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Would you like to be encouraged by a true story that occurred almost 2,900 years ago?  Have you ever heard of King Jehoshaphat?  Probably not. He was a faithful King of Judah who became king about 50 years after the death of Solomon. These Books from the Old Testament are less famous than other parts of the Bible.  This story is buried in the Old Testament book Second Chronicles.  Where is that you ask?  Well, right after First Chronicles, of course.

Background of Jehoshaphat, King of Judah

Jehoshaphat ruled about the same number of years as Solomon.  His reign started about 100 years after the start of Solomon’s reign.  By the time Jehoshaphat came along, Israel had split into two kingdoms.  The Northern Kingdom of 10 tribes was called Israel, and the Southern Kingdom of 2 tribes was called Judah.  Jehoshaphat was the King of Judah.

While Jehoshaphat was the King of Judah, Ahab was the King of Israel.  You may remember his name.  He was married to Jezebel.  He had over 400 prophets, not one of which had any connection to the God of the Bible.  Jehoshaphat had no business being Ahab’s ally. 1 Ki 16:30 says:

“Ahab son of Omri did more evil in the eyes of the LORD than any of those before him.”

Jehoshaphat’s Story

Back to Jehoshaphat.  His story took 4 chapters.  FYI, David and Solomon had the most written about them of any Jewish kings. Many of the later kings had very little written about them, especially the ones “who did evil in the sight of God”. But Jehoshaphat has 4 chapters in 2 Chronicles to tell his story. 2 Chr 17:3 says:

“The LORD was with Jehoshaphat because he followed the ways of his father David before him.”

David was a pretty good guy to follow.  God calls him “A man after God’s own heart”.  God selected David to be the second King of Israel (before the split).  So Jehoshaphat showed some real wisdom.  2 Chron 17:5 continues:

“The LORD established the kingdom under his control; and all Judah brought gifts to Jehoshaphat so that he had great wealth and honor.”

Jehoshaphat was faithful to God. And just like Solomon, God honored faithfulness with great wealth.  In 2 Chron 18 is another example of Jehoshaphat’s wisdom and faithfulness, and God’s amazing grace.  Jehoshaphat went to visit King Ahab, and Ahab wanted Jehoshaphat to join him in attacking Ramoth Gilead.  I could research everything about Ramoth Gilead, and impress you, but it would be a waste of time.  The actions of God, Ahab, and Jehoshaphat are what matter.

First, Ask The Lord

Jehoshaphat asked Ahab to “first seek an oracle from the Lord”.  Ahab tried to satisfy this request by bringing in his “false prophets”. So Ahab brought in his 400 prophets, all of whom said exactly what Ahab wanted them to say.  But Jehoshaphat was not impressed.  He asked for “a prophet of the Lord”.  Ahab’s response is quite humorous.  “Yes there is still one man, but I don’t like him. His name is Micah, and he never says anything good about me.  He always prophesies disaster!“

Jehoshaphat Insisted on a Prophet of God

Jehoshaphat insisted, so Ahab sent his servants to find the prophet, Micah. (You can find the Book of Micah right after the Book of Jonah).  So Micah was summoned.  At first, he mocked Ahab by sarcastically repeating what the other prophets said.  But when Ahab rebuked him, Micah told them what the Lord had told him.  Micah said, “there is a lying spirit in the mouths of all these prophets of yours, but the Lord has decreed disaster for you”.

In spite of that, Ahab convinced Jehoshaphat to go with him.  But in the battle, the enemy only wanted to attack and kill Ahab. An archer shot an arrow randomly into the air, and it struck Ahab in the perfect place, between the plates of his armor, and he died.  So Jehoshaphat was spared the disaster, and he returned home to Jerusalem.  This brings us to my most favorite story about this faithful leader.

Judah Invaded by an Army from 3 Countries

In 2 Chr 20, a huge army attacked Jehoshaphat.  What follows is an amazing story about the faithfulness of the Almighty God to His chosen people and their faithful king.  What do you suppose would happen if today, a mighty army attacked the United States?  I’m guessing there would be outrageous anger and discord, political infighting, lots of blame, and probably instant retaliation.  But I doubt the leader of the free world would stop, admit he was afraid and not sure what to do, call for the people to fast, and loudly and openly pray to God for help.

But that is exactly how the King of Judah responded to this crisis.  All this while the attack is happening.  And after he prayed, Jehoshaphat and all the men of Judah stood and waited for an answer.  As I told you, this is an amazing story.

God’s Answer Demonstrated His Power & Glory

When God’s answer came, it was extraordinary.  Jehoshaphat and all the people were told to wait and watch because this battle belonged to God.  Continuing in 2 Chr 20:15-17:

He said: “Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the LORD says to you: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s. Tomorrow, march down against them. They will be climbing up by the Pass of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the gorge in the Desert of Jeruel.  You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the LORD will be with you.’

Jehoshaphat’s Reply to God’s Answer

In 2 Chr 20:18,21-24:

18 Jehoshaphat bowed down with his face to the ground, and all the people of Judah and Jerusalem fell down in worship before the LORD.

21 After consulting the people, Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the LORD and to praise Him for the splendor of his holiness as they went out at the head of the army, saying: “Give thanks to the LORD, for his love endures forever.” 22 As they began to sing and praise, the LORD set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated. 23 The Ammonites and Moabites rose up against the men from Mount Seir to destroy and annihilate them. After they finished slaughtering the men from Seir, they helped to destroy one another. 24 When the men of Judah came to the place that overlooks the desert and looked toward the vast army, they saw only dead bodies lying on the ground; no one had escaped.

Summary and Conclusion

Jehoshaphat’s response was:

• pray,
• wait for an answer,
• faithfully obey what God said,
• appoint men to sing praises and thanksgiving to God, and
• watch God keep His promise.

After the battle was over, the Bible says Jehoshaphat and his men went to collect the plunder.  There was so much plunder that it took them 3 days to collect it.

The story ends in 2 Chron 20:29-30:

The fear of God came on all the surrounding kingdoms when they heard how the LORD had fought against the enemies of Israel.  And the kingdom of Jehoshaphat was at peace, for his God had given him rest on every side.

Fear came upon all the enemies, and Jehoshaphat was at peace. I mean, what else could all their other enemies do?

Jehoshaphat is only one of many Kings of Israel and Judah.  His story is just one of the stories given to us in the Bible about our wonderful Creator, Father God, the Father of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. We serve a great God!  Praise Him for His love, faithfulness, and almighty power!

Historical References

For reference purposes, here are a few facts about the times of Jehoshaphat with others.

1. Jehoshaphat was King of Judah and ruled from 873-838 BC
2. Solomon ruled from 971-931 BC
3. Moses led Israel from 1445-1405 BC

Thank you for your attention.  Please leave a comment or question.

In Matthew 28:19-20, Jesus said to His disciples: “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” This passage is known as “The Great Commission”. Following that commission, we share the Gospel in Medellin.  The difference is that we do it in English.

For nearly 2,000 years, this verse has been the basis for all Christian missionaries who have ever been sent all over the world. Those missionaries have learned thousands of foreign languages so that they could preach the good news of Jesus Christ to every distinct “people group” on earth. I think most other Christians think of this as referring only to missionaries who were sent to third world countries. They were going to share the gospel with people who had never heard of Jesus Christ.

Is an English-speaking church in Medellin fulfilling the Great Commission?

But now, as I think about why God called us to Medellin, I realize that our mission here is also part of the Great Commission. Why?

1. First, to share the gospel with those who have not yet repented and believed in the Lord Jesus Christ (Evangelism).
2. Second, to establish an English-speaking Christian community of believers to help and pray for one another. This is very much like a church family in an American Christian church (Fellowship).
3. Third, to “disciple” our fellow believers to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (Discipleship).

Therefore, the Holy Spirit is working through us as we share the gospel in English in a city where 99%+ of the population does not speak English! But in a city of 4 million people, that still leaves around 40,000 who can understand our message. Our challenge is to find them and help them find us. Our mission is very important and has eternal consequences. If they don’t hear and understand the gospel of Jesus Christ, and don’t believe in Him, they will all be separated from God for eternity.

And what I just realized this week is that most English-speakers are not conversational in Spanish. So, there is no way a Spanish-speaking Christian could share the Gospel in a way they would understand. That is a role only an English-speaking believer can fill. And that is a major part of the reason God wants an English-speaking church in Medellin.

How Does Grace Church Medellin Participate in the Great Commission?

Recently, I read an article titled “9 Ministries That Satisfy The Great Commission“. I found it interesting that out of the 9 Ministries, Grace Church Medellin is already working in 4 of them. And as God brings growth to our group, we will eventually have regular worship and preaching services, and that will add a 5th Ministry. Just based on that, we are participating in fulfilling the Great Commission. Here are the ministries Grace Church is currently doing:

1. 

   Small-Group Studies
   We have weekly Bible Studies in our members’ homes or apartments. These studies include time for fellowship, Bible study, singing, prayer, and lots of discussions that larger settings don’t offer.

2. Individual Discipleship
   Spending time one on one with a fellow believer, opening our Bibles together and learning how to become more like Christ, is the most effective way to make a disciple.
3. Church planting
   In our case, we are trying to reach people from our culture who choose to live in a different culture. So we are the best ones available to reach out to our fellow English-speakers.  Many of them are our fellow countrymen from North America.
4. Reproduction (or Multiplying)
   The Great Commission is about “disciplering”. That is a made-up word that means making disciples who make disciples. And that is one of our long-term goals. This will require many more Christians who are committed to evangelizing, disciple, and yes, even send out missionaries.  We can send missionaries to other cities in Colombia and perhaps other countries. And we are working in many ways to get the word out about how others can join us in this work.

Grace Church Medellin Is Here for You

Romans is my favorite Book in the Bible because it contains so many critically important passages.  For example, it is the clearest representation of the Gospel or “Good News” about Jesus Christ and the meaning of his death, burial, and resurrection.  Romans 8:38-39 is one of the most powerful demonstrations of God’s love for His people, and is justification for why He called us to Medellin.

³⁸ For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers,³⁹ nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

God is planting a new church in Medellin through those He has called. It is starting in the Poblado area, but we believe it will spread to many other areas of Medellin and the Abura Valley.  We are delighted and humbled that He has chosen to work through us to accomplish His plan. And we hope we may be the first of many such churches for English-speakers. Medellin is a very large city, and there are thousands of English-speakers living full or part-time here. And our numbers are growing every month as more people discover the many benefits of living and serving Christ in Latin America.  Come and join us.

Steve Tuggle