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2 Chron 18-22 (7/2/13)

Judah/Israel - All in the family

July 2, 2013 • Benham Brothers

18:
- Jehoshaphat is blessed with great wealth and Ahab notices it, so he entices him to ally together with him (after all, wouldn't God want the two kingdoms uniting as they were when David was alive??).

He gives his son Jehoram in marriage to Ahab's daughter - this woman was Athaliah, the most wicked queen to ever rule

- Jehoshaphat goes along with it - he's an easy man, it seems, so standing up to Ahab and telling him to "get lost" did not come natural to him.
- Now that they are partnered all of Ahab's problems become Jehoshaphat's - this may have caught him by surprise, but anytime you are going to partner with someone you are going to inherit their problems and they yours, which means if God wants to spank one of you the other is going to get it too!
- Ahab wants to go to war, but good Jehoshaphat says, "shouldn't we ask God first?" So Ahab agrees and then gets upset because the prophet Micaih prophesies destruction.
- So they go off to war! Do what? I thought the prophet just said they were going to be destroyed? Shouldn't Jehoshaphat have said something at this point, like, "I'm not going!" No, he didn't! And this is what happens when we find ourselves allying with those whom we should not be allying ourselves with (and anytime we are out of the way of our duty) - it blinds us to our own stupidity! We make STUPID decisions! Anytime you leave your duty (whatever that may be) and you get out into ambitiously pursuing something God will leave you to yourself and allow your "dumbness" to make itself known.
- Jehoshaphat is talked into wearing his robes while Ahab doesn't (which was an absolutely stupid decision to make) and finds himself being pursued by the enemy soldiers. Now remember, these are Ahab's enemies, but because Jehoshaphat had partnered with Ahab they now became his enemies too!
- God saves Jehoshaphat in the midst of his stupidity which reveals God's mercy in the midst of our own idiotic decisions. Thank you Lord for that!
- Ahab is killed by a divinely inspire arrow. God brought a "certain man" in to complete the task.
- Jehoshaphat is rebuked when he comes home (chapter 19) and he takes the rebuke and gets right back to doing what he should have been doing all along (staying in Judah and being a king to his people)
20:

Jehoshaphat tries to partner with Ahab's son in a business venture but God busts it up
Jehoshaphat learns his lesson but not until it cost him much time and money

21:

His dad set him up for failure - he killed all his brothers
PILLOW TALK! His wife counseled him to do this - wicked Athaliah

22:

All in the family

- Jehoshaphat was king of Judah
- Ahab was king of Israel
- Johoshaphat had a son named Jehoram whom he made to marry Ahab's daughter (this was a bad move cuz she was a bad chick)
- Ahab had a son named Ahaziah (whom Jehoshaphat partnered with in business and God spanked him for it)
- Jehoram named his son Ahaziah and Ahab had a son named Jerhoram
- So in the book of Chronicles we see Judah having two kings named Jehoram and Ahaziah and Israel having two kings named Ahaziah and Jerhoram.
22:10 - When her son was dead Athaliah killed all the royal offspring (all her grand-babies) - sound familiar? She counseled her husband to do the very same thing!!!!!! All because Jehoshaphat allowed it to happen.

2 Chronicles 1:6-7 (6/28/18)

June 28, 2018 • Benham Brothers

* Solomon offered 1,000 burnt offerings on the altar when he was inaugurated as king. * There was no command to do this and was WAY more than customary. * This is like giving hundreds of thousands of dollars away. * He spared no expense for God. * How did God respond? * He decided to give Solomon something in return - a chance to ask for “anything” he wanted. * Solomon gave to God what was already God’s (the animals) and so God gave Solomon something he didn’t have - wisdom. * Key - give God what you have and then you can expect him to give back to you a hundredfold return. * Solomon’s wisdom was far more valuable than 1,000 animals.

2 Chronicles 3:1 (6.25/15)

June 25, 2015 • Benham Brothers

God gave David the pattern of the temple but didn't let him execute the building of it. David then gave it to Solomon his son who executed it with precision. This is the pattern of Fatherhood for us to follow today: 1) God gives dad a pattern for His kingdom. 2) Dad models this and builds to the best of his ability, recognizing his work will not be completed before he dies. 3) Dad passes down this pattern to his son. 4) Son executes the plan exactly as dad passed down, which dad got directly from God. 5) Son then becomes a dad and does the same thing.

2 Chronicles 3:15-17 (6/25/20)

June 25, 2020 • Benham Brothers