How Do You Define Wisdom (Lesson 3)

2 Chronicles 19:1-7 NASB

(1)  Then Jehoshaphat the king of Judah returned in safety to his house in Jerusalem.

(2)  Jehu the son of Hanani the seer went out to meet him and said to King Jehoshaphat, "Should you help the wicked and love those who hate the LORD and so bring wrath on yourself from the LORD?

(3)  "But there is some good in you, for you have removed the Asheroth from the land and you have set your heart to seek God."

(4)  So Jehoshaphat lived in Jerusalem and went out again among the people from Beersheba to the hill country of Ephraim and brought them back to the LORD, the God of their fathers.

(5)  He appointed judges in the land in all the fortified cities of Judah, city by city.

(6)  He said to the judges, "Consider what you are doing, for you do not judge for man but for the LORD who is with you when you render judgment.

(7)  "Now then let the fear of the LORD be upon you; be very careful what you do, for the LORD our God will have no part in unrighteousness or partiality or the taking of a bribe."

Proverbs 3:12 says for whom the Lord loves He reproves.

Here we are continuing with last week’s lesson.  God sends Jehu to deliver His message and Jehoshaphat humbly accepts the Lord’s rebuke and makes changes.

God could have left him lying on the same battlefield with Ahab.  We serve a gracious God.  Even when we mess up and go in the wrong direction God gives a second chance.  Many times the chances God gives is too numerous to count.

When God sends correction, it is not for punishment.  It is to help us make wiser decisions.  He does so because he loves us.  Jehoshaphat responded in a positive way.  He brought the people back to the Lord.   

God’s will is for us to obey Him and to tell others about Jesus, because Jesus is the way, the truth and the life.

How Do You Define Wisdom (Lesson 2)

2 Chronicles 18:28-34 NASB

(28)  So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah went up against Ramoth-gilead.

(29)  The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "I will disguise myself and go into battle, but you put on your robes." So the king of Israel disguised himself, and they went into battle.

(30)  Now the king of Aram had commanded the captains of his chariots, saying, "Do not fight with small or great, but with the king of Israel alone."

(31)  So when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, they said, "It is the king of Israel," and they turned aside to fight against him. But Jehoshaphat cried out, and the LORD helped him, and God diverted them from him.

(32)  When the captains of the chariots saw that it was not the king of Israel, they turned back from pursuing him.

(33)  A certain man drew his bow at random and struck the king of Israel in a joint of the armor. So he said to the driver of the chariot, "Turn around and take me out of the fight, for I am severely wounded."

(34)  The battle raged that day, and the king of Israel propped himself up in his chariot in front of the Arameans until the evening; and at sunset he died.

The alliances we make are a reflection of the wisdom in our choices.  Jehoshaphat did not enter blindly into this alliance with Ahab.  In fact, his son was married to Ahab’s daughter.

         

Here we see Jehoshaphat going to visit Ahab and Ahab has enticed him to go to battle.  Even in this, Jehoshaphat asked Ahab to see what the Lord had to say about going into battle with the Syrians. 

When Ahab consults his false prophets, Jehoshaphat asks for a true man of God.  The false prophets tell Ahab what he wants to hear but God’s man tells him that he would not return from this battle.

Even in this, Jehoshaphat goes with Ahab into battle.  He not only goes into battle, we see in verse 29 that he listens and goes along with Ahab’s plan to disguise himself.  It almost cost’s Jehoshaphat his life

Why are we to avoid unholy alliances?  They can take us to places where God does not intend for us be.

We need to make wise choices about the alliances we make.

How Do You Define Wisdom (Lesson 1)

2 Chronicles 17:3-5 NASB

(3)  The LORD was with Jehoshaphat because he followed the example of his father David's earlier days and did not seek the Baals,

(4)  but sought the God of his father, followed His commandments, and did not act as Israel did.

(5)  So the LORD established the kingdom in his control, and all Judah brought tribute to Jehoshaphat, and he had great riches and honor.

Jehoshaphat turned toward God.  He followed the example of David and sought the Lord.  He did not worship Baal.  Jehoshaphat sent officials to teach the people about God. 

Solomon tells us in the book of Proverbs that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.  The word used for fear means reverence.  We need to realize who God is and respect Him.

Jehoshaphat reverenced God and God blessed him.  He didn’t reverence God to get riches but because he placed God first and prepared the way for others to learn of God he was blessed.  

         

The world would be a much better place if we all sought God first.

WOW!  Wouldn’t that be wise choice to make?

The Seriousness of Sin (Lesson 2)

1 Kings 21:27-29 NASB

(27)  It came about when Ahab heard these words, that he tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and fasted, and he lay in sackcloth and went about despondently.

(28)  Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying,

(29)  "Do you see how Ahab has humbled himself before Me? Because he has humbled himself before Me, I will not bring the evil in his days, but I will bring the evil upon his house in his son's days."

Ahab did more evil in the eyes of God than any other King did.  We must acknowledge our sin if we are to find a remedy.  Ahab’s covetousness caused a series of events that resulted in more sin.

He allowed his wife to rule in his stead.  When Ahad couldn’t get the land from Naboth he begins to pout.  It is at this point that Jezebel takes matters into her hands and Ahab allows her to do so. 

They falsely accuse Naboth, an innocent man.  Based on the false accusations, they commit murder by having Naboth taken outside of the city to be stoned to death. The Bible says they left him outside the city and the dogs lapped up Naboth’s blood.  It is at this point, that Ahab steals Naboth’s land. 

God sends Elijah to tell Ahab that He knows what he did and the same fate will happen to him unless he repents. Ahab repents and is spared.

Ezekiel 33:11 NASB (11)  "Say to them, 'As I live!' declares the Lord GOD, 'I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn back, turn back from your evil ways! Why then will you die, O house of Israel?'

Sin is serious to God and Jesus is the way.

The Seriousness of Sin (Lesson 1)

1 Kings 16:31-33 NASB

(31)  It came about, as though it had been a trivial thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, that he married Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and went to serve Baal and worshiped him.

(32)  So he erected an altar for Baal in the house of Baal, which he built in Samaria.

(33)  Ahab also made the Asherah.  Thus, Ahab did more to provoke the LORD God of Israel than all the kings of Israel who were before him.

There is no limit to the depth of sinfulness.  Check out verse 33.  Ahab provoked the Lord God.  God is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow.  Deu. 6:15 states that God is a jealous God and we should have no other Gods.  He also goes on to say that, this will kindle His anger and He will destroy that person from the face of the earth.

Ahab had a desire to do evil.  There are people today who have that same desire.

It is time we take God at His word.  As we start a new year, we need to realize the seriousness of sin and make a conscious effort to obey God.