A Right Response to a Harrowing Experience!

2 Chronicles 19

Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Thursday, October 27.

Have you ever had a near-death experience? It’s amazing how many testimonies I’ve heard about people whose walk with God started with a harrowing experience.

The evil king of Israel, Ahab, had been killed in a battle with his ally Jehoshaphat fighting by his side. After barely surviving his harrowing experience, the king of Judah was rebuked by the prophet Hanani for his ungodly alliance with Israel. Jehoshaphat wholeheartedly responded to the prophet’s rebuke by seeking to establish the kingdom of Yahweh in Judah (2 Chronicles 19:1-4).

Jehoshaphat led Judah with righteousness and justice by appointing judges in every city (5-7). To emphasize his commitment to the rule of God over His people, in 2 Chronicles 19:9-10, he commissioned the judges:

Thus you shall do in the fear of the Lord, faithfully and wholeheartedly. Whenever any dispute comes to you from your brethren who live in their cities, between blood and blood, between law and commandment, statutes and ordinances, you shall warn them so that they may not be guilty before the Lord, and wrath may not come on you and your brethren.

There are four Hebrew words found in this charge, which are emphasized in Psalm 119 as four of the eight aspects of obedience to God’s Word to do righteousness and justice:

1. Law. The Hebrew word torah references the entirety or collection of God’s instructions (Psalm 119:1).
2. Commandment. The Hebrew word mitswah indicates specific commands to be obeyed (Psalm 119:6).
3. Statutes or regulations. The Hebrew word chuqqim captures the written laws or boundaries (Psalm 119:5).
4. Ordinances or justice. The Hebrew word mishpat establishes legal precedents through rulings or decisions (Psalm 119:7).

Seize the moment and do righteousness and justice (Proverbs 21:3)! You don’t have to wait for a crisis to happen in your life, seek God with your whole heart, and you will be blessed (Psalm 119:1-2).

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