2 Chronicles 19:1 says, And Jehoshaphat the king of Judah returned to his house in peace to Jerusalem. After Ahab was killed, Jehosaphat returned to Jerusalem in peace. He shouldn't have been in the war to begin with. We are to help our fellow Christians, but not if they are going against God in their actions. Verse two adds, And Jehu the son of Hanani the seer went out to meet him, and said to king Jehoshaphat, Shouldest thou help the ungodly, and love them that hate the Lord? therefore is wrath upon thee from before the Lord. Jehu, Hanani's the seer's son, came to Jehoshaphat and asked if he should love those who hated God and said because he did, the wrath of God was upon him. We have to assume that God had called Jehu, and that he didn't just assume the calling as a seer because his father had been one. We are called by God to serve in whatever capacity He calls us for and are not to serve a certain role simply because our father or mother did. Also, we are called on to love other sinners, but to hate their actions. I believe Jehosaphat's sin was getting involved in the sinful actions of Ahab, and not in Loving Ahab himself. We need love sinners as Jesus Christ did, and he died for their salvation. Verse three continues, Nevertheless there are good things found in thee, in that thou hast taken away the groves out of the land, and hast prepared thine heart to seek God. Jehu told Jehosaphat that even though he had done wrong in helping Ahab, that he had also done good in removing the groves from Judah and had prepared his heart to seek God. Whether we do good or bad is not going to be a balance sheet to put us in a covenant relationship with God. Only a relationship with Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord will. Verse four states, 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. Jehoshaphat continued to reign in Jerusalem, but he went throughout Judah bringing people back to the Lord. Wherever we live, we need to go out in the community and try to bring people back to God by sharing the gospel with them. Verse five adds, And he set judges in the land throughout all the fenced cities of Judah, city by city, Jehosaphat also set up judges in all the fenced cities. We need to get the gospel into all the world and do our best to have those who trust in God in charge in them, though we will often fail. We also need to pray that those in charge will be guided by God in their actions. Verse six continues, And 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. He gave the judges a warning to judge in accordance with what God said and not what men said. We today have the same responsibility as followers of Christ, and again need to pray that those in power will do the same thing. Verse seven says, Wherefore now let the fear of the Lord be upon you; take heed and do it: for there is no iniquity with the LORD our God, nor respect of persons, nor taking of gifts. Jehosaphat told these judges to take heed of how they judged, because God has no iniquity in Him and He is not a respecter of people. We will never be without having at least had sin in our lives, but we are not to be a respecter of people either when we encounter other people. We are to share the love of God with everyone, even those who may hate us. Verse eight adds, Moreover in Jerusalem did Jehoshaphat set of the Levites, and of the priests, and of the chief of the fathers of Israel, for the judgment of the Lord, and for controversies, when they returned to Jerusalem. He placed the Levites, the priests, and the chief fathers of Israel in charge of judging for the Lord and settling controversies. We as a part of the priesthood of believers need to always look to God for guidance if we are in a dispute with someone else. Verse nine continues, And he charged them, saying, Thus shall ye do in the fear of the Lord, faithfully, and with a perfect heart. Like Jehoshaphat said to those who were judging then, we need to faithfully do everything with respect to God's word and with a perfect heart. This means that we are to be at peace with God because we are following His will. Verse ten states, And what cause soever shall come to you of your brethren that dwell in your cities, between blood and blood, between law and commandment, statutes and judgments, ye shall even warn them that they trespass not against the Lord, and so wrath come upon you, and upon your brethren: this do, and ye shall not trespass. There was also a warning to those who were in positions to judge. They were not to go against God in their judgments, and neither should we. They were warned that they would have the wrath of God on them if they did, and so will we. They were also told that if they obeyed God's word and not man's that they wouldn't trespass against God, and neither will we if we obey God's word. If we are in a position where we have to obey God's law or man's law, we need to always obey God, even if it goes against manmade laws. Verse eleven adds, And, behold, Amariah the chief priest is over you in all matters of the Lord; and Zebadiah the son of Ishmael, the ruler of the house of Judah, for all the king's matters: also the Levites shall be officers before you. Deal courageously, and the Lord shall be with the good. Jehosaphat placed Amariah as the chief-priest over them in matters concerning God and Zebadiah who was referred to as the ruer of the house of Judah over the king's matters. We as Christians have but one high-priest, and that is Jesus Christ, and we must follow His guidance through the leadership of the Holy Spirit in all that we do. I don't believe that we can divide life into the things related to God and the secular but must treat everything in life as being devoted to God.
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