Study Desk

and the troops let out a battle cry. Then with Abijah leading them into battle, God defeated Jeroboam and Israel's army.

The Israelites ran away, and God helped Judah's soldiers slaughter

Judah's army won because they had trusted the Lord God of their ancestors.

Asa obeyed the Lord his God and did right.

Then he told everyone in Judah to worship the Lord God, just as their ancestors had done, and to obey his laws and teachings.

He said to the people, "Let's build walls and defense towers for these towns, and put in gates that can be locked with bars. This land still belongs to us, because we have obeyed the Lord our God. He has given us peace from all our enemies." The people did everything Asa had suggested.

Asa prayed: Lord God, only you can help a powerless army defeat a stronger one. So we depend on you to help us. We will fight against this powerful army to honor your name, and we know that you won't be defeated. You are the Lord our God.

Some time later, God spoke to Azariah son of Oded.

For a long time, the people of Israel did not worship the true God or listen to priests who could teach them about God. They refused to obey God's Law.

But whenever trouble came, Israel turned back to the Lord their God and worshiped him.

Nations were destroying each other, and cities were wiping out other cities, because God was causing trouble and unrest everywhere.

So you must be brave. Don't give up! God will honor you for obeying him.

They made a solemn promise to faithfully worship the Lord God their ancestors had worshiped,

He placed in the temple all the silver and gold objects that he and his father had dedicated to God.

Soon after that happened, Hanani the prophet went to Asa and said: You depended on the king of Syria instead of depending on the Lord your God. And so, you will never defeat the Syrian army.

When Jehoshaphat's father had first become king of Judah, he was faithful to the Lord and refused to worship the god Baal as the kings of Israel did. Jehoshaphat followed his father's example and obeyed and worshiped the Lord . And so the Lord blessed Jehoshaphat

Ahab sent for four hundred prophets and asked, "Should I attack the city of Ramoth?" "Yes!" the prophets answered. "God will help you capture the city."

"I'll say whatever the living Lord my God tells me to say," Micaiah replied.

But the prophet Jehu son of Hanani met him and said: By helping that wicked Ahab, you have made friends with someone who hates the Lord . Now the Lord God is angry at you!

Jehoshaphat lived in Jerusalem, but he often traveled through his kingdom, from Beersheba in the south to the edge of the hill country of Ephraim in the north. He talked with the people and convinced them to turn back to the Lord God and worship him, just as their ancestors had done.