April 3, 2011 (2 Chronicles 18-23, I Kings 22)

King Jehoshaphat entered into an alliance with wicked King Ahab. As he returned from war he was met by a prophet that told him God was angry with him. But he was also told 'there was some good in him' as he had removed the Asherah poles and he had committed himself to seeking God. It seems that was his 'wake up call' because after that he went through the land giving them these instructions:

^19:7 Fear the Lord and judge with integrity, for the Lord our God does not tolerate perverted justice, partiality, or the taking of bribes.”

 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.

After this, neighboring armies declared war on him. It says 'He was alarmed by this news and sought the Lord for guidance'. He called the people to fast and pray, and then stood before the people and prayed a long prayer that ended with:

^20:12 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.”

And then a prophet stood and gave God's answer:

^20:15 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!”

Then the King and all his people bowed in worship. Early the next morning he and his army departed. On the way he stopped and said:

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.”

I think he did this to remind them of what they had heard the previous day. In the daylight, on the way to battle, I would imagine some were wondering if they 'got it right' - If they really did hear that God would deliver them. He reminded them to believe what they had heard.

I love this next section. It really ties AGAIN with the book I am reading - thankfulness precedes the miracle.

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!”

 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.

After the victory the people praised and thanked the Lord in the "Valley of Blessing" - so named because of their gratefulness to God.

And again, I see that Jehoshaphat did not finish well.

 ³⁵ Some time later King Jehoshaphat of Judah made an alliance with King Ahaziah of Israel, who was very wicked.

Was it because of this?

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.

It really seems as if you have to be 'all in' in order to finish well. I want to finish well. Am I really "all in"?