A REIGN SET OUT BY LISTS!
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Opening Prayer
Father in Heaven, please lead me today in ways that serve you and bless others.
Read 2 CHRONICLES 17
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2 Chronicles
2 Chronicles 17
1 Jehoshaphat his son succeeded him as king and strengthened himself against Israel.
2 He stationed troops in all the fortified cities of Judah and put garrisons in Judah and in the towns of Ephraim that his father Asa had captured.
3 The LORD was with Jehoshaphat because he followed the ways of his father David before him. He did not consult the Baals
4 but sought the God of his father and followed his commands rather than the practices of Israel.
5 The LORD established the kingdom under his control; and all Judah brought gifts to Jehoshaphat, so that he had great wealth and honor.
6 His heart was devoted to the ways of the LORD; furthermore, he removed the high places and the Asherah poles from Judah.
7 In the third year of his reign he sent his officials Ben-Hail, Obadiah, Zechariah, Nethanel and Micaiah to teach in the towns of Judah.
8 With them were certain Levites—Shemaiah, Nethaniah, Zebadiah, Asahel, Shemiramoth, Jehonathan, Adonijah, Tobijah and Tob-Adonijah—and the priests Elishama and Jehoram.
9 They taught throughout Judah, taking with them the Book of the Law of the LORD; they went around to all the towns of Judah and taught the people.
10 The fear of the LORD fell on all the kingdoms of the lands surrounding Judah, so that they did not go to war against Jehoshaphat.
11 Some Philistines brought Jehoshaphat gifts and silver as tribute, and the Arabs brought him flocks: seven thousand seven hundred rams and seven thousand seven hundred goats.
12 Jehoshaphat became more and more powerful; he built forts and store cities in Judah
13 and had large supplies in the towns of Judah. He also kept experienced fighting men in Jerusalem.
14 Their enrollment by families was as follows: From Judah, commanders of units of 1,000: Adnah the commander, with 300,000 fighting men;
15 next, Jehohanan the commander, with 280,000;
16 next, Amasiah son of Zikri, who volunteered himself for the service of the LORD, with 200,000.
17 From Benjamin: Eliada, a valiant soldier, with 200,000 men armed with bows and shields;
18 next, Jehozabad, with 180,000 men armed for battle.
19 These were the men who served the king, besides those he stationed in the fortified cities throughout Judah.
Reflect
‘… since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off … sin … And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.’1
One of Asa’s achievements was that his son Jehoshaphat chose to follow the example of his earlier years. Jehoshaphat resisted Israel’s possible attacks not by allying with pagan neighbors but by building good defenses of his own. He not only followed God himself but, rather than just decreeing that the people should also do so, he sent out a team (names listed!) of secular and religious teachers to educate the people in understanding and applying God’s laws. He encouraged the various local armies to be centralized in Jerusalem (with the numbers specified) and in other key locations. He clearly gave credit for his strength to God, so it was ‘the fear of the Lord’ (v. 10), not any fear of Jehoshaphat, that kept surrounding kingdoms from invading. His reforms went further than those of his father. The chronicler had pointed out that Asa, even at his best, had not removed the high places, but Jehoshaphat did that (v. 6). He had made an excellent start—are we being set up to wonder whether he will also follow his father in his later fall from grace? The next chapters will reveal the answer!
Perhaps the most notable thing in this chapter is Jehoshaphat’s awareness of the necessity of teamwork. He realized that leadership was not just about issuing decrees from above! He knew that the whole people needed to be taught about the religious and practical implications of their historic covenant faith. To do that, he needed a team of educators. To manage the army, he needed a team of military leaders. He was not threatened by handing over responsibility to others. The chronicler’s lists of names make us aware that these were real people, not just symbolic ciphers!
Apply
Think about all the teams you belong to or lead. Are the team members enabled and trusted? What actions are taken to make sure God gets the glory?
Closing prayer
Thank you, Jesus, thank you that you have called us to follow you in community. Thank you for my brothers and sisters in Christ; help us learn, grow, and serve you together.
1 Heb 12:1.
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