Study Desk

But when they were in trouble, they turned to the Lord , the God of Israel. They looked for him and found him.

One nation would destroy another nation, and one city would destroy another city, because God troubled them with all kinds of distress.

Then Asa gathered all the people from Judah and Benjamin and from the tribes of Ephraim, Manasseh, and Simeon who were living in Judah. Many people came to Asa even from Israel, because they saw that the Lord , Asa's God, was with him.

Then they made an agreement to obey the Lord , the God of their ancestors, with their whole being.

Anyone who refused to obey the Lord , the God of Israel, was to be killed. It did not matter if that person was important or unimportant, a man or woman.

All the people of Judah were happy about the promise, because they had promised with all their heart. They looked for God and found him. So the Lord gave them peace in all the country.

Asa brought into the Temple of God the gifts he and his father had given: silver, gold, and utensils.

At that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah and said to him, "You depended on the king of Aram to help you and not on the Lord your God. So the king of Aram's army escaped from you.

but from the God of his father. He obeyed God's commands and did not live as the people of Israel lived.

So King Ahab called four hundred prophets together and asked them, "Should we go to war against Ramoth in Gilead or not?" They answered, "Go, because God will hand them over to you."

But Micaiah answered, "As surely as the Lord lives, I can tell him only what my God says."

When these commanders saw Jehoshaphat, they thought he was the king of Israel, so they turned to attack him. But Jehoshaphat began shouting, and the Lord helped him. God made the chariot commanders turn away from Jehoshaphat.

But there is some good in you. You took the Asherah idols out of this country, and you have tried to obey God."

Jehoshaphat lived in Jerusalem. He went out again to be with the people, from Beersheba to the mountains of Ephraim, and he turned them back to the Lord , the God of their ancestors.

Now let each of you fear the Lord . Watch what you do, because the Lord our God wants people to be fair. He wants all people to be treated the same, and he doesn't want decisions influenced by money."

Jehoshaphat was afraid, so he decided to ask the Lord what to do. He announced that everyone in Judah should fast during this special time of prayer to God.

and he said, " Lord , God of our ancestors, you are the God in heaven. You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. You have power and strength, so no one can stand against you.

Our God, you forced out the people who lived in this land as your people Israel moved in. And you gave this land forever to the descendants of your friend Abraham.

Our God, punish those people. We have no power against this large army that is attacking us. We don't know what to do, so we look to you for help."

Then some Levites from the Kohathite and Korahite people stood up and praised the Lord , the God of Israel, with very loud voices.