’s Temple to see what was happening. ¹³When she arrived, she saw the newly crowned king standing in his place of authority by the pillar at the Temple entrance.

Revelation 5:6   (New International Version)  

Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing at the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders.

The commanders and trumpeters were surrounding him, and people from all over the land were rejoicing and blowing trumpets. Singers with musical instruments were leading the people in a great celebration. When Athaliah saw all this, she tore her clothes in despair and shouted, “Treason! Treason!”

“Irony!  Irony!”

¹⁴ Then Jehoiada the priest ordered the commanders who were in charge of the troops, “Take her to the soldiers in front of the Temple, and kill anyone who tries to rescue her.” For the priest had said, “She must not be killed in the Temple of the Lord.” ¹⁵ So they seized her and led her out to the entrance of the Horse Gate on the palace grounds, and they killed her there.

I am imaging her funeral (though of course she didn’t have one) . . .

“The reason so many people showed up at his funeral was because they wanted to make sure he was dead.”  
–Samuel Goldwyn, referring to fellow film producer Louis B. Mayer 

“The first thing you should do when you get up is read the obituaries. You never know when you’ll see a name that will just make your day.” 
–Ed Salisbury  

“Why is it that we rejoice at a wedding and cry at a funeral ? It is because we are not the person involved.” 
–Mark Twain   

“You can have money piled to the ceiling but the size of your funeral is still going to depend on the weather.” 
–Chuck Tanner

“They say such nice things about people at their funerals that it makes me sad to realize that I’m going to miss mine by just a few days.” 
–Garrison Keillor  

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Jehoiada’s Religious Reforms

¹⁶ Then Jehoiada made a covenant between himself and the king and the people that they would be the Lord’s people.

One commentator has written, “The climax is not Joash’s coronation but a covenant renewing the nation’s relationship with God.”

¹⁷And all the people went over to the temple of Baal and tore it down. They demolished the altars and smashed the idols, and they killed Mattan the priest of Baal in front of the altars.

¹⁸ Jehoiada now put the priests and Levites in charge of the Temple of the Lord, following all the directions given by David. He also commanded them to present burnt offerings to the Lord, as prescribed by the Law of Moses, and to sing and rejoice as David had instructed.

Jehoiada goes back to the original instructions for worship, from God by way of Moses and David.

¹⁹ He also stationed gatekeepers at the gates of the Lord’s Temple to keep out those who for any reason were ceremonially unclean.

²⁰ Then the commanders, nobles, rulers, and all the people of the land escorted the king from the Temple of the Lord. They went through the upper gate and into the palace, and they seated the king on the royal throne. ²¹ So all the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was peaceful because Athaliah had been killed.

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New Living Translation (NLT)   Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Images courtesy of:

Joash crowned king (color).    http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-16qIzygGsZE/TcjTy_seXGI/AAAAAAAAADc/eXdzVMmAlEc/s1600/Joash-king.jpg

Joash crowned king (black and white).   http://www.bibleschoolresources.net/southernkingdom/joashcrownedking-cp.gif

white flowers on casket.    http://www.internet-flowers.net/images/pure_white_funeral_casket_spray.jpg

572.) 2 Chronicles 22

Saving the baby!

2 Chronicles 22   (New Living Translation)

Ahaziah Rules in Judah

¹Then the people of Jerusalem made Ahaziah, Jehoram’s youngest son, their next king, since the marauding bands who came with the Arabs had killed all the older sons. So Ahaziah son of Jehoram reigned as king of Judah.

² Ahaziah was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem one year. His mother was Athaliah, a granddaughter of King Omri. ³ Ahaziah also followed the evil example of King Ahab’s family, for his mother encouraged him in doing wrong. ⁴ He did what was evil in the Lord’s sight, just as Ahab’s family had done. They even became his advisers after the death of his father, and they led him to ruin.

⁵ Following their evil advice, Ahaziah joined King Joram, the son of King Ahab of Israel, in his war against King Hazael of Aram at Ramoth-gilead. When the Arameans wounded Joram in the battle, ⁶ he returned to Jezreel to recover from the wounds he had received at Ramoth. Because Joram was wounded, King Ahaziah of Judah went to Jezreel to visit him.

⁷ But God had decided that this visit would be Ahaziah’s downfall. While he was there, Ahaziah went out with Joram to meet Jehu son of Nimshi, whom the Lord had appointed to destroy the dynasty of Ahab.

Jehu was a commander in the Israelite army who had accepted a charge from Elijah to seize the throne and eliminate Baal worship from Israel (2 Kings 9:1-10).  Apparently there was widespread discontent with Joram’s rule, since Israelite troops readily took Jehu’s side (2 Kings 9:11-20).  At Jezreel he killed Joram (2 Kings 9:21-28) and then went on to consolidate his power by killing Jezebel, the entire family of Joram, the ministers of Baal and 42 relatives of Ahaziah of Judah (2 Kings 9:30-10:28).  No one was left to oppose him.  Now bereft of allies, however, Jehu submitted to Assyria.  He paid tribute to Shalmaneser III, as is recorded in the Black Obelisk from Nimrud, discovered in Iraq in 1846 (as pictured above:  Jehu kneeling before Shalmaneser).

–notes from The Archaeological Study Bible

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⁸ While Jehu was executing judgment against the family of Ahab, he happened to meet some of Judah’s officials and Ahaziah’s relatives who were traveling with Ahaziah. So Jehu killed them all. ⁹ Then Jehu’s men searched for Ahaziah, and they found him hiding in the city of Samaria. They brought him to Jehu, who killed him. Ahaziah was given a decent burial because the people said, “He was the grandson of Jehoshaphat—a man who sought the Lord with all his heart.”

“The final movements of Ahaziah are difficult to trace but may perhaps be reconstructed as follows: he fled south from Jezreel so as to hide in Samaria. He was brought to Jehu, who fatally wounded him near Ibleam (between Jezreel and Samaria); he fled by chariot northwest to Megiddo, where he died (2 Kings 9:27); and his body was carried by Ahaziah’s servants to Jerusalem (2 Kings 9:28), where they buried him.”

–David F. Payne

But none of the surviving members of Ahaziah’s family was capable of ruling the kingdom.

Queen Athaliah Rules in Judah

¹⁰ When Athaliah, the mother of King Ahaziah of Judah, learned that her son was dead, she began to destroy the rest of Judah’s royal family.

The King of Judah, Jehoshaphat, had married his son, Jehoram, to Athaliah, the morally bankrupt daughter of Israel’s wicked Ahab and Jezebel.  Politically, this alliance should have minimized the differences between north and south.  Theologically, however, it threatened the Lord’s guarantee that Judah should continue as a state at all.  And the end result is the death of all of Jehoshaphat’s descendants save one.

¹¹ But Ahaziah’s sister Jehosheba, the daughter of King Jehoram, took Ahaziah’s infant son, Joash, and stole him away from among the rest of the king’s children, who were about to be killed. She put Joash and his nurse in a bedroom. In this way, Jehosheba, wife of Jehoiada the priest and sister of Ahaziah, hid the child so that Athaliah could not murder him. ¹² Joash remained hidden in the Temple of God for six years while Athaliah ruled over the land.

“This is my Father’s world. O let me ne’er forget that though the wrong seems oft so strong, God is the ruler yet.”  While Athaliah thinks she has everything under her control, there is a baby in a small bedroom in the temple, and God is caring for him!  And God is caring for you just as tenderly as he is caring for that little boy in the temple!

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Music:

And how can this story of little Joash not remind us of baby Jesus?  Both sons in David’s royal line — both hidden away from a monarch intent on killing them — both purposed to bring people to God.  Here Mariah Carey sings “Jesus, Oh, What a Wonderful Child” and I hope you’ll be humming this cheerful number all day long!

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New Living Translation (NLT)   Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Images courtesy of:

saving the baby.    http://www.deafmissions.com/inc/devotions/1158994800.jpg

Black Obelisk.    http://emp.byui.edu/SATTERFIELDB/Rel302/Pictures/jehu.jpg

baby boy.    http://cdn.sheknows.com/articles/infant-boy-under-blanket.jpg

571.) 2 Chronicles 21

2 Chronicles 21   (New Living Translation)

Jehoram Rules in Judah

¹When Jehoshaphat died, he was buried with his ancestors in the City of David. Then his son Jehoram became the next king.

² Jehoram’s brothers—the other sons of Jehoshaphat—were Azariah, Jehiel, Zechariah, Azariahu, Michael, and Shephatiah; all these were the sons of Jehoshaphat king of Judah. ³ Their father had given each of them valuable gifts of silver, gold, and costly items, and also some of Judah’s fortified towns. However, he designated Jehoram as the next king because he was the oldest. ⁴ But when Jehoram had become solidly established as king, he killed all his brothers and some of the other leaders of Judah.

You shall not kill.

Like Rehoboam, Jehoshaphat scattered his sons throughout the kingdom, away from the capital, to give the son who was now king, Jehoram, room to breathe in safety.  But Jehoram was intent to strengthen his hand, so he slaughtered not only his brothers, but other leaders as well.

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⁵ Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years. ⁶ But Jehoram followed the example of the kings of Israel and was as wicked as King Ahab, for he had married one of Ahab’s daughters.

Like mother, like daughter.  Jehoram’s wife, Athaliah, was Jezebel’s daughter.  The two of them are famous for their impiety and cruelty.

So Jehoram did what was evil in the Lord’s sight. ⁷ But the Lord did not want to destroy David’s dynasty, for he had made a covenant with David and promised that his descendants would continue to rule, shining like a lamp forever.

⁸ During Jehoram’s reign, the Edomites revolted against Judah and crowned their own king. ⁹ So Jehoram went out with his full army and all his chariots. The Edomites surrounded him and his chariot commanders, but he went out at night and attacked them under cover of darkness. ¹⁰ Even so, Edom has been independent from Judah to this day. The town of Libnah also revolted about that same time. All this happened because Jehoram had abandoned the Lord, the God of his ancestors. ¹¹ He had built pagan shrines in the hill country of Judah and had led the people of Jerusalem and Judah to give themselves to pagan gods and to go astray.

I am the Lord your God.  You shall have no other gods before me.

Again we see such clarity from the Chronicler.  The loss of tribute nations is not a result of changing times or some such thing, but is directly traced to Jehoram’s disobedience to God and particularly to his idol worship.

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¹² Then Elijah the prophet wrote Jehoram this letter:

“This is what the Lord, the God of your ancestor David, says: You have not followed the good example of your father, Jehoshaphat, or your grandfather King Asa of Judah. ¹³ Instead, you have been as evil as the kings of Israel. You have led the people of Jerusalem and Judah to worship idols, just as King Ahab did in Israel. And you have even killed your own brothers, men who were better than you. ¹⁴ So now the Lord is about to strike you, your people, your children, your wives, and all that is yours with a heavy blow. ¹⁵ You yourself will suffer with a severe intestinal disease that will get worse each day until your bowels come out.”

¹⁶ Then the Lord stirred up the Philistines and the Arabs, who lived near the Ethiopians, to attack Jehoram. ¹⁷ They marched against Judah, broke down its defenses, and carried away everything of value in the royal palace, including the king’s sons and his wives.

My mother used to say, “What you put into the lives of others, comes back into your own.”  See how true it is here for Jehoram!

Only his youngest son, Ahaziah, was spared.

¹⁸ After all this, the Lord struck Jehoram with the severe intestinal disease. ¹⁹ The disease grew worse and worse, and at the end of two years it caused his bowels to come out, and he died in agony.

This was a fitting judgment. There was a sense in which Jehoram was rotten spiritually from within; here, God simply caused the physical condition of his body to correspond to the spiritual condition of his soul – so he died in severe pain.

–David Guzik

His people did not build a great funeral fire to honor him as they had done for his ancestors.

²⁰ Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years. No one was sorry when he died. They buried him in the City of David, but not in the royal cemetery.

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Music:

“Nothing Without You”  by Bebo Norman.

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New Living Translation (NLT)   Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Images courtesy of:

Jehoram’s gravestone.    http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_x4W1sJZ4H9I/S8Xd2mLMrkI/AAAAAAAAEmU/xKMGXNvc2hE/s400/jehoram_edited.jpg

Ten Commandment tablets.    http://www.gettysburgseminary.org/mhoffman/techxn/wd/Index_files/image008.gif

Jehoram reads Elijah’s letter.    http://www.biblical-art.com/extra/ownpub/public/pd182.jpg

570.) 2 Chronicles 20

2 Chronicles 20   (New Living Translation)

War with Surrounding Nations

¹ After this, the armies of the Moabites, Ammonites, and some of the Meunites declared war on Jehoshaphat. ²Messengers came and told Jehoshaphat, “A vast army from Edom is marching against you from beyond the Dead Sea. They are already at Hazazon-tamar.” (This was another name for En-gedi.)

³ Jehoshaphat was terrified by this news and begged the Lord for guidance. He also ordered everyone in Judah to begin fasting. ⁴ So people from all the towns of Judah came to Jerusalem to seek the Lord’s help.

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Our son Devlin McGuire (above) put this video clip together, using a bit of a sermon by David Platt (young pastor in Birmingham, Alabama, and author of the best-selling book Radical) and the music “Untitled 3″ by Sigur Ros.  The subject of the two minute message here is prayer.

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Jehoshaphat’s Prayer

There is a conviction in Jehoshaphat’s prayer of God’s power to change any situation utterly, without the need of human cooperation.  This is still the essence of Christian prayer.  When people’s temporal hopes are gone—and dreams of perfect happiness on earth inevitably prove illusory—the best secular answer is an acquiescent, perhaps bitter, resignation.  Where there is faith  in God, in glorious contrast, the “we do not know what to do” merely leads into “but our eyes are upon thee.”  There is no excuse for Christian hopelessness.

–J. G. McConville

⁵ Jehoshaphat stood before the community of Judah and Jerusalem in front of the new courtyard at the Temple of the Lord. ⁶ He prayed, “O Lord, God of our ancestors, you alone are the God who is in heaven. You are ruler of all the kingdoms of the earth. You are powerful and mighty; no one can stand against you! ⁷ O our God, did you not drive out those who lived in this land when your people Israel arrived? And did you not give this land forever to the descendants of your friend Abraham? ⁸ Your people settled here and built this Temple to honor your name. ⁹ They said, ‘Whenever we are faced with any calamity such as war, plague, or famine, we can come to stand in your presence before this Temple where your name is honored. We can cry out to you to save us, and you will hear us and rescue us.’

¹⁰ “And now see what the armies of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir are doing. You would not let our ancestors invade those nations when Israel left Egypt, so they went around them and did not destroy them. ¹¹ Now see how they reward us! For they have come to throw us out of your land, which you gave us as an inheritance. ¹² O our God, won’t you stop them? We are powerless against this mighty army that is about to attack us. We do not know what to do, but we are looking to you for help.”

The Oracle and Response

Jahaziel the Levite declares that this victory will, in a special way, be God’s alone.  Jehoshaphat and his army will have the role of onlookers on this occasion.  The Lord will prove himself trustworthy to those who are wholly committed to God, to those who are staking wealth and welfare on the outcome and leaning entirely on the strength of the Lord.

¹³ As all the men of Judah stood before the Lord with their little ones, wives, and children, ¹⁴ the Spirit of the Lord came upon one of the men standing there. His name was Jahaziel son of Zechariah, son of Benaiah, son of Jeiel, son of Mattaniah, a Levite who was a descendant of Asaph.

¹⁵ He said, “Listen, all you people of Judah and Jerusalem! Listen, King Jehoshaphat! This is what the Lord says: Do not be afraid! Don’t be discouraged by this mighty army, for the battle is not yours, but God’s. ¹⁶ Tomorrow, march out against them. You will find them coming up through the ascent of Ziz at the end of the valley that opens into the wilderness of Jeruel. ¹⁷ But you will not even need to fight. Take your positions; then stand still and watch the Lord’s victory. He is with you, O people of Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid or discouraged. Go out against them tomorrow, for the Lord is with you!”

¹⁸ Then King Jehoshaphat bowed low with his face to the ground. And all the people of Judah and Jerusalem did the same, worshiping the Lord. ¹⁹ Then the Levites from the clans of Kohath and Korah stood to praise the Lord, the God of Israel, with a very loud shout.

²⁰ Early the next morning the army of Judah went out into the wilderness of Tekoa. On the way Jehoshaphat stopped and said, “Listen to me, all you people of Judah and Jerusalem! Believe in the Lord your God, and you will be able to stand firm. Believe in his prophets, and you will succeed.”

J. B. Rotherham’s translation (Emphasized Bible, 1902) of 2 Chronicles 20:20 has a word of joy for us all:  Trust ye in the Lord your God and ye shall be trusted.  We shall be trusted with answers to prayer which are not what we desired, as well as with those which are.  Isn’t it wonderful to be trusted like that, with just anything God wants and sees is best?

–Amy Carmichael

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²¹ After consulting the people, the king appointed singers to walk ahead of the army, singing to the Lord and praising him for his holy splendor. This is what they sang:

“Give thanks to the Lord;
his faithful love endures forever!”

The Victory

The nation is restored to a state of blessing, characterized by riches, possession of her land, the inspiration of fear in her enemies, and joyful worship in the Temple.

²² At the very moment they began to sing and give praise, the Lord caused the armies of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir to start fighting among themselves. ²³ The armies of Moab and Ammon turned against their allies from Mount Seir and killed every one of them. After they had destroyed the army of Seir, they began attacking each other. ²⁴ So when the army of Judah arrived at the lookout point in the wilderness, all they saw were dead bodies lying on the ground as far as they could see. Not a single one of the enemy had escaped.

²⁵ King Jehoshaphat and his men went out to gather the plunder. They found vast amounts of equipment, clothing, and other valuables—more than they could carry. There was so much plunder that it took them three days just to collect it all! ²⁶ On the fourth day they gathered in the Valley of Blessing, which got its name that day because the people praised and thanked the Lord there. It is still called the Valley of Blessing today.

²⁷ Then all the men returned to Jerusalem, with Jehoshaphat leading them, overjoyed that the Lord had given them victory over their enemies. ²⁸ They marched into Jerusalem to the music of harps, lyres, and trumpets, and they proceeded to the Temple of the Lord.

²⁹ When all the surrounding kingdoms heard that the Lord himself had fought against the enemies of Israel, the fear of God came over them. ³⁰ So Jehoshaphat’s kingdom was at peace, for his God had given him rest on every side.

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Music:

Could God do it?  Yes, God could!  What a great story!  And what a fun song!  “Can He? Could He? Would He? Did He?  (Yes, He can, He could, He would, and He did!)” performed for you with all good will by the Ernie Haase Signature Sound!

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Summary of Jehoshaphat’s Reign

³¹So Jehoshaphat ruled over the land of Judah. He was thirty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-five years. His mother was Azubah, the daughter of Shilhi.

³² Jehoshaphat was a good king, following the ways of his father, Asa. He did what was pleasing in the Lord’s sight. ³³ During his reign, however, he failed to remove all the pagan shrines, and the people never fully committed themselves to follow the God of their ancestors.

³⁴ The rest of the events of Jehoshaphat’s reign, from beginning to end, are recorded in The Record of Jehu Son of Hanani, which is included in The Book of the Kings of Israel.

³⁵ Some time later King Jehoshaphat of Judah made an alliance with King Ahaziah of Israel, who was very wicked. ³⁶ Together they built a fleet of trading ships at the port of Ezion-geber. ³⁷ Then Eliezer son of Dodavahu from Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat. He said, “Because you have allied yourself with King Ahaziah, the Lord will destroy your work.” So the ships met with disaster and never put out to sea.

The Chronicler makes an explicit link between the foundering of Jehoshaphat’s ships, before they earned him a penny, and this unholy alliance with another wicked king of Israel.  And so a reign that was in many ways glorious, ends on this sad and unsatisfying note.

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New Living Translation (NLT)   Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Images courtesy of:

Keep calm and trust God.    http://ih2.redbubble.net/work.5919464.3.flat,550×550,075,f.keep-calm-and-trust-god.jpg

569.) 2 Chronicles 19

2 Chronicles 19   (New Living Translation)

Jehoshaphat Appoints Judges

¹ When King Jehoshaphat of Judah arrived safely home in Jerusalem, ² Jehu son of Hanani the seer went out to meet him. “Why should you help the wicked and love those who hate the Lord?” he asked the king. “Because of what you have done, the Lord is very angry with you.

Psalm 7:11   (English Standard Version)

God is a righteous judge.

³Even so, there is some good in you, for you have removed the Asherah poles throughout the land, and you have committed yourself to seeking God.”

Psalm 97:10   (New International Version) 

Let those who love the LORD hate evil,
for he guards the lives of his faithful ones
and delivers them from the hand of the wicked.

⁴ Jehoshaphat lived in Jerusalem, but he went out among the people, traveling from Beersheba to the hill country of Ephraim, encouraging the people to return to the Lord, the God of their ancestors. ⁵ He appointed judges throughout the nation in all the fortified towns, ⁶ and he said to them, “Always think carefully before pronouncing judgment. Remember that you do not judge to please people but to please the Lord. He will be with you when you render the verdict in each case. ⁷ Fear the Lord and judge with integrity, for the Lord our God does not tolerate perverted justice, partiality, or the taking of bribes.”

Romans 2:11   (Contemporary English Version)

God doesn’t have any favorites!

⁸ In Jerusalem, Jehoshaphat appointed some of the Levites and priests and clan leaders in Israel to serve as judges for cases involving the Lord’s regulations and for civil disputes. ⁹ These were his instructions to them: “You must always act in the fear of the Lord, with faithfulness and an undivided heart. ¹⁰ Whenever a case comes to you from fellow citizens in an outlying town, whether a murder case or some other violation of God’s laws, commands, decrees, or regulations, you must warn them not to sin against the Lord, so that he will not be angry with you and them. Do this and you will not be guilty.

¹¹ “Amariah the high priest will have final say in all cases involving the Lord. Zebadiah son of Ishmael, a leader from the tribe of Judah, will have final say in all civil cases. The Levites will assist you in making sure that justice is served. Take courage as you fulfill your duties, and may the Lord be with those who do what is right.”

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Christ as Judge and Saviour. Icon painted by Helen McIldowie Jenkins

God is pointed to as the model to be followed by judges in the land since God is the great and perfect judge over all the earth.  Three things are pointed out in God’s character that these judges need to embrace in their own lives. God has no iniquity, is impartial, and not influenced by bribery.  First, God is sinless and there is no shadow of darkness in His character in any way.  We can be confident that God never acts out of selfishness and His motive towards us is always pure.   Second, God does not treat one person as better than another, nor does He show greater respect for one person than another.  He treats everyone the same no matter what their name, race, position, or education. God treats you the same as Billy Graham, the president, or a king.  Last, God is absolutely immune from any temptation towards bribery. That is a fact because of His character as well as His ownership of all things.

How will we all fare before this judge someday?  Death is the shadow that hangs over all human life.  The judgment is God’s evaluation of your life and mine.  Though impossible to do so, we often attempt to escape the fact of death.  The late newspaper tycoon William Randolph Hearst forbade anyone to use the word death in his presence.  What a contrast to Philip II, King of Macedon and father of Alexander the Great, who commissioned a servant to come into his presence daily and solemnly announce, “Remember, Philip, you must die.”

2 Timothy 4:8 — “Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.”

–Ed Rea (biochemist, missionary, pastor)

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Music:

This simple little Scripture chorus was a favorite of my mother, and I remember her singing it as she worked around the house (although never in Samoan!).

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New Living Translation (NLT)   Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Images courtesy of:

judge’s gavel.    http://www.attorneybusinesscard.net/images/wooden_judges_gavel_business_card-p240376415939920326qs8j_300.jpg

Jenkins.    http://www.elenisicons.co.uk/assets/images/thumbs/tn_christ_sinai.jpg

568.) 2 Chronicles 18

This map shows Jehoshaphat (Jerusalem) joining Ahab (Samaria) against Syria/Aram.

2 Chronicles 18   (New Living Translation)

(To subscribers who have trouble getting the links to work, here is a suggestion.  When you open your new email of DWELLING, click on the top line, which is the number and text of the day’s posting — today’s is  568.) 2 Chronicles 18.  Or hit the URL link at the far right just above the opening picture.  Either one will take you to the DWELLING site.  You will find the page looks better, all the links work, and you can make and read comments!)

Jehoshaphat and Ahab

Jehoshaphat enjoyed great riches and high esteem, and he made an alliance with Ahab of Israel by having his son marry Ahab’s daughter. ²A few years later he went to Samaria to visit Ahab, who prepared a great banquet for him and his officials. They butchered great numbers of sheep, goats, and cattle for the feast. Then Ahab enticed Jehoshaphat to join forces with him to recover Ramoth-gilead.

³ “Will you go with me to Ramoth-gilead?” King Ahab of Israel asked King Jehoshaphat of Judah.

Jehoshaphat replied, “Why, of course! You and I are as one, and my troops are your troops. We will certainly join you in battle.” ⁴ Then Jehoshaphat added, “But first let’s find out what the Lord says.”

This does seem curious.  Jehoshaphat has already committed himself to the enterprise (v. 3) and he will later disregard the advice that he will be given (v. 28).  So what was the point of asking a prophet what the Lord would say? 

Yes, and am I not just the same?  I determine what I want to do, and I do what I want to do, and in between, oh, I better add asking the Lord to bless it.

⁵ So the king of Israel summoned the prophets, 400 of them, and asked them, “Should we go to war against Ramoth-gilead, or should I hold back?”

They all replied, “Yes, go right ahead! God will give the king victory.”

⁶ But Jehoshaphat asked, “Is there not also a prophet of the Lord here? We should ask him the same question.”

⁷ The king of Israel replied to Jehoshaphat, “There is one more man who could consult the Lord for us, but I hate him. He never prophesies anything but trouble for me! His name is Micaiah son of Imlah.”

Jehoshaphat replied, “That’s not the way a king should talk! Let’s hear what he has to say.”

⁸ So the king of Israel called one of his officials and said, “Quick! Bring Micaiah son of Imlah.”

Micaiah Prophesies against Ahab

⁹ King Ahab of Israel and King Jehoshaphat of Judah, dressed in their royal robes, were sitting on thrones at the threshing floor near the gate of Samaria. All of Ahab’s prophets were prophesying there in front of them. ¹⁰One of them, Zedekiah son of Kenaanah, made some iron horns and proclaimed, “This is what the Lord says: With these horns you will gore the Arameans to death!”

No doubt the horns looked just like this!

¹¹ All the other prophets agreed. “Yes,” they said, “go up to Ramoth-gilead and be victorious, for the Lord will give the king victory!”

¹² Meanwhile, the messenger who went to get Micaiah said to him, “Look, all the prophets are promising victory for the king. Be sure that you agree with them and promise success.”

¹³ But Micaiah replied, “As surely as the Lord lives, I will say only what my God says.”

¹⁴ When Micaiah arrived before the king, Ahab asked him, “Micaiah, should we go to war against Ramoth-gilead, or should I hold back?”

Micaiah replied sarcastically, “Yes, go up and be victorious, for you will have victory over them!”

¹⁵ But the king replied sharply, “How many times must I demand that you speak only the truth to me when you speak for the Lord?”

¹⁶ Then Micaiah told him, “In a vision I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains, like sheep without a shepherd. And the Lord said, ‘Their master has been killed. Send them home in peace.’”

¹⁷ “Didn’t I tell you?” the king of Israel exclaimed to Jehoshaphat. “He never prophesies anything but trouble for me.”

Oh, Ahab.  Like Jack Nicholson said, “You can’t handle the truth!”  (from A Few Good Men, 1992)

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¹⁸ Then Micaiah continued, “Listen to what the Lord says! I saw the Lord sitting on his throne with all the armies of heaven around him, on his right and on his left. ¹⁹ And the Lord said, ‘Who can entice King Ahab of Israel to go into battle against Ramoth-gilead so he can be killed?’

“There were many suggestions, ²⁰ and finally a spirit approached the Lord and said, ‘I can do it!’

“‘How will you do this?’ the Lord asked.

²¹ “And the spirit replied, ‘I will go out and inspire all of Ahab’s prophets to speak lies.’

“‘You will succeed,’ said the Lord. ‘Go ahead and do it.’

²² “So you see, the Lord has put a lying spirit in the mouths of your prophets. For the Lord has pronounced your doom.”

John 8:44   (New International Version)

You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

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²³ Then Zedekiah son of Kenaanah walked up to Micaiah and slapped him across the face. “Since when did the Spirit of the Lord leave me to speak to you?” he demanded.

²⁴ And Micaiah replied, “You will find out soon enough when you are trying to hide in some secret room!”

²⁵ “Arrest him!” the king of Israel ordered. “Take him back to Amon, the governor of the city, and to my son Joash. ²⁶ Give them this order from the king: ‘Put this man in prison, and feed him nothing but bread and water until I return safely from the battle!’”

It is important to realize that the “spirit of falsehood” sent by God actually deceives no one.  It is sent to those who recognize the truth and suppress it.  When Micaiah first addresses Ahab with the ironic words of v. 14 (i.e., the terms which the “spirit of falsehood” has suggested), Ahab sees through it at once and demands—irony of ironies—the truth (v. 15)!  When Ahab goes to battle he has heard and recognized the truth, and does not pretend otherwise.  His lament of v. 17 is not an accusation of the prophet, but a grim knowledge that he would never enjoy blessing from God.  He goes to his destiny against Syria because—in spite of the Word of God—he is determined to be godless.

–J. G. McConville

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²⁷ But Micaiah replied, “If you return safely, it will mean that the Lord has not spoken through me!” Then he added to those standing around, “Everyone mark my words!”

The Death of Ahab

²⁸ So King Ahab of Israel and King Jehoshaphat of Judah led their armies against Ramoth-gilead. ²⁹The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “As we go into battle, I will disguise myself so no one will recognize me, but you wear your royal robes.” So the king of Israel disguised himself, and they went into battle.

Oh, Jehoshaphat, dressed as a king for battle.  Is it brilliant faith — or stupid naivety?

³⁰ Meanwhile, the king of Aram had issued these orders to his chariot commanders: “Attack only the king of Israel! Don’t bother with anyone else.” ³¹ So when the Aramean chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat in his royal robes, they went after him. “There is the king of Israel!” they shouted. But Jehoshaphat called out, and the Lord saved him. God helped him by turning the attackers away from him. ³² As soon as the chariot commanders realized he was not the king of Israel, they stopped chasing him.

³³ An Aramean soldier, however, randomly shot an arrow at the Israelite troops and hit the king of Israel between the joints of his armor. “Turn the horses and get me out of here!” Ahab groaned to the driver of the chariot. “I’m badly wounded!”

We already know what will happen.  Better to be God’s prophet in jail than King Ahab in his chariot.

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³⁴ The battle raged all that day, and the king of Israel propped himself up in his chariot facing the Arameans. In the evening, just as the sun was setting, he died.

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Music:

After the lies and unfaithfulness and death and general unpleasantness of this chapter — a little something to clear your mind!  The wonderful Twila Paris and “We Will Glorify.”

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New Living Translation (NLT)   Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Images courtesy of:

map.  http://www.lftd.org/map_ot/14battle_with_aram_2chron18.htm

God bless me.    http://image.spreadshirt.com/image-server/image/composition/18079138/view/1/type/png/width/178/height/178/god-bless-me-other_design.png

Viking.    http://geekent.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/minnesota-vikings-logo.png

Nicholson.    http://sbrownehr.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/You-cant-handle-the-truth.jpg

Liar, liar, pants on fire.     http://keenetrial.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/liar-liar-pants-on-fire.jpg

Romans 6:23.    http://fc02.deviantart.com/fs12/f/2006/337/7/a/romans_1_by_ohmanthatwassic.jpg

death of King Ahab.    http://ntccpasadenatx.org/blogs2/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/Death-of-King-Ahab.jpg

567.) 2 Chronicles 17

Jehoshaphat — detail from the Sistein Chapel ceiling painted by Michelangelo, 1511.

2 Chronicles 17   (New Living Translation)

Jehoshaphat Rules in Judah

¹ Then Jehoshaphat, Asa’s son, became the next king. He strengthened Judah to stand against any attack from Israel. ²He stationed troops in all the fortified towns of Judah, and he assigned additional garrisons to the land of Judah and to the towns of Ephraim that his father, Asa, had captured.

³ The Lord was with Jehoshaphat because he followed the example of his father’s early years and did not worship the images of Baal. ⁴ He sought his father’s God and obeyed his commands instead of following the evil practices of the kingdom of Israel. ⁵ So the Lord established Jehoshaphat’s control over the kingdom of Judah. All the people of Judah brought gifts to Jehoshaphat, so he became very wealthy and highly esteemed. ⁶ He was deeply committed to the ways of the Lord. He removed the pagan shrines and Asherah poles from Judah.

⁷ In the third year of his reign Jehoshaphat sent his officials to teach in all the towns of Judah. These officials included Ben-hail, Obadiah, Zechariah, Nethanel, and Micaiah. ⁸ He sent Levites along with them, including Shemaiah, Nethaniah, Zebadiah, Asahel, Shemiramoth, Jehonathan, Adonijah, Tobijah, and Tob-adonijah. He also sent out the priests Elishama and Jehoram. ⁹ They took copies of the Book of the Law of the Lord and traveled around through all the towns of Judah, teaching the people.

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These priests and Levites were nothing other than traveling evangelists!  They led the way as they traveled and  taught the Word of God, and the Lord has raised up many, over the centuries, to follow them.  Three who have touched my life in some way are described below (with thanks to Wikipedia).

John Wesley (1703-1791)

John Wesley’s famous “Aldersgate experience” of 24 May 1738, at a Moravian meeting in Aldersgate Street, London, in which he heard a reading of Martin Luther’s  preface to the Epistle to the Romans, and penned the now famous lines “I felt my heart strangely warmed,” revolutionized the character and method of his ministry.  A few weeks later, Wesley preached a remarkable sermon on the doctrine of personal salvation by faith, which was followed by another, on God’s grace “free in all, and free for all.”  Wesley never stopped preaching the importance of faith for salvation and the witness of God’s Spirit with the belief that one was, indeed, a child of God.  Wesley allied himself with the Moravian society. In 1738 he went to Herrnhut, the Moravian headquarters in Germany, to study. (See Daily Texts, above!)

He returned to England and then one day he preached a sermon not in a church, but in the open air.  Wesley recognized the open-air services were successful in reaching men and women who would not enter most churches. From then on he took the opportunities to preach wherever an assembly could be brought together, more than once using his father’s tombstone at Epworth as a pulpit. Wesley continued for fifty years – entering churches when he was invited, and taking his stand in the fields, in halls, cottages, and chapels, when the churches would not receive him.  (John Wesley’s last words were, “The best of all is, God is with us.”  Immanuel!)

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Hans Nielsen Hauge (1771-1824)

Hauge had a poor and otherwise ordinary youth until April 5, 1796, when he received his “spiritual baptism” in a field near his farm. Within two months, he had founded a revival movement in his own community, written a book, and decided to take his mission on the road.  In the next several years, Hauge traveled — mostly by foot — throughout most of Norway, from Tromso in the north to Denmark in the south. He held countless revival meetings, preaching about “the living faith” often after church services. Hague taught that Jesus was Lord over all of life and that Christians were to view their work as an act of worship to God.  He and his followers were persecuted, though their teachings were in keeping with Lutheran doctrine. At the time, itinerant preaching and religious gatherings held without the supervision of a pastor were illegal, and Hauge was arrested and imprisoned several times.  In the end, Hauge revived the faith in Norway, making religion a personal responsibility.  (My parents’ Lutheran roots were Haugean.  Consequently they taught me a personal faith in Jesus Christ and a love of Christian missions around the world.)

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Billy Graham (born 1918)

It is said that Graham has preached the Gospel in person to more people than any other person in history. According to his staff, as of 1993 more than 2.5 million people around the world have “stepped forward at his crusades to accept Jesus Christ as their personal Savior,” many to the altar call song “Just As I Am.”  As of 2008, Graham’s lifetime audience, including radio and television broadcasts, topped 2.2 billion.  (I remember watching the Billy Graham crusades on television as a child, and every time he gave the invitation I said “Yes” in my heart to Jesus.  It is a decision I make again every day — to be cheerfully obedient, to be lovingly faithful, to be boldly hopeful in God’s all-sufficient grace.)

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Music:

“Word of God, Speak” by MercyMe.

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¹⁰ Then the fear of the Lord fell over all the surrounding kingdoms so that none of them wanted to declare war on Jehoshaphat. ¹¹ Some of the Philistines brought him gifts and silver as tribute, and the Arabs brought 7,700 rams and 7,700 male goats.

¹² So Jehoshaphat became more and more powerful and built fortresses and storage cities throughout Judah. ¹³ He stored numerous supplies in Judah’s towns and stationed an army of seasoned troops at Jerusalem. ¹⁴ His army was enrolled according to ancestral clans.

From Judah there were 300,000 troops organized in units of 1,000, under the command of Adnah. ¹⁵ Next in command was Jehohanan, who commanded 280,000 troops. ¹⁶ Next was Amasiah son of Zicri, who volunteered for the Lord’s service, with 200,000 troops under his command.
¹⁷ From Benjamin there were 200,000 troops equipped with bows and shields. They were under the command of Eliada, a veteran soldier. ¹⁸ Next in command was Jehozabad, who commanded 180,000 armed men.

¹⁹ These were the troops stationed in Jerusalem to serve the king, besides those Jehoshaphat stationed in the fortified towns throughout Judah.

The true treasure of Jehoshaphat’s kingdom was not numbered only in security or material things, but also in the dedicated and courageous men he had surrounding him, these mighty men of valor.

–David Guzik

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New Living Translation (NLT)   Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Images courtesy of:

Michelangelo.    http://www.backtoclassics.com/images/pics/michelangelo/michelangelo_sistinechapelasajehoshaphatjoramdetail1.jpg

John Wesley.    http://www.brycchancarey.com/abolition/wesley.jpg

Hans Nielsen Hauge.    http://www.pergjendem.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/hauge_hans_n.jpg

Billy Graham.    http://media.photobucket.com/image/recent/bethelhouse/billyGrahamPreaching_print.jpg

566.) 2 Chronicles 16

Asa started well . . . somehow lost his focus . . . and did not finish strong.

2 Chronicles 16   (New Living Translation)

Final Years of Asa’s Reign

Asa, having passed the sternest of tests first (by withstanding the mighty Ethiopian army), fails a comparatively trivial one.  Such irony — and also such psychological truth.  There is that in us which runs to accept great challenges, because they flatter us and will bring us celebrity, while we jib at those tasks where there seems to be little to gain and everything to lose.  Naaman almost squandered his opportunity to be healed for such ignoble reasons, until his servants took courage and pointed out his folly (2 Kings 5:13f).  Many who have been faithful in great things have found it hard to keep faith in smaller matters.

–J. G. McConville

Matthew 25:21  (ESV)

His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’

¹In the thirty-sixth year of Asa’s reign, King Baasha of Israel invaded Judah and fortified Ramah in order to prevent anyone from entering or leaving King Asa’s territory in Judah.

one point perspective

It’s all a matter of perspective.  What Asa saw as disaster was actually an opportunity for him — to trust God!

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² Asa responded by removing the silver and gold from the treasuries of the Temple of the Lord and the royal palace. He sent it to King Ben-hadad of Aram, who was ruling in Damascus, along with this message:

³ “Let there be a treaty between you and me like the one between your father and my father. See, I am sending you silver and gold. Break your treaty with King Baasha of Israel so that he will leave me alone.”

“I will say nothing about what belonged to his own house. He might do as he liked with that so long as he did not spend it upon sin, but he took of the treasure that belonged to the house of the Lord, and gave it to Ben-hadad to bribe him to break his league with Bassha, and be in league with himself. Thus God was robbed that the unbelieving king might find help in an arm of flesh.”

–Charles Haddon Spurgeon

⁴ Ben-hadad agreed to King Asa’s request and sent the commanders of his army to attack the towns of Israel. They conquered the towns of Ijon, Dan, Abel-beth-maacah, and all the store cities in Naphtali. ⁵ As soon as Baasha of Israel heard what was happening, he abandoned his project of fortifying Ramah and stopped all work on it. ⁶ Then King Asa called out all the men of Judah to carry away the building stones and timbers that Baasha had been using to fortify Ramah. Asa used these materials to fortify the towns of Geba and Mizpah.

Well, it seems Asa’s plan is working . . . at least in the short term . . . but in God’s eyes?

⁷ At that time Hanani the seer came to King Asa and told him, “Because you have put your trust in the king of Aram instead of in the Lord your God, you missed your chance to destroy the army of the king of Aram.

This was a complete surprise to Asa. He believed that the main enemy was Israel, because of King Baasha’s aggressive building of the Ramah fortress. He succeeded in gaining Syria’s help against Baasha and Israel, but he failed to see what God saw: that the bigger enemy was Syria, and God wanted to give him victory over the greater enemy.  Compromise blinds us to who our true enemies are and it leads us into alliances with those whom God would rather give us victory over.

–David Guzik

⁸ Don’t you remember what happened to the Ethiopians and Libyans and their vast army, with all of their chariots and charioteers? At that time you relied on the Lord, and he handed them over to you. ⁹ The eyes of the Lord search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.

from Experiencing God Day-by-Day,
by Henry T. Blackaby and Richard Blackaby

A LOYAL HEART

If your heart is loyal to God, you do not have to look for Him, He is already looking for you!  God told King Asa that He continuously watches for those who are steadfast in their commitment to Him.  When He finds them, He makes His presence powerfully evident to them.  King Asa had experienced God’s awesome power when he faced a menacing army from Ethiopia (2 Chron. 14:9).  God gave Asa victory, despite the overwhelming odds he faced.  In spite of this miracle, the next time Asa faced a enemy he failed to trust God.  Even though the army Asa faced was smaller than the one God had previously defeated, Asa’s faith in God faltered.  God encouraged Asa to take courage in knowing that God never rests or sleeps.  He is never distracted, bu diligently seeks individuals whose hearts are completely committed to Him.

Life’s challenges sometimes seem impossible.  Do you feel you are too weak to fight the battle?  Don’t give up!  Keep your heart loyal to God, for He constantly watches over you, and He desires to demonstrate His strength in victory in your life.  God is willing and just as capable of giving you victory in your current challenge as He was with those in times past.  The questions is not whether God is looking for His people, but whether His people are seeking Him.  Take comfort in God’s promise that He watches over you and He wants to give you victory.

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What a fool you have been! From now on you will be at war.”

¹⁰ Asa became so angry with Hanani for saying this that he threw him into prison and put him in stocks. At that time Asa also began to oppress some of his people.

Summary of Asa’s Reign

¹¹ The rest of the events of Asa’s reign, from beginning to end, are recorded in The Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel. ¹² In the thirty-ninth year of his reign, Asa developed a serious foot disease.  (One commentator suggests that it was “gout with ensuing gangrene.”)

two point perspective

And here is another opportunity for Asa to trust God!

How many “opportunities” have I missed recently, seeing only my present difficulty and not God’s willingness to show Himself mighty on my behalf?

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Yet even with the severity of his disease, he did not seek the Lord’s help but turned only to his physicians. ¹³ So he died in the forty-first year of his reign. ¹⁴ He was buried in the tomb he had carved out for himself in the City of David. He was laid on a bed perfumed with sweet spices and fragrant ointments, and the people built a huge funeral fire in his honor.

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Music:

Unlike Asa, I want to finish strong!  Let’s finish strong together, wholly devoted to the Lord all of the days of our lives.

“Cry of My Heart”  by Terry (not Geezer!) Butler.

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New Living Translation (NLT)   Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Images courtesy of:

finish strong.    http://alcoofcanada.com/images/TA67326.gif

perspective.    http://www.olejarz.com/arted/perspective/images/intro.gif

Proverbs 15:3.    http://www.shareittags.com/images/CrayonsProverbs15vs3CARD.jpg

two point perspective.    http://www.how-to-draw-funny-cartoons.com/image-files/two-point-perspective-6.gif