171 Jehoshaphat his son then became king in his place , and made his position over Israel firm . 2 He placed troops in all the fortified cities of Judah , and set garrisons in the land of Judah and in the cities of Ephraim which Asa his father had captured . 3 The Lord was with Jehoshaphat because he followed the example of his father David's earlier days and did not seek the Baals , 4 but sought the God of his father , followed His commandments , and did not act as Israel did . 5 So the Lord established the kingdom in his control , and all Judah brought tribute to Jehoshaphat , and he had great riches and honor . 6 He took great pride e in the ways of the Lord and again removed the high places and the Asherim from Judah . 7 Then in the third year of his reign he sent his officials , Ben-hail , Obadiah , Zechariah , Nethanel and Micaiah , to teach in the cities of Judah ; 8 and with them the Levites , Shemaiah , Nethaniah , Zebadiah , Asahel , Shemiramoth , Jehonathan , Adonijah , Tobijah and Tobadonijah , the Levites ; and with them Elishama and Jehoram , the priests . 9 They taught in Judah , having the book of the law of the Lord with them; and they went throughout all the cities of Judah and taught among the people .
10 Now the dread of the Lord was on all the kingdoms of the lands which were around Judah , so that they did not make war against Jehoshaphat . 11 Some of the Philistines brought gifts and silver as tribute to Jehoshaphat ; the Arabians also brought him flocks , 7,700 e e e rams and 7,700 e e e male goats . 12 So Jehoshaphat grew greater and greater , and he built fortresses and store cities in Judah . 13 He had large supplies in the cities of Judah , and warriors , valiant e men , in Jerusalem . 14 This was their muster according to their fathers' households : of Judah , commanders of thousands , Adnah was the commander , and with him 300,000 e e valiant warriors ; 15 and next e to him was Johanan the commander , and with him 280,000 e e ; 16 and next e to him Amasiah the son of Zichri , who volunteered for the Lord , and with him 200,000 e valiant warriors ; 17 and of Benjamin , Eliada a valiant warrior , and with him 200,000 e armed with bow and shield ; 18 and next e to him Jehozabad , and with him 180,000 e e equipped for war . 19 These are they who served the king , apart from those whom the king put in the fortified cities through all Judah .
181 Now Jehoshaphat had great riches and honor ; and he allied himself by marriage with Ahab . 2 Some years later he went down to visit Ahab at Samaria . And Ahab slaughtered many sheep and oxen for him and the people who were with him, and induced him to go up against Ramoth-gilead . 3 Ahab king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat king of Judah , "Will you go with me against Ramoth-gilead ?" And he said to him, "I am as you are, and my people as your people , and we will be with you in the battle ."
4 Moreover, Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel , "Please inquire first for the word of the Lord ." 5 Then 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 refrain ?" And they said , "Go up, for God will give it into the hand of the king ." 6 But Jehoshaphat said , "Is there not yet a prophet of the Lord here that we may inquire of him?" 7 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat , "There is yet one man by whom we may inquire of the Lord , but I hate him, for he never prophesies good concerning me but always e evil . He is Micaiah , son of Imla ." But Jehoshaphat said , "Let not the king say so ." 8 Then the king of Israel called an officer and said , "Bring quickly Micaiah , Imla's son ." 9 Now the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah were sitting each on his throne , arrayed in their robes , and they were sitting at the threshing floor at the entrance of the gate of Samaria ; and all the prophets were prophesying before them. 10 Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah made horns of iron for himself and said , "Thus says the Lord , 'With these you shall gore the Arameans until they are consumed .' " 11 All the prophets were prophesying thus , saying , "Go up to Ramoth-gilead and succeed , for the Lord will give it into the hand of the king ." 12 Then the messenger who went to summon Micaiah spoke to him saying , "Behold , the words of the prophets are uniformly e favorable to the king . So please let your word be like one of them and speak favorably ." 13 But Micaiah said , "As the Lord lives , what my God says , that I will speak ." 14 When he came to the king , the king said to him, "Micaiah , shall we go to Ramoth-gilead to battle , or shall I refrain ?" He said , "Go up and succeed , for they will be given into your hand ." 15 Then the king said to him, "How e many e times must I adjure you to speak to me nothing but the truth in the name of the Lord ?" 16 So he said , "I saw all Israel Scattered on the mountains , Like sheep which have no shepherd ; And the Lord said , 'These have no master . Let each of them return to his house in peace .' " 17 Then the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat , "Did I not tell you that he would not prophesy good concerning me, but evil ?" 18 Micaiah said , "Therefore , hear the word of the Lord . I saw the Lord sitting on His throne , and all the host of heaven standing on His right and on His left . 19 "The Lord said , 'Who will entice Ahab king of Israel to go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead ?' And one said this while another said that. 20 "Then a spirit came forward and stood before the Lord and said , 'I will entice him.' And the Lord said to him, 'How ?' 21 "He said , 'I will go and be a deceiving spirit in the mouth of all his prophets .' Then He said , 'You are to entice him and prevail also . Go and do so .' 22 "Now therefore, behold , the Lord has put a deceiving spirit in the mouth of these your prophets , for the Lord has proclaimed disaster against you." 23 Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah came near and struck Micaiah on the cheek and said , "How e did the Spirit of the Lord pass from me to speak to you?" 24 Micaiah said , "Behold , you will see on that day when you enter an inner room to hide yourself." 25 Then the king of Israel said , " Take Micaiah and return him to Amon the governor of the city and to Joash the king's son ; 26 and say , 'Thus says the king , " Put this man in prison e and feed him sparingly with bread and water until I return safely .""' 27 Micaiah said , "If you indeed return safely , the Lord has not spoken by me." And he said , " Listen , all you people ."
28 So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah went up against Ramoth-gilead . 29 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat , "I will disguise myself and go into battle , but you put on your robes ." So the king of Israel disguised himself, and they went into battle . 30 Now the king of Aram had commanded the captains of his chariots , saying , "Do not fight with small or great , but with the king of Israel alone ." 31 So when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat , they said , "It is the king of Israel ," and they turned aside to fight against him. But Jehoshaphat cried out, and the Lord helped him, and God diverted them from him. 32 When the captains of the chariots saw that it was not the king of Israel , they turned back from pursuing him. 33 A certain man drew his bow at random and struck the king of Israel in a joint of the armor . So he said to the driver of the chariot , "Turn around and take me out of the fight , for I am severely wounded ." 34 The battle raged that day , and the king of Israel propped himself up in his chariot in front of the Arameans until the evening ; and at sunset e he died .
131 Now before the Feast of the Passover , Jesus knowing that His hour had come that He would depart out of this world to the Father , having loved His own who were in the world , He loved them to the end . 2 During supper , the devil having already put into the heart of Judas Iscariot , the son of Simon , to betray Him, 3 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands , and that He had come forth from God and was going back to God , 4 got up from supper , and laid aside His garments ; and taking a towel , He girded Himself . 5 Then He poured water into the basin , and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded . 6 So He came to Simon Peter . He said to Him, "Lord , do You wash my feet ?" 7 Jesus answered and said to him, "What I do you do not realize now , but you will understand hereafter e ." 8 Peter said to Him, "Never e shall You wash my feet !" Jesus answered him, " If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me." 9 Simon Peter said to Him, "Lord , then wash not only my feet , but also my hands and my head ." 10 Jesus said to him, "He who has bathed needs only e e to wash his feet , but is completely clean ; and you are clean , but not all of you." 11 For He knew the one who was betraying Him; for this reason He said , "Not all of you are clean ." 12 So when He had washed their feet , and taken His garments and reclined at the table again , He said to them, "Do you know what I have done to you? 13 "You call Me Teacher and Lord ; and you are right , for so I am . 14 "If I then , the Lord and the Teacher , washed your feet , you also ought to wash one another's feet . 15 "For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you. 16 "Truly , truly , I say to you, a slave is not greater than his master , nor is one who is sent greater than the one who sent him. 17 "If you know these things , you are blessed if you do them.
18 " I do not speak of all of you. I know the ones I have chosen ; but it is that the Scripture may be fulfilled , ' HE WHO EATS MY BREAD HAS LIFTED UP HIS HEEL AGAINST ME.' 19 "From now on I am telling you before it comes to pass , so that when it does occur , you may believe that I am He. 20 "Truly , truly , I say to you, he who receives whomever e I send receives Me; and he who receives Me receives Him who 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.
