Tues.’s Devo - The Prophets Were Right

Read: 2 Chronicles 17:1-18:34; Romans 9:25-10-13; Psalm 20:1-9; Proverbs 20:2-3 Jehoshaphat became he king of Judah when his father Asa died. Jehoshaphat was a good king who honored God and rid his nation of the pagan shrines and Asherah poles. He sent leaders and Levites to teach the people in the towns the law of the Lord and how to worship Him. The other nations feared Judah and brought Jehoshaphat gifts. He made an alliance with Israel by letting his son marry Ahab’s daughter. King Ahab wanted to get Ramoth-gilead back under his control and asked Jehoshaphat if he would help him. Jehoshaphat gladly agreed to go with him in battle. First, he wanted to ask the Lord if they would succeed. King Ahab brought all his false prophets and they all told the king to go to battle because he would succeed. Jehoshaphat asked if there was a prophet of God they could ask. Ahab told him about Michaiah but he told him he despised him because he never prophesied anything good for him. Jehoshaphat rebuked Ahab for talking about God’s prophets with such little respect. Ahab sent for Michaiah. On the way back the officers instructed Michaiah to agree with their prophets. Michaiah sarcastically told Ahab to go to war. King Ahab angrily told him to tell him the truth. Michaiah told him that he saw all Israel scattered on the battle field and King Ahab was dead. He went on to tell him that there was a meeting in heaven and they were trying to decide how they could convince Ahab to go to battle so he could be killed. One of the angels came up with the idea of lying through his prophets which they all agreed it would work. Ahab was so angry he had Michaiah taken back to Samaria and put in prison and fed only bread and water until he returned. Micahiah reminded him he would not return. So, they went out to face the army of Aram. The army of Aram had been given the order to find the king of Israel and kill him. Ahab decided to not dress in his royal clothes but to dress as a regular soldier. When the battle began they chased Jehoshaphat because he was dressed in his royal robes. He called out and they realized he wasn’t Ahab so they quit chasing him. A soldier shot a random arrow toward the Israelite troops and it hit the chink in Ahab’s armor. He told his officers he was wounded so they sat him up in his chariot so all his men would think he was alive and they would fight. He sat and bled out the whole day and was dead as the sun was setting. In Romans, Paul quoted a prophecy of Hosea’s. He had prophesied that a people who had not been God’s people would become his people. He was speaking of the Gentile and of that day that Paul was living in. Isaiah had prophesied the same thing. He had said that a remnant of the Jews would be saved. Paul explained that even though the Gentiles were not trying to follow God’s laws, they were made right with God through their belief. The Jews were so bent on following the law that they missed the rock that came to save them. The whole law and prophets had spoken of that day when Jesus would come and fulfill every bit of the law. The Jews missed it and killed Jesus but the Gentile accepted him and believed in him. This counted as righteousness for them. Anyone who calls on the ahem of Jesus will be saved. Thank you, Lord for this great covenant of faith. Thank you for making a way for all to come to you.