GOD’S WORD FOR YOU
2 CHRONICLES 19:1-7
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19:1 When Jehoshaphat king of Judah returned safely to his palace in Jerusalem, 2 Jehu the seer, the son of Hanani, went out to meet him and said to him, “Should you help the wicked and love those who hate the LORD? Because of this, the wrath of the LORD is upon you. 3 However, there is some good in you, for you have rid the land of the Asherah poles and have set your heart on seeking God.”
This is the first time we meet Jehu the seer in the book of Chronicles. His father Hanani was also a prophet, as we saw in chapter 16 when Asa was king (2 Chronicles 16:7-10). Hanani was imprisoned by King Asa, who “severely oppressed some of the people at the same time” (2 Chronicles 16:10).
The prophet Jehu “went out to meet the king.” We take this to mean that he probably lived in Jerusalem and was from Judah, although he wrote a history called “The Annals of Jehu Son of Hanani, which are recorded in the book of the kings of Israel” (2 Chronicles 20:34). He lived a long time, serving as a prophet for more than forty, almost fifty years, for he had also spoken to king Baasha (908-886 BC) and he was still active at the end of Jehoshaphat’s reign in 848 BC.
The prophet’s words stung the king, but it is also significant that he escaped from the battle at Ramoth Gilead with his life. And while Jehu rightly accused him of helping the wicked and loving those who hate God (a severe condemnation), he also showed that God saw some good in him. His activity smashing Asherah poles and ridding the land of false worship was known all throughout the land of Judah.
4 Jehoshaphat lived in Jerusalem, and he went out again among the people from Beersheba to the hill country of Ephraim and turned them back to the LORD, the God of their fathers. 5 He appointed judges throughout the land, in each of the fortified cities of Judah, city by city. 6 He told them, “Think carefully about what you do, because you are not judging for man but for the LORD, who is with you whenever you make a judgment. 7 Now then, let the fear of the LORD be upon you. Be careful what you do, for with the LORD our God there is no injustice or partiality or bribery.”
The king, repentant of his behavior in the war (helping those who hate God), renewed his attack on all false worship in the land. From the far south (Beersheba) to the far north of Judah (the hill country of Ephraim) he personally made trips to turn people away from idols and back to God. Here we have a king acting as a prophet.
More than this he instituted a reform or re-introduction of the system of judges. While most court cases were simply held in each city’s gate by the local elders, Jehoshaphat established a sort of upper tier of courts and judges. We can assume that they handled the more difficult cases. It’s even possible that they served as a kind of court of appeals. The king commanded these judges not to take bribes or to play favorites.
At the same time, he encouraged their work and its importance. “You are not judging for man but for the Lord, who is with you whenever you make a judgment.” Were these judges much different from the judges who served Israel after the days of Joshua until the time of Samuel and King Saul? In these ways they were different: They were not military leaders. They were answerable to the king, personally. They were to be held accountable for their judgments and their actions, while the ancient judges for the most part acted entirely on their own. In same cases (as with Gideon, Jephthah, and Samson) they were more like loose cannons, achieving God’s goals through incredibly violent means. However, these judges were to follow the basic rules laid out by God through Moses about judging such things as legal disputes (Deuteronomy 19:17-18; 25:1-2) and even murder cases (Deuteronomy 21:1-2). Solomon had warned that it is not good to be partial to the wicked or deprive the innocent of justice (Proverbs 18:5).
Such were the reforms of Jehoshaphat. He turned his energies outward, seeing to the spiritual needs of his people. But we should remember that what God wants from us is also repentance in the heart, not just outward actions. For while James may coach us that faith without good works is a dead faith, the reverse is all the more true: Seemingly good works done apart from faith are not good at all. Jesus said: “What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world and yet forfeits his soul?” (Matthew 16:26). And Isaiah declares: “All our righteous acts are like filthy rags. We shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away” (Isaiah 64:6). And in the law, what does Moses command? Love the Lord with your strength, yes, but before that: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your mind and all your soul” (Deuteronomy 6:5; Mark 12:30). The group of three are all about the inner man and his faith. “Strength” is about our daily acts. Look to your faith! Sweep out and clean your heart and soul, getting into every corner with sincere repentance. Then the life will follow along after.
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 19:1-7 Sweep out the corners