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: Monday, May 04, 2009 11:52 PM Subject: Daily Bible Reading For Tuesday May 5 >2 Chronicles 19-21 (The Message) > > 2 Chronicles 19 > 1-3 But Jehoshaphat king of Judah got home safe and sound. Jehu, son of > Hanani the seer, confronted > King Jehoshaphat: "You have no business helping evil, cozying up to > God-haters. Because you did > this, God is good and angry with you. But you're not all bad-you made a > clean sweep of the polluting > sex-and-religion shrines; and you were single-minded in seeking God." > 4 Jehoshaphat kept his residence in Jerusalem but made a regular round of > visits among the people, > from Beersheba in the south to Mount Ephraim in the north, urging them to > return to God, the God of > their ancestors. > > 5-7 And he was diligent in appointing judges in the land-each of the > fortress cities had its judge. > He charged the judges: "This is serious work; do it carefully. You are not > merely judging between > men and women; these are God's judgments that you are passing on. Live in > the fear of God-be most > careful, for God hates dishonesty, partiality, and bribery." > > 8-10 In Jerusalem Jehoshaphat also appointed Levites, priests, and family > heads to decide on > matters that had to do with worship and mediating local differences. He > charged them: "Do your work > in the fear of God; be dependable and honest in your duties. When a case > comes before you involving > any of your fellow citizens, whether it seems large (like murder) or small > (like matters of > interpretation of the law), you are responsible for warning them that they > are dealing with God. > Make that explicit, otherwise both you and they are going to be dealing > with God's wrath. Do your > work well or you'll end up being as guilty as they are. > > 11 "Amariah the chief priest is in charge of all cases regarding the > worship of God; Zebadiah son > of Ishmael, the leader of the tribe of Judah, is in charge of all civil > cases; the Levites will keep > order in the courts. Be bold and diligent. And God be with you as you do > your best." > > 2 Chronicles 20 > 1-2 Some time later the Moabites and Ammonites, accompanied by Meunites, > joined forces to make war > on Jehoshaphat. Jehoshaphat received this intelligence report: "A huge > force is on its way from > beyond the Dead Sea to fight you. There's no time to waste-they're already > at Hazazon Tamar, the > oasis of En Gedi." > 3-4 Shaken, Jehoshaphat prayed. He went to God for help and ordered a > nationwide fast. The country > of Judah united in seeking God's help-they came from all the cities of > Judah to pray to God. > > 5-9 Then Jehoshaphat took a position before the assembled people of Judah > and Jerusalem at The > Temple of God in front of the new courtyard and said, "O God, God of our > ancestors, are you not God > in heaven above and ruler of all kingdoms below? You hold all power and > might in your fist-no one > stands a chance against you! And didn't you make the natives of this land > leave as you brought your > people Israel in, turning it over permanently to your people Israel, the > descendants of Abraham your > friend? They have lived here and built a holy house of worship to honor > you, saying, 'When the worst > happens-whether war or flood or disease or famine-and we take our place > before this Temple (we know > you are personally present in this place!) and pray out our pain and > trouble, we know that you will > listen and give victory.' > > 10-12 "And now it's happened: men from Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir have > shown up. You didn't let > Israel touch them when we got here at first-we detoured around them and > didn't lay a hand on them. > And now they've come to kick us out of the country you gave us. O dear > God, won't you take care of > them? We're helpless before this vandal horde ready to attack us. We don't > know what to do; we're > looking to you." > > 13 Everyone in Judah was there-little children, wives, sons-all present > and attentive to God. > > 14-17 Then Jahaziel was moved by the Spirit of God to speak from the midst > of the congregation. > (Jahaziel was the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, > the son of Mattaniah the > Levite of the Asaph clan.) He said, "Attention everyone-all of you from > out of town, all you from > Jerusalem, and you King Jehoshaphat-God's word: Don't be afraid; don't pay > any mind to this vandal > horde. This is God's war, not yours. Tomorrow you'll go after them; see, > they're already on their > way up the slopes of Ziz; you'll meet them at the end of the ravine near > the wilderness of Jeruel. > You won't have to lift a hand in this battle; just stand firm, Judah and > Jerusalem, and watch God's > saving work for you take shape. Don't be afraid, don't waver. March out > boldly tomorrow-God is with > you." > > 18-19 Then Jehoshaphat knelt down, bowing with his face to the ground. All > Judah and Jerusalem did > the same, worshiping God. The Levites (both Kohathites and Korahites) > stood to their feet to praise > God, the God of Israel; they praised at the top of their lungs! > > 20 They were up early in the morning, ready to march into the wilderness > of Tekoa. As they were > leaving, Jehoshaphat stood up and said, "Listen Judah and Jerusalem! > Listen to what I have to say! > Believe firmly in God, your God, and your lives will be firm! Believe in > your prophets and you'll > come out on top!" > > 21 After talking it over with the people, Jehoshaphat appointed a choir > for God; dressed in holy > robes, they were to march ahead of the troops, singing, > Give thanks to God, His love never quits. > > 22-23 As soon as they started shouting and praising, God set ambushes > against the men of Ammon, > Moab, and Mount Seir as they were attacking Judah, and they all ended up > dead. The Ammonites and > Moabites mistakenly attacked those from Mount Seir and massacred them. > Then, further confused, they > went at each other, and all ended up killed. > > 24 As Judah came up over the rise, looking into the wilderness for the > horde of barbarians, they > looked on a killing field of dead bodies-not a living soul among them. > > 25-26 When Jehoshaphat and his people came to carry off the plunder they > found more loot than they > could carry off-equipment, clothing, valuables. It took three days to cart > it away! On the fourth > day they came together at the Valley of Blessing (Beracah) and blessed God > (that's how it got the > name, Valley of Blessing). > > 27-28 Jehoshaphat then led all the men of Judah and Jerusalem back to > Jerusalem-an exuberant > parade. God had given them joyful relief from their enemies! They entered > Jerusalem and came to The > Temple of God with all the instruments of the band playing. > > 29-30 When the surrounding kingdoms got word that God had fought Israel's > enemies, the fear of God > descended on them. Jehoshaphat heard no more from them; as long as > Jehoshaphat reigned, peace > reigned. > > 31-33 That about sums up Jehoshaphat's reign over Judah. He was > thirty-five years old when he > became king and ruled as king in Jerusalem for twenty-five years. His > mother was Azubah daughter of > Shilhi. He continued the kind of life characteristic of his father Asa-no > detours, no > dead-ends-pleasing God with his life. But he failed to get rid of the > neighborhood sex-andreligion > shrines-people continued to pray and worship at these idolatrous god > shops. > > 34 The rest of Jehoshaphat's life, from start to finish, is written in the > memoirs of Jehu son of > Hanani, which are included in the Royal Annals of Israel's Kings. > > 35-37 Late in life Jehoshaphat formed a trading syndicate with Ahaziah > king of Israel-which was > very wrong of him to do. He went in as partner with him to build > ocean-going ships at Ezion Geber to > trade with Tarshish. Eliezer son of Dodavahu of Mareshah preached against > Jehoshaphat's venture: > "Because you joined forces with Ahaziah, God has shipwrecked your work." > The ships were smashed and > nothing ever came of the trade partnership. > > 2 Chronicles 21 > 1Jehoshaphat died and was buried in the family cemetery in the City of > David. Jehoram his son was > the next king. > King Jehoram > 2-4 Jehoram's brothers were Azariah, Jehiel, Zechariah, Azariahu, Michael, > and Shephatiah-the sons > of Jehoshaphat king of Judah. Their father had lavished them with > gifts-silver, gold, and other > valuables, plus the fortress cities in Judah. But Jehoram was his > firstborn son and he gave him the > kingdom of Judah. But when Jehoram had taken over his father's kingdom and > had secured his position, > he killed all his brothers along with some of the government officials. > 5-7 Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king and ruled in > Jerusalem for eight years. He > imitated Israel's kings and married into the Ahab dynasty. God considered > him an evil man. But > despite that, because of his covenant with David, God was not yet ready to > destroy the descendants > of David; he had, after all, promised to keep a light burning for David > and his sons. > > 8-9 During Jehoram's reign, Edom revolted from Judah's rule and set up > their own king. Jehoram > responded by setting out with his officers and chariots. Edom surrounded > him, but in the middle of > the night he and his charioteers broke through the lines and hit Edom > hard. > > 10-11 Edom continues in revolt against Judah right up to the present. Even > little Libnah revolted > at that time. The evidence accumulated: Since Jehoram had abandoned God, > the God of his ancestors, > God was abandoning him. He even went so far as to build pagan sacred > shrines in the mountains of > Judah. He brazenly led Jerusalem away from God, seducing the whole > country. > > 12-15 One day he got a letter from Elijah the prophet. It read, "From God, > the God of your ancestor > David-a message: Because you have not kept to the ways of Jehoshaphat your > father and Asa your > grandfather, kings of Judah, but have taken up with the ways of the kings > of Israel in the north, > leading Judah and Jerusalem away from God, going step by step down the > apostate path of Ahab and his > crew-why, you even killed your own brothers, all of them better men than > you!-God is going to > afflict your people, your wives, your sons, and everything you have with a > terrible plague. And you > are going to come down with a terrible disease of the colon, painful and > humiliating." > > 16-20 The trouble started with an invasion. God incited the Philistines > and the Arabs who lived > near the Ethiopians to attack Jehoram. They came to the borders of Judah, > forced their way in, and > plundered the place-robbing the royal palace of everything in it including > his wives and sons. One > son, his youngest, Ahaziah, was left behind. The terrible and fatal > disease in his colon followed. > After about two years he was totally incontinent and died writhing in > pain. His people didn't honor > him by lighting a great bonfire, as was customary with his ancestors. He > was thirty-two years old > when he became king and reigned for eight years in Jerusalem. There were > no tears shed when he > died-it was good riddance!-and they buried him in the City of David, but > not in the royal cemetery. > > > > > > > Please join us on Skype Monday thru Friday at 8:00 EST for our Morning > Skype Prayer Time. > > > Contact Me At: > Donnie Parrett > 1956 Asa Flat Road > Annville, Kentucky 40402 > Home Phone: 606-364-3321 > Church Phone: 606-364-PRAY > Skype Name: Donnie1261 > Email: [email protected] > > --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Deaf-Blind Inspirational Life Group" group. 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