2 Crônicas 19

2 Crônicas 19

Meyer - This looks back to 2 Chronicles 18:1, where we learn that Jehoshaphat, though he had riches and honor in abundance, joined affinity with Ahab. Riches and abundance are dangerous things. They usually weaken our character, and incline us to worldly alliances; and it was to their subtle and pernicious influences that Jehoshaphat fell a victim. Ah! what a fall it was to hear him saying, “I am as thou art, and my people as thy people.” Well might Jehu take up the rôle which his father had filled before Asa, and protest. But let us seriously question whether, though there are good things found in us, we may not be falling into the same mistake, and sin. Are there not ways in which we say to men of the world, with whom we mix, “I am as thou art”? There is a great tendency in the present day to boast in the closeness with which we can approach the world without injury. We join in the social life, read the same books, go to the same amusements, talk of the same themes; and it is almost impossible in a drawing-room to tell the difference between the Jehoshaphats and the Ahabs. So also, in our methods of doing good. The real difficulty lies away back in our want of engagedness with Christ. It is of little use to find fault with the outward, as long as the heart is wayward. Love to the Lord Jesus is our only safeguard. The love of Christ must constrain us. Personal attachment to Christ will wean us away from this close identification with the world. But if we persist in identifying ourselves with the world, which God has doomed, we must not be surprised to find that wrath is on us from the Lord: and He will chasten us for love’s sake. Vance Havner - Campaign Against Ramoth-Gilead Shouldest thou help the ungodly, and love them that hate the Lord? II Chronicles 19:2. Jehoshaphat was A good man, but he allowed himself to be persuaded by Ahab to join him in an expedition against Ramoth-gilead. They called in the prophets after the decision already had been made in order to get their blessing, just as we often make our plans and then ask God to bless them instead of asking God for a plan. All the sycophant prophets concurred, except Micaiah, who told them the truth and was put in prison and fed the bread and water of affliction. The expedition resulted in Ahab's death. Then Jehu reproved Jehoshaphat with the words of our text. God never wants His people to team up with the ungodly in their ventures. We have a different program and there is no concord between Christ and Belial. Ahab is always going up against some Ramoth-gilead, and all it takes, as in this case, is a big supper to line up unwise Jehoshaphats. Better a Micaiah on bread and water than a Jehoshaphat at a banquet, when a Ramoth-gilead campaign is brewing. James Smith - Handfuls of Purpose - JEHOSHAPHAT, THE OVERCOMER 2 CHRONICLES 19; 20 “Faith needs no staff of flesh, but stoutly can To Heaven alone both go and lead.” —Herbert. Although Jehoshaphat, through his affinity with Ahab, fell into the mire, we do not find him wallowing in it. He must have been deeply ashamed on his return to Jerusalem, when Jehu, the son of the seer, met him with that sharp rebuke, “Shouldest thou help the ungodly?” (2Ch 19:2). But this good thing was found in him; he had already “prepared his heart to seek God” (2Ch 19:3), and God had already marked his repentance. As we have noted in our last study his steps down to failure and shame, we shall note now his upward steps of faith to victory and joy. His work of faith is seen in— I. Seeking the Restoration of Others. The best work we can do for our fellowmen is to bring them back to God. “Jehoshaphat went out again through the people, … and brought them back unto the Lord God” (2Ch 19:4). If they had been led away from the Lord through his evil example, now that he was restored in heart, he loses no time in using his influence for their good. The best work we can do for our fellowmen is to bring them back to God. In bringing them to Him, we bring them to the source of peace, power, and plenty. We may bring them back to sobriety, and to the Church, without bringing them back to God. Those who seek to bring men to God show their faith in Him. II. Justifying the Ways of God. “Now let the fear of the Lord be with you, … for there is no iniquity with the Lord our God, nor respect of persons, nor taking of gifts” (2Ch 19:7). These words were spoken to the judges in the land. The basis of their actions was to be the righteousness of God. There is no false dealings with Him, no respect of persons, no taking of bribes. Jehoshaphat found this out to his sorrow and loss when he joined affinity with Ahab, and went to war with him, although Micaiah had warned him in the Name of God about it. But he has learned a lesson, so he now testifies that there is no unrighteousness with God. He will not be bribed to “help the ungodly.” “He is the Rock, His work is perfect, a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is He” (Deut. 32:4). III. Warning them of the Evils of Backsliding. “Warn them that they trespass not against the Lord, and so wrath come upon you, and upon your brethren” (2Ch 19:10). “Burnt bairns dread the fire.” The king has learned by bitter experience that there is a vital connection between the trespass of men and the wrath of God. Man cannot sin with impunity. He that goeth over the fence of God’s will, the serpent of sin will surely bite him. Outside the will of God is always forbidden ground; it leads to Doubting Castle and the tortures of Giant Despair. IV. Seeking the Help of God in the Day of Trouble. “After this the children of Moab and the children of Ammon … came against Jehoshaphat to battle” (2Ch 20:1). After this—after he had decided to follow the Lord fully—the testing time came. The trial of your faith is more precious than gold. The time was when he might have appealed to Ahab for help, having made a treaty with him, but he looks away from man, and “sets himself to seek the Lord” (2Ch 19:3). His example is followed by the whole nation, for they “gathered themselves together to ask help of the Lord” (2Ch 20:4). Nations, as well as individuals, must believe in the Lord to be saved. The man of faith knows no other refuge than God Himself (Psa. 46:1). He appeals to God (1) as the Almighty One (2Ch 20:6); (2) as the Faithful One (2Ch 20:7); (3) as the Trusted One. “Our eyes are upon Thee” (2Ch 20:12). Whatever thy trouble is, seek help from God, and expect it. V. Answered Prayer. Jehoshaphat’s faith in God is further evidenced by this sudden answer to his prayer. The Spirit of the Lord came upon Jahaziel, as he stood in the midst of the congregation, with this message, “Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s” (2Ch 20:14, 15). As soon as Jehoshaphat had put his trust in the Lord the battle became His. God takes over the responsibilities of those who cast all their care upon Him. All the man of faith had to do was to “stand still and see the salvation of the Lord” (2Ch 20:17). How this was to be done they knew not; it was enough for him that God had promised to do it (Exod. 14:13, 14). Christ fought for us the battle of sin and death. “Ye shall not need to fight in this battle.” VI. Humble Acceptance. In acknowledgment of God’s wondrous grace, he “Bowed his head with his face to the ground, … worshipping the Lord” (v. 18). The revelation of God’s saving power has always a head-bowing and heart-hallowing effect upon those to whom it comes in answer to faith and prayer. The true attitude of spiritual victors is that of worshippers. The more deeply we drink of the river of His grace, the more readily shall we bow and worship. He who humbled Himself to the Cross for us has given the death-blow to our pride and self-sufficiency. VII. Faithful Testimony. “Hear me, O Judah, Believe in the Lord your God, so shall ye be established; believe His prophets, so shall ye prosper” (2Ch 20:20). Jehoshaphat has proved for himself the truth of this, he speaks from experience. Faith in God must lead to faith in His prophets. The fruit of faith is not weakness and instability, but strength and prosperity. The Bible affords us many examples of those who have been strengthened and made successful through their faith in God (see Heb. 11). “Therefore be not slothful, but followers of them who, through faith and patience, inherit the promises” (Heb. 6:12). VIII. Joyful Expectation. “Faith laughs at impossibilities, and says, It shall be done.” He believed God, and rejoiced in the hope of a glorious victory. This is seen in his “appointing singers unto the Lord, to go out before the army, and to say, Praise the Lord” (2Ch 20:21). Happy is that man who can sing praise to God for His bare word of promise, and go on expecting miracles to be wrought. He shall not be disappointed. “Believe, and thou shalt see.” “When they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushments against the enemy, … and they were smitten” (2Ch 20:22). “Then they returned with joy” (2Ch 20:27). If the singers had been defeated, then might the enemies of the Bible rejoice; but the God of the Old Testament never fails to fulfil the expectations of all those who trust Him. This is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. QUESTION - What was a seer in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org ANSWER - A seer is a person who “sees.” In the Bible, a seer is another name for a prophet (see 1 Samuel 9:9). But, more specifically, a seer was a prophet who saw visions—pictures or scenes seen in the mind’s eye, in dreams, or even with one’s natural eye. God spoke to His people through prophets in different ways, and one way was through visions. Accompanying the ability to see visions, a seer was given insight into what God was saying by these visions. There are a few different Hebrew words translated “seer.” Roeh (1 Samuel 9:11) and chozeh (2 Samuel 24:11) are the two most common. Second Chronicles 9:29 might differentiate between prophet and seer: “Now the rest of the acts of Solomon, from first to last, are they not written in the records of Nathan the prophet, and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat?” The distinction is probably that Nathan was God’s spokesman in the world (whether or not he had visions), while Iddo was specifically associated with “visions.” Another prophet, Jeremiah, also operated as a seer (see Jeremiah 1:11–13). Notice that God doesn’t ask Jeremiah what he “feels” or “thinks,” but rather what he “sees.” After Jeremiah sees the vision, God gives him insight into what the vision meant (Jeremiah 1:14–18). The term seer isn’t used in the New Testament, but there were still prophets who had visions. Paul had a vision of heaven (2 Corinthians 12:2), as did Stephen (Acts 7:55–56) and John (Revelation 1:12–16). Seers in the Bible possessed a unique gift as God vividly communicated with and through them. Their faithfulness in writing down what they saw helped to complete the Word of God as we have it today. D A Carson - 2 Chronicles 19–20; Revelation 8; Zechariah 4; John 7 EARLIER WE WITNESSED A KING who began well and ended poorly (Asa); still earlier, we witnessed a halfhearted reformer (Rehoboam; see December 11). Now we come across another, King Jehoshaphat, who does not degenerate (ED: LIKE HIS FATHER ASA), nor does he slide along in a gray zone between good and evil, but rather proves to be very good in some areas and not very discerning and even stupid in others—all his life (2 Chron. 19–20). The two previous chapters (2 Ch 17–18) can be divided into two parts. 2Ch 17 depicts the strengths of Jehoshaphat—the man who diligently seeks the Lord and fortifies the entire southern kingdom. By contrast, chapter 18 depicts foolish Jehoshaphat, enmeshed in a needless and compromised alliance with wicked King Ahab of Israel, almost losing his life in a fight that wasn’t his. Now in the chapters before us, the prophet Jehu, son of the prophet Hanani who had been imprisoned by Asa in his old age, confronts Jehoshaphat: “Should you help the wicked and love those who hate the LORD? Because of this, the wrath of the LORD is upon you. There is, however, some good in you, for you have rid the land of the Asherah poles and have set your heart on seeking God” (2Ch 19:2–3). Then the pattern repeats itself. Jehoshaphat works diligently to rid the judiciary of corruption (2Ch 19:4–11). When he faces another military crisis, this time the nations of Moab and Ammon allied against him, he turns to God for help. The culmination of his prayer is intensely moving: “O our God, will you not judge them? For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon you” (2Ch 20:12). In his mercy, God sends his Spirit upon Jahaziel son of Zechariah, who carries a prophetic word to strengthen and encourage Jehoshaphat and the people of Judah and Jerusalem (2Ch 20:15ff). The victory they win is extravagant, and the Lord graciously imposes “the fear of God” upon the surrounding kingdoms, thereby giving Jehoshaphat and Judah rest. So what does Jehoshaphat do? He makes another stupid and unnecessary alliance, this time with Ahaziah, the new king of Israel, and is soundly rebuked by another prophetic word (2Ch 20:35–37). Doesn’t the man ever learn? Today we would probably label such deeply disturbing repetitions “character flaws.” They can occur in people whose lives, on so many levels, are entirely praiseworthy. At one level it is entirely right to thank God for the good these people do. But would it not have been far better if Jehoshaphat had learned from his first mistakes? Would it be impertinent to ask if you and I learn from ours? (BORROW For the Love of God, Combined Edition, Volumes One and Two) 2 Chronicles 19:3 “But there is some good in you, for you have removed the Asheroth from the land and you have set your heart to seek God.” KJV 2 Chronicles 19:3 Nevertheless there are good things found in thee, in that thou hast taken away the groves out of the land, and hast prepared thine heart to seek God. BGT 2 Chronicles 19:3 ἀλλ᾽ ἢ λόγοι ἀγαθοὶ ηὑρέθησαν ἐν σοί ὅτι ἐξῆρας τὰ ἄλση ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς Ιουδα καὶ κατηύθυνας τὴν καρδίαν σου ἐκζητῆσαι τὸν κύριον LXE 2 Chronicles 19:3 Nevertheless some good things have been found in thee, forasmuch as thou didst remove the groves from the land of Juda, and didst direct thine heart to seek after the Lord. NET 2 Chronicles 19:3 Nevertheless you have done some good things; you removed the Asherah poles from the land and you were determined to follow the LORD." CSB 2 Chronicles 19:3 However, some good is found in you, for you have removed the Asherah poles from the land and have decided to seek God." ESV 2 Chronicles 19:3 Nevertheless, some good is found in you, for you destroyed the Asheroth out of the land, and have set your heart to seek God." NIV 2 Chronicles 19:3 There is, however, some good in you, for you have rid the land of the Asherah poles and have set your heart on seeking God." NLT 2 Chronicles 19:3 Even so, there is some good in you, for you have removed the Asherah poles throughout the land, and you have committed yourself to seeking God." NRS 2 Chronicles 19:3 Nevertheless, some good is found in you, for you destroyed the sacred poles out of the land, and have set your heart to seek God." NJB 2 Chronicles 19:3 All the same, there are good things to your credit, since you have removed the sacred poles from the country and have set your heart on seeking God.' NAB 2 Chronicles 19:3 Yet some good things are to be found in you, since you have removed the sacred poles from the land and have been determined to seek God." YLT 2 Chronicles 19:3 but good things have been found with thee, for thou hast put away the shrines out of the land, and hast prepared thy heart to seek God.' good: 2Ch 12:12 17:3-6 1Ki 14:13 Ro 7:18 Set your heart: 2Ch 12:14 30:19 Ezra 7:10 Ps 57:7 Related Passages: Ezra 7:10+ For (TERM OF EXPLANATION - EXPLAINS WHY GOOD HAND OF LORD IS ON HIM) Ezra had set his heart to study the law of the LORD and to practice it, and to teach His statutes and ordinances in Israel. JEHU SOFTENS CONDEMNATION WITH WORD OF COMMENDATION But there is some good in you - Would this be said of all God's children, for we all go astray like Jehoshaphat. For - Term of explanation. He gives 2 reasons to explain "some good." You have removed (ba'ar) the Asheroth (KJV - "groves") from the land and you have set your heart to seek God - Note the order is significant! You have to dispose of the evil before you can truly pursue to LORD. The opposite was said of King Rehoboam "He did evil because (Term of explanation) he did not set his heart to seek the LORD." (2Ch 12:14+) Gustafson - Jehoshaphat responded to Jehu’s rebuke much better than did his father Asa when Jehu’s father Hanani rebuked him (16:7–10). Jehoshaphat took this reproof to his heart and conscience. He did not answer, but his actions showed that he was repentant. All the good of the rest of this chapter and 20:1–34 is a result of his humbling himself at Jehu’s rebuke. Asa would not humble himself at Hanani’s censure and as a result he was away from God for the last five years of his life. When Jehoshaphat saw Ahab wrongfully put Micaiah in prison it helped him to see how wrong his own father had been to incarcerate Hanani. (Digital - What the Bible Teaches: 1 and 2 Chronicles or book - WTBT 1 and 2 Chronicles ) McConville: A Christian's attachment to God is necessarily expressed in the kind of atmosphere in which he prefers to live and move and have his being. Company, pursuits, ambitions will all bear upon them the mark of a love of God. This is by no means to put an embargo upon normal social intercourse with those who are not basically like-minded. It has to do with the sort of life pattern which one chooses to construct. The task of construction is no easy one, and the temptation is to model oneself upon the 'architects' about us. This was Jehoshaphat's fault, and his error calls us to consistency in exhibiting the characteristics which are truly Christian. (See further Rom. 12:1f.; Gal. 5:16-26.) (BORROW I & II Chronicles)