Let us turn to God's Word in
the 2nd book of Chronicles and turning to chapter 19 we read
the 18th chapter but turning now to chapter 19 and I read
the opening paragraph that follows from the portion that we read
verses 1 to 4 here in 2nd Chronicles chapter 19 and Jehoshaphat The
king of Judah returned to his house in peace to Jerusalem. And Jehu, the son of Hanani,
the seer, went out to meet him and said to King Jehoshaphat,
Shouldest thou help the ungodly and love them that hate the Lord,
therefore is wrath upon thee from before the Lord. Nevertheless,
there are good things found in thee, in that thou hast taken
away the groves out of the land, and hast prepared thine heart
to seek God. And Jehoshaphat dwelt at Jerusalem,
and he went out again through the people from Beersheba to
Mount Ephraim, and brought them back unto the Lord God of their
fathers." Observe what we are told here in verse 4 where we
have the king's response to God's words that faithful words that
have been spoken by Anani, the seer or the prophet who goes
out as Jehoshaphat returns from the battle at Ramath Gilead and
rebukes him, should I say how the ungodly, and of them that
hate the Lord. Therefore is wrath upon thee
from before the Lord." He was guilty, this man. He was guilty
of helping that most wicked of kings, Ahab. Remember the opening
part of chapter 18. Jehoshaphat had been favored
by God. He had riches and honor. in abundance and yet she joined
affinity with Ahab. And now as the Prophet comes
with this word so that word of God strikes home and we see how
Jehoshaphat will now mind his business in verse 4 Jehoshaphat
dwelt at Jerusalem and he went out again through the people
from Beersheba to Mount Ephraim and brought them back unto the
Lord God of their fathers. And I want us this evening to
consider this man and to consider something of his religion if
we might use that expression with regards to him and to direct
your attention in particular to the words that we have here
in verse 3 2 Chronicles chapter 9 and verse 3 forms our text. How Hanani says to Jehoshaphat,
Nevertheless, there are good things found in thee, in that
thou hast taken away the groves out of the land, and hast prepared
thine heart to seek God. Here then we have the words of
the text and we know that this man was in many ways a good king,
a gracious king. We know that there were wicked
kings in Judah as well as wicked kings in Israel. But Jehoshaphat was a good king
We're introduced to him back in chapter 17 after the death
of his father Asa. We're told there at the beginning
of chapter 17, as Jehoshaphat his son reigned in his stead
and strengthened himself against Israel and he placed forces in
all the fenced cities of Judah and set garrisons in the land
of Judah and in the cities of Ephraim which Asa his father
had taken. And the Lord was with Jehoshaphat,
we're told, because he walked in the first ways of his father
David and sought not unto Baal. And that reference to him there
at the beginning of chapter 17 is repeated. We find similar words in 1 Kings
chapter 22 verses 41 to 43. So, he's mentioned as a man who
was in many ways a good man and a good king in Judah in spite
of some of the foolish things that are also recorded concerning
him. But what a word is this In the
words of our text, nevertheless, there are good things found in
thee. That's a great word, is it not?
Nevertheless. And we have cause to be thankful
where we find such words in Holy Scripture when we read of the
manner in which God is pleased to deal with his people. And
those words that we find are often so applicable to us also. In Psalm 89, for example, we're
told there at verse 31 concerning Israel, If they break my statutes
and keep not my commandments, then will I visit their transgression
with the rod and their iniquity with stripes. Nevertheless, My
lovingkindness will I not utterly take from him, nor suffer my
faithfulness to fail. My covenant will I not break,
nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips. Here is the contrast
between those who are the Lord's people and their foolishness
and their sinful ways, breaking His statutes, disobeying His
commandments, transgressing His laws, and God dealing with them
in the way of chastisement, but then this remarkable word of
reassurance, nevertheless, in spite of all their sins, nevertheless,
my lovingkindness will I not utterly take from Him, nor suffer
my faithfulness to fail. God is true to Himself, and God
is true to His covenant promises, is He not? And so with regards
to this man, in spite of his stupid ways, we might say, his
following, his sins in entering into affinity with such a wicked
man as King Ahab. God acknowledges, nevertheless
there are good things found in the Job could say. The root of
the matter is found in man. And it's the same here. There
is that good thing. There is the root of the matter
in this man. And what is that root of the
matter? Is it not the work of God? It is God who must accomplish
in us all his goodwill and pleasure. He is the one that we cry to,
that he would come and work graciously in our hearts that we might know
that as its roots. in the sovereign goodwill and
pleasure of God. And so, as we turn to these words
in verse 3 in particular for our text, I want us to consider
what is the root of this man's religion. What are these good
things? And just to mention two things
in particular that we can discern in the history that's recorded
concerning King Jehoshaphat. First of all, here was a man
who knew something of the fear of the Lord. Wasn't that a good
thing that was found in his heart? That fear of the Lord. In the following chapter, in
chapter 20, we see something of it there in the opening chapter the opening verses rather of
chapter 20 it came to pass after this also that the children of
Moab and the children of Ammon with their mother beside the
Ammonites came against Jehoshaphat to battle Then there came some
that told Jehoshaphat, saying, There cometh a great multitude
against thee from beyond the sea on this side Syria. And behold,
they be in Azazon-Tamar, which is in Gedi. And Jehoshaphat feared,
and set himself to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout
all Judah. Now he feared, But it's not just
the fear of men, it's not just the fear of his enemies that
we see here in this portion, but we see something called the
fear of God to be in the heart of this man. He fears and he
sets himself, he sets his face to seek the Lord and he proclaims
a fast. The significance of the fast,
of course, is to deny necessary food in order that there might
be that urgent seeking and calling upon God. In this man there is
more than the fear of men. In his heart there is something
of that fear of the Lord that the wise man speaks of, of course,
in the Book of Proverbs. Many times does Solomon speak
of the necessity of that fear of God. how the fear of the Lord
is a beginning of wisdom. There is a source of true wisdom
to fear God and to keep his commandments as the prophet says. The fear
of the Lord says the psalmist is the beginning of knowledge,
real knowledge, true knowledge. It's to know God and it's to
know the Lord Jesus Christ whom God has sent. There is a man
then who was in league with wicked Ahab, and
yet there was still something of the fear of God in the heart
of this man, even when we see him there at the beginning of
chapter 18. Look at what is recorded in verses
3 and 4. Ahab, king of Israel, says to
Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, will thou go with me? to Ramath Gilead
to fight against the Syrians and here is the response of Jehoshaphat
I am as thou art and my people as thy people and we will be
with thee in the war and we say well what a foolish man what
stupidity is this but then in verse 4 Jehoshaphat said unto
the king of Israel, Inquire, I pray thee, at the word of the
Lord to-day." Here we see that there is still some good thing
in him. He's in league with Ahab, yes, but there is something of
the fear of God in the heart of this man. And we see, as we
come to the end of the chapter, how God Himself makes a distinction
between these two men. How that In spite of his scheming,
Ahab is the man who is killed in the battle. He wants Yahshua
to be there in the midst of the battle, in his kingly garments,
so that he'll stand out. And he himself will go in disguise,
so that he might just appear as another Israelites as another
common soldier. And it would seem that it's going
to be Jehoshaphat that will be killed by the Syrians, but not
so. At the end of that 18th chapter, a certain man drew a bow at a
venture and smote the King of Israel between the joints of
the harness. Therefore he said to his chariot
man, turn thine hand that thou may carry me out of the host
for I am wounded." All this archery draws his bow at adventure. He's
not aiming at anything. But now all of this is under
the sovereign providence of God. The arrow smites the King of
Israel between the joints of his harness, his armour. And
yet there are joints of course to the armour that he's wearing
and the arrow strikes home and he's wounded. And the battle
increased that day. Howbeit the king of Israel stayed
himself up in his chariot against the Syrians until the eve, and
about the time of the sun going down, he died. And then in chapter
19, And Jehoshaphat the king of Judah returned to his house
in peace to Jerusalem. God makes a difference. God distinguishes
between these two characters who are in affinity. And one
a wicked man and the other a godly man, and yet a godly man behaving
in a foolish fashion. And yet, God preserves him. And then what do we see? Well,
subsequently, we find that Jehoshaphat is allied to the son of Ahab. Will this man ever learn his
lesson? In chapter 20, And verse 35, after this did
Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, join himself with Ahaziah, king of
Israel, who did very wickedly. And he joined himself with him
to make ships to go to Tarshish, and they made the ships in Ezean-geba. He again, you see, enters into
league with an ungodly man. All Jehoshaphat did foolishly. He was a man who was weak. He was a man who was sinful. But, but, clearly there is something
of the fear of God to be discerned in the heart of this man. He fears God. And he encourages
others in the fear of God. You see here, after returning
from the battle in peace, we're told in verse 5 of this 19th
chapter, he said, "...judges in the land throughout all the
fenced cities of Judah, city by city, and he said to the judges,
Take heed what you do, for you judge not for man, but for the
Lord who is with you in the judgment. Wherefore now let the fear of
the Lord be upon you." take heed and do it, for there is no iniquity
with the Lord our God, nor respect of persons, nor taking of gifts."
He encourages these judges to be God-fearers in all of the
judgments that they make. Not only the judges, but we read
then in verses 8 and 9, He sets the Levites
to their work. Verse 9, He charged them, saying,
Thus shall ye do in the fear of the Lord, faithfully and with
a perfect heart. He knows something of the fear
of God. He will encourage others in that fear of God. And I say,
It is this that is that good thing. Nevertheless, there are
good things found in them. And what is it that we see with
regards to this fear? Well, he fears the Word of God.
Oh, he has a regard, a reverence for the words of God. When, back in chapter 18, he
inquired, he said, I had a prophet of the Lord besides, that is,
besides these false prophets that Ahab had gathered 400 prophets,
they must have been prophets of both. But there at verse 6
in chapter 18 Jehoshaphat asks, is there not
here a prophet of the Lord besides that we might inquire of him?
And then King Ahab says to him, there is yet one man by whom
you may inquire of the Lord, but I hate him. For he never
prophesied good unto me, but always evil, the same as Micaiah
the son of Imlach. And then what does Jehoshaphat
say? Let not the king say so. He has some fear, you see, of
this man who is the true prophet of the Lord. He has a regard,
does he not, for the word of God. He reverences God's words. He has respect then to those
who are the servants of the Lord, who are proclaiming the Word
of the Lord. And we see what He did in the
early years of His reign, there in chapter 17, Verse 7, in the third year of
his reign, he sent to his princes, even to Ben Hael, and to Obadiah,
and to Zechariah, and to Nathanael, and to Micaiah, to teach in the
cities of Judah. With them he sent Levites, even
Shimei, and Nathanael, and Zebediah, and Azahel, and Shemiramoth,
and Jehonathon, and Adonijah, and Tobijah, and Tob Adonijah,
Levites, and with them, Elishamah, and Jehoram, priests. It says
all these men, and we're told verse 9, they taught in Judah
and had the book of the law of the Lord with them. and went
about through all the cities of Judah and taught the people. He has a regard, does this man
Jehoshaphat, for God's word. He fears the words of the Lord. In fact, there is a sense in
which we see him as one who will fall down and submit to that
word of God. Here, in Verse 4 of the 19th chapter, as he returns,
he dwells at Jerusalem. And what does he do? He brings
the people back unto the Lord God of their fathers. He brings the people back unto
the Lord God of their fathers. because of that fear of God that
is in his heart. He does what he had done in his
previous years when he had sent those Levites and priests throughout
the land with the Lord of the Lord in their hands. Oh, this is a man, you see, who
does know something of that godly fear. that reverence for God's
Word. And we sang, did we not, just
now, in the Metrical Psalm, those words that speak of God's Law,
and you will observe how that there, in Psalm 19, we have those
various synonyms, different words are used to describe the Law
of the Lord, just as in Psalm 119, Here we read of the law
of the Lord, and the testimony of the Lord, and the statutes
of the Lord, and the commandment of the Lord, and the judgments
of the Lord. These are all synonyms. These
are all names used to describe God's law. And amongst these
synonyms, there in verse 9 of Psalm 19, we have this, the fear
of the Lord. Here is one of the names that
is given to God's holy law. It is called the fear of the
Lord. The fear of the Lord is clean,
enduring forever. The judgments of the Lord are
true and righteous together. And this man, how he is made
to fear that word of the Lord, or that word of God, how he comes,
it's quick. It's powerful, sharper than the
two-edged sword, piercing that are dividing the thunder of soul
and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, a discern of the
thoughts and intents of the heart." God's Word. God's Word that He's
so searching. God's Word that comes into the
soul of the sinner and comes under the hand of the Holy Ghost
to bring conviction into the sinner's heart. to expose us
for what we are, to show us our sins. Or do we reverence the
Word of God? This man, in spite of all his
folly, he knows something of the fear of the Lord. And we
see it, I say, in the reverence that he has for God's Book, for
God's Law. He fears the words. But also,
doesn't Jehoshaphat fear God's wrath? God's wrath, not just God's words
but God's dealings also the faithful prophet speaks to him here at
the end of verse 2 and tells him therefore is wrath upon thee
from before the Lord therefore is wrath upon thee from before
the Lord. Isn't this, isn't this that very
thing that we observed in the 89th Psalm, where God himself
speaks of how he will deal with his people when they break his
statutes, when they keep not his commandments. He says, then
will I visit their transgression with the rod and their iniquity
with stripes nevertheless. My lovingkindness will I not
utterly take from him, nor suffer my faithfulness defiled. God
will take vengeance upon their inventions, though He is pleased
to spare them. And this man knows something
of that fear of God's dealings, God's chastenings. As the Lord's
voice crieth unto the city, says the prophet, and the man of wisdom
shall see thine eye in the name of God. Hear ye the Lord, and
who hath appointed it? Or don't these things have a
voice? And here we see how the Jehoshaphat
must take account not only of the words that the prophet is
speaking to him, but also what he says concerning God's dealings,
how that God is angry, and God is going to deal with him in
the way of judgment. But it's a mark of his interest
in God and in the ways of God. He to whom the Lord loveth and
he chasteneth, and he scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. Paul says, If ye endure chastening,
God dealeth with you as with sons. What son is he whom the
Father chasteneth not? And so this man, besides knowing
something of the fear of God's Word, the Word, the faithful
Word spoken by the Prophet, he also fears the Lord's dealings.
That the Lord should come and take account of him because of
his folly in entering into league with a wicked man such as King
Ahab. Nevertheless, there are good
things found in One of those good things is the fear of God. But then, besides the fear of
God, there was also surely in this man something of that true
root of the matter which is, say, in faith. That faith that
is of the operation of God. That faith that is wrought by
the Spirit of God in the soul of a man. Godly fear. Godly fear must be
united to true faith. For whatsoever is not of faith
is sin. If that fear is godly fear, it
must in some way be bound up with faith. It might only be
a little faith. But what can there be of true
fear if there be no faith at all? There is a connection here
between fear and faith. Again, the language of the wise
man in the book of Proverbs. There in Proverbs 14.26, Solomon
says, in the fear of the Lord is strong confidence. And the
word confidence has the basic meaning of trust. In the fear
of the Lord, His strong trust, where there is that true feeling
of fear in the heart of a man, there will be something of real
faith also in that man. And so it was with Jehoshaphat. There is something of faith there.
Although, when we read the account, it's a sad account, and at times
his faith seems to be buried over his foolish actions and
his sinful disobedience. But faith there is. Now with
regards to faith of course, the important thing is the object
of faith. In that sense we are to understand
that faith is objective. Faith is likened to a look, is
it not? Look unto me, says the Lord God. and be saved all the ends of
the earth for I am God and there is none else and again in Hebrews
12 we read of that faith which is looking unto Jesus the author
and finisher of our faith and how the eye of course looks away
from self in that sense we never really see ourselves we might
see a reflection in a mirror, but we're not really seeing ourselves. We look away from ourselves.
And faith is like that, it looks away. It's a looking onto Jesus,
it's objective. And the objective aspect of faith,
of course, is that that has to do with truth. Faith has to do
with the truth of the Word of God. And this is a man, this
Jehoshaphat, who, as we've already said, is concerned to know the
Word of the Lord. This is why, even as he enters
into league with this wicked man I have, he wants to know
the Word of the Lord. Inquire, I pray thee, at the
word of the Lord. Today is the request that he
makes to Ahab there in verse 4 of chapter 18. What is God's
Word? God's Word is truth. He wants
to know the truth of God's Word. He wants to serve the true God. He wants to know God's Word,
that he might practice God's Word, that he might do God's
Word. He would serve the Lord God and
so we have it here. In the text there are good things
found in thee, in that thou hast taken away the groves out of
the land. He had removed those aspects
associated with idolatrous worship, the groves he had taken away. He'd not been as thorough as
he may have been. You go back to chapter 17 where
we read of the beginning of this man's reign, and there, verse 3 of chapter 17, the Lord
was with Jehoshaphat, because he walked in the first ways of
his father David, and sought not unto Baalim, but sought to
the Lord God of his father, and walked in his commandments, and
not after the doings of Israel. Verse 6, His heart was lifted
up in the ways of the Lord. Moreover, he took away the high
places and groves out of Judah, And then again there at verse
9, those that he sends out, the princes and the Levites, they
taught in Judah and had the book of the Lord with them and went
about throughout all the cities of Judah and taught the people. He has a regard for the truth.
He's concerned for the true and the proper worship of God. He's a true worshipper there.
and remember what the Lord Jesus himself says concerning true
worshippers in John chapter 4, the hour cometh and now is when
the Father will seek those true worshippers
and the true worshippers they worship the Father he says in
spirit and in truth all the truth And this is what this man is
concerned for, the truth, the truth of God's Word, the proper
worship of God. And we have it. We have it set
before us there in the first table of the law of God. Remember
how God's law is divided into two tables. The first four commandments
speak of duty to God, and the last six speak of duty to fellow
men. And in those first four commandments
we can understand them in terms of the right and proper worship
of God. The first commandment reminds
us of Him who is the only object of worship. Thou shalt have no
other gods before me. And the second commandment reminds
us of the only way in which God can be worshipped, the manner
of His true worship, thou shalt not make unto thee any graven
images or any likenesses. And then the third commandment
reminds us that we're not to take His name in vain. Or we take upon our lips the
name of God when we worship Him. And we're to be careful when
we take that name upon our lips. Thou shalt not take the name
of the Lord thy God in vain. It doesn't just have to do with
blasphemous talk, using God's name as a swear word. We take
that name upon our lips when we come to worship Him, and we're
to worship Him sincerely. We're to be those whose heart
is truly set upon those things that are above where Christ is.
We don't mock God with sham worship. and take His name lightly upon
our lips. And then the fourth commandment,
of course, has to do with the time of the worship of God. Remember the Sabbath time, to
keep it holy. It doesn't mean that we don't
worship God on other days, but God has appointed one day in
seven as the Sabbath, wherein we are to lay aside even legitimate
things that we might give ourselves to the consideration of God and
the worship of God. And I say, here is a man who
is concerned for the truth, the objective aspect of faith. He has such a reverence for the
word of God, for the law of God, and the concern that things should
be done right and proper throughout his kingdom. What is the root
of this? This man has something of true
faith in his heart, that faith that has to do with the truth
of God. And we need then to look to ourselves
and examine ourselves with regards to our worship. are with those
who desire only to serve the true and the living God. There are good things found in
thee, says Anani to the king, in that thou hast taken away
the groves out of the land. He's ridded the land of that
false worship. He's concerned for him who is
the only true object of worship, even the Lord God, Jehovah. But
then, with faith there's not just the objective aspect, there's
also the subjective aspect of faith. And what is that subject
aspect of faith? It is trust. It is trust. Here is a man whose trust is
in the Lord. And this is why he is one who
seeks after the Lord. as it says at the end of the
verse there are good things found in thee not only has he taken
away the groves out of the land it says and has prepared thine
heart to seek God how this man was one who was a seeker after
God and we saw it there in our reading in chapter 18 remember our I have that wicked subtle man
that disguised himself and told Jehoshaphat to wear his kingly
robes so he would be distinguished as the leader. And there at verse 30 in chapter
18, the king of Syria had commanded the captains of the chariots
that were with him, saying, Fight ye not with small or great, save
only with the king of Israel. And it came to pass, and the
captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, that they said,
It is the king of Israel. Therefore they compassed about
him to fight. But Jehoshaphat cried out, and
the Lord helped him. And God moved them to depart
from him. And he came to pass that when
the captains of the chariots perceived that he was not the
King of Israel, they turned back again from pursuing him. What does he do when he's in
great trouble? He cries out. Jehoshaphat cried out, and the
Lord helped him. Or this man knew what real prayer
is. He pleads with God. He cries out. He cannot help
himself. He knows that it is the Lord
alone who can deliver him. This is prayer. This cry. How often in our prayers do we
fail to plead? How often do we come and instead
of praying, in some ways we are guilty of preaching to God and
telling God all about himself. instead of pleading with him
or the following you see but this man he knew what he was
to have a real faith his trust is in the Lord and it's not only
here we see it again in the next chapter there in chapter 20 and verse 12 here now are the children
of Moab and the children of Ammon engaged in warfare against Jehoshaphat Verse 12 of chapter 20, O our
God, will thou not judge them? For we have no might against
this great company that cometh against us, neither know we what
to do, but our eyes are upon them. Isn't this a good prayer
and a good petition? To come before the Lord our God
and to use these words and to make them our own words, neither
know we what to do, but our eyes are upon thee. Oh, that's a good
prayer. And it's a prayer of this man
Jehoshaphat. Jehoshaphat was a true child
of God. He was no hypocrite. There was
nothing artificial about his religion. There was much of sin
in the man. He's a man subject to like passions
as we are. At times he behaves in a stupid
fashion. I use the word quite deliberately.
fancy entering into affinity with such a wicked king as Ahab.
And he did it! And not only that, then, he's
in league with the wicked son of wicked Ahab. He behaved very
foolishly, but he was no hypocrite. And we know that because he was
a man who sought after God. This is a good thing. Thou hast
prepared thy heart to seek God. What do we read? Job 36, verse
13, hypocrites in heart, cry not when you bind with them. The hypocrite doesn't cry like
this man cried and called and sought and saw that all his deliverance
must come from the Lord or there be no deliverance at all. He
was no hypocrite. He was a true child of God. The
Psalmist can say, I will cry unto God most high, unto God
that performeth all things for me. Unto God that performeth
all things. And God must perform it all. Thou only has brought all our
works in us. We read in Isaiah 26. And this
is a good thing, you see, that was wrought in this man's heart.
It was that that was the work of God. He saw where his deliverance
must come from, and it must come from the Lord. And so he seeks
the Lord. Seek the Lord and His strength. Seek His face only. Nevertheless, there are good
things found in thee, Jehoshaphat. Thou hast prepared thine heart
to seek God. God only, you see, is the Saviour
and He recognizes that. Salvation is of the Lord. It's only God who can give this
fear. This feeling of fear, it's only God who can give this faith. that we see demonstrated so many
times in the midst of this man's father. Underneath all that sin
that he's guilty of we can discern something of the good grace of
God in his life. Fear, faith, these are the good
things that the Prophet can speak of, though he comes with a sharp
word of reproof, and reminds the King of his ungodly associations,
and as God is angry and God's wrath is upon him, nevertheless
there are good things found in him. in that thou hast taken
away the groves out of the land and hast prepared thine heart
to seek God." Or that we might be those who would know something
of this man's fear and this man's faith. And that we might know
that it is God himself who has brought all our works in us. That there might be that good
thing. The root of the matter, says Job, is found in me. The Lord bless then his word
to us. We sing hymn 832. The tune is Dennis number 26. The men that fear the Lord in
every state are blessed. The law will grant whatever they
want. Their souls shall dwell at rest.
Number 832. Christian tears relieves the fears and
bids them drowse in him. In his And calls him o'er his throne. This fills the spirit of faith,
A confidence that's strong. An unctuous light To all that's
right Apart to all that's wrong It gives religion life To all
as well as life makes mercy sweet, salvation great, and all God's
judgments bright. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ
and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Ghost be with you
all. Amen.