Jehoshaphat cat

“The LORD was with Jehoshaphat because he followed the example of his father David's earlier days and did not seek the Baals, but sought the God of his father, followed His commandments, and did not act as Israel did. So the LORD established the kingdom in his control, and all Judah brought tribute to Jehoshaphat, and he had great riches and honor.
He took great pride in the ways of the LORD and again removed the high places and the Asherim from Judah. Then in the third year of his reign he sent his officials, Ben-hail, Obadiah, Zechariah, Nethanel and Micaiah, to teach in the cities of Judah; and with them the Levites, Shemaiah, Nethaniah, Zebadiah, Asahel, Shemiramoth, Jehonathan, Adonijah, Tobijah and Tobadonijah, the Levites; and with them Elishama and Jehoram, the priests. They taught in Judah, having the book of the law of the LORD with them; and they went throughout all the cities of Judah and taught among the people. Now the dread of the LORD was on all the kingdoms of the lands which were around Judah, so that they did not make war against Jehoshaphat.”
(2 Chronicles 17:3-10)

True revival, doesn’t come from a man or a church gathering. It can only come, when people turn back to God & His Word. But like Jehoshaphat, if you want revival to happen within the body of Christ, go into your room, put a chair in the middle of the floor, sit in that chair & pray for everything that is sitting in that chair. If you want to see true revival, it starts with you, Jehoshaphat understood that. He also understood that the word of God is the key to unlocking true revival. No honest revival of God has ever started with anything other than God’s Word. People have to be called back to the Bible, to the standard that God gives us to live by, to the salvation that He provided through Jesus Christ, without this kind of true revival, there will be no revival at all.

There are generations of people now who do not know or even study God’s word, many attend churches around our nation weekly. But they don’t make the Bible a priority during the week. That’s what happened in Judah, the people had gotten away from God & His Word & had fallen into idolatry, we see that when Jehoshaphat “removed the high places and the Asherim from Judah” The High places or the Hebrew noun BAMAH meaning, “back, high place.” the place where they worshipped false gods like the Asherim or Asherah which was a fertility goddess, the mother of Baal. Also notice in the word BAMAH, the first four letters BAMAH, this is where they worship Nick, just another reason to be an Auburn fan (just kidding... that’s vernmason1@gmail.com).

Jehoshaphat saw the need for teaching God’s word, “having the book of the law of the LORD with them; and they went throughout all the cities of Judah and taught among the people.” When the priest went out they went out with God’s law in hand & ready to teach it to the people.

We need to have more teaching of God’s word in our churches, there are tons of preachers, but we need more teachers of God’s word. Jehoshaphat knew that, for the people to turn from God as they have, they didn’t know God’s word, preaching, though it is needed, will not teach people God’s word. We have a dire need for Bible Study groups, for parents to teach their children at home as well as bring them to church & for people to study there Bible in a daily quiet time alone with God. If the Bible is unknown to the people... God is unknown to the people. If the people are not taught in the ways that God wants us to live…how will they know?

“Now the dread of the LORD was on all the kingdoms of the lands which were around Judah, so that they did not make war against Jehoshaphat.” Another awesome thing happens when we turn back to God, we have peace with Him & the comfort of His protection. Throughout the Bible when cities or nations turned to God, He protected them & they prospered, away from God they would crumble & fall. What our nation needs isn’t a better government, a more elaborate, effective school system or even a stronger economy, no what our nation needs is a true revival, a great awakening…a turning back to God & His word.

“The Bible will keep you from sin, or sin will keep you from the Bible.”

D. L. Moody

Vern