Jehoshaphat does something exceedingly wise in our reading for today; unfortunately, he follows it with something foolish – but we’ll get there. Jehoshaphat makes an alliance with Ahab, the king of Israel. Ahab then asks Jehoshaphat to go to war with him. Jehoshaphat insists that before they act, they should seek the word of the Lord (2 Chronicles 18:4). What’s more, he isn’t satisfied with the hundreds of false prophets who tell him exactly what he wants to hear. In 1 Chronicles 18:6, he pushes to hear from a prophet of the Lord. The prophet of the Lord, Micaiah, warns him against going to war with Ahab. Then comes the foolish part, Jehoshaphat goes anyway! He goes through the additional effort of faithfully seeking the word of God and then disregards that word and does what he wants.
This is a trap we still fall into today. We go to church, get involved with Bible study, or do personal devotion to seek out the word and will of God for our lives. Hopefully, we seek out a church, a preacher, or a small group that challenges us with God’s Word, rather than just telling us what we want to hear. We put real effort into seeking out the word of God, and still we disregard that word so that we can do what we want to do. As we read and reflect on the story of Jehoshaphat, I would encourage you to respond to the next challenge from God’s word with acceptance instead of with submission to the temptations to ignore it.
Today’s B.I.B.L.E. Takeaways:
Blessings from God
We see God being merciful on Jehoshaphat in 2 Chronicles 19:2-3 in the aftermath of the failed invasion of Ramoth-gilead.
Instructions for Us
This story reminds us to listen to the word of God, even if it tells us something we don’t want to hear.
Biblical Connections
This story does not directly connect with other parts of the Bible, other than being part of a continuous story.
Laborious Understandings
2 Chronicles 18:22 is a difficult passage to wrap our heads around, and we’re not really given any further explanation on the lying spirit that is sent to all the other prophets. My educated guess is that these were evil spirits or that God was teaching a lesson or testing Jehoshaphat.
Enjoyable Passages
2 Chronicles 18:13 is a favorite verse as the prophet declares “what my God says, that I will speak.”
Topics to Pray About:
Thank God for the people around you that honestly speak His Word to you.
Confess to God the desires and temptations that you allow to overwhelm His will in your life.
One Righteous Voice
2 Chronicles 17-20
Jehoshaphat does something exceedingly wise in our reading for today; unfortunately, he follows it with something foolish – but we’ll get there. Jehoshaphat makes an alliance with Ahab, the king of Israel. Ahab then asks Jehoshaphat to go to war with him. Jehoshaphat insists that before they act, they should seek the word of the Lord (2 Chronicles 18:4). What’s more, he isn’t satisfied with the hundreds of false prophets who tell him exactly what he wants to hear. In 1 Chronicles 18:6, he pushes to hear from a prophet of the Lord. The prophet of the Lord, Micaiah, warns him against going to war with Ahab. Then comes the foolish part, Jehoshaphat goes anyway! He goes through the additional effort of faithfully seeking the word of God and then disregards that word and does what he wants.
This is a trap we still fall into today. We go to church, get involved with Bible study, or do personal devotion to seek out the word and will of God for our lives. Hopefully, we seek out a church, a preacher, or a small group that challenges us with God’s Word, rather than just telling us what we want to hear. We put real effort into seeking out the word of God, and still we disregard that word so that we can do what we want to do. As we read and reflect on the story of Jehoshaphat, I would encourage you to respond to the next challenge from God’s word with acceptance instead of with submission to the temptations to ignore it.
Today’s B.I.B.L.E. Takeaways:
Blessings from God
We see God being merciful on Jehoshaphat in 2 Chronicles 19:2-3 in the aftermath of the failed invasion of Ramoth-gilead.
Instructions for Us
This story reminds us to listen to the word of God, even if it tells us something we don’t want to hear.
Biblical Connections
This story does not directly connect with other parts of the Bible, other than being part of a continuous story.
Laborious Understandings
2 Chronicles 18:22 is a difficult passage to wrap our heads around, and we’re not really given any further explanation on the lying spirit that is sent to all the other prophets. My educated guess is that these were evil spirits or that God was teaching a lesson or testing Jehoshaphat.
Enjoyable Passages
2 Chronicles 18:13 is a favorite verse as the prophet declares “what my God says, that I will speak.”
Topics to Pray About:
In His Service,
J. LeBorious