Jumpin’ Jehoshaphat

September 17-18, 2016

GRACE, PEACE, AND MERCY FROM GOD OUR FATHER, OUR LORD

JESUS CHRIST, AND OUR HELPER THE HOLY SPIRIT. JOIN WITH

ME IN A MOMENT OF PRAYER………………….

PRAYERS OF GOD’S PEOPLE – ASKING FORGIVENESS –

SOLOMON, WISDOM – NOW A PRAYER IN THE FACE OF A

HOPELESS SITUATION.

THIS WEEK WE LOOK AT THE BIBLICAL CHARACTER

JEHOSHAPHAT. BUT WHICH JEHOSHAPHAT ARE WE GOING TO

EXAMINE? I KNOW THIS MIGHT BE HARD TO BELIEVE, BUT,

THERE ARE THREE JEHOSHAPHT’S LISTED IN THE BIBLE. MUST

HAVE BEEN A PRETTY COMMON NAME BACK IN THE DAY, HAVEN’T

HEARD IT MUCH LATELY THOUGH.

THE FIRST TIME WE HEAR OF A MAN NAMED JEHOSHAPHAT

IS IN SECOND SAMUEL, CHAPTER 8, VERSE SIXTEEN. HERE THE

BIBLE LISTS SOME OF KING DAVID’S OFFICIALS, AND

JEHOSHAPHAT IS LISTED AS “RECORDER” FOR THE ARMY. THE

GUY WHO RECORDS EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENED IN BATTLES.

JEHOSHAPHAT NUMBER TWO IS FOUND IN 1ST KINGS, CHAPTER 4.

“J” NUMBER 1 IS STILL IN PLACE UNDER , AND NOW

SOLOMON ALSO APPOINTED 12 DISTRICT GOVERNORS OVER ALL

ISRAEL. THE GOVERNOR OF THE DISTRICT OF ISSCHAR WAS

JEHOSHAPHT NUMBER 2.

BUT TODAY WE ARE GOING TO LOOK AT THE JEHOSHAPHAT -

KING OF JUDAH. HE WAS THE 4TH KING OF THE , SUCCEEDING HIS FATHER ASA. A QUICK NOTE ON ASA.

HE WAS ONE OF THE TOP THREE KINGS MENTIONED IN THE

BIBLE. ONLY AND JEHOSHAPHAT HAVE MORE

WRITTEN ABOUT THEM. HE WAS FOLLOWER AND BELIEVER IN

GOD AND DID MUCH TO RID THE COUNTRY OF IDOLS, BUT HE

DIED BECAUSE OF A “DISEASE OF THE FEET” AFTER HE REFUSED

TO TRUST IN THE HEALING POWER OF GOD AND TRUSTED HIS

“PHYSICIANS AND MYSTICS.” THOSE “PHYSICIANS” WERE MORE

ABOUT MAGIC THAN MEDICINE. NOW THAT DOESN’T MEAN IF

YOU HAVE ATHLETE’S FOOT YOU SHOULDN’T GO TO THE DRUG

STORE AND GET THE TREATMENT YOU NEED.

BACK TO OUR MAIN CHARACTER – JEHOSHAPHAT WAS

INDEED A MAN OF GOD AS HE SUPPRESSED THE IDOLATROUS

WORSHIP IN THE “HIGH PLACES” AND REMOVED THE ASHERAH

POLES. HE ALSO SENT OUT PRIESTS AND TO TEACH THE

PEOPLE THE LAW OF GOD. THIS WENT ON FOR A SABBATICAL

YEAR. THE BIBLE RECORDS THAT JEHOSHAPHAT’S KINGDOM

ENJOYED A GREAT MEASURE OF PEACE AND PROSPERITY, THE

BLESSING OF GOD RESTING ON THE PEOPLE. EVEN HIS ENEMIES

PRAISED HIM AND GAVE HIM GIFTS, OVER 15 THOUSAND RAMS

AND GOATS ALONG WITH A BUNCH OF SILVER. SO IT SOUNDS

LIKE JEHOSHAPHAT HAD EVERYTHING HE COULD ASK FOR. NOT

SO FAST MY FRIEND!

WE SEE THAT SOME NEIGHBORS GOT A BIT TESTY WITH THE

KINGDOM OF JUDAH AND WERE GETTING READY TO INVADE AND

TEACH THEM A LESSON ABOUT BELIEVING IN THIS GOD OF THEIRS. EVEN THOUGH JUDAH HAD AN ARMY OF OVER 1.6

MILLION MEN, THE THREE ATTACKERS OUTNUMBERED JUDAH BY

QUITE A BIT. NOW, JEHOSHAPHAT, GETS WORRIED AND HAS THE

FEELING OF HOPELESSNESS. HOW CAN HIS ARMY DEFEND THE

COUNTRY AGAINST THESE ODDS? HE FELT INADEQUET. HE

WASN’T STRONG ENOUGH, OR SMART ENOUGH TO DEFEAT THE

ENEMY. THAT FEELING OF NOT BEING GOOD ENOUGH, STRONG

ENOUGH, SMART ENOUGH, GOOD LOOKING ENOUGH, POPULAR

ENOUGH, LEADS TO A SENSE OF HOPELESSNESS. ALMOST EVERY

DAY I COME TO WORK IN THE OFFICE OR SERVE DURING

WORSHIP, I FEEL INADEQUET – NOT WORTHY – NOT GOOD

ENOUGH – NOT SMART ENOUGH. BUT LIKE JEHOSHAPHAT AND

THE PEOPLE OF JUDAH, GOD TAKES CARE OF GETTING ME

THROUGH THOSE FEELINGS. EVERY DAY I THANK HIM AND ASK

FOR THE STRENGTH TO DEAL WITH WHATEVER HE HAS FOR ME

THAT DAY. I STRUGGLE WITH GIVING IT ALL OVER TO HIM, BUT

IT’S NOT REALLY MY FIGHT AFTER ALL, IT’S HIS. AND HE HAS

WON THE BATTLE. I DON’T GET TO THE POINT OF

HOPELESSNESS – BUT I COULD IF GOD DIDN’T DO FOR ME WHAT

HE HAS – SENT HIS SON TO DIE FOR MY SINS – GIVING

ME THE HOPE AND PROMISE OF ETERNAL LIFE.

JEHOSHAPHAT AND THE PEOPLE OF JUDAH CAME TOGETHER

AND SANG PRAISES TO GOD – PRAYED TOGETHER – AS WE HEARD

IN THE OLD TESTAMENT READING. THE LAST LINE – “WE DO NOT

KNOW WHAT TO DO, BUT OUR EYES ARE ON YOU.” IN

JEHOSHAPHAT’S CASE, GOD TOOK CARE OF THE ENEMY WITHOUT

THE PEOPLE OF JUDAH HAVING TO FIGHT AT ALL. THE ARMIES OF THE MOABITES, THE AMMONITES, AND THE MEUNITES WERE

AMBUSHED BY GOD AND ENDED UP COMPLETELY DESTROYING

EACH OTHER. AND JUDAH REAPED THE SPOILS OF THE BATTLE

THEY DID NOT HAVE TO FIGHT.

SO AM I SAYING THAT GOD WILL INTERVENE AND

MAGICALLY FIX EVERY SITUATION YOU FIND YOURSELF IN? NO –

BUT HE WILL GIVE US THE STRENGTH AND GUIDANCE TO ENDURE

– AS LONG AS WE GO TO HIM AND TELL HIM OUR FEARS AND

TROUBLES. AND WE ALWAYS GIVE GOD THE PRAISE AND WE ARE

THANKFUL FOR HIS STRENGTH AND WISDOM – AND THE SAVING

MIRACLE OF HIS SON JESUS. AS THE PEOPLE OF JUDAH WENT TO

BATTLE, THEIR BATTLE CRY WAS “ GIVE THANKS TO THE LORD,

FOR HIS LOVE ENDURES FOREVER.” PRETTY GOOD ADVICE FOR

ALL OF US.

WHEN THOSE FEELINGS OF FEAR, ANXIETY,INADEQUECY,

AND HOPELESSNESS START TO OVERTAKE US, LET GOD FIGHT

FOR US. GIVE THANKS FOR EVERYTHING GOD HAS DONE AND

WILL CONTINUE TO DO. GOD HAS PROMISED A PLACE FOR US AS

HIS CHILDREN AND HEIRS – JUST LIKE HE DID FOR

JEHOSHAPHAT AND THE NATION OF ISRAEL.

2ND CHRONICLES 20:17 GIVES US SOME GREAT

ENCOURAGEMENT, ”DO NOT BE AFRAID, DO NOT BE

DISCOURAGED. GO OUT AND FACE THEM TOMORROW, AND THE

LORD WILL BE WITH YOU.”

MAY THE GRACE AND PEACE OF GOD WHICH PASSES ALL

UNDERSTAND BE WITH US ALL. AMEN