1
00:00:02,720 --> 00:00:06,680
Speaker 1: Life Audio. For more resources to help you in your

2
00:00:06,760 --> 00:00:10,760
Speaker 1: walk with Christ, please visit us at Bible Study Headquarters

3
00:00:11,080 --> 00:00:15,440
Speaker 1: dot com. You're listening to the Chapter a Day Audio Bible.

4
00:00:15,920 --> 00:00:21,320
Speaker 1: I'm John Stangey, and today we're in Second Chronicles, chapter seventeen,

5
00:00:22,040 --> 00:00:28,240
Speaker 1: and we'll be reading from the message. ASA's son, Jehosaphat,

6
00:00:28,320 --> 00:00:31,360
Speaker 1: was the next king. He started out by working on

7
00:00:31,440 --> 00:00:35,159
Speaker 1: his defense system against Israel. He put troops in all

8
00:00:35,200 --> 00:00:39,559
Speaker 1: the fortress cities of Judah and deployed garrisons throughout Judah

9
00:00:39,640 --> 00:00:42,440
Speaker 1: and in the towns of Ephrium that his father Asa

10
00:00:42,520 --> 00:00:47,400
Speaker 1: had captured. God was on Jehosaphat's side because he stuck

11
00:00:47,440 --> 00:00:50,960
Speaker 1: to the ways of his father ASA's early years. He

12
00:00:51,000 --> 00:00:54,320
Speaker 1: didn't fool around with the popular Baale religion. He was

13
00:00:54,400 --> 00:00:57,280
Speaker 1: a seeker and follower of the God of his father

14
00:00:57,760 --> 00:01:01,760
Speaker 1: and was obedient to him. He wasn't like Israel, and

15
00:01:01,840 --> 00:01:05,160
Speaker 1: God secured the kingdom under his rule, gave him a

16
00:01:05,160 --> 00:01:08,479
Speaker 1: firm grip on it, and everyone in Judah showed their

17
00:01:08,520 --> 00:01:13,280
Speaker 1: appreciation by bringing gifts. Jehosaphat ended up very rich and

18
00:01:13,360 --> 00:01:17,280
Speaker 1: much honoured. He was single minded in following God, and

19
00:01:17,319 --> 00:01:20,400
Speaker 1: he got rid of the local sex and religion shrines.

20
00:01:21,720 --> 00:01:24,080
Speaker 1: In the third year of his reign, he sent his

21
00:01:24,160 --> 00:01:30,720
Speaker 1: officials excellent men, every one of them ben hale Obadiah, Zechariah, Nethanel,

22
00:01:31,160 --> 00:01:34,920
Speaker 1: and Mekaiah on a teaching mission to the cities of Judah.

23
00:01:35,680 --> 00:01:46,960
Speaker 1: They were accompanied by Levites Shamaiah, Nethaniah, zebediah Asahel, Shamiramath, Jehonathan, Adenija, Tobijah,

24
00:01:47,400 --> 00:01:52,440
Speaker 1: and tab Adenija. The priests Elishama and Jehoram were also

25
00:01:52,600 --> 00:01:55,720
Speaker 1: in the company. They made a circuit of the towns

26
00:01:55,760 --> 00:01:58,960
Speaker 1: of Judah, teaching the people and using the Book of

27
00:01:59,000 --> 00:02:02,840
Speaker 1: the Revelation of God is their text. There was a

28
00:02:02,880 --> 00:02:05,640
Speaker 1: strong sense of the fear of God in all the

29
00:02:05,720 --> 00:02:10,240
Speaker 1: kingdoms around Judah. They didn't dare go to war against Jehosaphat.

30
00:02:11,320 --> 00:02:14,560
Speaker 1: Some Philistines even brought gifts and a load of silver

31
00:02:14,680 --> 00:02:19,920
Speaker 1: to Jehosaphat, and the desert Bedouin brought flocks seven thousand,

32
00:02:20,040 --> 00:02:24,480
Speaker 1: seven hundred rams and seven thousand, seven hundred goats. So

33
00:02:24,600 --> 00:02:28,640
Speaker 1: Jehosaphat became stronger by the day and constructed more and

34
00:02:28,720 --> 00:02:33,520
Speaker 1: more forts and store cities, an age of prosperity for Judah.

35
00:02:34,520 --> 00:02:38,760
Speaker 1: He also had excellent fighting men stationed in Jerusalem. The

36
00:02:38,800 --> 00:02:43,000
Speaker 1: captains of the military units of Judah, classified according to families,

37
00:02:43,240 --> 00:02:47,880
Speaker 1: were Captain aDNA with three hundred thousand soldiers, his associate

38
00:02:47,960 --> 00:02:53,320
Speaker 1: Captain Jehohannah with two hundred eighty thousand. His associate Amesiah

39
00:02:53,440 --> 00:02:57,880
Speaker 1: son of Zikry, a volunteer for God, with two hundred thousand.

40
00:02:58,600 --> 00:03:03,079
Speaker 1: Officer eliadah Ran presented Benjamin with two hundred thousand fully

41
00:03:03,160 --> 00:03:07,440
Speaker 1: equipped with bow and shield, and his associate was Jehosahbad

42
00:03:07,560 --> 00:03:11,400
Speaker 1: with one hundred eighty thousand armed and ready for battle.

43
00:03:12,320 --> 00:03:16,079
Speaker 1: These were under the direct command of the king. In addition,

44
00:03:16,400 --> 00:03:19,919
Speaker 1: there were the troops assigned to the fortress cities spread

45
00:03:20,040 --> 00:03:27,360
Speaker 1: all over Judah. Let's pray, Lord, we thank you for

46
00:03:27,440 --> 00:03:29,720
Speaker 1: your word, and we thank you for the privilege to

47
00:03:29,720 --> 00:03:32,320
Speaker 1: be able to look at it together today. And Lord,

48
00:03:32,320 --> 00:03:34,320
Speaker 1: as we look at this portion of scripture, we can

49
00:03:34,360 --> 00:03:37,960
Speaker 1: see that jehosaph Fat desired to honor you in the

50
00:03:38,000 --> 00:03:41,320
Speaker 1: midst of his leadership, and it appears from this scripture

51
00:03:41,360 --> 00:03:43,880
Speaker 1: that it was his heart's desire to make certain that

52
00:03:43,880 --> 00:03:48,080
Speaker 1: the people of Judah understood your will and your word,

53
00:03:48,440 --> 00:03:51,880
Speaker 1: and that they would come into a relationship with you

54
00:03:52,280 --> 00:03:56,280
Speaker 1: in the manner in which you have revealed in your scriptures. Lord,

55
00:03:56,280 --> 00:03:58,960
Speaker 1: we know that that's your desire for humanity at large,

56
00:03:59,120 --> 00:04:02,960
Speaker 1: through every e and every age, and you've revealed to

57
00:04:03,040 --> 00:04:05,800
Speaker 1: us in your word that the only way to the

58
00:04:05,840 --> 00:04:09,040
Speaker 1: Father is through the Son. So Lord, we're grateful for

59
00:04:09,080 --> 00:04:12,920
Speaker 1: the privilege to trust in your son, Jesus Christ. We're

60
00:04:12,960 --> 00:04:15,160
Speaker 1: grateful for the privilege of being able to share the

61
00:04:15,160 --> 00:04:17,919
Speaker 1: good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ throughout this

62
00:04:18,040 --> 00:04:21,359
Speaker 1: world in various forms, whether it be recorded media like

63
00:04:21,400 --> 00:04:25,679
Speaker 1: a podcast, whether it be in conversation with friends and family,

64
00:04:26,240 --> 00:04:28,760
Speaker 1: whether it be through things that we write down, or

65
00:04:29,200 --> 00:04:32,120
Speaker 1: other means that we utilize to share the good news

66
00:04:32,160 --> 00:04:34,680
Speaker 1: of your Gospel. We're grateful that we have the privilege

67
00:04:34,720 --> 00:04:37,320
Speaker 1: to do so, and we pray Lord that as others

68
00:04:37,360 --> 00:04:40,560
Speaker 1: have the opportunity to hear your word, that they would

69
00:04:40,640 --> 00:04:44,159
Speaker 1: recognize their need for your son Jesus Christ, that he

70
00:04:44,160 --> 00:04:46,680
Speaker 1: would be trusted in by them, and that they would

71
00:04:46,680 --> 00:04:50,480
Speaker 1: experience the gift of salvation. We're grateful, Lord that you

72
00:04:50,480 --> 00:04:52,920
Speaker 1: have blessed us with that through faith in your son,

73
00:04:53,360 --> 00:04:55,280
Speaker 1: and we pray that throughout the course of this day

74
00:04:55,320 --> 00:04:57,280
Speaker 1: that we would honor you, that we would live our

75
00:04:57,320 --> 00:04:59,719
Speaker 1: lives for your glory, and that we would put you

76
00:04:59,760 --> 00:05:03,400
Speaker 1: from first in all matters, in all areas. We're grateful

77
00:05:03,440 --> 00:05:05,320
Speaker 1: for all these things. Lord, We thank you for your

78
00:05:05,400 --> 00:05:10,440
Speaker 1: presence with us, and we pray this all in Jesus' name. Amen,