An Ammonite...A Moabite

2 Chronicles 24:25-25:1,7 – When the Arameans withdrew, they left Joash severely wounded. His officials conspired against him for murdering the son of Jehoiada the priest, and they killed him in his bed. So he died and was buried in the City of David, but not in the tombs of the kings. Those who conspired against him were Zabad, son of Shimeath an Ammonite woman, and Jehozabad, son of Shimrith a Moabite woman. The account of his sons, the many prophecies about him, and the record of the restoration of the temple of God are written in the annotations on the book of the kings. And Amaziah his son succeeded him as king. Amaziah was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years. His mother’s name was Jehoaddan; she was from Jerusalem…But a man of God came to him and said, “Your Majesty, these troops from Israel must not march with you, for the Lord is not with Israel—not with any of the people of Ephraim.

2 Chronicles 20:20,30 – Early in the morning they left for the Desert of Tekoa. As they set out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Listen to me, Judah and people of Jerusalem! Have faith in the Lord your God and you will be upheld; have faith in his prophets and you will be successful.”… And the kingdom of Jehoshaphat was at peace, for his God had given him rest on every side.

Application:

• ·         “Have faith in the Lord your God and…in His prophets” was a particularly apt word for the Chronicler’s contemporaries to hear from this son of David—at a time when their only hope for the future lay with the Lord and the reassuring words of His prophets.
• ·         Righteous kings have victory in warfare, while wicked rulers experience defeat.
• ·         “Troops from Israel must not march with you” was another instance of the Chronicler’s condemnation of alliances that imply lack of trust in the Lord.

All Scripture verses taken from NIV