The Lord with Jehoshaphat
Table of Contents
Lord With Jehoshaphat: No. 1
Of all the Old Testament types written for our admonition, there is perhaps not one more deeply interesting to us at this moment, than the history of Jehoshaphat. (2 Chron. 17-20)
These are remarkable words, " And the Lord was with Jehoshaphat, because he walked in the first ways of his father David, and sought not unto Baalim. But sought the Lord God of his father David, and walked in his commandments, and not after the doings of Israel.” (Chap. 17:3, 4.) He who was with Jehoshaphat has thus promised, " For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." Are we so gathered to Him that it can be said of us, The Lord is with you? Do we know this to be really so? Are we assured that we are walking in the first ways of the church of God? Have we really sought to the Lord, as seen in all His blessed authority in the church, the assembly, at the beginning? Are we walking in His commandments, and not after the doings of Christendom? Has He authority over us by His word, applied by the Holy Ghost? If not, we are not treading in the steps of Jehoshaphat.
We do beg the reader to lay these solemn questions to heart. If Jehoshaphat had this privilege, the Lord was with him. Have we a less privilege now redemption is accomplished, and the Holy Ghost sent down to abide with us to the end? Are we walking in the ways of an unconverted, yet professing Christendom? or are we walking in His commandments? Have we His command for all we do? Do you say, I am walking with such a party? Have you His command to walk with that party, and to do as they do? We do trust this solemn word will be applied with searching power to all our souls.
" Therefore the Lord established the kingdom in his hand." If we are walking with men, we shall be blown about by every changing wind. If we are walking with the Lord, keeping His commands, our feet are placed on a solid, immovable rock—yea, on Himself, the Rock on which His church is built. If we are walking with men, our heads may hang down in utter discouragement. If we walk with the Lord, it will be with us, as with Jehoshaphat, "And his heart was lifted up [that is, was encouraged] in the ways of the Lord.” Is there anything so blessed, so cheering to the heart, as to be walking in the ways of the Lord? For there are the right ways of the Lord, and all others are wrong and evil ways. There is surely only one path that is the right path; and all others are wrong.
The next thing he did, in the third year, was to send princes to teach in the cities of Judah. " And they taught in Judah, and had the book of the law of the Lord with them, and went about throughout all the cities of Judah, and taught the people. It was thus the word sounded out at Thessalonica. They had received the glad tidings of salvation with full assurance, and by the power of the Holy Ghost; and they sounded it forth all around. Arc we walking in these first ways of the church? If we know that the Lord is with us, and our hearts arc: encouraged in His ways, then may we not away to the cities and villages, and have the book of the law of the Lord with us? We need greatly stirring up to these first ways of the church. The fear of the Lord fell upon the nations around. We can testify, after many years, that just in proportion as we walk in the ways of the Lord, and go forth in faith, encouraged in the ways of the Lord, it is then and in that proportion of faith, that the fear of the Lord falls on those who hear the word.
After all these blessed encouragements come most solemn warnings. "Jehoshaphat had riches, and honors in abundance, and joined affinity with Ahab.” Now the ten tribes, over which Ahab was king, did not walk in the ways of Jehovah. They were the ten tribes of Israel; but they hated the rule of the Lord, and would not have it.
Are there not many tribes in Christendom who exactly answer to the condition of those tribes of Israel? They are of professing Christendom. But there is scarcely one thing they do after the first works of the church. They do not own the Holy Ghost on earth, or bow to the Lordship of Jesus. Do they not hate it? This is a very humbling lesson. This was a great mistake on the part of Jehoshaphat. He goes to Samaria and eats at the feast of Ahab. Beware of this! He is then easily persuaded to go up to fight with Israel, at Ramoth-gilead. " And he answered him, I am as thou art, and my people as thy people; and we will be with thee in the war." Very soon did he find this to be all a mistake. And so will any man find now. If we are walking in the ways of the Lord, and we join affinity with those that are not, we shall find on the very first essential, we are as wide apart as the poles. Mark the very first thing Jehoshaphat proposes. The very first thing those walking in the ways of the Lord always desire. " And Jehoshaphat said unto the king of Israel, Inquire, I pray thee, at the word of the Lord." This is just the last thing those would think of doing who are walking in the ways of Christendom. There is human arrangement, human effort, and yet a great show of having the mind of the Lord; yea, in some cases, with professed infallibility. This desire, however, of Jehoshaphat, and the antagonism always thus found to the authority of the Lord, brings out a marvelous revelation of the invisible world.
The king of Israel has a grand display of prophets at once; but mark, it does not say prophets of the Lord. They reply immediately so as to please the king. " Go up; for God will deliver it into the king's hand." Jehoshaphat cannot accept the word of the four hundred prophets. He said, " Is there not here a prophet of the Lord besides, that we might inquire of him? And the king said, There is yet one man, by whom we may inquire of the Lord: but I hate him; for he never prophesieth good unto me, but always evil: the same is Micaiah, the son of Imla." Thus there are four hundred false prophets to one true man of God. The messenger who was sent to fetch him besought Micaiah to prophesy like the established prophets of the king. Mark his reply: "And Micaiah said, As the Lord liveth, even what my God saith, that will I speak." Beautiful words of the son of Imla. Thus we have four hundred ready to speak what will please man; and one man of God who desires, yea, will only speak what God shall give him to speak. Ahab is both afraid of this one man and also hates him. Jehoshaphat prefers to hear the word of the Lord from this one, to the unanimous words of the four hundred. So far we have the outward facts of the case. Now for the inward, the invisible.
Heaven is opened to the son of Imla. " I saw the Lord sitting upon his throne, and all the host of heaven standing on his right hand and on his left." A spirit offers to come, and is sent to entice Ahab. " And he said, I will go out, and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And the Lord said, Thou shalt entice him, and thou shalt also prevail: go out and do even so." Thus we see the words of Samuel to Saul are fulfilled, " Rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft." The whole of the false prophets were in rebellion against the Lord, and under the power and guidance of an evil spirit, which is witchcraft.
Men laugh at the idea of witchcraft in, this day, perhaps there never was more of it. Do we not read in one of the last inspired epistles, " Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they be of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world." Let us remember how many professing Christians there are that answer exactly to the ten tribes of Israel in the days of Ahab. They arc in rebellion against, and have set aside, the Lordship of Christ, as seen acting by the Holy Ghost in the beginning. For centuries they have hated the few, who, like the son of Imla, would only teach the word of the Lord. Is not Christendom full of false teachers preaching smooth things? Can any man say there arc not four hundred false prophets to one true prophet sent of the Lord? The Lord Jesus, speaking to the angel of the church which answers to the protestant epoch of this day, says, " I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead." And think of the long condition of the Greek and Roman churches.
Only one with and for the Lord. Four hundred not with Him, and therefore they were against Him. It was rebellion as the sin of witchcraft. They, and all they deceived, were under the power of, and led up to Ramoth-gilead by, an evil spirit. What a revelation! We call the most solemn attention to this fact. All who are not now with, the Lord, are against Him. Tribes of Christendom have rebelled against the Holy Ghost now here on earth. They have rebelled against the presence of the Lord, in the midst of those gathered to His name. Is it not a fact that Christendom has departed as far from the New Testament, as Israel had departed from Moses?
But to be in rebellion against the Lord is as the sin of witchcraft; so that every false prophet now is under the power of, and led by, an evil spirit. Does not this explain many a movement in the professing church, as it did then in Israel?
There is scarcely a truth in the word of God that is not denied and undermined by false teachers under the power of witchcraft; that is, an evil spirit. How men would stand aghast if they knew how many parties, guilds, and associations, are associations of witchcraft; as truly under the power of an evil spirit and idolatry as the four hundred prophets of Ahab. Nothing can happen but that which the Lord permits; but we would press on the reader the question, Are you with the Lord, or against Him?
The true servant of the Lord may also be ensnared in this. Prosperity may make him careless, and then is the time of special danger, as it was with Jehoshaphat. He is brought into great trouble and danger, and so it is with us if we ever get into affinity with the enemies of the Lord. The one who had the true message of the Lord must suffer and be despised. But it was better to be put in prison, and fed on the bread of affliction, than to be clothed in royal robes with Ahab.
The Lord, however, was not unmindful of His erring servant. In his great strait, when compassed about by the enemy, "Jehoshaphat cried out, and the Lord helped him; and God moved them to depart from him." How gracious of the Lord! Is He not our Advocate with the Father! If my reader has been enticed into affinity with the enemies of the Lord—for many who profess to be prophets are such—and if you should be sore pressed and in great perplexity, oh, cry to the Lord; He will hear and He will deliver.
The Lord delivered Jehoshaphat, whilst Ahab was slain in his chariot of war.
" And Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, returned to his house in peace to Jerusalem." Yes, " He restoreth my soul." Jerusalem was the place where the name of Jehovah was recorded. There was not another such center on earth. The Lord Himself is the Center of gathering now; and there is no other. Who can tell the blessedness of being restored to that Center—even Himself—after a time of wandering! Yes, " in peace to Jerusalem."'
In His presence there is always peace. There is, however, chastening and rebuke. Mark the words of Jehu the seer, " Shouldst thou help the ungodly? and love them that hate the Lord?" Now weigh these questions well. There is no enmity against the Lord greater than that of false profession under the power of an evil spirit. Is it not true now also that he that loveth the world, the love of the Father is not in him?
May the Lord write these deeply solemn lessons on our hearts, and whatever more there is to follow in our meditations of this interesting portion of scripture.
Lord With Jehoshaphat: No. 2
Not only was Jehoshaphat restored from his wanderings and sad affinity, " he returned to his house in peace to Jerusalem." But we read further, " Jehoshaphat dwelt at Jerusalem." What grace and mercy, not only to be restored to the true place, gathered to the blessed Person of Christ, the only Center—as Jerusalem was the only place where the Lord’s name was then recorded. But to dwell there. Beloved reader, do you dwell there? Do you sit beneath His shadow with great delight? Is His fruit sweet to your taste? Has He brought you to His banqueting house, and is His banner over you Love? Have you heard His words, " For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them "? Do you dwell there? This is the only dwelling-place the Lord can really own. Yes, " And Jehoshaphat dwelt at Jerusalem." Happy place of rest from all the war, and toil, and danger, of following the lying words of the king’s prophets.
Having found peace and rest, did he now sink in indolence? Far from it, " he went out again through the people... and brought them back unto the Lord God of their fathers." Now would it not be most blessed to arise and do likewise. Can anything be more pleasing to the great Shepherd than to go out and seek to bring back the whole flock to Himself the Lord? It is not bringing them to this party or to that, but to the Lord. Perhaps nothing has discouraged those thus gathered back to the Lord more than the trouble which often arises in cases of discipline. Let us then attend most carefully to Jehoshaphat\s instructions in this very matter. " He set judges in the land, throughout all the fenced cities of Judah, city by city" Surely this points us to what the Lord has done in this matter. Offenses do come. But has He not appointed the few or many gathered to Himself to judge? Has He not by His presence with them, in whatever city or place, made their judgment binding? (Matt, 18:18-20.) He is with them, and thus what they bind on earth is bound in heaven.
This seems foreshadowed in the striking words of Jehoshaphat. "And he said to the judges, Take heed what ye do: for ye judge not for man, but for the Lord, who is with you in the judgment." Oh, how often this is forgotten in the discipline of the assembly! If we saw the Lord present, should we act as we do? Or should we sow discord by calling in question the solemn judgment of the assembly, or the few truly gathered to the Lord, who is with them in the judgment?
Next to truly owning the Lord present in the judgment, is the state of our own souls. " Wherefore now let the fear of the lord be upon you; take heed and do it.... And he charged them saying, Thus shall ye do in the fear of the lord, faithfully and with a perfect heart." We remember a case where an assembly was nearly broken to pieces by man's self-will in a case of discipline. At the very climax of their trouble and forgetfulness of the Lord's presence, an aged brother said, u Shall we read Isaiah 11:3? 'And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord,'" &c. Immediately the Person of the blessed Lord when down here was brought before them. If He was of quick understanding in the fear of Jehovah, what state of soul ought they to be in? The wiles of Satan were broken: that assembly was delivered by that verse of scripture. They bowed together in the fear of the Lord, and were forthwith all of one mind. These are much needed lessons at the present time.
How striking the order of this chapter. As Jehoshaphat returned to Jerusalem so we must personally return to the only true Center, the Lord Himself, and that in peace. How perfect that peace which He gives us! And we must abide there; dwell in His presence, in perfect rest and peace. We must in faith go out among the Lord's people, and bring them back to the Lord. We must own His very presence, with the two or three gathered to His name. We must remember in all cases of discipline He is with us in the judgment. All must be judged in the fear of the Lord faithfully, and with a perfect heart. " There must be no partiality. And now " Deal courageously, and the Lord shall be with the good." He will make manifest what He approves.
The reader may say, That is most instructive in cases of internal difficulties and discipline; but what is so perplexing is this: If you are truly brought back to the Lord, the only true Center, and in His fear seek only to do those things that are pleasing to Him and in His name, you find there are great numbers arrayed against you, and against the blessed place of rest and peace God has given you. These also profess to be the children of God as well as you; yet their opposition is most determined. Is not this very perplexing?
This question will very properly bring us for an answer to chapter 20. Here we have the very picture of what you find. We have seen Jehoshaphat restored in rest to the only center God owned on earth—Jerusalem. "It came to pass after this also, that the children of Moab, and the children of Ammon, and with them other beside the Ammonites, came against Jehoshaphat to battle." There was a very great multitude. And they were the natural relations of Israel. As we see, they were the children of Ammon and Moab, and mount Seir, or of Esau—children of the flesh; but bitter, most bitter enemies of Israel. If you are truly gathered to Christ, and own Him as the only Center, as in the first ways of the Church, just as Jehoshaphat was restored to Jerusalem, God's center, then assuredly a great multitude will come against you. This is so in every part of the world at this moment, but those that come against you are the very persons who ought to be with you—yea, the opposition extends to those who have a name to live, and are dead; all will be against the truth of the Lord's presence with those gathered to His name. It is a fact that cannot be denied, that every sect or party on earth is opposed to this inestimable privilege—the saints of the Lord gathered to Himself. Sometimes the heart is ready to faint at the sight of so many Ammonites, children of Moab, and of Mount Seir, all, all against you. What are we to do? What did Jehoshaphat? "And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah." He did not rush into battle. The flesh is always ready for contention: pamphlet for pamphlet, railing for railing. Not so the Spirit. Does the fear of the Lord rule our hearts? Have we set ourselves to seek the Lord? Oh, that was beautiful! May we thus set ourselves, more and more, to seek the Lord. We are deeply convinced this is the real question at issue—Do we, or do we not, own the Lord?
Yes, let us proclaim a fast; let us refuse the natural resources of war. What so mighty as real faith in God? And Jehoshaphat was not alone: "And Judah gathered themselves together, to ask help of the Lord; even out of all the cities of Judah they came to seek the Lord." Oh, ye children of God in every part of the world, is not this a word to us? Let us neither fight, nor be discouraged. More than ever let us gather together unto the Lord, to seek help of the Lord.
Now look at Jehoshaphat as he stood in the congregation of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the Lord. All the twelve tribes were not with him. Their brethren after the flesh were coming against them, if possible to destroy Jerusalem. The whole professing church of Christ is not with those gathered to Christ; and a multitude are determined to destroy the true center of gathering unto, and really owning, the Lord present. Many we little expected are seeking to destroy what they once professed. Now, can you say that you are standing in the congregation of, however few, the only true Jerusalem now on earth? For is there anything on earth the Lord fully owns but those truly gathered to Him, and thus standing? If you are quite sure this is your standing-place, then listen to the prayer of faith: " Ο Lord God of our fathers, art not thou God in heaven? and rulest not thou over all the kingdoms of the heathen? and in thine hand is there not power and might, so that none is able to withstand thee? Art not thou our God, who didst drive out the inhabitants of this land before thy people Israel, and gavest it to the seed of Abraham, thy friend, forever? And they dwelt therein, and have built thee a sanctuary therein for thy name, saying, If, when evil cometh upon us.... we stand before this house, and in thy presence (for thy name is in this house), and cry unto thee in our affliction, then thou wilt hear and help. And now, behold, the children of Ammon, and Moab, and Mount Seir, whom thou wouldest not let Israel invade when they came out of the land of Egypt, but they turned from them, and destroyed them not; behold, I say, how they reward us, to come to cast us out of thy possession which thou hast given us to inherit. Ο our God, wilt not thou judge them? For we have no might against this great company that cometh against us; neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon thee."
Have we thus been brought before God? Do we know Him thus as our God and Father? Can we thus speak to Him? Can we, in intelligent faith, say, Thou hast driven out our enemies, and given us, in Thy pure grace, Thy free favor, a blessed sanctuary in Thy presence, in these last days? Are we conscious of the unspeakable security of those words, whatever evil may assail us, the blessed safety, " in thy presence"? In that presence can we not, like Jehoshaphat, tell the Lord our God of all that are gathering, like a cloud, against us? Is it not against Him? They come also to cast us out of our place of privilege-"Thy possession." This is what evil spirits arc banding men and leading them to do. It was very fine for a man who had an army of eleven hundred and sixty thousand men ready prepared for war (chap, 17), to hear him say, u We have no might against this great company that cometh against us; neither know we what to do; but our eyes are upon thee.” Instead of relying on the army, " All Judah stood before the Lord, with their little ones, their wives, and their children."
Oh, ye children of God throughout the whole world, is not this your only true place, to stand before the Lord? Faith alone can take such a place of dependence. What a contrast: on the one hand there was the great multitude of Moab, Ammon, and Mount Seir, ready to destroy them; on the other, all Judah stood before the Lord. It was not the Philistines or the Syrians; that is, it is not the enmity of the world that threatens, but those much nearer to us. An activity and opposition to the all-important fact of the presence of the Lord with those gathered in grace to Him is as distinctly manifest at this moment, as was then shown in the determination to destroy God^ center at that time. Is not that place of blessing- His presence—of God? Has He not, in His grace, given that place and center to all who hear His voice? Will He not defend it? Is it of God, or is it not? Is it His will that we should be mixed with the confusion and human will around, or truly separated unto Him? Did He make Jerusalem His only center, and would He not defend it? Has He now made the being separated from all around unto Himself the only center? and will He not preserve and defend His own?
In our next we hope to hear what God said, and see how He delivered all Judah who stood before the Lord, and in this learn how He will surely deliver all those truly gathered to Him in this day.
Lord With Jehoshaphat: No. 3
God has had one special testimony at each epoch of His dealings with men. It is also a marked principle, that those nearest allied with that testimony, but not really of it, have been the most bitter opponents of that testimony. Examples of this will occur to the reader's mind everywhere, from Cain downwards. Lot was nearly related to the testimony of Abraham, but did not walk in the blessed steps of faith. So, again, of Esau. Their posterity, as we have seen, formed parties of ungrateful, bitter opposition. In our chapter we find them united—a vast multitude—against the testimony in the days of Jehoshaphat. If we have spiritual discernment, it will be seen to be the same in this day as in every other. Those who have been outwardly in closest alliance with the testimony of the Lord will be found to form parties of determined resistance. The Lord's people, who desire to worship in His presence in peace, may be greatly distressed, especially if those parties of resistance should unite.
We cannot dwell too long on the most instructive attitude of Jehoshaphat, and all with him, gathered before the Lord: that beautiful prayer of faith; that calm trust in Jehovah; that laying aside of all mere natural resources, even his vast army, as an object of trust. Is this our position? the calm trust of faith in the Lord, with those gathered really to Himself? Let us now hear the Lord's answer to this faith. " 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." Then what are they to do? " Ye shall not need to fight in this battle; set yourselves, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord with you, Ο Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed. To-morrow go out against them, for the Lord will be with you" Each of these sentences is full of golden instruction to the children of God now. It is not attack, but set yourselves; take heed to yourselves; see that your condition is acceptable to the Lord.
And now mark, it is not only, a stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord," as in the day of deliverance from Egypt, but here it is " the salvation of the Lord with you." Christian readers, can you see the salvation of the Lord with you? This is the one thing to see, and to hold fast, until He come. " For the Lord will be with you" We can trust Him, however men may become united against us. He has not only gathered a few to Himself, 'as at the beginning, but be assured of this, " the Lord will be with you." Oh, wondrous grace! Here our souls can rest.
]Now we have a striking contrast. The multitude were prepared for war in the wilderness of Peniel, all ready to fight. On the other side of the cliff, or hill of Ziz, Jehoshaphat, and all with him who have just learned the salvation of the Lord with them. And what was the effect of this great truth on those who heard and believed it? " And Jehoshaphat bowed his head, with his face to the ground: and all Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, fell before the Lord, worshipping the Lord." Oh, that the Holy Spirit may lead the people of God to do so likewise. Is He not present with us wherever two or three are gathered to His name? And shall we not fall before Him- worship and adore Him?
We feel sure many fail thus to recognize Him present when gathered to worship, and do those professedly gathered to Him thus worship in spirit and in truth? Here is our salvation from every gathering storm of war—the salvation of the Lord with you. Oh, priceless lesson! May our hearts learn it, and thus worship before Him.
And what more did they do? The very children of those who were spared from going down into the pit—yes, "the children of the Korhites stood up to praise the Lord God of Israel with a loud voice on high.” Oh, for that deep sense of grace! for is it not of His grace that we have not gone down into the pit? It is well to remember this, until, instead of fighting and wordy contention, one vast note of praise burst from our hearts and lips. There is no power in that soul that loses the sense of grace, the free, full, and eternal favor of our God and Father.
Now they rise early in the morning to see the wondrous deliverance of the Lord. "And as they went forth, Jehoshaphat stood, and said, Hear me, Ο Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem; believe in the Lord your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper." What a contrast to unbelief! He did not say, " It is all over now. You had better return each man to his tent. There is nothing left now but the individual tent." No; to those who are gathered to Christ it is, " Believe in the Lord your God, so shall ye be established." And can we not still rest in the word of God, be assured of spiritual prosperity? Never was there such a battle as this. When he had consulted with the people, what did he appoint to meet the vast army? " He appointed singers unto the Lord, and that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise the Lord; for his mercy endureth forever." Thus were they to be occupied with the holy and the true, the beauty of holiness, singing to Him, instead of fighting with them. There is a great secret of strength in this: " Praise the Lord; for his mercy endureth forever." Can we not say so?
But what has this to do with the multitudes gathered against them? And what effect can it now have, if we sing instead of fight? "And when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten. For the children of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of Mount Seir.....And when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, every one helped, to destroy another.” Thus they who were gathered to the center God owned could bow their heads in worship: believing God, they were established; their hearts could go up in adoring praise to the beauty of holiness: and though they had not to fight, yet, when they began to sing, the Lord set party against party, of those who were gathered against Judah; so that they destroyed one another. Judah had nothing to do but to gather the spoil, " more than they could carry away; and they were three days in gathering of the spoil, it was so much." Now, is not this very blessed? Instead of fighting and contending with those who oppose themselves, let us praise the Lord, and afterward gather the spoil. Yes, let us seek not theirs, but them, even precious souls, from Moab, Ammon, and Mount Seir.
If these precious lessons of faith be learned, we shall see this result. Nothing can be more blessed than to keep the unity of the Spirit; but the divisions of that which is of the flesh is a mercy.. If all the different parties of the flesh were united, fierce persecution would soon break out. Let us, however, remember God’s center is not maintained by contention and fighting, but by worship and singing; and thus shall we see the salvation of the Lord with us.
We would further notice, after this wonderful victory, they did not assemble themselves on the top of the hill, but, " on the fourth day' they assembled themselves in the valley of Berachah [that is, blessing], for there they blessed the Lord: therefore the name of the same place was called the valley of Berachah unto this day.” Yes, the valley is the true place of blessing to this day. Let us beware of the hill of spiritual pride. In the valley there they blessed the Lord. "Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus."
" Then they returned, every man of Judah and Jerusalem, and Jehoshaphat in the forefront of them, to go again to Jerusalem with joy; for the Lord had made them to rejoice over their enemies. And they came to Jerusalem, with psalteries, and harps, and trumpets, unto the house of the Lord.” Now we have seen that as that place, that house, was the only center of God here on earth, so now Christ, as the Center of gathering, is the only Center now owned of God. Let every man, then, who has been gathered to Him return with joy, in the full confidence of faith. How blessed to walk in the true ways of the Lord! " And the fear of God was on all the kingdoms of those countries" &c. Does He not also say now, " Behold I will make them of the synagogue of Satan which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee." Shall we faint, or be discouraged, when the Lord says, " Hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown "?
Would it not be most sad to cease to see the salvation of the Lord with you, at the very moment when He says, " Behold I come quickly"? There is a calm peace not known to the divisions of Christendom, but surely should be ever enjoyed by those gathered to the Lord. " So the realm of Jehoshaphat was quiet, for his God gave him rest round about."
There was failure in Jehoshaphat, as we have seen in the sad matter of joining Ahab, but the Lord graciously restored him. Can we not say also, " He restoreth my soul"? And what need of constant watchful dependence! "And after this did Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, join himself with Akaziah, king of Israel, who did very wickedly. And he joined himself with him to make ships to go to Tarshish." Then did the prophet say, "Because thou hast joined thyself with Ahaziah, the Lord hath broken thy works. And the ships were broken that they were not able to go to Tarshish." This is, no doubt, a most solemn warning; but also there is this lesson- the failures of men, even of the most honored servants of the Lord, do not for one moment alter the principles of eternal truth. How sadly they may fail! They may join themselves to them that do wickedly; all their works may be destroyed. Peter may fail sadly, but that should not hinder Paul from standing for the truth of the gospel. All Asia may turn from Paul, but that does not alter the truth of the church, the body of Christ, as revealed to and by Paul. Servants of Christ may fail, and by their works deny the precious truth they have taught. Shall we follow them, or the blessed truth they have taught us? Parties of resistance may join, like Ammon, Moab, and the children of Seir. This is nothing if we are truly seeing " the salvation of the Lord with you." That was the one question then—it is the one question now. To depart from this may lead to getting under the power of a lying spirit for the time, as Jehoshaphat, listening to the prophets of Ahab. This may seem dreadful. It is so; for if we are not led by the Spirit of God, shall we not be deceived by Satan? May our God and Father lead our hearts in the prayerful study of this deeply instructive history, that so the prayer of Christ may be answered in each of us—" Sanctify them through thy truth."
C. S.