Study Desk

Then Asa cried out to the Lord his God, "O Lord , no one but you can help the powerless against the mighty! Help us, O Lord our God, for we trust in you alone. It is in your name that we have come against this vast horde. O Lord , you are our God; do not let mere men prevail against you!"

Then the Spirit of God came upon Azariah son of Oded,

For a long time Israel was without the true God, without a priest to teach them, and without the Law to instruct them.

But whenever they were in trouble and turned to the Lord , the God of Israel, and sought him out, they found him.

Nation fought against nation, and city against city, for God was troubling them with every kind of problem.

Then Asa called together all the people of Judah and Benjamin, along with the people of Ephraim, Manasseh, and Simeon who had settled among them. For many from Israel had moved to Judah during Asa's reign when they saw that the Lord his God was with him.

Then they entered into a covenant to seek the Lord , the God of their ancestors, with all their heart and soul.

They agreed that anyone who refused to seek the Lord , the God of Israel, would be put to death—whether young or old, man or woman.

All in Judah were happy about this covenant, for they had entered into it with all their heart. They earnestly sought after God, and they found him. And the Lord gave them rest from their enemies on every side.

He brought into the Temple of God the silver and gold and the various items that he and his father had dedicated.

At that time Hanani the seer came to King Asa and told him, "Because you have put your trust in the king of Aram instead of in the Lord your God, you missed your chance to destroy the army of the king of Aram.

He sought his father's God and obeyed his commands instead of following the evil practices of the kingdom of Israel.

So the king of Israel summoned the prophets, 400 of them, and asked them, "Should we go to war against Ramoth-gilead, or should I hold back?" They all replied, "Yes, go right ahead! God will give the king victory."

But Micaiah replied, "As surely as the Lord lives, I will say only what my God says."

So when the Aramean chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat in his royal robes, they went after him. "There is the king of Israel!" they shouted. But Jehoshaphat called out, and the Lord saved him. God helped him by turning the attackers away from him.

Even so, there is some good in you, for you have removed the Asherah poles throughout the land, and you have committed yourself to seeking God."

Jehoshaphat lived in Jerusalem, but he went out among the people, traveling from Beersheba to the hill country of Ephraim, encouraging the people to return to the Lord , the God of their ancestors.

Fear the Lord and judge with integrity, for the Lord our God does not tolerate perverted justice, partiality, or the taking of bribes."

He prayed, "O Lord , God of our ancestors, you alone are the God who is in heaven. You are ruler of all the kingdoms of the earth. You are powerful and mighty; no one can stand against you!

O our God, did you not drive out those who lived in this land when your people Israel arrived? And did you not give this land forever to the descendants of your friend Abraham?