Address—C.E. Lunden
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Second Chronicles, 17.
We have in these chapters, they're going to notice a few verses in each, something along the line, what we've already had in connection with the truth of the one body.
But rather, the principles here forth in the Old Testament, long before that truth is no principles in the Old Testament that would help us especially in the dangers of the pathway.
Of that testimony, which is the present testimony of the Church, the truth of the one body.
So we'll read a few verses here and there to comment on them. The 17th chapter.
Of Second Chronicles and the first verse. And Jehoshaphat his son reigned in his stead, and strengthened himself against Israel, and he placed forces in all offense cities of Judah.
Third Verse. And the Lord was with Jehoshaphat, because he walked in the first ways of his father David, who sought not unto Balaam, but sought to the Lord God of his father, and walked in his commandments, and not after the doings of Israel. Therefore the Lord established the Kingdom in his hand, and all Judah brought to Jehoshaphat presence.
And he had riches and honor and abundance.
And his heart was lifted up in the ways of the Lord. Moreover, he took away the high places and Groves.
Out of Judah also in the third year of his reign, he sent to his his Princess, even to Ben Hale and to Obadiah, to Zechariah and to Nathaniel.
To my Ki and to teach in the cities of Judah. And with them he sent the Levites, and so on 9th person. 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.
12Th 1St Wash of fat wax grayed exceedingly. And he built in Judah castles and cities of store, and he had much business in the cities of Judah. And the men of war, mighty men of valor, were in Jerusalem. 18th chapter. Now Jehoshaphat had riches in honor and abundance, and joined affinity with Ahab.
And after certain years, he went down to Ahab, to Samaria.
And they have killed sheep and oxen for him in abundance, and for the people that he had with him.
We persuaded him to go up with him to Ramoth Gilead.
And Ahab, king of Israel, said unto Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, Will thou go with me to Rammeth Gilead? And he answered him, I am as thy thou art, and my people as thy people. We will be with thee in the war. Now we'll go on, and in the end of that chapter.
We find that.
The battle is turning against Jehoshaphat.
30th verse Now the king of Syria had commanded the captains of the Chariots that they were that were with him, saying fight she not with smaller great save only with the king of Israel.
And it came to pass, when the captains of the Chariots saw Jehoshaphat, that they said it is the king of Israel. Therefore they compassed him about to fight. But Jehoshaphat cried out, and the Lord helped him, and God moved them to depart from him.
But came to pass it when the captains of the Chariots perceived that it was not the king of Israel. They turned back again from pursuing him. Next chapter.
And Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, returned to his house in peace in Jerusalem, and Jahil the son of Hannah, and I the Sarah, went out to meet him.
And said to King Jehoshaphat, Shouldst thou help the ungodly?
And love them that hate the Lord, therefore his wrath upon thee from before the Lord. Nevertheless there are good things found in thee, and that thou hast taken away the Groves out of the land, and has prepared thine heart to seek God.
And 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. Chapter 20. And it came to pass after this also, that the children of Moab, and the children of Ammon, and with them others beside the Ammonites, came against Jehoshaphat to battle.
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Then there came some that told Jehoshaphat, saying, There cometh a great multitude against thee from beyond the sea on this side of Syria.
And behold, they be hazard zon tamer, which is in Gidai. And Jehoshaphat fear, and set himself to seek the Lord, and proclaim the fast throughout all Judah. And Judah gathered themselves together to ask of the Lord. Even out of all the cities of Judah they came to seek the Lord.
And Jehoshaphat stood in the congregation of Judah and Jerusalem.
In the House of the Lord before the new court, and said, Oh 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 in mind that none is able to withstand thee? Art not thou art God who just drive out the inhabitants, this land before thy people, Israel?
And gave a step to the seed of Abraham, thy friend forever.
And they dwelt therein, they built thee of sanctuary therein for thy name, saying, If when evil cometh upon us, as of the sword, judgment, or pestilence, or famine, 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 Moeb, and Mount Seir, whom thou wouldst not let Israel invade.
When they came out of the land of Egypt, but they turned them from us. They turned from them and destroyed them. Now behold, I say, how they reward us to come to cast us out of thy possession, which thou hast given us to inherit.
Or God, wilt thou not 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.
Judah stood before the Lord with their little ones, their wives, their children.
Then upon Dehaziel the son of. Zechariah the son of Benaya the son of.
JL The son of Madonna, Levi of the sons of Asaph, came the Spirit of the Lord in the midst of the congregation, And he said To hearken ye all Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou came 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.
Tomorrow go ye down against them. Behold, they come up by the Cliff of Ziz, and you shall find them at the end of the brook.
Or valley before the wilderness. As you rule, you shall not need to fight in this battle.
Set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the Lord.
With you, O Judah and Jerusalem, fear not nor be dismayed.
Tomorrow go out against them, for the Lord will be with you.
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. And the Levites of the children of the and of the children of the chorites stood up to praise the Lord God of Israel with the loud voice on high. And they rose early in the morning, and went forth into the wilderness of Toccoa.
And as they went forth, Jehoshaphat stood and said, Hear me, O Judah.
And the inhabitants of Jerusalem believe in the Lord your God.
So shall you be established, believe his prophets, so shall he prosper. When he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers to the Lord 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. And when they began to sing and to praise the Lord, set ambushments against the children of Ammon.
In Mouse here, which would come against Judah, and they were smitten, for the children of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of Mount Cyr, utterly display and destroy them. And when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Sere, everyone helped to destroy another. And when Judah came toward the watchtower in the wilderness.
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They looked under the multitude and behold, they were dead bodies fallen to the earth, and none escaped.
And when Jehoshaphat and his people came to take away the spoil of them, they found among them in abundance both riches with the dead bodies and precious jewels, which they stripped off for themselves more than they could carry away. And they were three days gathering the spoil. It was so much. And on the 4th day they assembled themselves in the valley of Baraka for blessing. There they blessed the Lord.
Therefore, the name of the same place was called.
The valley of Baraka under this day. Then they returned every man of Judah in Jerusalem.
And Jehoshaphat in the forefront of them to go again to Jerusalem with joy.
For the Lord has made them to rejoice over their enemies, and they came to Jerusalem with psalteries and harps and trumpets under the House of the Lord. And the fear of God was on all the kingdoms of those countries when they had heard that the Lord fought against the enemies of Israel. So the realm of Jehoshaphat was quiet.
For his God gave him rest round about. Just want to call attention to a few things that we have here, dear brethren. Denise, passages that we've read that I feel are important. This young man about 35 years old.
Was suddenly entrusted to a Kingdom. A Kingdom.
Now, what were his first thoughts? You know a man loves power.
He loves greatness, but we find with Jehoshaphat that the first thought that he had was to strengthen himself against Israel. Now why was this so important? It was to him.
He strengthened himself against Israel.
We here today a great deal about.
How all the children of God should be together?
And it will be so when the Lord comes.
But in the Book of the Kings and Chronicles we have the subject of government.
Of responsibility.
And, dear ones, is the day coming when everything will be rehearsed at the judgment seat of Christ?
The conduct down here, all that concerns God's people, our actions, how we respond in the situation in which we're found, they'll all come in review.
What is the most important thing for a King of Judah?
What was first for him to do?
To honor the Lord in connection with the position that God had put him in.
That not so there are some confuse Israel with Judah.
Israel, of course, is the title given to the whole nation when they were together.
And will be in the coming day.
But there came a time when there was a division among God's people.
The visions are very sad, but sometimes necessary.
And so that those that are approved might be made manifest.
Now in the division we find there was wrong on both sides, which is often the case.
But there is such a thing as God maintaining a testimony to the name.
His name or the name of Jehovah in that day?
And he was very particular that that precious truth.
And center be maintained. Judah, Jerusalem.
Israel had turned away after another leader.
Not the House of David.
And besides turning away, they have turned.
To idols.
Because, beloved, when you and I turn away from what the Word of God tells us, we're going to take up with something.
For a substitute, that's for sure.
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We're going to try to replace.
What we had was something that's almost like it.
But isn't the same thing?
They were told that Jerusalem was the center.
And we find that there was conflict between these two groups.
And this young man comes into the Kingdom, and that's the first thought that he has.
That.
To strengthen himself.
Against Israel.
And he goes about it as his father had done.
We find the Lord was with Jehoshaphat.
It is a wonderful thing to know that the Lord is with you. Now how can we know that the Lord is with us?
Well, the first Epistle of John tells us, of course, if we keep his commandments.
If we keep His commandments, we have that assurance. If we have His word, we are assured that He's with us.
That's the only way we'll know.
To have his precious word, to follow his word. This Jehoshaphat did, and he had that consciousness that the Lord was with him and it says thought to the Lord God of his Father and walked in his commandments and not after the doings of Israel. Now we have the walk. It wasn't simply that he set up a theory, but he walked in it.
It's a wonderful thing to know the truth of separation and the truth of the one body.
And we hear it everywhere.
But the testimony today is The Walking in it.
Not simply knowing it.
The Walking in it, we find that.
This young man was given riches.
And honor and abundance.
And God, as he did to other kings who had honored him.
He subdued all the nations round about, because when a man's ways pleased the Lord, he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.
That's another principle we need to know.
So now he's a wealthy young king.
But you know, everyone will be tested.
This young man is tested.
He was a good king, but he may not have been as good a father as he was a king. We all have our weaknesses, you know.
And we find that his son married.
The daughter.
Of Ahab.
From Israel.
In other words, Jezebel's daughter.
The kind of a thing is this Here's a man who starts out in the right way, and yet something comes into his family and spoils the whole thing.
Did you ever think, dear young people, when you make your life decisions, how it will affect the assembly?
How it will affect your father and your mother. That decision isn't simply for you, it's to be for the glory of God.
That's what it means to marriage Mary and the Lord, this young man.
Did not marry in the Lord, he married into that which would bring him into idolatry.
And when years later he got to reign and got to have the throne of his father, he reigned only eight years and.
He died, I believe he was the one that says not desired, not desired. He made a wrong choice, but he had brought trouble to the people of God. How solemn this is, and what a consideration for each one of us in every step we take.
It affects all the people of God.
In fact, once we are found in that place, gathered to the precious name of the Lord Jesus.
We find that everything that we do effects.
Every member of Christ, how important this is for us to consider.
And how guarded we should be as to what we do.
Now he joins Affinity. The father joins Affinity with Ahab. Oh, what a terrible mistake. What a contradiction to his start. He starts out to strengthen himself against him, and now he joins Affinity. Why?
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Well.
He had introduced honey into the offerings of God, in other words.
That's what that means.
Natural sweetness had come in.
Putting family first, you can't do that in the things of God. Oh, how much sadness has come into this world because of these things. And families have been separated where there's been faithfulness to God. And here's a case where Jehoshaphat had allowed his son to turn his heart toward the enemy's camp.
Well, he almost lost his life over it, but he didn't.
Because you see, God's eye was upon him.
And if we would examine ourselves this afternoon, dear fellow Christian.
I'm sure you, like myself, would have to say.
Oh, how many times I was just at the brink and the Lord turned me back. Maybe you've never had that experience. I have.
Oh, how many times?
Not realizing that the next step would be fatal. What a wonderful thing it is.
To put your trust in the Lord.
But even though there are mistakes.
What a wonderful savior we have. What a wonderful savior. But we find that the Lord turns the army away from him. Because you see, the king of Israel had put a disguise on and.
Made it as though the king of Judah was the king of Israel.
It's something like some of us were noticing recently with Jacob when he went to deceive his father.
He had skin of hair on his hands. His father was deceived. It was Jacob's voice all right, but it was Esau's hands. He deceived his father. Here we have the same thing we have.
Duplication.
Oh how far we might go when we get out of the path duplication.
Not being real, and dear fellow Christian, may I ask you this afternoon?
Do you not want to be real? Moses made a choice.
And that was that. He was number longer to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter. He was not the son of Pharaoh's daughter, but he'd been living all those years as a son of Pharaoh's daughter. But he made the choice.
And he made that choice to rather suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season. He made the choice. He made the break.
If you were to read ordinary history, you would find that Moses.
Had become a great man in Egypt.
But if he hadn't chosen affliction of the people of God, his name never would have been in the book of Hebrews.
And which record would you like your name in?
Man's or gods?
But now we'll go on with our account in the 18th chapter, or rather in the 20th chapter. We'll notice first a few thoughts in the 19th.
That God sends a prophet to him.
And what I want to gain from my own soul is this from this passage.
No matter who God sends, and he sends two different prophets here to him.
No matter who God sends, are we willing to listen? That's the point.
Are we willing to listen? God is going to.
In his marvelous grace he's going to see to it that his people are cared for, and he's going to send a word of warning before trouble comes. And again, after there's been difficulty, he sends a word of warning. Shouldst thou help the ungodly and love them that hate the Lord? That's pretty strong language.
Help the ungodly.
Love them that hate the Lord.
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Oh, but you say we are talking about God's people, Israel. Yes, but what are they doing? They were worshipping Balaam.
They had taken a new position that was contrary to the word of God.
I'm sure if there were any among them that it would come and repent as some did later.
On another occasion, I'm sure that Jehoshaphat would have embraced them, and even the prophet would have if there were repentance.
That now they're in a wrong position worshipping Balan.
And so the word to the conscience.
Of Jehoshaphat is must thou help the ungodly, and love them that hate the Lord?
But an awful position for one to be in. Who makes a profession to be one of God's people?
And that was a rebuke. And he takes it. Now in the 20th chapter, we find.
The enemy comes against all Israel, three enemies at once.
This is a real test.
Has Jehoshaphat learned any lessons?
We trust he has.
Are we learning our lessons day by day?
Brother said to me concerning a remark that was made, I think this morning, he said my, he said, I'm sure. I'm glad I got that. I never knew that before. Some brothers made a remark. It just opened a new truth to him.
Are we learning? Is there an exercise of soul with us?
Should be.
Jehoshaphat was learning. Now, as the enemy comes and the report is given, it says he feared he might well fear.
The host was greater than his own.
He might wealthier now what does he do? We have already read of how he had a he had warriors, men of valor, probably a very large army.
What does he do? Does he say get the men out? Get lined up for war?
No, that isn't what he does.
Though there was something real deep down in the heart of Jehoshaphat.
Failed. Yes, it failed. So do we.
But deep down in his heart, he knew there was only one resource.
And that was the God that dwelled at Jerusalem.
In the midst of His people.
Your only resource, beloved, you say there are problems in my assembly. There may be.
Or your assembly here or there.
God is the only resource.
You can scheme and plan and do as you please, but God is the only resource and His precious word.
And this we learned from the following verses.
Jehoshaphat feared and set himself to seek the Lord.
And proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.
Well, those two things go well together, don't they? Seeking the Lord and proclaiming of facts. What is the facts? It's an indication that I'm real.
I'm willing to deny myself because the matter before me is a serious matter and I'm an earnest about it. He proclaimed it fast. Now fast, of course, in one term would be denying one food, but also it would be taking.
Looking over my life to see if possibly there might be something interfering.
With the problem in my own life.
Evaluating things in my own pathway, setting things aside that possibly.
I do better without. Oh, how many things lend themselves to difficulties among the people of God.
But here's a man who fasted proclaimed the fastest.
And the whole of Judah gathered together to ask help of the Lord.
He came out of the city.
They came to seek the Lord. What a happy time in Judah.
You know, Judah had many kings, but they weren't all of them good kings, really.
Israel had many kings, but I do not think there was one good one among them.
Maybe that's why God sent Elijah and Elijah there, because of the Super abounding grace of God to a people who needed those two prophets so badly.
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Yes, there were some good kings in Judah, and there were some very wicked kings like Vanessa.
But I believe that Jehoshaphat is a good king.
And.
Going on.
He goes to the people and he tells them.
About their God.
And he stands in the court.
And prays to God on the basis of what God had promised long ago.
That is, back in Leviticus and other places, God had promised that if his people were in trouble.
They could always come back to him.
All they had to do was repent and they could come back to him and cry to him and he would deliver them. Now in the coming day, if you read the 2nd chapter of Joel, you'll see that's what the whole nation, or rather the tribe of Judah and Benjamin will do.
They will cry to the Lord, and He'll deliver them in the coming day.
Well, this was carried out here.
Instead of getting out of his arm his Jehoshaphat Christ to the Lord, he prays to the Lord.
And we've already read the passage. We won't read it again.
And it says here.
12 Verse. Oh our God, wilt thou not judge them? For we have no might against this great company who had cometh against us. Neither know we what to do, but our eyes are upon thee.
And that lovely dependence.
Is this better than the armies that he could muster? I'm sure it is. Oh, how little we realize our resources as the people of God. We say we're few in number, that's true. But oh, what power? Oh what power. Don't you believe it? Read the story of Daniel.
What did he do, Joseph? What did he do? They shook kingdoms, one man alone, because they believed in that power.
And now in the year 1979 has that power lessened? Not one bit. In fact, we should be able better to use that power today than they did in that day. With all the instruction besides the fact the Holy Spirit indwells every believer. Oh how clever men are, and the things of business, and yet when it comes to the things of Christ.
How feeble we are.
How feeble. But here's the formula.
Jehoshaphat gives it to us, or rather the prophets. 14 First, then upon Jahaziel, the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaya, the son of jail.
Storm came the Spirit of the Lord in the midst of the congregation.
That's where you want to look for it. In the midst of the congregation car can you Judah inhabitant Jerusalem, and alkane 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. Tomorrow go ye down. Notice that word down.
By the Cliff says and when you shall, and you shall find them at the end of the.
Brook or valley?
He doesn't say that you shall find them at the valley. It says you shall find them at the end of the valley.
The Valley speaks to us of self judgment taking a low place.
It's down at the end of that valley where you'll find the enemy.
At the ends of the valley you won't need to fight. Set yourselves. Stand you still and see the salvation of the Lord with you. O Judah and Jerusalem, fear not nor be dismayed. Tomorrow go out against them, for the Lord will be with you.
Jehovah bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell before the Lord, worshipping the Lord.
Go on.
20th First they rose early in the morning, went forth into the wilderness of Toccoa, and as they went forth, Jehoshaphat stood and said, Hear me, O ye Judah, the inhabitants, Jerusalem believe in the Lord. Notice that word believe.
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It's the prophet that spoke. Believe in the Lord your God, so shall ye be established. Believe his prophets so.
Shall you prosper?
And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers under the Lord. Notice that singers unto the Lord.
That should praise the beauty of holiness. And they went out before the army, and to say, praise the Lord for his mercy endureth forever. And when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushments against the children of Hammond. Sorrow. So these two slew those of Mount Seir, and then they slew one another, and then they were all slain. 24th 1St. And when Judah came toward the watchtower.
You get the watchtower and the thistles. You know the watchtower.
Watch unto prayer.
Elijah when there was a promise of rain.
He said. You go out until they have, it's going to rain.
And Sabbath got up to eat and drink, but Elijah put his face between his knees.
Bowed himself.
Until the rain came.
He watched.
For the prayer.
Here's the Watchtower.
That's when the blessing comes. The Watchtower.
Now where is the Watchtower?
In the luxury of the present scenes through which we are passing? Or is it in the wilderness present?
Do we feel it? Do we feel the path of rejection? That's where the Watchtower is.
The Wilderness.
The place of rejection is difficult in the days of prosperity to feel.
But our true place is.
As believers gathered to the precious name of the Lord Jesus and separation from this world.
The Lord Jesus could say, if they have hated me, they will hate you also.
Watchtower in the Wilderness and what's the result? Well, they have all the.
All the bounty, everything is provided for them that once belongs to the enemy, is now taken, belongs to Israel.
He didn't use one soldier, as far as we know, to down the enemy.
Know the Lord did that.
Oh, what a wonderful thing it is.
And to see this truth, and how many times, dear brethren, when we try to use natural methods.
In the things of God, to use our own wisdom, we only make things worse.
But we will find that there will be one or more in the midst of the congregation that God gives his mind to.
That we will wait for that and we'll get the right answer.
It takes patience.
But oh, how good it is to get the right answer and have it said, thus death the word of the Lord.
To have someone bring a scripture that settles the whole matter because it's only the Word of God that can settle spiritual basis. Only the Word of God in the midst of the congregation.
And to get the blessing, we have to go to the Watchtower.
And then four days they assemble in the Valley of Blessing.
But the valley of Bracket, valley of blessings.
Isn't that where God wants us to be all the time? Yes. And what is the valley of blessing really for us today? Well, it's something like we've had in these meetings. It's to have the person of Christ before our hearts continually. The enemy would try to disturb this and to occupy us with anything and everything.
But to have Christ before us. Now, I say this not simply because it's said many, many times.
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And it is.
But because, dear ones, Christ is the one who fills all things, and He's the only one that can fill your heart and mind.
Is the only one, and if he is sufficient for all eternity, will he not be sufficient for this afternoon?
To fill your heart and mind.
Christ.
Yes, it's Christ, and so they find that the.
Though the realm of Jehoshaphat was quiet for his God gave him rest round about.