Study Desk

Now at that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah and said to him, "Because you have leaned on the king of Aram and have not leaned on Yahweh your God, therefore the military force of the king of Aram has escaped out of your hand.

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

Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets, four hundred men, and said to them, "Shall we go against Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall I refrain?" And they said, "Go up, for God will give it into the hand of the king."

But Micaiah said, "As Yahweh lives, what my God says, that I shall speak."

Now it happened that when the commanders of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, they said, "It is the king of Israel," and they turned to fight against him. But Jehoshaphat cried out, and Yahweh helped him, and God incited them away from him.

But some good has been found in you, for you have purged the Asheroth from the land and you have set your heart to seek God."

So Jehoshaphat lived in Jerusalem. Indeed, he returned and went out among the people from Beersheba to the hill country of Ephraim and caused them to return back to Yahweh, the God of their fathers.

So now then let the dread of Yahweh be upon you; be careful what you do, because with Yahweh our God there is no unrighteousness or partiality or the taking of a bribe."

and he said, "O Yahweh, the God of our fathers, are You not God in the heavens? And are You not ruler over all the kingdoms of the nations? Power and might are in Your hand so that no one can take their stand against You.

Did You not, O our God, dispossess the inhabitants of this land before Your people Israel and give it to the seed of Abraham Your friend forever?

O our God, will You not judge them? For we are powerless before this great multitude who are coming against us; and we do not know what we should do, but our eyes are on You."

Then the Levites, from the sons of the Kohathites and of the sons of the Korahites, rose up to praise Yahweh, the God of Israel, with a very loud voice.

And they rose early in the morning and went out to the wilderness of Tekoa; and when they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, "Listen to me, O Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, establish your faith in Yahweh your God and you will be established. Establish your faith in His prophets and succeed."

And the dread of God was on all the kingdoms of the lands when they heard that Yahweh had fought against the enemies of Israel.

So the kingdom of Jehoshaphat was quiet, for his God gave him rest all around.

The high places, however, were not taken away; the people had not yet set their hearts to the God of their fathers.

So Edom revolted from under the hand of Judah to this day. Then Libnah revolted at the same time from under his hand, because he had forsaken Yahweh, the God of his fathers.

Then a letter came to him from Elijah the prophet saying, "Thus says Yahweh, the God of your father David, ‘Because you have not walked in the ways of Jehoshaphat your father and the ways of Asa king of Judah,

Now the downfall of Ahaziah was from God, in that he went to Joram. And when he came, he went out with Jehoram against Jehu the son of Nimshi, whom Yahweh had anointed to cut off the house of Ahab.

So he was hidden with them in the house of God six years while Athaliah was reigning over the land.