2 Chronicles 17, 18, 19, 20

Introduction: Have you found your “Valley of Blessing”? Is there a place that you can find “Peace & Rest”? In other words, it’s not always on the mountain that you get the “BLESSING” but sometimes it’s in the “VALLEY.” Are you in a VALLEY? Wait for the BLESSING! This brief study of good king Jehoshaphat reveals (2) interesting insights:

The writer of 2 Chronicles – many believe Ezra – says this about Jehoshaphat:

“And the Lord was with Jehoshaphat, because he walked in the first ways of his father David, and sought not after Baalim” (2 Chron 17:3)

1. What keeps us from our “VALLEY of BLESSING”? (2 Chron 17, 18, 19)

“And thus saith the king, Put this fellow in the prison, and feed him with bread of affliction and with water of affliction, until I return in peace.” (2 Chron 18:26)

    • The king of Israel – Bitten with Bitterness, angry and agitated

“And he said, I will go out, and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.” (2 Chron 18:21)

     • A Lying spirit

“Now Jehoshaphat had riches and honour in abundance, and joined affinity with Ahab. 2And after certain years he went down to Ahab to Samaria. And Ahab killed sheep and oxen for him in abundance, and for the people that he had with him, and persuaded him to go up with him to Ramothgilead. 3And Ahab king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat king of Judah, Wilt thou go with me to Ramothgilead? And he answered him, I am as thou art, and my people as thy people; and we will be with thee in the war.” (2 Chron 19:1-3)

     • Ungodly alliances 

2. How can we get to our “VALLEY of BLESSING”? (2 Chron 20:1-26)

“It came to pass after this also, that the children of Moab, and the children of Ammon, and with them other beside the Ammonites, came against Jehoshaphat to battle. 2Then 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 Hazazontamar, which is Engedi. 3And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. 4And Judah gathered themselves together, to ask help of the LORD: even out of all the cities of Judah they came to seek the LORD.”

Jehoshaphat’s Prayer

“5And Jehoshaphat stood in the congregation of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the LORD, before the new court, 6And said, O LORD God of our fathers, art not thou God in heaven? and rulest not thou over all the kingdoms of the heathen? and in thine hand is there not power and might, so that none is able to withstand thee? 7Art not thou our God, who didst drive out the inhabitants of this land before thy people Israel, and gavest it to the seed of Abraham thy friend for ever? 8And they dwelt therein, and have built thee a sanctuary therein for thy name, saying, 9If, when evil cometh upon us, as the sword, judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we stand before this house, and in thy presence, (for thy name is in this house,) and cry unto thee in our affliction, then thou wilt hear and help.” (2 Chron 20:1-9)

    • Exchange Control! (2 Chron 20:6) 

    • Engage the Enemy! (2 Chron 20:7, 9)

“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 are upon thee.” (2 Chron 20:12)

     • Exercise Trust!

“And when they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten. 23For the children of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of mount Seir, utterly to slay and destroy them: and when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, every one helped to destroy another. 24And when Judah came toward the watch tower in the wilderness, they looked unto the multitude, and, behold, they were dead bodies fallen to the earth, and none escaped. 25And when Jehoshaphat and his people came to take away the spoil of them, they found among them in abundance both riches with the dead bodies, and precious jewels, which they stripped off for themselves, more than they could carry away: and they were three days in gathering of the spoil, it was so much.”

The People Return in Triumph

“26And on the fourth day they assembled themselves in the valley of Berachah; for there they blessed the LORD: therefore the name of the same place was called, The valley of Berachah, unto this day.” (2 Chron 20:22-26)

     • Empowered by Praise!