2 Chronicles 19
English Standard Version, David Cochran Audio
Jehoshaphat the king of Judah returned in safety to his house in Jerusalem. 2 But Jehu the son of Hanani the seer went out to meet him and said to King Jehoshaphat, “Should you help the wicked and love those who hate the Lord? Because of this, wrath has gone out against you from the Lord. 3 Nevertheless, some good is found in you, for you destroyed the Asheroth out of the land, and have set your heart to seek God.”
4 Jehoshaphat lived at Jerusalem. And he went out again among the people, from Beersheba to the hill country of Ephraim, and brought them back to the Lord, the God of their fathers. 5 He appointed judges in the land in all the fortified cities of Judah, city by city, 6 and said to the judges, “Consider what you do, for you judge not for man but for the Lord. He is with you in giving judgment. 7 Now then, let the fear of the Lord be upon you. Be careful what you do, for there is no injustice with the Lord our God, or partiality or taking bribes.”
8 Moreover, in Jerusalem Jehoshaphat appointed certain Levites and priests and heads of families of Israel, to give judgment for the Lord and to decide disputed cases. They had their seat at Jerusalem.
9 And he charged them: “Thus you shall do in the fear of the Lord, in faithfulness, and with your whole heart: 10 whenever a case comes to you from your brothers who live in their cities, concerning bloodshed, law or commandment, statutes or rules, then you shall warn them, that they may not incur guilt before the Lord and wrath may not come upon you and your brothers. Thus you shall do, and you will not incur guilt.
11 And behold, Amariah the chief priest is over you in all matters of the Lord; and Zebadiah the son of Ishmael, the governor of the house of Judah, in all the king's matters, and the Levites will serve you as officers. Deal courageously, and may the Lord be with the upright[the good] !"
When we combine 2 Chronicles 18 and 19, we have a rather rare example of Judah and Israel working together. Ahab was the 7th non-davidic line of Israel, Jehoshophat the 4th Davidic King of Judah. 2 Chronicles 18:9 sees both king arrayed in their robes upon thrones. And we find Jehoshaphat was indeed like his great, great, great grandfather David, and he inquires of Ahab to find a prophet to hear a word from the LORD. Which is rather brave when Ahab is.... Ahab.
Judges 3:7
And the people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. They forgot the Lord their God and served the Baals and the Asheroth.
Asheroth is only listed 3 times in the Scriptures. And one of these quotes is in Judges 3 and involves something interesting:
Judges 3:1a
Now these are the nations that the Lord left, to test Israel by them
repeating in:
Judges 3:4
They were for the testing of Israel, to know whether Israel would obey the commandments of the Lord, which he commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses.
Jehoshaphat has just had his metal, his fiber, tested. And he has been found unworthy. Because he was willing to sit with Ahab. Knowing Ahab is Ahab. And make a marriage alliance.
Psalm 1
Blessed is the man
who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
2 but his delight is in the law of the Lord,
and on his law he meditates day and night.
3 He is like a tree
planted by streams of water
that yields its fruit in its season,
and its leaf does not wither.
In all that he does, he prospers.
4 The wicked are not so,
but are like chaff that the wind drives away.
5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;
6 for the Lord knows the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish.
Hebrews 5:1-2
For every high priest chosen from among men is appointed to act on behalf of men in relation to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. 2 He can deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, since he himself is beset with weakness.
Displays God's intimate knowledge in Jesus Christ that we are all beset by weakness. And this Scripture also participates in this passage as well:
Proverbs 21:1
The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD; he directs it like a watercourse wherever he pleases.
This is a good passage for all of us: set your heart to seek God
Joel 3 is about all of us facing the valley of Jehoshaphat. Yet it is important to remember before that Day - Consider what you do, for you judge not for man but for the Lord.
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