Address—Steve Sacksteder
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Please turn to 1St John chapter 2 for an introductory verse.
Well known exhortation.
Someone has described the difference between an exhortation and teaching in this way. In teaching, it's in practice where you're you're bringing in an athletic sense. When you're bringing before the athletes new techniques and and you're getting them to perfect their techniques and their maneuvers. Exhortation is more half time where you're telling them to do what they already know how to do. And what's on my heart tonight is something more along the lines of an exhortation.
These verses we've read many times. First John 2, verse 15.
Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof, but he that doeth the will of God.
Abideth forever.
Let's pray.
Our God and our loving Father, as we look at thee tonight.
We feel our particular.
Vulnerability in this.
With regard to this exhortation, living in a land where we are rich and increased with goods and have need of nothing from a logistical standpoint, we have all of our physical, natural, bodily needs met.
And have a tendency to not feel our dependence upon Thee in a way that many of our brethren and other places would feel it.
And we have a tendency toward complacency.
And we look to thee now, and we pray as we would open up thy word some more and think, meditate some little bit.
On some of the lessons that thou dost have for us, that it might hit home with our hearts.
And that we might be made more willing to be in service to Thee. We just would ask this now. We would pray to our God and our Father. Thou knowest every heart here. And if there are any here who have not.
Yet come to know the Lord Jesus Christ in the way that we have sung of Him.
A friend unfailing, more dear to the believer than anyone else could ever be.
The dearest object of thy heart that thou hast invited.
Men and lost men.
To come into acquaintance with him, that he might be everything to us, as he is everything to thee. We pray that if there is such a one here who does not know this relationship.
That the word of God might have power in his or her heart.
And that the Spirit of God might convict them of their need of salvation. And we who are believers, that we might be stirred up to a closer walk with thee, we ask it now, our loving Father, in Jesus name, Amen.
I cannot give it up.
The little world I know, the innocent delights of youth, the things I cherish so.
Tis true, I love my Lord and long to do his will, but oh I may enjoy the world and be a Christian still.
I love the hour of prayer. I love the hymns of praise.
I love the blessed Word which tells of God's redeeming grace, but I am human still, and while I dwell on earth, God surely will not grudge the hours I spend in harmless mirth.
These things belong to youth and are its natural right.
My dress, my pastimes, and my friends, the merry and the bright.
My father's heart is kind.
He will not count it. I'll that my small corner of the world should please and hold me still.
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And yet.
Outside the camp.
Who was there my savior died?
It was a world that cast him forth and saw him crucified.
Can I take part with those who nailed him to the tree and where his name is never praised? Is that the place for me?
Nay, world, I turn away, though thou seem fair and good, that friendly outstretched hand of thine.
Is stained with Jesus blood.
If in thy least device I stoop to take apart all unawares, thy influence steals God's presence from my heart.
Please turn to Second Chronicles Chapter 17.
I'd like to consider the story of a man who.
Love the Lord.
But he had a struggle with his association.
With the with ones in this world.
Who the Lord would not choose for him to be his acquaintances?
I'm Speaking of the son of ASA, king of Israel. ASA was a godly king.
He was a king who followed the Lord, and he instituted reforms. He.
Tore down Groves.
And he turned the hearts of the people of Israel from idolatry in his measure, that they would again serve the Lord.
And in chapter 16 of Two Chronicles, says in verse 11 toward the end of the chapter.
Behold the acts of ASA first and last, though they are written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel.
And Ace, in the 30 and 9th year of his reign, was diseased in his feet until his disease was exceeding great. Yet in his disease he sought not to the Lord, not to Jehovah, but to the physicians. He put his trust in natural help rather than in the Lord, who had delivered him greatly.
We've been reading in the readings about how the Christian walks by faith and not by sight.
And we see it over and over in the Word of God.
In the lives of the faithful, there come times when.
Peter looked at the waves and saw that they were boisterous.
Or when Elijah received a message from Jezebel and it says when he saw that we find him running for his life, walking had been walking by faith.
But it seems that the enemy knows just when to strike.
And we begin to look around us.
At what's against us? And then we look at our own resources and forget to consider him. The disciples in their day, they said, Lord send the crowds away. We don't have enough food to feed them.
They forgot. Here's the one who would give bread to Israel in their midst.
Basa verse 13 slept with his fathers, and died in the one and 40th year of his reign. And they buried him in his own sepulchers, which he had made for himself in the city of David, and laid him in the bed, which was filled with sweet odors and diverse kinds of spices prepared by the apothecaries art. And they made a very great burning for him. And Jehoshaphat his son reigned in his stead, and strengthened himself against Israel.
And he placed forces in all the fenced cities of Judah, and set garrisons in the land of Judah, and in the cities of Ephraim, which ASA, his father, had taken.
And the Lord and I will use the name Jehovah. It is the covenant name. And when you see Lord in all caps in your King James Bibles, that's who it's referring to, Jehovah, the God of Israel.
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And Jehovah was with Joshua because he walked in the first ways of his father David, and sought not unto Balaam.
But sought to Jehovah God of his Father's and the God of his Father, and walked in his commandments, and not after the doings of Israel.
Remember, at this point in Israel's history, the Kingdom had been not very long before divided between Rio Bombs, son of Solomon and Jeroboam, Solomon's servant.
And the greater part of Israel have 10 tribes. To the north followed Jeroboam, and the House of David under Rehoboam retained only 2 1/2 tribes, Judah and Benjamin, and half the tribe of Manasseh. The tribe of Simeon was also at the South end of the land and and so by location was in the in the area where the kings of Judah reigned.
Verse three, The Lord is with Jehoshaphat. Verse 4. Excuse me.
Because. Because he walked in the first ways of his father, David.
And sought not unto Balaam, but sought to Jehovah God of his fathers, and walked in his commandments, and not after the doings of Israel. Therefore Jehovah established the Kingdom in his hand, and all Judah brought to Jehoshaphat presence, and he had riches and honor in abundance.
In this 17th chapter, which is not my primary subject, I just wanted to introduce his reign goes on to speak of things that he did.
For the glory of the Lord in Israel and how He fortified the people of God and the Kingdom, the Southern Kingdom.
Now chapter 18.
And now Jehoshaphat had riches and honor in abundance.
Now, we had just read that.
In the end of the fifth verse of chapter 17.
All Judah brought to Jehoshaphat presence, and he had riches and honor and abundance. It's a positive connotation here. There was faithfulness, and the Lord caused prosperity. And as he goes on, the faithfulness continues in that 17th chapter, and so does the prosperity.
Until chapter 18, verse one, Jehoshaphat had riches in honor and abundance and joined affinity with Ahab.
Stop there for a moment and turn to Proverbs chapter 2 where you get.
Characters that wisdom would protect the people of God from.
Proverbs, chapter 2.
If you and I in our pathway of faith.
Are going to be preserved in this world, and from this world and its influence there is a need for wisdom.
And it says in verse six, the Lord giveth wisdom. Out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.
He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous. He is a buckler, a small shield to them that walk uprightly. He keepeth the paths of judgment, and preserveth the way of his Saints.
Now the two characters first 12. To deliver thee from the way of the evil man, from the man that speaketh forward things who leaveth the paths of uprightness, to walk in the ways of darkness.
Who rejoiceth to do evil and delight, and the frowardness of the wicked, whose ways are crooked, and they forward in their paths.
If there was ever a description of King Ahab.
This is it.
He was an evil man. He turned in every possible way that he could. He turned away from the paths of uprightness.
And in First Kings we get.
The assessment of him right after he goes to take control of the vineyard of Naboth. And I would like to take the time to read that whole story, but I don't have the time for that, so I would encourage you to read it.
And I'm going to have to find it here.
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In verse 25 there was This is the commentary of the Spirit of God on the character of Ahab. There was none like unto Ahab which did sell himself to work to work wickedness in the sight of Jehovah, whom Jezebel his wife stirred up. Back to Proverbs 2 and verse 16.
This other character that wisdom would deliver the faithful from.
To deliver thee from the strange woman, even from the stranger, which flattereth with her words, which forsaketh the guide of her youth, and forgetteth the covenant of her God. For her house inclineth unto death, and her paths unto the dead.
Isn't that curious? I would have thought it would say.
That her house declineth unto death.
And her paths unto the dead? It seems like that would be a downward course, don't you think?
I wonder if it's a similar thing.
When you read in Revelation 17.
When Babylon the Great is judged.
It seems like there's a sigh of relief.
When her influence is finally gone.
So that for her to no longer exist.
Is a drastic, huge improvement in this world.
What a sad thing to consider.
Her house inclineth unto death, and her paths unto the dead. None that go in that go unto her return again. Neither take they hold of the paths of life, that thou mayest walk in the way of good men, and keep the paths.
Of the righteous. For the upright shall dwell in the land, and the perfect shall remain in it, but the wicked shall be cut off from the earth, and the transgressors shall be rooted out of it. Chapter 5.
Verse 3 For the lips of a strange woman drop as in honeycomb, and her mouth is smoother than oil, but her end is bitter as Wormwood, sharp as A2 edged sword.
Her feet go down to death, her steps take hold on she'll.
Lest thou shouldst ponder the path of life. Her ways are movable, that thou canst not know them.
How the enemy would distract us.
From pondering the path of life.
Please go back to second Chronicles chapter.
18.
And we'll pursue the history, the narrative of Jehoshaphat.
Who linked himself?
Up with this character, this caliber of people, the evil man.
Especially.
Jehoshaphat had riches and honor and abundance, and joined affinity with Ahab.
And after certain years.
After certain years, he went down to Ahab, to Samaria.
He went down to Samaria. I keep a map in my Bible. My Bible doesn't have maps like many of yours have that are put into the Bible. I have photocopied the one from the Concise Bible Dictionary. It's a helpful map.
But if you were looking on the map, imagine there's a translucent or a transparent map between you and me. And here's the land of Israel in front of my face here. And you have the River Jordan, you have the Black Sea, the Dead Sea down here. You have Galilee up here. Sea of Galilee down here is Jerusalem.
And up from Jerusalem is Samaria.
Up into the West just a little bit, Samaria.
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And if you were here, we are in Oregon. And if I was in my daddy's home and I said to him, well, Dad, we're going up to Oregon next week to the camp. See, I live in Washington, north of here.
And we've had similar conversations. That's why I can say this. My dad would would be very quick to say you're not going up to Oregon.
Oregon and South, you're going down to Oregon.
And he'd be right. But in this instance?
Morally speaking.
That would not be a right correction, the Spirit of God here says.
That he went down to Ahab, to Samaria.
And the directions in Scripture are important because they often.
Indicate a moral direction.
And.
Here is Jehoshaphat who has been walking with the Lord, serving the Lord, he has been.
He has been used of the Lord to strengthen Israel, to strengthen the two tribes, Judah.
But now he's on a downward path, morally speaking. He goes, he goes down to 1/2.
And they have quite excited about this, no doubt. It's because Jehoshaphat had riches and honor and abundance. For this world loves you for what it can get out of you, and no other purpose.
And the God of this world is no different. Speaking to a brother just before this meeting who talked a little bit about Farrell and how he worked the children of Israel there.
And that's how this world is. But nonetheless, Ahab was very excited. He killed sheep and auctioned for him in abundance and for the people that he had with him and persuaded him to go up with him to Ramoth Gilead. And Ahab, king of Israel, said unto Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, wilt thou go with me to Raymond Gilead? This wasn't for vacation. In first Kings we read the reason. He says, know ye not that Ramoth and Gilead is ours, and we be still and and take it not from the Syrians.
Well, this is kind of telling. Why was Ramoth Gilead, a city that belonged to Israel, not in their possession? No doubt because the leaders of Israel, they say leaders 2 separate, 2 separated kingdoms.
We're not. Their priorities weren't right. The Syrians had taken this important city. Perhaps someone here can tell me.
At least one thing that makes Ramoth and Gilead a very important city to Israel.
Any volunteers? Anyone has an idea?
Forsake of time, I'll just tell you it is one of the six cities of refuge where the Manslayer would flee, and there were six, and they were positioned strategically throughout the land.
No matter where a man was, if he by accident slew another Israelite or slew someone in the land, he was no further away. I believe then around 30 or 35 miles from one of those cities of refuge.
But that wasn't the case at this point in history because they didn't have Raymond and Gilead. So if you lived in the eastern portion on the other side of the Jordan River.
Raymoth was right there in the middle Central Park from north to South.
And if you were in that Central Park, you would have to flee to the very South end or to the very North End.
It's an important city. It was a resource for the people of God.
And, and those things were being lost under careless leadership in Israel.
But the problem here is that Ahab, he says it's ours, let's go take it. And Jehoshaphat says to him.
Inquire verse 4. I'm sorry, Back up to verse 3.
And he answered midway through the verse. He answered him, I am as thou art, and my people as thy people, we shall be with thee in the war.
Now if we think of the words of our Lord Jesus Christ.
That where he says where he prays for his own, which are in the world, and he says they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
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As we.
As we had before us in this part of a.
Of a poem that I.
Had before us it was a world that cast him forth and saw him crucified. The divide between Christ and the world, the measure of his separation from the world, he tells us there in John 17, is the same separation between you as a believer in Christ and this world.
We are to have no part with this world, James tells us Know ye not, he says Adulterous says Know ye not? That friendship with the world is enmity against God.
It cannot be otherwise.
But he says I am as thou art my people as thy people. He puts categorizes himself right there with the world, side by side, shoulder to shoulder with the world.
It's not a path that our God can look upon with pleasure, and we can't be blessed in it.
Therefore the king of Israel, verse 5 gathered together of prophets, 400 men, and said unto them, Shall we go to Ramoth Gilead to battle, or shall I for bear? And they said, Go up for God. Note the difference. It's not Jehovah here, for God will deliver it into the King's hand.
But Jehoshaphat said.
And no doubt he is quite uneasy here.
Is there not here a prophet of Jehovah? Besides that we may inquire of him.
And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, There is yet one man by whom we may inquire of Jehovah.
But I hate him.
No question here where Ahab stands, and it's that way with the evil man. From the moment you meet him to the moment he goes his way, there is no question where he stands with regard to the things of God. It's not so with the strange woman. She has a religious upbringing. She's very difficult to discern. Her paths are movable that thou canst not know them, and she knows how to do things in a way that look right.
That look scriptural.
Very deceitful and very effective.
And Jehoshaphat said at the end of verse seven, let not the king say so, that he hates this prophet of Jehovah. And the king of Israel called for one of his officers and said, Fetch quickly Makaya the son of Imla.
It's a relief to our hearts, isn't it, that there was at least one faithful voice in Israel?
1.
The king of Israel and Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, sat either of them on his throne, clothed in their robes.
And they sat in a void place at the entering in of the gate of Samaria, and all the prophets prophesied before them, these 400 prophets, who by the way, were spared because of Jezebel's prudence, when Elijah the Tishbite had invited all of the prophets of bail, 450 and the prophets of the Groves 400. I take it these ones up to Mount Carmel, where we know that story.
Those 450 profits of bail.
They were destroyed.
But Jezebel was too wise to send hers. These ones, they sat at her table, and they were under her direct control.
And she wasn't about to allow them to go somewhere where they would.
Meet the judgment of God.
So they sat on their Thrones in verse 9, clothed in their robes.
And all the prophets prophesied before them. Verse 10 And Zedekiah the son of Chenana had made him thorns of iron, horns of iron, and said Thus saith Jehovah, with these thou shalt push Syria until they be consumed. Now this section of this.
Of this story is incredible. The Spirit of God is going to draw the curtain aside for you and I and he's going to narrate for us.
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Through the mouth of his prophet, exactly what goes on in heaven. Not just for you and I, because we're reading the story, but for these two kings who are sitting on their Thrones in their robes.
He's going to tell them the Council of Heaven with regard to what's going on here.
He's Ahab's going to get a lot more than he bargains for, but let's read.
Zedekiah said about these horns of iron. With these thou shalt push Syria until they be consumed. And all the prophets prophesied, so saying, Go up to Ramoth Gilead and prosper, for Jehovah shall deliver it into the hand of the king. And the messenger that went to call Micaiah, speak to him, saying, Behold, the word of the prophets declared good to the king with one ascent. Let thy word therefore I pray thee, be like one of theirs, and speak thou good.
And Micaiah said, as Jehovah liveth, even what my God saith, that will I speak?
This seems a little confusing here, because we know what he's going to say, let's just read it. And when he was come to the king, the king said to him, Makaya, shall we go to Ramoth Gilead to battle, or shall I for bear? And he said, Go ye up and prosper, and they shall be delivered into your hand.
Now he had just said only what the Lord tells me to speak, that will I speak.
But we're going to see when he when he tells us about the Council of Heaven.
That it is the Lord's will that Ahab is going to go up to Ramoth and Gilead.
Not that he will prosper, but that he goes up and the Lord says, who's going to convince him? We'll read it.
Well, he gives him this word. Go up and prosper. In verse 15, the king said to him, How ironic. Ahab says to Makaya, How many times shall I adjure thee, that thou say nothing but the truth to me in the name of the Lord? Wicked man though he is, he knows.
That Jehovah cannot bless him in his ways, and he is at least shrewd enough to realize that this is this is not the truth.
Then he said, I did see, and here's the Spirit of God through the prophet drawing aside the curtain. Then he said I did see all Israel scattered upon the mountains as sheep that have no shepherd. One of the kids asked me.
When I went through this with the kids at home, we we talked about Israel. He doesn't. We said he didn't specify Judah. He said Israel, that the judgment of God is going to be on Israel.
In thinking about a little more, I think that.
Just as it says here, it is perhaps a more correct thought to take into account all 12 tribes, all Israel scattered. We'll see why a little bit later.
I did see all Israel scattered upon the mountains as sheep that have no shepherd, and Jehovah said these have no master. Let them return therefore every man to his house in peace.
And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, Did I not tell thee that he would not prophecy good unto me, but evil?
Again he said, therefore hear the word of Jehovah.
I saw Jehovah sitting upon his throne, and all the hosts of heaven standing on his right hand and on his left.
And Jehovah said, Who shall entice Ahab king of Israel, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth Gilead? And one spake saying after this manner, and another saying after that manner. Then there came out a spirit, and stood before the Lord, and said, I will entice him. And the Lord Jehovah said unto him, Wherewith? And he said, I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And Jehovah said, Thou shalt entice him.
And thou shalt also prevail. Go out and do Even so. Now therefore, behold, Jehovah hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of these thy prophets, and the Lord has spoken evil against thee. Then Zedekiah the son of Shenana came near, and smote Makaya upon the cheek, and said, Which way went the spirit of Jehovah from me to speak unto thee? And Makaya said, Behold, thou shalt see on that day when thou shalt go into an inner chamber, or from chamber to chamber.
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To hide thyself.
Then the king of Israel said, Take ye Makaiah, and carry him back to him and the governor of the city, and to Joash the King's son, And say, Thus saith the king, Put this fellow in the prison, and feed him with bread of affliction, and with water of affliction, until I return in peace.
And Makaya said, If thou certainly return in peace, then hath not Jehovah spoken by me? And he said, Hearken all ye people.
So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, went up to Ramoth and Gilead, and the king of Israel said unto Josh Fat, I will disguise myself, and will go to the battle, and put thou on thy robes. So the king of Israel disguised himself, and they went to the battle.
I suppose they have felt he was being quite shrewd.
If the Lord intended for Ahab.
To meet his end in this battle, he felt perhaps he could sidestep that.
And set up a different target for the enemy, a Jehoshaphat.
How about you? You take the lead on this one.
Jehoshaphat here we find, is completely powerless and without discernment.
How sad. Where was he when Ahab commanded that they take Makaya and mistreat him, put him in prison?
Where was Jehoshaphat? Where was his discernment when he agrees to this scheme? Yeah, sure, I'll put on my robes and and you can disguise yourself.
There's something very serious going on here with Jehoshaphat here. He is a man that loves the Lord.
He's descended from David and from Solomon.
Home and all his wisdom.
Failed to act wisely at the end of his life.
But nonetheless, he had a good pedigree. He should have known better.
He just he just goes along with the flow. The old writers use this expression complicity with the world. Complicity is the same root compliant.
You just kind of go with the flow.
A compliant child is one who's obedient of sorts.
Does what he's told because it's a path of least resistance.
And Jehoshaphat here, he was complicit with the world. He felt it was easier to keep his mouth shut. And you know, the Lord will take care of his prophet. That's true. The Lord did take care of his prophet.
But where was his discernment? Where was his power? Where was his desire to please the Lord in any of this?
It's all sadly missing.
Friends, this is a warning to us Romans. I think it's chapter 15. It speaks about how these things happened to them and are in samples, examples to us. We have the privilege to read this to learn about it objectively.
Our faith to lay hold of it and not repeat the mistake.
Let us not be those who find ourselves saying, I cannot give it up this little world. I know the innocent delights of youth, the things that please me so.
Well, we know what happens.
Here.
Came to pass verse 31 when the captains of the Chariots saw Jehoshaphat, that they said it is the king of Israel, therefore they compassed about him to fight. But Jehoshaphat cried out. Was there faith in that cry?
And the Lord helped him, and God moved them to depart from him.
Think of that proverb, though hand go in hand, yet shall not.
The wicked be unpunished.
And it came to pass that when the captains of the Chariots perceived that it was not the king of Israel, they turned back again from pursuing him.
And a certain man drew a bow at a venture. Not a random man, a certain man.
This is. This is the.
This is the sovereign God doing His work.
Despite all the scheming of Ahab, despite all the wisdom of the world, you might say God has his plan. He has his purposes. They will come to pass. How good for us if we're in tune with Him when that happens, rather than walking in complicity with the world, having no power and no discernment.
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A certain man drew a bow at a venture and smote the king of Israel in just the right spot between the joints of the harness.
Therefore Ahab said to his chariot, Man, turn thine hand, that thou mayest carry me out of the host, for I am wounded. And the battle increased that day. Howbeit the king of Israel stayed himself up in his chariot against the Syrians until the even, and about the time of the sun going down he died.
In Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah returned to his house in peace to Jerusalem.
At this point I would categorize him more among the sheep of Israel that had no shepherd who were to return in peace to their homes according to the word of the prophet, because he, Jehoshaphat, really was missing in battle.
And Jihu the son of Hanani the seer, went out to meet him, and said to King Jehoshaphat, shouldst thou?
Take these words to yourself, Kristen.
Shouldst thou help the ungodly?
That is, help them in their cause and love them that hate the Lord.
Therefore is wrath upon thee from before the Lord.
One of the kids asked me.
How do we? What is this wrath from the Lord?
And where do we see it?
And I don't I couldn't really point to anything specific that that happens.
In the form of an event, a judgment that falls on Jehoshaphat.
But the Prophet is telling him you're in trouble.
You're not right with the Lord. You need to get right with the Lord. There's a need for repentance.
A need to own.
All that you are, all that you've done and passed judgment on it.
Nevertheless, verse three there are good things found in thee, in that thou has taken away the Groves out of the land and has prepared thine heart to seek God. Before we move on to this I just.
I wanted to finish this when we think of the condition that Joshua Fat is in here.
In trouble because he's been away from the Lord. This is the remainder of that poem.
I miss.
I miss my Savior's smile whenever I walk thy ways. Thy laughter drowns the Spirit's voice and chokes the springs of praise when ere I turn aside to join thee for an hour, the face of Christ.
You're Christian. Listen to this.
The face of Christ grows blurred and dim.
And prayer has lost its power.
You ever found yourself in a similar state?
You get on your face before the Lord, you have a need and it feels like you're speaking to the pillow cushion.
Words of another scripture. It's like the brass and the heavens are brass. Nothing but judgment there.
You ever felt that? I have.
What's the answer?
Farewell, it's judgment, self judgment, getting on with the path of faith. Farewell, henceforth my place is with the Lamb who died, my sovereign. While I have thy love, what can I want beside thyself? Blessed Lord, Art now my free and loving choice, in whom though now I see thee not believing, I rejoice. Shame on me that I sought another joy than this, or dreamed a heart at rest with thee could crave for earthly bliss.
These vain and worthless things I put the mall aside. His goodness fills my longing soul and I am satisfied.
Lord Jesus, let me dwell outside the camp with Thee. Since thou art there, then there alone is peace and rest for me, Thy dear reproach to bear. I'll count my highest gain till thou return rejected. 1 To take thy power and reign for the remainder of this chapter. Now, Jehoshaphat.
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Though he's been bucked off the horse, he's been tested and he's failed.
Thank God for repentance and restoration.
He gets back on the horse.
Jehoshaphat dwelt at Jerusalem, and he went out again through the people from Beersheba to Mount Ephraim and brought them back unto the Lord God of their fathers, and this here brought them back. This is why I say, when we noticed earlier in the previous chapter where it says all Israel, I saw all Israel scattered.
Well, here, the moment he comes back, he's got to bring them back. They had strayed.
Because he wasn't in the right place doing his job.
And those who have the responsibility and assembly and assemblies take heed to this. It's one thing if one of the sheep strays sad, very sad.
But when a leader strays like Jehoshaphat did here.
The effects are far more prolific.
It wasn't just one or two sheep.
I saw all Israel scattered upon the mountains, a sheep having no shepherd. Did Jehoshaphat feel this?
Well, repentance doesn't stop part way and I believe that he came to a point where he felt it and we'll see by what we read here.
He brought them back unto the Lord God of their fathers, and he set judges in the land throughout all the fence cities of Judah, city by city, and said to the judges, Take heed what ye do.
Imagine that it's something like Peter who stood up.
Speaking to the elders of Israel, and he says, whom ye have betrayed.
Speaking of how they had crucified the Lord, whom he have betrayed and crucified.
And Peter, he's the one who had betrayed the Lord. We know that.
We don't like to read about it. We don't like to think about it. The Spirit of God is faithful and tells us about it.
But it wasn't the end with Peter. It wasn't the end here with Jehoshaphat either. And if you or I.
Find ourselves in a similar condition. God grant us repentance. We might get right with Him and be a help where we can.
The government of God came upon Jehoshaphat.
And yet he does go on in this chapter and serves the Lord.
And he says to the judges, take heed, verse six, what you do for ye judge not for man, but for the Lord who is with you in the judgment. And that must have meant so much more to him that it ever had before, because he knew when he sat on a throne with Ahab and they were sitting there in their in their robes looking high and important, the Lord was not with him in that.
But here he can say to these judges that he's setting up. Take heed. What you do want you to walk circumspectly. It's a word we get in Ephesians that just means really carefully. It's the prudent man that foreseeeth the evil and hide it himself while the simple pass on and are punished.
Jehoshaphat walked as a simple man in the previous chapter. Here he walks as a prudent man. For the Lord himself is with you, the Lord, rather who is with you in the judgment. I don't want to go through the rest of this chapter all together, but I do want to. I don't want, but I need to revisit.
The end of chapter 20. We know what happens in chapter 20. It is among the most beautiful stories of deliverance, of dependence of the of the people of God on the Lord when they are attacked by the enemy. Moab and Ammon come up against Jehoshaphat. Someone comes and tells him and he falls on his face. All Israel and Judah or all of Judah is gathered together as one man to Jerusalem, and Jehoshaphat falls on his face. Oh Lord, we have no power against this, a great company that cometh up against us. Neither know we what to do, but our eyes are upon Thee.
And the word of the Lord comes upon Jahaziel.
And Jahaziel says, Hearken ye all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. I'm back in chapter 20. I'm in chapter 20, verse 15.
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Just to point this out, hearken ye all Judah, ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou King Jehoshaphat.
And this is one of the reasons I love the King James translation, and the New translation for that matter as well. Ye you is plural.
Thee. Thou.
It's an individual that's being addressed. It becomes intensely personal. It can be.
Depending on the context, think of it in terms of the Lord there at the end of John. Simon, sorry, excuse me, it's chapter 22 of Luke. Simon. Simon, behold, Satan have desired to have you, you disciples, that he may sift you as wheat.
But I have prayed for thee. It's personal.
Lord is speaking directly to Peter. I've prayed for thee that thy faith fail. Not Peter was about to fail. We know the story.
Hurricane All, Israel.
Let me get back to this.
Thus saith the Lord unto you, Hearken ye all due to verse 15, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou, King Jehoshaphat. Thus saith the Lord unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God's. Again, we know this story. I won't read it, we won't talk about it. It's not exactly my subject tonight, but it's such a beautiful story. It can be set to music.
Jehoshaphat set up singers no thought of, no thought of weapons of warfare. They didn't need them.
By faith they believe the words of of this prophet here, and they go out led by singers praising the Lord, and the Lord delivers them.
Verse 30 So the realm of Jehoshaphat was quiet, for his God gave him rest round about.
And Josh Fat reigned over Judah. He was 30 and five years old when he began to reign.
Excuse me?
And he reigned 25 years in Jerusalem, and his mother's name was Azuba, the daughter of Shilhai. And he walked in the ways of ASA, his father, and departed not from it, doing that which was right in the sight of the Lord.
Howbeit, the high places were not taken away, for as yet the people had not prepared their hearts under the God of their fathers. Just a quick word, I passed it up. I forgot. There was a spot earlier on where we read that he had prepared his heart to follow the Lord, and I would suggest that that is something that he had given diligence to, perhaps in his youth, but at some point in the past. It reminds me of an Ephesians chapter six with the Lord talks about the need to put on the whole armor of God.
And having done all to stand an evil day, you and I, as Christians, we know we're going to be tested and we're going to be tested over and over again.
And there will be evil days, times when the enemy is allowed by the sovereign will of God to gain the ascendancy.
We're going to be tested.
And if we have prepared our hearts to serve the Lord.
Will stand if we have not.
Will be to us, will fail.
Dishonor the Lord.
Will be a detriment to our brethren rather than a help.
Lord keep us and help us.
For as yet the people had not prepared their hearts unto the God of their fathers. Verse 34. Now the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, first and last, behold, they are written in the book of Jehu, the son of Anaini, who is mentioned in the book of the kings of Israel. And after this did Jehoshaphat, king of Judah.
Join himself.
With a Haziah king of Israel, who did very wickedly.
And he joined himself with him to make ships to go to Tarshish.
And they made the ships an easy on geber. This is this is actually he's trying to duplicate something that happened in the days of Solomon. Solomon had made ships at easy and gave her and sent them to Ophir for gold.
And he wants to do this same similar work here, but he wants to do it.
Still hanging on.
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To the world.
To a character in this world, one who did very wickedly.
You just want to throw your hands up, Jehoshaphat. Why? Why are you doing it?
Didn't you learn your lesson?
You know, there are lessons that we learn and it may be the first time we learn them is when we get saved.
But some of these lessons, we don't learn them necessarily once and for all.
We each have a bent.
We have a weakness and the flesh is with us until such time as our bodies, as we are speaking about this morning, are glorified and we are changed, and we will be like him morally, the flesh will be gone. But it's not yet, brethren.
Beloved Christian, you're going to be tested on these things over and over and over.
And he joined himself with him to make ships to go to Tarshish, and they made the ships an easy on geber.
Then Eliezer the son of Dodava of Marisha prophesied against Jehoshaphat.
Saying, Because thou hast joined thyself with a Haziah, Jehovah hath broken thy works, and the ships were broken, that they were not able to go to Tarshish.
It's so difficult to read this at the end of his course.
But again, these things were written for our learning that we, through patience and comfort of the scriptures, might have hope.
It's not that we'd throw up our hands and say it's hopeless. We can't, we can't do anything. We have natures that are totally depraved and and what can I do?
Well, I'll tell you what you can do. Practice repentance.
Practice getting back on the horse when he's bucked you off.
Practice getting right if you've gone wrong.
And more than that, you young people.
Learn this lesson objectively so that you don't have to learn it subjectively. Objectively is.
It's put before you on a screen in the word of God. You, you can read it. We read it tonight.
And you take it in and maybe someone will say it's just intellectual. That's OK, You've got to get it intellectually first.
To whom the more is committed, the more is required. And you sitting in this room, you've been given very good teaching this week.
And as among the gathered Saints, you have available to you very much sound teaching and help take advantage of it. Prepare your heart to serve the Lord.
Prepare your heart to follow the Lord.
Realize too, that you're very.
Very responsible.
And you can learn it objectively before you've developed habits of of bad friendships or whatever it may be, before you've dabbled in this thing or that thing that brings you some pleasure for a season.
Learn it that way and stay away from it.
Going out in the path of evil men, Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it and pass away.
That's what you can do to begin with.
We do have hope. We have hope that cannot fail, and we have a faithful, loving Lord who will keep us.
Our God and our loving Father, we thank Thee for thy word. We thank Thee for the warnings and the admonitions we get from it. We thank Thee that Thou dost give us every opportunity to to learn from Thee, to walk in Thy path.
And if we've if clouds have dimmed our site, if we've turned aside for a moment.
In the face of Christ has grown blurred and dim.
And power has lost its prayer. Prayer has lost its power.
Thou just restore us. We thank Thee. We thank thee for that word. He restoreth my soul.
We pray for help, Lord, that we might be willing vessels, but that too we might be clean vessels that are fitted for thy use.
We might follow thee in the path and be of use to thee, to thy people. Be a help to them and not a hindrance. We ask you to keep us.
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And if there has been any measure of attainment in any of our lives, if we have been used, oh Lord, we beg thee, to not allow us to get lifted up in pride or to become complacent.
To think that we can take it from here.
We just look to the end and commit ourselves to Thee for these things, giving Thee our thanks for our Lord Jesus Christ, the leader and Completer of our faith, in whose name we pray. Amen.