Thematic Bible: Religious zeal of
Thematic Bible
hezekiah » King of judah » Religious zeal of
Jehoshaphat » King of judah » Religious zeal of
And he sought Ahaziah, and they caught him where he was hid in Samaria, and brought him to Jehu. And when they had slain him they buried him: "Because," said they, "he was the son of Jehoshaphat which sought the LORD with all his heart." And there was none of the house of Ahaziah that could obtain to be king.
And he walked in all the ways of Asa his father and bowed not therefrom. But did that was right in the eyes of the LORD. Only he did not put the hill altars out of the way: for the people offered and burnt their sacrifices yet in the hill altars.
Verse Concepts
And the remnant of the stews of the males, which remained in the days of his father, he put clean out of the land.
Verse Concepts
And Jehoshaphat his son reigned in his stead and was mightier than Israel. And he put soldiers in all the strong cities of Judah, and set rulers both in the land of Judah and also in the cities of Ephraim which Asa his father had won. And the LORD was with Jehoshaphat, because he walked in the old ways of his father David, and sought not Baals: read more.
But sought the LORD God of his father and walked in his commandments and not after the doings of Israel. Therefore the LORD established the kingdom in his hand and all Judah brought him presents, that he became exceeding rich and glorious. And his heart was courageous in the ways of the LORD, and he put down yet more of the hill altars and groves out of Judah. And the third year of his reign he sent, of his lords: Benhail, Obadiah, Zechariah, Nethanel and Micaiah to teach in the cities of Judah: and with them, Shemaiah, Nethaniah, Zebadiah, Asahel, Shemiramoth, Jehonathan, Adonijah, Tobijah and Tobadonijah, Levites: and with them Elishama and Jehoram, priests. And they taught in Judah, and had the book of the law with them, and went about throughout all the cities of Judah and taught the people.
But sought the LORD God of his father and walked in his commandments and not after the doings of Israel. Therefore the LORD established the kingdom in his hand and all Judah brought him presents, that he became exceeding rich and glorious. And his heart was courageous in the ways of the LORD, and he put down yet more of the hill altars and groves out of Judah. And the third year of his reign he sent, of his lords: Benhail, Obadiah, Zechariah, Nethanel and Micaiah to teach in the cities of Judah: and with them, Shemaiah, Nethaniah, Zebadiah, Asahel, Shemiramoth, Jehonathan, Adonijah, Tobijah and Tobadonijah, Levites: and with them Elishama and Jehoram, priests. And they taught in Judah, and had the book of the law with them, and went about throughout all the cities of Judah and taught the people.
After that came the children of Moab and the children of Ammon, and with them the Amanim, against Jehoshaphat to battle. And there came that told Jehoshaphat, saying, "There cometh a great multitude against thee from the other side the sea out of Syria. And see, they be in Hazazontamar," which is Engedi. And Jehoshaphat feared and set himself to seek the LORD, and proclaimed fasting throughout all Judah. read more.
And Judah gathered themselves together to ask counsel of the LORD. And thereto there came out of all the cities of Judah to seek the LORD. And Jehoshaphat stood in the congregation of Judah and Jerusalem in the house of the LORD before the new court and said, "LORD God of our fathers, art not thou God in heaven, and reignest not thou on all the kingdoms of the heathen? And in thine hand is power and might, that no man can stand before thee. Art not thou our God which didst cast out the inhabiters of this land before thy people Israel, and gavest it to the seed of Abraham thy lover forever? And they dwelt therein and have built thee a temple therein unto thy name, and said, 'When evil cometh upon us, as the sword of judgment, pestilence or hunger: then if we stand before this house and before thee - for thy name is in this house - and shall cry unto thee in our tribulation, thou shalt hear and help.' And now behold, the children of Ammon and Moab and mount Seir, by which thou wouldest not let Israel go, when they came out of Egypt: but they departed from them and destroyed them not. And see, how they reward us, to come for to cast us out of thy possession which thou hast possessed us with all. O our God, wilt 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 be unto thee." And as all Judah stood before the LORD with their young ones, their wives and their children: the spirit of the LORD came upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah the son of Benaiah the son of Jeiel the son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, even as he was in the midst of the congregation. And he said, "Hearken all Judah and the inhabiters of Jerusalem, and also king Jehoshaphat! Thus sayeth the LORD unto you: 'Be not afeard or faint hearted by reason of this great multitude. For the war is not yours, but God's. "And tomorrow ye shall go down to them: see, they come up at Ziz, and ye shall meet them in the flags of the brook before the wilderness of Jeruel. Moreover, it belongeth not to you for to fight this quarrel: but step forth and stand and behold the help of the LORD which is with you: fear not, nor let your heart fail you, O ye of Judah and of Jerusalem. Tomorrow go out to them: for the LORD is with you." And Jehoshaphat bowed himself with his face to the city, and all Judah and the inhabiters of Jerusalem fell before the LORD, to bow themselves unto the LORD. And the Levites and the children of the Kohathites and of the Korahites stood up to praise the LORD God of Israel with a loud voice on high. And so they arose early in the morning and gat them out unto the wilderness of Tekoa. And as they went out Jehoshaphat stood and said, "Hear me, Judah and the inhabiters of Jerusalem: Believe in the LORD your God, and so shall ye continue: and believe his prophets and so shall ye prosper." And he gave the people counsel, and set the singers of the LORD and them that praised in holy apparel, to go out before the army and to say, "Praise the LORD for his mercy lasteth ever." And what time they began to laud and praise, then the LORD set layers await against the children of Ammon and Moab and mount Seir, to destroy them utterly and to wipe them out. And when they had made an end of the inhabiters of Seir, then they helped to destroy each other. And when Judah came to Mizphah in the wilderness, they looked unto the multitude. And behold, they were dead carcasses fallen to the earth, and none escaped. And Jehoshaphat and his people went to rob away the spoil of them and found among them abundance of goods and raiment and of pleasant Jewels, and caught from them more than they could carry away: so that they were three days in gathering of the spoil, it was so much. And the fourth day they assembled in the valley of blessing, for there they blessed the LORD. And therefore they called the name of the said place the valley of blessing unto this day. And so all the men of Judah and Jerusalem returned and Jehoshaphat among the thickest of them, for to go again to Jerusalem with gladness: for the LORD had made them to rejoice of their enemies. And they came to Jerusalem with psalteries and harps and trumpets, even unto the house of the LORD. And the fear of God fell in the kingdoms of all lands, when they had heard that the LORD fought against the enemies of Israel. And so the realm of Jehoshaphat was in tranquility: for his God had given him rest on every side. And Jehoshaphat reigned upon Judah, and was thirty five years old when he began to reign, and reigned twenty five years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Azubah the daughter of Shilhi. And he walked in the way of Asa his father and bowed not therefrom, to do that was pleasant in the sight of the LORD.
And Judah gathered themselves together to ask counsel of the LORD. And thereto there came out of all the cities of Judah to seek the LORD. And Jehoshaphat stood in the congregation of Judah and Jerusalem in the house of the LORD before the new court and said, "LORD God of our fathers, art not thou God in heaven, and reignest not thou on all the kingdoms of the heathen? And in thine hand is power and might, that no man can stand before thee. Art not thou our God which didst cast out the inhabiters of this land before thy people Israel, and gavest it to the seed of Abraham thy lover forever? And they dwelt therein and have built thee a temple therein unto thy name, and said, 'When evil cometh upon us, as the sword of judgment, pestilence or hunger: then if we stand before this house and before thee - for thy name is in this house - and shall cry unto thee in our tribulation, thou shalt hear and help.' And now behold, the children of Ammon and Moab and mount Seir, by which thou wouldest not let Israel go, when they came out of Egypt: but they departed from them and destroyed them not. And see, how they reward us, to come for to cast us out of thy possession which thou hast possessed us with all. O our God, wilt 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 be unto thee." And as all Judah stood before the LORD with their young ones, their wives and their children: the spirit of the LORD came upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah the son of Benaiah the son of Jeiel the son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, even as he was in the midst of the congregation. And he said, "Hearken all Judah and the inhabiters of Jerusalem, and also king Jehoshaphat! Thus sayeth the LORD unto you: 'Be not afeard or faint hearted by reason of this great multitude. For the war is not yours, but God's. "And tomorrow ye shall go down to them: see, they come up at Ziz, and ye shall meet them in the flags of the brook before the wilderness of Jeruel. Moreover, it belongeth not to you for to fight this quarrel: but step forth and stand and behold the help of the LORD which is with you: fear not, nor let your heart fail you, O ye of Judah and of Jerusalem. Tomorrow go out to them: for the LORD is with you." And Jehoshaphat bowed himself with his face to the city, and all Judah and the inhabiters of Jerusalem fell before the LORD, to bow themselves unto the LORD. And the Levites and the children of the Kohathites and of the Korahites stood up to praise the LORD God of Israel with a loud voice on high. And so they arose early in the morning and gat them out unto the wilderness of Tekoa. And as they went out Jehoshaphat stood and said, "Hear me, Judah and the inhabiters of Jerusalem: Believe in the LORD your God, and so shall ye continue: and believe his prophets and so shall ye prosper." And he gave the people counsel, and set the singers of the LORD and them that praised in holy apparel, to go out before the army and to say, "Praise the LORD for his mercy lasteth ever." And what time they began to laud and praise, then the LORD set layers await against the children of Ammon and Moab and mount Seir, to destroy them utterly and to wipe them out. And when they had made an end of the inhabiters of Seir, then they helped to destroy each other. And when Judah came to Mizphah in the wilderness, they looked unto the multitude. And behold, they were dead carcasses fallen to the earth, and none escaped. And Jehoshaphat and his people went to rob away the spoil of them and found among them abundance of goods and raiment and of pleasant Jewels, and caught from them more than they could carry away: so that they were three days in gathering of the spoil, it was so much. And the fourth day they assembled in the valley of blessing, for there they blessed the LORD. And therefore they called the name of the said place the valley of blessing unto this day. And so all the men of Judah and Jerusalem returned and Jehoshaphat among the thickest of them, for to go again to Jerusalem with gladness: for the LORD had made them to rejoice of their enemies. And they came to Jerusalem with psalteries and harps and trumpets, even unto the house of the LORD. And the fear of God fell in the kingdoms of all lands, when they had heard that the LORD fought against the enemies of Israel. And so the realm of Jehoshaphat was in tranquility: for his God had given him rest on every side. And Jehoshaphat reigned upon Judah, and was thirty five years old when he began to reign, and reigned twenty five years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Azubah the daughter of Shilhi. And he walked in the way of Asa his father and bowed not therefrom, to do that was pleasant in the sight of the LORD.
Levites » Religious zeal of
And ye shall know that I have sent this commandment unto you: that my covenant which I made with Levi, might stand, sayeth the LORD of Hosts. I made a covenant of life and peace with him: this I gave him, that he might stand in awe of me: and so he did fear me, and had my name in reverence.
he went and stood in the gate of the host and said, "If any man pertain unto the LORD, let him come to me." And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together and came unto him. And he said unto them, "Thus sayeth the LORD of Israel, 'Put every man his sword by his side, and go in and out from gate to gate throughout the host: and slay every man his brother, every man his friend and every man his neighbor." And the children of Levi did as Moses had said. And there were slain of the people the same day, about three thousand men.
He that sayeth unto his father and mother, 'I saw him not,' and unto his brethren, 'I knew not,' and to his son, 'I know not': for they have observed thy words and kept thy covenant. They shall teach Jacob thy judgments and Israel thy laws. They shall put cense before thy nose and whole sacrifices upon thine altar.