2 Chronicles 19 reminds me of the very different reactions people have to hearing God’s Word. The king of Judah had made the study and teaching of God’s Word a priority in his life, but he was still imperfect. The chapter begins as the king returned from a battle in which God miraculously saved him. Remember, he was in this battle because he got involved in a partnership with the corrupt king of Israel. “When Jehoshaphat king of Judah returned safely to his palace in Jerusalem, Jehu the seer… went out to meet him“. The prophet Jehu spoke boldly to the king, “Should you help the wicked and love those who hate the Lord? Because of this, the wrath of the Lord is upon you“. This was probably the last thing the king expected. Hadn’t God just protected him in battle? We should never confuse God’s patient mercy with God’s approval. God gives us free will to choose, but He does not thump us every time we get out of His will. I believe because the King’s heart was open, he was able to hear the rest of the message from Jehu, “There is, however, some good in you, for you have… set your heart on seeking God“. God corrects us out of love because He desires that we turn our heart to Him. The big question is; how do you react to God’s correction in your life?
I see a great parallel in the parable of the sower that Jesus taught in Mark chapter 4. Jesus began by saying “Listen!” and that is the first step for us too. He began His analogy using a very familiar activity, “A farmer went out to sow his seed“. He continued His story by explaining the four places the seeds could fall. Jesus then patently explained the meaning to His disciples and to us. Do you see yourself in one of these pictures? Jesus explained: “The farmer sows the word. Some people are like seed along the path… As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them“. “Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. But since they have no root… When trouble or persecution comes… they quickly fall away“. “Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word“. “Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop thirty, sixty or even a hundred times what was sown“. Here is the good news for us; God continues to prepare us to receive His Word. As we listen God will break up the hardness of our heart and add depth to our understanding and make our lives fertile ground. Will you listen?
As the chapter ends, we see that the king listened to God’s Word and the entire nation was affected. “Jehoshaphat lived in Jerusalem and he went out again among the people… and turned them back to the Lord“. The king did not rely on his own wisdom, he allowed God’s Word to work in the lives of the people. The king simply followed the directions he read in scripture. “He appointed judges in the land… He told them, ‘Consider carefully what you do, because you are not judging for man but for the Lord’.” “Jehoshaphat appointed some of the Levites… to administer the law of the Lord and to settle disputes“. He advised them, “You must serve faithfully and wholeheartedly in the fear of the Lord. In every case that comes before you…you are to warn them not to sin against the Lord“. Because taking a step of faith can be scary, the king exhorts the people to “Act with courage“. Will you?