O. Addison Gethers e-mail address : [email protected] or [email protected] window live messenger: [email protected] aim: durangoadd64 skype: cowboys62 yahoo messenger: OADDISONGETHERS
----- Original Message ----- From: "Donnie Parrett" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Sunday, May 03, 2009 10:49 PM Subject: Daily Bible Reading For Monday May 4 >2 Chronicles 16-18 (The Message) > > 2 Chronicles 16 > 1 But in the thirty-sixth year of Asa's reign, Baasha king of Israel > attacked. He started it by > building a fort at Ramah and closing the border between Israel and Judah > to keep Asa king of Judah > from leaving or entering. > 2-3 Asa took silver and gold from the treasuries of The Temple of God and > the royal palace and sent > it to Ben-Hadad, king of Aram who lived in Damascus, with this message: > "Let's make a treaty like > the one between our fathers. I'm showing my good faith with this gift of > silver and gold. Break your > deal with Baasha king of Israel so he'll quit fighting against me." > > 4-5 Ben-Hadad went along with King Asa and sent his troops against the > towns of Israel. They sacked > Ijon, Dan, Abel Maim, and all the store-cities of Naphtali. When Baasha > got the report, he quit > fortifying Ramah. > > 6 Then King Asa issued orders to his people in Judah to haul away the logs > and stones Baasha had > used in the fortification of Ramah and used them himself to fortify Geba > and Mizpah. > > 7-9 Just after that, Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah and said, > "Because you went for help > to the king of Aram and didn't ask God for help, you've lost a victory > over the army of the king of > Aram. Didn't the Ethiopians and Libyans come against you with superior > forces, completely > outclassing you with their chariots and cavalry? But you asked God for > help and he gave you the > victory. God is always on the alert, constantly on the lookout for people > who are totally committed > to him. You were foolish to go for human help when you could have had > God's help. Now you're in > trouble-one round of war after another." > > 10 At that, Asa lost his temper. Angry, he put Hanani in the stocks. At > the same time Asa started > abusing some of the people. > > 11-14 A full account of Asa is written in The Chronicles of the Kings of > Judah. In the thirty-ninth > year of his reign Asa came down with a severe case of foot infection. He > didn't ask God for help, > but went instead to the doctors. Then Asa died; he died in the forty-first > year of his reign. They > buried him in a mausoleum that he had built for himself in the City of > David. They laid him in a > crypt full of aromatic oils and spices. Then they had a huge bonfire in > his memory. > > 2 Chronicles 17 > Jehoshaphat of Judah > 1-6 Asa's son Jehoshaphat was the next king; he started out by working on > his defense system > against Israel. He put troops in all the fortress cities of Judah and > deployed garrisons throughout > Judah and in the towns of Ephraim that his father Asa had captured. God > was on Jehoshaphat's side > because he stuck to the ways of his father Asa's early years. He didn't > fool around with the popular > Baal religion-he was a seeker and follower of the God of his father and > was obedient to him; he > wasn't like Israel. And God secured the kingdom under his rule, gave him a > firm grip on it. And > everyone in Judah showed their appreciation by bringing gifts. Jehoshaphat > ended up very rich and > much honored. He was single-minded in following God; and he got rid of the > local sex-and-religion > shrines. > 7-9 In the third year of his reign he sent his officials-excellent men, > every one of them-Ben-Hail, > Obadiah, Zechariah, Nethanel, and Micaiah on a teaching mission to the > cities of Judah. They were > accompanied by Levites-Shemaiah, Nethaniah, Zebadiah, Asahel, Shemiramoth, > Jehonathan, Adonijah, > Tobijah, and Tob-Adonijah; the priests Elishama and Jehoram were also in > the company. They made a > circuit of the towns of Judah, teaching the people and using the Book of > The Revelation of God as > their text. > > 10-12 There was a strong sense of the fear of God in all the kingdoms > around Judah-they didn't dare > go to war against Jehoshaphat. Some Philistines even brought gifts and a > load of silver to > Jehoshaphat, and the desert bedouin brought flocks-7,700 rams and 7,700 > goats. So Jehoshaphat became > stronger by the day, and constructed more and more forts and > store-cities-an age of prosperity for > Judah! > > 13-19 He also had excellent fighting men stationed in Jerusalem. The > captains of the military units > of Judah, classified according to families, were: Captain Adnah with > 300,000 soldiers; his associate > Captain Jehohanan with 280,000; his associate Amasiah son of Zicri, a > volunteer for God, with > 200,000. Officer Eliada represented Benjamin with 200,000 fully equipped > with bow and shield; and > his associate was Jehozabad with 180,000 armed and ready for battle. These > were under the direct > command of the king; in addition there were the troops assigned to the > fortress cities spread all > over Judah. > > 2 Chronicles 18 > 1-3 But even though Jehoshaphat was very rich and much honored, he made a > marriage alliance with > Ahab of Israel. Some time later he paid a visit to Ahab at Samaria. Ahab > celebrated his visit with a > feast-a huge barbecue with all the lamb and beef you could eat. But Ahab > had a hidden agenda; he > wanted Jehoshaphat's support in attacking Ramoth Gilead. Then Ahab brought > it into the open: "Will > you join me in attacking Ramoth Gilead?" Jehoshaphat said, "You bet. I'm > with you all the way; you > can count on me and my troops." > 4 Then Jehoshaphat said, "But before you do anything, ask God for > guidance." > > 5 The king of Israel got the prophets together-all four hundred of > them -and put the question to > them: "Should I attack Ramoth Gilead or should I hold back?" > > "Go for it," they said. "God will hand it over to the king." > > 6 But Jehoshaphat dragged his feet, "Is there another prophet of God > around here we can consult? > Let's get a second opinion." > > 7 The king of Israel told Jehoshaphat, "As a matter of fact, there is > another. But I hate him. He > never preaches anything good to me, only doom, doom, doom-Micaiah son of > Imlah." > > "The king shouldn't talk about a prophet like that!" said Jehoshaphat. > > 8 So the king of Israel ordered one of his men, "Quickly, get Micaiah son > of Imlah." > > 9-11 Meanwhile, the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat were seated on their > thrones, dressed in their > royal robes, resplendent in front of the Samaria city gates. All the > prophets were staging a > prophecy-performance for their benefit. Zedekiah son of Kenaanah had even > made a set of iron horns, > and brandishing them, called out, "God's word! With these horns you'll > gore Aram until there's > nothing left of them!" All the prophets chimed in, "Yes! Go for Ramoth > Gilead! An easy victory! > God's gift to the king!" > > 12 The messenger who went to get Micaiah told him, "The prophets have all > said Yes to the king. > Make it unanimous-vote Yes!" > > 13 But Micaiah said, "As sure as God lives, what God says, I'll say." > > 14 With Micaiah before him, the king asked him, "So, Micaiah-do we attack > Ramoth Gilead? Or do we > hold back?" > > "Go ahead," he said, "an easy victory! God's gift to the king." > > 15 "Not so fast," said the king. "How many times have I made you promise > under oath to tell me the > truth and nothing but the truth?" > > 16 "All right," said Micaiah, "since you insist . . . > I saw all of Israel scattered over the hills, > sheep with no shepherd. > Then God spoke, 'These poor people > have no one to tell them what to do. > Let them go home and do > the best they can for themselves.'" > > 17 The king of Israel turned to Jehoshaphat, "See! What did I tell you? He > never has a good word > for me from God, only doom." > > 18-21 Micaiah kept on, "I'm not done yet; listen to God's word: > I saw God enthroned, > and all the Angel Armies of heaven > standing at attention, > ranged on his right and his left. > And God said, "How can we seduce Ahab > into attacking Ramoth Gilead?" > Some said this, > and some said that. > Then a bold angel stepped out, > stood before God, and said, > "I'll seduce him." > "And how will you do it?" said God. > "Easy," said the angel, > "I'll get all the prophets to lie." > "That should do it," said God; > "On your way-seduce him!" > > 22 "And that's what has happened. God filled the mouths of your puppet > prophets with seductive > lies. God has pronounced your doom." > > 23 Just then Zedekiah son of Kenaanah came up and slapped Micaiah in the > face, saying, "Since when > did the Spirit of God leave me and take up with you?" > > 24 Micaiah said, "You'll know soon enough; you'll know it when you're > frantically and futilely > looking for a place to hide." > > 25-26 The king of Israel had heard enough: "Get Micaiah out of here! Turn > him over to Amon the city > magistrate and to Joash the king's son with this message: 'King's orders! > Lock him up in jail; keep > him on bread and water until I'm back in one piece.'" > > 27 Micaiah said, > If you ever get back in one piece, > I'm no prophet of God. > > He added, > When it happens, O people, > remember where you heard it! > > 28-29 So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah went ahead and > attacked Ramoth Gilead. > The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "Wear my kingly robe; I'm going > into battle disguised." So > the king of Israel entered the battle in disguise. > > 30 Meanwhile, the king of Aram had ordered his chariot commanders (there > were thirty-two of them), > "Don't bother with anyone whether small or great; go after the king of > Israel and him only." > > 31-32 When the chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat, they said, "There he > is! The king of Israel!" > and took after him. Jehoshaphat yelled out, and the chariot commanders > realized they had the wrong > man-it wasn't the king of Israel after all. God intervened and they let > him go. > > 33 Just then someone, without aiming, shot an arrow into the crowd and hit > the king of Israel in > the chink of his armor. The king told his charioteer, "Turn back! Get me > out of here-I'm wounded." > > 34 All day the fighting continued, hot and heavy. Propped up in his > chariot, the king watched from > the sidelines. He died that evening. > > > > > --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Deaf-Blind Inspirational Life Group" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/DBILG?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
