seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
2 Chronicles 17:10 The fear of the Lord fell on all the kingdoms of the lands surrounding Judah, so that they did not go to war against Jehoshaphat. 11 Some Philistines brought Jehoshaphat gifts and silver as tribute, and the Arabs brought him flocks: seven thousand seven hundred rams and seven thousand seven hundred goats.
12 Jehoshaphat became more and more powerful; he built forts and store cities in Judah 13 and had large supplies in the towns of Judah. He also kept experienced fighting men in Jerusalem. 14 Their enrollment by families was as follows:
From Judah, commanders of units of 1,000:
Adnah the commander, with 300,000 fighting men;
15 next, Jehohanan the commander, with 280,000;
16 next, Amasiah son of Zikri, who volunteered himself for the service of the Lord, with 200,000.
17 From Benjamin:
Eliada, a valiant soldier, with 200,000 men armed with bows and shields;
18 next, Jehozabad, with 180,000 men armed for battle.
19 These were the men who served the king, besides those he stationed in the fortified cities throughout Judah.
This is from the enduringword.com site.Some of the Philistines brought Jehoshaphat presents and silver as tribute; and the Arabians brought him flocks: Jehoshaphat’s commitment to personal and public godliness meant that God exalted his kingdom above the neighboring nations, even as God promised in Deuteronomy 28:1-13.
These served the king: The true treasure of Jehoshaphat’s kingdom was not numbered only in security or material things, but also in the dedicated and courageous men he had surrounding him, these mighty men of valor.
Amasiah the son of Zichri, who willingly offered himself to the LORD: “Amasiah is a man of whom we do not know anything beyond this – he ‘willingly offered himself unto the Lord.’ There must have been a turning-point in his career, a time when first he knew the grace of God, which wrought such a change in him. There must have been a waking up to the feeling that God deserved his love and his life.” (Spurgeon)
Amasiah was a ready servant of the Lord; this particularly notable because he did it in an otherwise secular calling.
· No one had to press him into service.
· No one had to seek him out for service.
· No one had to look after him once he had begun serving.
· No one had to lead him.
“There is no lawful occupation in which a man cannot thoroughly serve the Lord. It is a great privilege and blessing to be set apart to the work of winning souls; but we must never separate that work from all the rest of the callings of life, as though it alone were sacred, and all the rest were secular and almost sinful. Serve God where you are.” (Spurgeon)
Before I get off on a tangent.... I have to point out that Jehoshaphat loved God. He also realized that people in Judah and Benjamin had grown ignorant of the Mosiac Law. He knew the Mosiac Law [the laws God gave Moses in Deuteronomy and Leviticus] were absolutely necessary. He sent teachers and Levites out into the cities and towns to teach. God loved that.... God kept war away and He touched all the neighbors with fear and respect for Jehoshaphat and God's nation. Instead of paying tribute to another nation.... those nations were paying tribute to Judah.
Another benefit of being the top dog on the tribute chain.... there was no war.... Jehoshaphat used the peacetime to gather troops and organize them into squads or platoons or something like that, each with 1,000 men. The men of Judah didn't cower in the corner.... they volunteered.... as Amasiah did.... for example.
Amasiah knew that being in Judah's military, serving God, and the good king Jehoshaphat, was what he was supposed to do. He was called to be one of Jehoshaphat's men of valor. On top of that.... he brought 200,000 troops with him! Interesting.... yesterday, in Proverbs, there was a verse about suicide being a side affect of murder. I remember a love of mine, who came back from Vietnam damaged. He thought he was guilty of murder.... it haunted him. On top of that.... people here weren't of any assistance to him.... he wound up going back to Vietnam, never to return. He wasn't a murderer.... he was a soldier.... a volunteer....just like Amasiah. I wish I had known about Amasiah back when I was 16. Why don't they teach this story in church on Veteran's Day?
