Study Desk

When Baasha heard about it, he stopped fortifying Ramah and put an end to his work.

"For the eyes of the LORD roam throughout the earth, so that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His. You have acted foolishly in this. Indeed, from now on you will have wars."

In the thirty-ninth year of his reign Asa became diseased in his feet. His disease was severe, yet even in his disease he did not seek the LORD, but the physicians.

So Asa lay down with his fathers, and died in the forty-first year of his reign.

They buried him in his own tomb which he had cut out for himself in the city of David, and they laid him in the resting place which he had filled with spices of various kinds blended by the perfumers' art; and they made a very great fire for him.

His son Jehoshaphat then became king in his place, and he proved himself strong over Israel.

He placed troops in all the fortified cities of Judah, and placed garrisons in the land of Judah and in the cities of Ephraim which his father Asa had captured.

And the LORD was with Jehoshaphat because he followed the example of his father David's earlier days and did not seek the Baals,

but sought the God of his father, followed His commandments, and did not act as Israel did.

So the LORD established the kingdom in his control, and all Judah gave tribute to Jehoshaphat, and he had great riches and honor.

Then in the third year of his reign he sent his officials, Ben-hail, Obadiah, Zechariah, Nethanel, and Micaiah, to teach in the cities of Judah;

Now the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah were sitting, each on his throne, dressed in their robes, and they were sitting at the threshing floor at the entrance of the gate of Samaria; and all the prophets were prophesying before them.

So he said, "I saw all Israel Scattered on the mountains, Like sheep that have no shepherd. And the LORD said, 'These people have no master. Each of them is to return to his house in peace.'"

And Micaiah said, "Therefore, hear the word of the LORD. I saw the LORD sitting on His throne, and all the angels of heaven standing on His right and on His left.

"He said, 'I will go out and be a deceiving spirit in the mouths of all his prophets.' Then He said, 'You shall entice him, and you will also prevail. Go out and do so.'

Now the king of Aram had commanded the commanders of his chariots, saying, "Do not fight with the small or great, but only with the king of Israel."

Now one man drew his bow at random and struck the king of Israel in a joint of the armor. So he said to the driver of his chariot, "Turn around and take me out of the battle, for I am severely wounded."

The battle raged on that day, and the king of Israel propped himself up in his chariot in front of the Arameans until the evening; and at sunset he died.

Then Jehoshaphat the king of Judah returned in safety to his house in Jerusalem.

Jehoshaphat was afraid and turned his attention to seek the LORD; and he proclaimed a period of fasting throughout Judah.