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 – DAVID 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 SOLOMON, 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 KINGDOM OF JUDAH, SUCCEEDING HIS FATHER ASA. A QUICK NOTE ON ASA.
HE WAS ONE OF THE TOP THREE KINGS MENTIONED IN THE
BIBLE. ONLY HEZEKIAH 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 LEVITES 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 JESUS 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