Some people seem to make it their ambition to demonstrate how evil the human heart can be. It’s a good thing Jehoshaphat didn’t live to see the horrendous results of his links with Ahab and Ahaziah, kings of Israel; worse still, the awful consequences of the marriage alliance he allowed between his son Jehoram and […]
One of history’s most remarkable battles had come to a glorious close. What did it all mean? Along with glory and praise to the Lord and the enrichment of the people, here’s the divine assessment of the battle’s other results. “Then they returned…to Jerusalem with joy, for the Lord had made them rejoice over their enemies” (2 […]
Read More… from December 19, 2024 — Delighted Army, Disastrous Navy
There’s much more to the idea of singing our way to triumph than this story might first suggest. The singers were in front of the army and, no doubt in rhythm with the left-right, left-right, of the march, were chanting the words, “Praise the Lord, for His mercy endures forever” (2 Chron 20:21). The Hebrew for “mercy” is hesed, and […]
Read More… from December 18, 2024 — Start—And Finish—With Praise
A godly battle begins with praying, continues with praising, and ends with picking up the spoils. As Jehoshaphat concluded his masterly prayer, “the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jahaziel” (2 Chron 20:14). “Listen…Thus says the Lord to you: Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s” (v […]
God came to dwell with us so that we could “dwell in the House of the Lord forever.” O come let us adore Him… […]
Prayer puts our eyes on God, not on our circumstances, and puts our faith in God, not in our resources. As the people of Judah crowded into the temple precinct in Jerusalem, “Jehoshaphat stood…in the house of the Lord, before the new court” (2 Chron 20:5), and began to pray. Imagine if our leaders prayed like this […]
Is it true? Rock music saved Jabe Nicholson’s life? Yes, and God is always surprising us like that. […]
The perfect example of asymmetrical warfare—they have the multitudes, and we have God! If we were reading the 1 Kings account of Jehoshaphat’s life at this point, it would simply inform us, “Now the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, the might that he showed, and how he made war, are they not written in the […]