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forsaking the new ways

2 Chronicles 17:1-19

2 Chronicles 17:1 His son Jehoshaphat became king in his place and strengthened himself against Israel.
2 Chronicles 17:2 He stationed troops in every fortified city of Judah and set garrisons in the land of Judah and in the cities of Ephraim that his father Asa had captured.
2 Chronicles 17:3 Now Yahveh was with Jehoshaphat because he walked in the former ways of his father David. He did not seek the Baals
2 Chronicles 17:4 but sought the God of his father and walked by his commands, not according to the practices of Israel.
2 Chronicles 17:5 So Yahveh established the kingdom in his hand. Then all Judah brought him tribute, and he had riches and honor in abundance.
2 Chronicles 17:6 His mind rejoiced in Yahveh’s ways, and he again removed the high places and Asherah poles from Judah.
2 Chronicles 17:7 In the third year of his reign, Jehoshaphat sent his officials — Ben-hail, Obadiah, Zechariah, Nethanel, and Micaiah– to teach in the cities of Judah.
2 Chronicles 17:8 The Levites with them were Shemaiah, Nethaniah, Zebadiah, Asahel, Shemiramoth, Jehonathan, Adonijah, Tobijah, and Tob-adonijah; the priests, Elishama and Jehoram, were with these Levites.
2 Chronicles 17:9 They taught throughout Judah, having the book of Yahveh’s instruction with them. They went throughout the towns of Judah and taught the people.
2 Chronicles 17:10 The terror of Yahveh was on all the kingdoms of the lands that surrounded Judah, so they didn’t fight against Jehoshaphat.
2 Chronicles 17:11 Some of the Philistines also brought gifts and silver as tribute to Jehoshaphat, and the Arabs brought him flocks: 7,700 rams and 7,700 male goats.
2 Chronicles 17:12 Jehoshaphat grew stronger and stronger. He built fortresses and storage cities in Judah
2 Chronicles 17:13 and carried out great works in the towns of Judah. He had warriors, mighty men, in Jerusalem.
2 Chronicles 17:14 These are their numbers according to their ancestral families. For Judah, the commanders of thousands: Adnah the commander and three hundred thousand mighty men with him;
2 Chronicles 17:15 next to him, Jehohanan the commander and two hundred eighty thousand with him;
2 Chronicles 17:16 next to him, Amasiah son of Zichri, the volunteer of Yahveh, and two hundred thousand valiant warriors with him;
2 Chronicles 17:17 from Benjamin, Eliada, a valiant warrior, and two hundred thousand with him armed with bow and shield;
2 Chronicles 17:18 next to him, Jehozabad and one hundred eighty thousand with him equipped for war.
2 Chronicles 17:19 These were the ones who served the king, besides those he stationed in the fortified cities throughout all Judah.

forsaking the new ways

Jehoshaphat’s reforms were more extensive than Asa’s. He not only took away the high places that had been used for idolatry, but he sent a company to teach the commandments of the Law to his people. The chronicler says that he walked in the earlier ways of his father David ((3). Being right sometimes means that we cannot follow the latest trends. Sometimes it means doing something new. Sometimes it means forsaking the new ways for the earlier ways.

LORD, give us wisdom to choose the right ways — those that honor you.