GOD’S WORD FOR YOU
2 CHRONICLES 17:10-19
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10 The fear of the LORD fell upon all the kingdoms of the lands surrounding Judah. They did not wage war against Jehoshaphat. 11 Some of the Philistines brought gifts and silver to Jehoshaphat as tribute. Arabs also brought flocks to him: seven thousand seven hundred rams and seven thousand seven hundred male goats. 12 Jehoshaphat was continually becoming more and more powerful. He built fortresses and store cities in Judah. 13 He had large amounts of supplies in the cities of Judah, and soldiers who were experienced warriors were stationed in Jerusalem. 14 Their numbers, based on their fathers’ houses, were as follows. From Judah, these were the commanders of units of a thousand: Adnah the commander, and with him 300,000 powerful warriors. 15 Next to him Jehohanan the captain, and with him 280,000. 16 Next to him, Amasiah son of Zikri, who volunteered to serve the LORD, and with him 200,000 powerful warriors. 17 From Benjamin: Eliada, a mighty warrior, and with him 200,000 men armed with bow and shield. 18 Next to him, Jehozabad, and with him 180,000 men armed for war. 19 These were the men who served the king, in addition to those forces that the king had placed in the fortified cities throughout Judah.
Following Jehoshaphat’s campaign with the word of God, other blessings came along. First, the fear of the Lord descended upon the surrounding nations. Second, there was peace. Third, potential enemies brought gifts to the king which increased his wealth. This is the first clear reference to Arabs in the Bible; in outside sources, this time (the ninth century BC) also matches the earliest references to the Arabs. At this and other times in the Bible, we should probably associate Arabs with nomadic people living in the Syrian desert to the east of Damascus (compare Galatians 1:17), which is to say, north of Israel and not in the south where we might think of them living today.
When Jehoshaphat’s great-grandfather Rehoboam mustered his army to wage war on Jeroboam shortly after the kingdom was divided, he had 180,000 warriors. Now, some sixty or so years later, Jehoshaphat could field more than five times that number without depriving the cities and fortresses of their garrisons. This is the pinnacle of Jehoshaphat’s account, although it is far from over. At this time, the king had done everything spiritually and physically to benefit his nation.
Triumphs in our lives are often followed by defeats and tragedies. Such things test our resolve and test our faith. When Jesus was rejected in his home town of Nazareth, he moved along to another city and taught there (Luke 4:31), blessing the people of Capernaum with many miracles as well. When David faced troubles from King Saul and others, he remained faithful to the Lord, refusing to raise his hand against the Lord’s anointed. When Paul was stoned and left for dead outside the city of Lystra, he amazed his friends, first by remaining alive when they went and gathered around him, and then by returning to the city to spend the night (Acts 14:19-20).
How will I care for those that the Lord has given to me to watch over? My children, my family, and friends, and my congregation– they all deserve better than me. But I must set aside self-doubt and other grim thoughts, and be there for them all: As a father, a brother and son, as a friend, and as a pastor. Who am I to raise a word of doubt against the Lord’s anointed, called as I am to be these things? I must be resilient after setbacks and failures. I must help them to overcome the same obstacles. I must serve my God, and encourage everyone around me so that we “serve the Lord shoulder to shoulder” (Zephaniah 3:9).
In Christ,
Pastor Timothy Smith
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Pastor Smith serves St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, New Ulm, Minnesota
God’s Word for You – 2 Chronicles 17:10-19 Shoulder to shoulder