WEBVTT - 2 Chronicles 20

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<v Speaker 1>Life Audio. For more resources to help you in your

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<v Speaker 1>walk with Christ, please visit us at Bible Study Headquarters

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<v Speaker 1>dot com. You're listening to the chapter today Audio Bible.

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<v Speaker 1>I'm John Stanghy, and today we're in Second Chronicles, chapter twenty,

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<v Speaker 1>and we'll be reading from the contemporary English version. Sometime later,

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<v Speaker 1>the armies of Moab and Ammon, together with the Mayonites,

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<v Speaker 1>went to war against Jehoshaphat. Messengers told Jehoshaphat, a large

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<v Speaker 1>army from Edam, east of the Dead Sea has invaded

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<v Speaker 1>our country. They have already reached Engeddi. Jehoshaphat was afraid,

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<v Speaker 1>so he asked the Lord what to do. He then

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<v Speaker 1>told the people of Judah to go without eating to

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<v Speaker 1>show their sorrow. They immediately left for Jerusalem to ask

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<v Speaker 1>for the Lord's help. After everyone from Judah and Jerusalem

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<v Speaker 1>had come together at the Lord's temple, Jehoshaphat stood in

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<v Speaker 1>front of the new courtyard and prayed, You Lord, are

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<v Speaker 1>the God our ancestors worshiped, and from heaven. You rule

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<v Speaker 1>every nation in the world. You are so powerful that

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<v Speaker 1>no one can defeat you, Our God. You forced out

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<v Speaker 1>the nations who lived in this land before your people

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<v Speaker 1>Israel came here and you gave it to the descendants

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<v Speaker 1>of your friend Abraham. Forever, our ancestors lived in this

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<v Speaker 1>land and built a temple to honor you. They believed

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<v Speaker 1>that whenever this land is struck by war or disease

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<v Speaker 1>or famine, your people can pray to you at the temple,

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<v Speaker 1>and you will hear their prayer and save them. You

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<v Speaker 1>can see that the armies of Amin, Moab and Edom

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<v Speaker 1>are attacking us. Those are the nations you would not

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<v Speaker 1>let our ancestors invade on their way from Egypt. So

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<v Speaker 1>these nations were not destroyed. Now they are coming to

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<v Speaker 1>take back the land you gave us. Aren't you going

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<v Speaker 1>to punish them? We won't stand a chance when this

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<v Speaker 1>army attacks. We don't know what to do. We are

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<v Speaker 1>begging for your help. While every man, woman and child

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<v Speaker 1>of Judah was standing there at the temple, the Lord's

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<v Speaker 1>spirit suddenly spoke to Jahazeel, a Levite from the Asaf clan.

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<v Speaker 1>Then Jahaziel said, your majesty and everyone from Judah and Jerusalem.

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<v Speaker 1>The Lord says that you don't need to be afraid

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<v Speaker 1>or let this powerful army discourage you. God will fight

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<v Speaker 1>on your side. So here's what you must do. Tomorrow.

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<v Speaker 1>The enemy armies will march through the desert around the

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<v Speaker 1>town of Jarul. March down and meet them at the

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<v Speaker 1>town of Zizz as they come up the valley. You

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<v Speaker 1>won't even have to fight. Just take your positions and

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<v Speaker 1>watch the Lord rescue you from your enemy. Don't be afraid.

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<v Speaker 1>Just do as you're told, and as you march out tomorrow,

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<v Speaker 1>the Lord will be there with you. Jehoshaphat bowed low

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<v Speaker 1>to the ground and everyone worshiped the Lord. Then some

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<v Speaker 1>Levites from the Kohath and Krah clans stood up and

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<v Speaker 1>shouted praises to the Lord God of Israel. Early the

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<v Speaker 1>next morning, as everyone got ready to leave for the

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<v Speaker 1>desert near Takoah, Jehoshaphat stood up and said, listen, my friends,

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<v Speaker 1>if we trust the Lord God and believe what these

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<v Speaker 1>prophets have told us, the Lord will help us and

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<v Speaker 1>we will be successful. Then he explained his plan and

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<v Speaker 1>appointed men to march in front of the army and

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<v Speaker 1>praise the Lord for his holy power by singing, Praise

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<v Speaker 1>the Lord, His Love never ends. As soon as they

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<v Speaker 1>began singing, the Lord confused the enemy camp, so that

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<v Speaker 1>the Ammonite and the Moabite troops attacked and completely destroyed

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<v Speaker 1>those from Edom. Then they turned against each other and

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<v Speaker 1>fought until the entire camp was wiped out. When Judah's

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<v Speaker 1>army reached the tower that overlooked the desert, they saw

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<v Speaker 1>that every soldier in the enemy's army was lying dead

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<v Speaker 1>on the ground. So Jehoshaphat and his troops went into

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<v Speaker 1>the camp to carry away everything of value. They found

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<v Speaker 1>a large herd of livestock, a lot of equipment, clothes,

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<v Speaker 1>and other valuable things. It took them three days to

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<v Speaker 1>carry it all away, and there was still some left over.

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<v Speaker 1>Then on the fourth day, everyone came together in Barrakov

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<v Speaker 1>Valley and sang praises to the Lord. That's why the

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<v Speaker 1>place was called Praise Valley. Jehoshaphat led the crowd back

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<v Speaker 1>to Jerusalem, and as they marched, they played harps and

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<v Speaker 1>blue trumpets. They were very happy because the Lord had

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<v Speaker 1>given them victory over their enemies, so when they he

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<v Speaker 1>reached the city, they went straight to the temple. When

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<v Speaker 1>the other nations heard how the Lord had fought against

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<v Speaker 1>Judah's enemies, they were too afraid to invade Judah the Lord,

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<v Speaker 1>let Jehoshaphat's kingdom be at peace. Jehoshaphat was thirty five

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<v Speaker 1>years old when he became king of Judah, and he

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<v Speaker 1>ruled from Jerusalem for twenty five years. His mother was Azuba,

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<v Speaker 1>daughter of Shilhi. Jehoshaphat obeyed the Lord, just as his

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<v Speaker 1>father Aesa had done, but he did not destroy the

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<v Speaker 1>local shrines, so the people still worshiped foreign gods instead

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<v Speaker 1>of faithfully serving the god their ancestors had worshiped. Everything

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<v Speaker 1>else Jehoshaphat did while he was king is written in

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<v Speaker 1>the records of Jehu, son of Hanani that are included

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<v Speaker 1>in the history of the Kings of Israel. While Jehoshaphat

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<v Speaker 1>was king, he signed a peace treaty with Ahaziah, the

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<v Speaker 1>wicked King of Israel. They agreed to build several sea

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<v Speaker 1>going ships at easy On Geeber, but the prophet Elizer

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<v Speaker 1>warned jehoshah Fat, the Lord will destroy these ships because

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<v Speaker 1>you have supported a Haziah. The ships were wrecked and

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<v Speaker 1>never sailed. Let's pray, Lord, we thank you for your

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<v Speaker 1>word and for the privilege to be able to look

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<v Speaker 1>at it together today. And as we look at this

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<v Speaker 1>portion of scripture, we could see that Jehosha Fat was

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<v Speaker 1>someone who had a heart that was inclined to worship you.

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<v Speaker 1>He was a man who desired to put you first.

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<v Speaker 1>He was someone who wanted the people of Judah to

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<v Speaker 1>worship you and to give you praise. And Lord, when

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<v Speaker 1>we look at this portion of scripture, we can't help

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<v Speaker 1>but be encouraged by seeing, first of all, the fact

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<v Speaker 1>that the people came to you under Jehoshaphat's leadership, asking

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<v Speaker 1>you for help, and feeling confident in your promises that

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<v Speaker 1>you had made in scripture that if your people reached

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<v Speaker 1>out to you, you would hear and you would answer.

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<v Speaker 1>And Lord, we're also encouraged by the fact that you

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<v Speaker 1>you fought for them. You fought these battles on their behalf.

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<v Speaker 1>And Lord, when we look at the context that we

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<v Speaker 1>live in, we recognize that you're doing the same thing

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<v Speaker 1>for us. We were enslaved to sin, we were defeated

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<v Speaker 1>by it, and you fought for us. Your son, Jesus

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<v Speaker 1>Christ came into this world and defeated the power of sin, satan,

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<v Speaker 1>and death. And now through faith in him, that victory

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<v Speaker 1>is shared with us. We are victorious through our Lord

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<v Speaker 1>Jesus Christ, who has fought on our behalf. Lord, we're

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<v Speaker 1>grateful that you've accomplished all of this on our behalf,

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<v Speaker 1>and we pray, Lord, that we would live this day

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<v Speaker 1>not as defeated people, but as people who enjoy the

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<v Speaker 1>victory that you have supplied for us, and people who

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<v Speaker 1>are confident that when we come before you in prayer,

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<v Speaker 1>you hear us, and you act in accordance with your

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<v Speaker 1>will for our good and for your glory. So we're

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<v Speaker 1>grateful for these realities, and we're grateful for this reminder

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<v Speaker 1>from your word. We thank you, Lord, for this new day.

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<v Speaker 1>We commit it to your care, and we pray this

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<v Speaker 1>all in Jesus' name. Amen,