Jehoshaphat his son reigned in his place and strengthened himself against Israel. 2 He placed forces in all the fortified cities of Judah and set garrisons in the land of Judah, and in the cities of Ephraim that Asa his father had captured. 3 The Lord was with Jehoshaphat, because he walked in the earlier ways of his father David. He did not seek the Baals,4 but sought the God of his father and walked in his commandments, and not according to the practices of Israel. 5 Therefore the Lord established the kingdom in his hand. And all Judah brought tribute to Jehoshaphat, and he had great riches and honor. 6 His heart was courageous in the ways of the Lord. And furthermore, he took the high places and the Asherim out of Judah.
7 In the third year of his reign he sent his officials, Ben-hail, Obadiah, Zechariah, Nethanel, and Micaiah, to teach in the cities of Judah; 8 and with them the Levites, Shemaiah, Nethaniah, Zebadiah, Asahel, Shemiramoth, Jehonathan, Adonijah, Tobijah, and Tobadonijah; and with these Levites, the priests Elishama and Jehoram. 9 And they taught in Judah, having the Book of the Law of the Lord with them. They went about through all the cities of Judah and taught among the people.
10 And the fear of the Lord fell upon all the kingdoms of the lands that were around Judah, and they made no war against Jehoshaphat. 11 Some of the Philistines brought Jehoshaphat presents and silver for tribute, and the Arabians also brought him 7,700 rams and 7,700 goats. 12 And Jehoshaphat grew steadily greater. He built in Judah fortresses and store cities, 13 and he had large supplies in the cities of Judah. He had soldiers, mighty men of valor, in Jerusalem. 14 This was the muster of them by fathers' houses: Of Judah, the commanders of thousands: Adnah the commander, with 300,000 mighty men of valor; 15 and next to him Jehohanan the commander, with 280,000; 16 and next to him Amasiah the son of Zichri, a volunteer for the service of the Lord, with 200,000 mighty men of valor. 17 Of Benjamin: Eliada, a mighty man of valor, with 200,000 men armed with bow and shield; 18 and next to him Jehozabad with 180,000 armed for war. 19 These were in the service of the king, besides those whom the king had placed in the fortified cities throughout all Judah. 2 Chronicles 17 ESV
Jehoshaphat walks in the earlier ways of David, and those early days were not only filled with lions, bears and giants, but also of standing even in the face of those whose eyes have fallen down. His father goes out the worse than he came in, but Jehoshaphat goes up against the high places, at least those that have been dedicated to other gods. Those early days we remember, when we went out to battle, when we tended the flock, and so there are those wolves to the north, our own brethren, who we must pray for and call to, but they have accepted and adhered to false doctrines. Like David, he must now shepherd and fortify himself to the protection of his country against those closest to them. David was not destroyed in battle but at home, from within. His was the temptation of all men, that fruit on someone else's tree, the broken comprehension of Who God is and what the image of God in others instructs us to their treatment. When you have done it unto the least of these my brethren you have done it unto me. If you love me, feed my sheep. Do not grow weary in well doing, do not lose sight of your first love, it is the same God going out as coming in. He wages the greatest war, not with the sound of crushing bones nor the spilling of enemy blood. It is the proclamation of the law, that your are sinners, it is the offense of the gospel, that you are guilty. This is the war against human ignorance and self esteem, the war against pride and it changes his nation. It changes his nation and places a mark of respect on them by the other surrounding nations. The truth is not suppressed but proclaimed. I hear whining supposed Christians every day, who cry that there is no prayer in schools or that the system is junk, but I ask you, what's it like at home? Children are given to their parents to bring up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Do you read the Bible to them every day, pray together, do they see you love your wife, do they see you growing closer to God and further from sin? There are no excuses, it all starts at home. You are the light of the world, not governments, not schools. No matter where you work, play, or do your hobbies, honor God. A preacher does his job, but you are the priest in your home, and you are the missionary at your work, live to the glory of God. No matter where you are at, you were called, so serve.
As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, 5 you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For it stands in Scripture:
“Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone,
a cornerstone chosen and precious,
and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”
7 So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe,
“The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone,”[a]
8 and
“A stone of stumbling,
and a rock of offense.”
They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.
9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
11 Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. 12 Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation. 1 Peter 2: 4-12
Jehoshaphat walks in the earlier ways of David, and those early days were not only filled with lions, bears and giants, but also of standing even in the face of those whose eyes have fallen down. His father goes out the worse than he came in, but Jehoshaphat goes up against the high places, at least those that have been dedicated to other gods. Those early days we remember, when we went out to battle, when we tended the flock, and so there are those wolves to the north, our own brethren, who we must pray for and call to, but they have accepted and adhered to false doctrines. Like David, he must now shepherd and fortify himself to the protection of his country against those closest to them. David was not destroyed in battle but at home, from within. His was the temptation of all men, that fruit on someone else's tree, the broken comprehension of Who God is and what the image of God in others instructs us to their treatment. When you have done it unto the least of these my brethren you have done it unto me. If you love me, feed my sheep. Do not grow weary in well doing, do not lose sight of your first love, it is the same God going out as coming in. He wages the greatest war, not with the sound of crushing bones nor the spilling of enemy blood. It is the proclamation of the law, that your are sinners, it is the offense of the gospel, that you are guilty. This is the war against human ignorance and self esteem, the war against pride and it changes his nation. It changes his nation and places a mark of respect on them by the other surrounding nations. The truth is not suppressed but proclaimed. I hear whining supposed Christians every day, who cry that there is no prayer in schools or that the system is junk, but I ask you, what's it like at home? Children are given to their parents to bring up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Do you read the Bible to them every day, pray together, do they see you love your wife, do they see you growing closer to God and further from sin? There are no excuses, it all starts at home. You are the light of the world, not governments, not schools. No matter where you work, play, or do your hobbies, honor God. A preacher does his job, but you are the priest in your home, and you are the missionary at your work, live to the glory of God. No matter where you are at, you were called, so serve.
As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, 5 you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For it stands in Scripture:
“Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone,
a cornerstone chosen and precious,
and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”
7 So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe,
“The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone,”[a]
8 and
“A stone of stumbling,
and a rock of offense.”
They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.
9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
11 Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. 12 Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation. 1 Peter 2: 4-12
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