171 And Jehoshaphat his son reigned in his stead, and strengthened himself against Israel. 2 And he placed forces in all the fortified cities of Judah, and set garrisons in the land of Judah, and in the cities of Ephraim that Asa his father had taken. 3 And Jehovah was with Jehoshaphat, for he walked in the first ways of his father David, and sought not unto the Baals; 4 but he sought the God of his father, and walked in his commandments, and not after the doings of Israel. 5 And Jehovah established the kingdom in his hand; and all Judah gave gifts to Jehoshaphat; and he had riches and honour in abundance. 6 And he took courage in the ways of Jehovah; moreover, he removed the high places and Asherahs out of Judah. 7 And in the third year of his reign he sent his princes, Ben-hail, and Obadiah, and Zechariah, and Nethaneel, and Micah, to teach in the cities of Judah; 8 and with them the Levites: Shemaiah, and Nethaniah, and Zebadiah, and Asahel, and Shemiramoth, and Jonathan, and Adonijah, and Tobijah, and Tob-Adonijah, Levites; and with them Elishama and Jehoram, the priests. 9 And they taught in Judah, and had the book of the law of Jehovah with them; and they went about through all the cities of Judah, and taught among the people.
10 And the terror of Jehovah was upon all the kingdoms of the lands that were round about Judah, and they made no war against Jehoshaphat. 11 And some of the Philistines brought Jehoshaphat gifts and tribute-silver. The Arabians also brought him flocks, seven thousand seven hundred rams, and seven thousand seven hundred he-goats. 12 And Jehoshaphat waxed exceeding great; and he built in Judah castles and store-cities. 13 And he had much business in the cities of Judah; and men of war, strong and valiant, in Jerusalem. 14 And these are the numbers of them according to their fathers' houses. Of Judah the captains of thousands: Adnah the captain, and with him three hundred thousand mighty men of valour; 15 and next to him was Johanan the captain, and with him two hundred and eighty thousand; 16 and next to him, Amasiah the son of Zichri, who willingly offered himself to Jehovah; and with him two hundred thousand mighty men of valour. 17 And of Benjamin: Eliada, a mighty man of valour, and with him two hundred thousand, armed with bow and shield; 18 and next to him was Jehozabad, and with him a hundred and eighty thousand ready prepared for war. 19 These were they that waited on the king, besides those that the king had put in the fortified cities throughout Judah.
181 And Jehoshaphat had riches and honour in abundance; and he allied himself with Ahab by marriage. 2 And after [certain] years he went down to Ahab, to Samaria. And Ahab killed sheep and oxen for him in abundance, and for the people that were with him, and urged him to go up against Ramoth-Gilead. 3 And Ahab king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat king of Judah, Wilt thou go with me to Ramoth-Gilead? And he said to him, I am as thou, and my people as thy people; and [I will be] with thee in the war.
4 And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, Inquire, I pray thee, this day of the word of Jehovah. 5 And the king of Israel assembled the prophets, four hundred men, and said to them, Shall we go against Ramoth-Gilead to battle, or shall I forbear? And they said, Go up, and God will give it into the king's hand. 6 But Jehoshaphat said, Is there not here a prophet of Jehovah besides, that we might inquire of him? 7 And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, There is yet one man by whom we may inquire of Jehovah; but I hate him, for he prophesies no good concerning me, but always evil: [it is] Micah the son of Imlah. And Jehoshaphat said, Let not the king say so. 8 Then the king of Israel called a chamberlain, and said, Fetch quickly Micah the son of Imlah. 9 And the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, having put on their robes, sat each on his throne; and they sat in an open place at the entrance of the gate of Samaria; and all the prophets prophesied before them. 10 And Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah made for himself horns of iron, and he said, Thus saith Jehovah: With these shalt thou push the Syrians, until thou have exterminated them. 11 And all the prophets prophesied so, saying, Go up to Ramoth-Gilead, and prosper; for Jehovah will give it into the king's hand. 12 And the messenger that went to call Micah spoke to him saying, Behold, the words of the prophets [declare] good to the king with one assent: let thy word therefore, I pray thee, be like one of theirs, and declare good. 13 And Micah said, As Jehovah liveth, even what my God shall say, that will I declare. 14 And he came to the king. And the king said to him, Micah, shall we go against Ramoth-Gilead to battle, or shall I forbear? And he said, Go ye up, and prosper; and they will be given into your hands. 15 And the king said to him, How many times shall I adjure thee that thou tell me nothing but truth in the name of Jehovah? 16 And he said, I saw all Israel scattered upon the mountains, as sheep that have no shepherd. And Jehovah said, These have no master: let them return every man to his house in peace. 17 And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, Did I not tell thee that he prophesies no good concerning me, but evil? 18 And he said, Hear ye therefore the word of Jehovah: I saw Jehovah sitting upon his throne, and all the host of heaven standing on his right hand and on his left; 19 and Jehovah said, Who shall entice Ahab king of Israel that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-Gilead? And one spoke saying after this manner, and another saying after that manner. 20 And there came forth a spirit, and stood before Jehovah and said, I will entice him. And Jehovah said unto him, Wherewith? 21 And he said, I will go forth, and will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And he said, Thou shalt entice [him], and also succeed: go forth, and do so. 22 And now, behold, Jehovah has put a lying spirit in the mouth of these thy prophets; and Jehovah has spoken evil concerning thee. 23 Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah went near, and smote Micah upon the cheek, and said, Which way now went the Spirit of Jehovah from me to speak to thee? 24 And Micah said, Behold, thou shalt see on that day when thou shalt go from chamber to chamber to hide thyself. 25 And the king of Israel said, Take ye Micah, and carry him back to Amon the governor of the city, and to Joash the king's son; 26 and ye shall say, Thus says the king: Put this [man] in the prison, and feed him with bread of affliction and with water of affliction, until I return in peace. 27 And Micah said, If thou return at all in peace, Jehovah has not spoken by me. And he said, Hearken, O peoples, all of you!
28 And the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah went up to Ramoth-Gilead. 29 And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, I will disguise myself, and will enter into the battle; but put thou on thy robes. And the king of Israel disguised himself; and they went into the battle. 30 And the king of Syria commanded the captains of his chariots saying, Fight neither with small nor great, but with the king of Israel only. 31 And it came to pass when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, that they said, That is the king of Israel; and they surrounded him to fight; and Jehoshaphat cried out, and Jehovah helped him; and God diverted them from him. 32 And it came to pass that when the captains of the chariots perceived that it was not the king of Israel, they turned back from pursuing him. 33 And a man drew a bow at a venture, and smote the king of Israel between the fastenings and the corslet. And he said to the charioteer, Turn thy hand and drive me out of the camp; for I am wounded. 34 And the battle increased that day; and the king of Israel stayed himself up in his chariot against the Syrians until the even; and about the time of the going down of the sun he died.
131 Now before the feast of the passover, Jesus, knowing that his hour had come that he should depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, loved them to the end. 2 And during supper, the devil having already put it into the heart of Judas [son] of Simon, Iscariote, that he should deliver him up, 3 [Jesus,] knowing that the Father had given him all things into his hands, and that he came out from God and was going to God, 4 rises from supper and lays aside his garments, and having taken a linen towel he girded himself: 5 then he pours water into the washhand basin, and began to wash the feet of the disciples, and to wipe them with the linen towel with which he was girded. 6 He comes therefore to Simon Peter; and he says to him, Lord, dost thou wash my feet? 7 Jesus answered and said to him, What I do thou dost not know now, but thou shalt know hereafter. 8 Peter says to him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, Unless I wash thee, thou hast not part with me. 9 Simon Peter says to him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head. 10 Jesus says to him, He that is washed all over needs not to wash save his feet, but is wholly clean; and ye are clean, but not all. 11 For he knew him that delivered him up: on account of this he said, Ye are not all clean. 12 When therefore he had washed their feet, and taken his garments, having sat down again, he said to them, Do ye know what I have done to you? 13 Ye call me the Teacher and the Lord, and ye say well, for I am [so]. 14 If I therefore, the Lord and the Teacher, have washed your feet, ye also ought to wash one another's feet; 15 for I have given you an example that, as I have done to you, ye should do also. 16 Verily, verily, I say to you, The bondman is not greater than his lord, nor the sent greater than he who has sent him. 17 If ye know these things, blessed are ye if ye do them.
18 I speak not of you all. I know those whom I have chosen; but that the scripture might be fulfilled, He that eats bread with me has lifted up his heel against me. 19 I tell you [it] now before it happens, that when it happens, ye may believe that I am [he]. 20 Verily, verily, I say to you, He who receives whomsoever I shall send receives me; and he that receives me receives him who has sent me.
(Read John 13:1-17)
Our Lord Jesus has a people in the world that are his own; he has purchased them, and paid dear for them, and he has set them apart for himself; they devote themselves to him as a peculiar people. Those whom Christ loves, he loves to the end. Nothing can separate a true believer from the love of Christ. We know not when our hour will come, therefore what we have to do in constant preparation for it, ought never to be undone. What way of access the devil has to men's hearts we cannot tell. But some sins are so exceedingly sinful, and there is so little temptation to them from the world and the flesh, that it is plain they are directly from Satan. Jesus washed his disciples' feet, that he might teach us to think nothing below us, wherein we may promote God's glory, and the good of our brethren. We must address ourselves to duty, and must lay aside every thing that would hinder us in what we have to do. Christ washed his disciples' feet, that he might signify to them the value of spiritual washing, and the cleansing of the soul from the pollutions of sin. Our Lord Jesus does many things of which even his own disciples do not for the present know the meaning, but they shall know afterward. We see in the end what was the kindness from events which seemed most cross. And it is not humility, but unbelief, to put away the offers of the gospel, as if too rich to be made to us, or too good news to be true. All those, and those only, who are spiritually washed by Christ, have a part in Christ. All whom Christ owns and saves, he justifies and sanctifies. Peter more than submits; he begs to be washed by Christ. How earnest he is for the purifying grace of the Lord Jesus, and the full effect of it, even upon his hands and head! Those who truly desire to be sanctified, desire to be sanctified throughout, to have the whole man, with all its parts and powers, made pure. The true believer is thus washed when he receives Christ for his salvation. See then what ought to be the daily care of those who through grace are in a justified state, and that is, to wash their feet; to cleanse themselves from daily guilt, and to watch against everything defiling. This should make us the more cautious. From yesterday's pardon, we should be strengthened against this day's temptation. And when hypocrites are discovered, it should be no surprise or cause of stumbling to us. Observe the lesson Christ here taught. Duties are mutual; we must both accept help from our brethren, and afford help to our brethren. When we see our Master serving, we cannot but see how ill it becomes us to domineer. And the same love which led Christ to ransom and reconcile his disciples when enemies, still influences him.
(Read John 13:18-30)
Our Lord had often spoken of his own sufferings and death, without such trouble of spirit as he now discovered when he spake of Judas. The sins of Christians are the grief of Christ. We are not to confine our attention to Judas. The prophecy of his treachery may apply to all who partake of God's mercies, and meet them with ingratitude. See the infidel, who only looks at the Scriptures with a desire to do away their authority and destroy their influence; the hypocrite, who professes to believe the Scriptures, but will not govern himself by them; and the apostate, who turns aside from Christ for a thing of naught. Thus mankind, supported by God's providence, after eating bread with Him, lift up the heel against Him! Judas went out as one weary of Jesus and his apostles. Those whose deeds are evil, love darkness rather than light.
