Jesus the Way to the Father

John 14 "Do not be worried and upset," Jesus told them. "Believe in God and believe also in me. ²There are many rooms in my Father's house, and I am going to prepare a place for you. I would not tell you this if it were not so. ³And after I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to myself, so that you will be where I am. ⁴You know the way that leads to the place where I am going."
⁵Thomas said to him, "Lord, we do not know where you are going; so how can we know the way to get there?"
⁶Jesus answered him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one goes to the Father except by me. ⁷Now that you have known me," he said to them, "you will know my Father also, and from now on you do know him and you have seen him."
⁸Philip said to him, "Lord, show us the Father; that is all we need."
⁹Jesus answered, "For a long time I have been with you all; yet you do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. Why, then, do you say, 'Show us the Father'? ¹⁰Do you not believe, Philip, that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I have spoken to you," Jesus said to his disciples, "do not come from me. The Father, who remains in me, does his own work. ¹¹Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me. If not, believe because of the things I do. ¹²I am telling you the truth: those who believe in me will do what I do--yes, they will do even greater things, because I am going to the Father. ¹³And I will do whatever you ask for in my name, so that the Father's glory will be shown through the Son. ¹⁴If you ask me for anything in my name, I will do it.

War against Edom

2 Chronicles 20 Some time later the armies of Moab and Ammon, together with their allies, the Meunites, invaded Judah. ²Some messengers came and announced to King Jehoshaphat: "A large army from Edom has come from the other side of the Dead Sea to attack you. They have already captured Hazazon Tamar." (This is another name for Engedi.) ³Jehoshaphat was frightened and prayed to the LORD for guidance. Then he gave orders for a fast to be observed throughout the country. ⁴From every city of Judah people hurried to Jerusalem to ask the LORD for guidance, ⁵and they and the people of Jerusalem gathered in the new courtyard of the Temple. King Jehoshaphat went and stood before them ⁶and prayed aloud, "O LORD God of our ancestors, you rule in heaven over all the nations of the world. You are powerful and mighty, and no one can oppose you. ⁷You are our God. When your people Israel moved into this land, you drove out the people who were living here and gave the land to the descendants of Abraham, your friend, to be theirs forever. ⁸They have lived here and have built a temple to honor you, knowing ⁹that if any disaster struck them to punish them--a war, an epidemic, or a famine--then they could come and stand in front of this Temple where you are worshiped. They could pray to you in their trouble, and you would hear them and rescue them.
¹⁰"Now the people of Ammon, Moab, and Edom have attacked us. When our ancestors came out of Egypt, you did not allow them to enter those lands, so our ancestors went around them and did not destroy them. ¹¹This is how they repay us--they come to drive us out of the land that you gave us. ¹²You are our God! Punish them, for we are helpless in the face of this large army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but we look to you for help."
¹³All the men of Judah, with their wives and children, were standing there at the Temple. ¹⁴The spirit of the LORD came upon a Levite who was present in the crowd. His name was Jahaziel son of Zechariah; he was a member of the clan of Asaph and was descended from Asaph through Mattaniah, Jeiel, and Benaiah. ¹⁵Jahaziel said, "Your Majesty and all you people of Judah and Jerusalem, the LORD says that you must not be discouraged or be afraid to face this large army. The battle depends on God, not on you. ¹⁶Attack them tomorrow as they come up the pass at Ziz. You will meet them at the end of the valley that leads to the wild country near Jeruel. ¹⁷You will not have to fight this battle. Just take up your positions and wait; you will see the LORD give you victory. People of Judah and Jerusalem, do not hesitate or be afraid. Go out to battle, and the LORD will be with you!"
¹⁸Then King Jehoshaphat bowed low, with his face touching the ground, and all the people bowed with him and worshiped the LORD. ¹⁹The members of the Levite clans of Kohath and Korah stood up and with a loud shout praised the LORD, the God of Israel.
²⁰Early the next morning the people went out to the wild country near Tekoa. As they were starting out, Jehoshaphat addressed them with these words: "People of Judah and Jerusalem! Put your trust in the LORD your God, and you will stand your ground. Believe what his prophets tell you, and you will succeed." ²¹After consulting with the people, the king ordered some musicians to put on the robes they wore on sacred occasions and to march ahead of the army, singing: "Praise the LORD! His love is eternal!"
²²When they began to sing, the LORD threw the invading armies into a panic. ²³The Ammonites and the Moabites attacked the Edomite army and completely destroyed it, and then they turned on each other in savage fighting. ²⁴When the Judean army reached a tower that was in the desert, they looked toward the enemy and saw that they were all lying on the ground dead. Not one had escaped.
²⁵Jehoshaphat and his troops moved in to take the loot, and they found many cattle, supplies, clothing, and other valuable objects. They spent three days gathering the loot, but there was so much that they could not take everything. ²⁶On the fourth day they assembled in Beracah Valley and praised the LORD for all he had done. That is why the valley is called "Beracah." ²⁷Jehoshaphat led his troops back to Jerusalem in triumph, because the LORD had defeated their enemies. ²⁸When they reached the city, they marched to the Temple to the music of harps and trumpets. ²⁹Every nation that heard how the LORD had defeated Israel's enemies was terrified, ³⁰so Jehoshaphat ruled in peace, and God gave him security on every side.

The End of Jehoshaphat's Reign
(1 Kings 22.41-50)

³¹Jehoshaphat had become king of Judah at the age of thirty-five and had ruled in Jerusalem for twenty-five years. His mother was Azubah, the daughter of Shilhi. ³²Like his father Asa before him, he did what was right in the sight of the LORD; ³³but the pagan places of worship were not destroyed. The people still did not turn wholeheartedly to the worship of the God of their ancestors.
³⁴Everything else that Jehoshaphat did, from the beginning of his reign to its end, is recorded in The History of Jehu Son of Hanani, which is a part of The History of the Kings of Israel.
³⁵At one time King Jehoshaphat of Judah made an alliance with King Ahaziah of Israel, who did many wicked things. ³⁶At the port of Eziongeber they built ocean-going ships. ³⁷But Eliezer son of Dodavahu, from the town of Mareshah, warned Jehoshaphat, "Because you have made an alliance with Ahaziah, the LORD will destroy what you have built." And the ships were wrecked and never sailed.
2 Chronicles 21 Jehoshaphat died and was buried in the royal tombs in David's City and his son Jehoram succeeded him as king.

Psalm 78 ⁵⁶But they rebelled against Almighty God
and put him to the test.
They did not obey his commandments,
⁵⁷but were rebellious and disloyal like their ancestors,
unreliable as a crooked arrow.
⁵⁸They angered him with their heathen places of worship,
and with their idols they made him furious.
⁵⁹God was angry when he saw it,
so he rejected his people completely.
⁶⁰He abandoned his tent in Shiloh,
the home where he had lived among us.
⁶¹He allowed our enemies to capture the Covenant Box,
the symbol of his power and glory.
⁶²He was angry with his own people
and let them be killed by their enemies.
⁶³Young men were killed in war,
and young women had no one to marry.
⁶⁴Priests died by violence,
and their widows were not allowed to mourn.

⁶⁵At last the Lord woke up as though from sleep;
he was like a strong man excited by wine.
⁶⁶He drove his enemies back
in lasting and shameful defeat.
⁶⁷But he rejected the descendants of Joseph;
he did not select the tribe of Ephraim.
⁶⁸Instead he chose the tribe of Judah
and Mount Zion, which he dearly loves.
⁶⁹There he built his Temple
like his home in heaven;
he made it firm like the earth itself,
secure for all time.

⁷⁰He chose his servant David;
he took him from the pastures,
⁷¹where he looked after his flocks,
and he made him king of Israel,
the shepherd of the people of God.
⁷²David took care of them with unselfish devotion
and led them with skill.