May 25 Daily Devotional

2 Chronicles 17–20

Asa’s son, Jehoshaphat, was the next king. He was the wisest and strongest of the kings of Judah. The Lord gave him great power and his kingdom was extended. He took away the idols and high places that again had been set up in his land. He set judges in the cities and said to them, “Take heed what ye do: for ye judge not for man, but for the Lord, who is with you in the judgment. Wherefore now let the fear of the Lord be upon you; take heed, do it: for there is no iniquity with the Lord our God, nor respect of persons, nor taking of gifts.” He sent Levites and priests throughout all Judah to instruct the people in the law and to teach them how to serve the Lord.

Jehoshaphat made peace with Israel and upon the request of King Ahab joined him to fight against the Syrians at Ramothgilead, where Ahab was slain. At one time king Jehoshaphat was notified that the Moabites, the Ammonites and the Edomites banded together against him with a great army at Engedi near the Dead Sea. And Jehoshaphat proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. He called his men together; but before going to battle he took them to the temple to implore the help of the Lord. And there in a fervent prayer Judah’s king said, “O 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, as the sword, judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we stand before this house and in thy presence, 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 … come to cast us out of thy possession, which thou hast given us to inherit. O our 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.”

Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jahaziel, a Levite. He said, “Hearken ye, all Judah, and ye 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. Tomorrow go ye down against them … Ye 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 … for the Lord will be with you.”