If you find yourself in need of encouragement amid your current battle, grab your Bible and read 2 Chronicles 20! As I studied this chapter a few months ago, I was at the very end of myself. I had nothing left to fight with. I was physically, spiritually, and emotionally drained. I had been praying and fasting, asking God for a specific miracle, and He had chosen another way that I didn’t fully understand. It’s funny (and quite sad) how long it can take to be brought to the end of ourselves…I believe this is where God wanted me…with nothing else to lean on other than Him. I felt him saying, ‘Be still and let me fight this for you.” (Ex. 14:14)
To understand just how bad Jehosaphat’s situation was, we need a brief history lesson. Jehoshaphat was the son of David (2 Chronicles 17:3) and had returned home after nearly dying (from a previous battle). Earlier in 2 Chronicles 18 we see that he had disregarded the prophet Micah and went into battle with the king of Israel. After returning home, 2 Chronicles 19:3-4 tells us that he “set his heart to seek after God” and “brought his people back to the Lord.” What was his reward for doing so? He was told that a “great multitude” was coming against him. Let’s take a look at how he responded:
1. Jehoshaphat was afraid and set his face to seek the Lord.
I love that Scripture tells us Jehoshaphat was afraid! However, his fear did not paralyze him. Instead, we read that his fear resulted in action…he sought the face of the Lord.
We are told in 2 Timothy 1:7, “For God gave us a spirit NOT of fear but of power and love and self-control.”
If you are one with Christ, that’s YOU in 2 Timothy! Believer, you are NOT weak; you are NOT helpless. As much as Satan wants you to believe that you are defenseless..it is a lie straight from the pit of hell! No matter how massive and scary the giants in your life are…they cannot compare to the power and might of the God you serve! Satan is the father of lies. He is the deceiver and accuser! If you are feeling too weak to have victory in your current battle, you are listening to the wrong voice. You need to tell that voice to leave in the mighty name of Jesus Christ, for you are a child of God, covered in the blood of Jesus and the victory has already been won. Sin and death have already been defeated through the all-sufficient work of Christ.
2. Jehoshaphat proclaimed a fast.
When we fast, we show humility and complete dependence upon God. Thomas Tarrants from the CS Lewis Institute wrote, “We resort to fasting out of a deep sense of our weakness and need in order to seek God in a more urgent, earnest, and heartfelt manner for something of great importance to us or to His kingdom.”
John Stott put it this way: we are told to “ask, seek and knock in prayer (Matthew 7:7)…we might think of fasting with prayer as knocking loudly on the gates of heaven.”
3. Jehoshaphat recognized God for who he is and remembered what God had done.
“O Lord, God of our fathers, are you not God in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. In your hand are power and might, so that none is able to withstand you. Did you not, our God drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel, and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham your friend? And they have lived in it and have built for you in it a sanctuary for your name, saying,’ If disaster comes upon us, the sword, judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we will stand before this house and before you – for your name is in this house – and cry out to you in our affliction, and you will hear and save!” 2 Chronicles 20:6
Why is it that when we are in dark places, we tend to question what we know to be true in the light? We wonder if God hears us and if he will save us…all while forgetting that he is an unchangeable God. The same God who delivered Moses and the Israelites fights for you! He is faithful to His children…He always has and always will be! And if you don’t believe this today, cry out to the Lord….Lord, I believe; help my unbelief, then get out pen and paper and start making a list of the Lord’s works and mighty deeds.
4. Jehoshaphat cried out to God to save – He appealed to God’s justice.
“O our God, will you not execute judgment on them?” 2 Chronicles 20:12
Isaiah 61:8 and Psalm 11:7 tells us that the Lord loves justice. He hates wrongdoing. The Lord will always protect and defend His children.
5. Jehoshaphat recognized his inability to save himself and his people.
He humbly acknowledged his insufficiency and looked to the one who is all-sufficient!
“For we are powerless against this great horde that is coming against us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.” 2 Chronicles 20:12
2 Chronicles 20:14 is where we see the Lord answering Jehoshapat’s desperate pleas.
“And the Spirit of the Lord came upon…Thus says the Lord to you, ‘Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed at this great horde, for the battle is not yours but God’s. Tomorrow go down against them. Beholds they will come up by the ascent of ZIZ. You will find them at the end of the valley, east of the wilderness of Jeruel. You will not need to fight in this battle. Stand firm, hold your position, and see the salvation of the Lord on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem,’ Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed. Tomorrow go out against them, and the Lord will be with you.””
One of the great truths that I have experienced in life is that the Lord responds to his people. Psalms 91:15 says that if we call upon Him, He will answer.
In this passage, we see that the Lord comforts and reassures his people. Notice that he does not berate his children or call them out on their fear…he comforts them! Do you see your Heavenly Father as a God of comfort when you are battle-worn? Or do you feel that he is disappointed in you? Or even worse, that he’s given up on trying to help you?
The last thing we see in these verses is that the Lord gives them direction.
7. Jehoshaphat fell to the ground and worshipped. Amid fear and what may have appeared like total annihilation by the enemy, he fell before the Lord and worshiped.
“Then Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down before the Lord, worshipping the Lord. And the Levites, of the Kohathites and the Korahites stood up to praise the Lord, the God of Israel with a very loud voice.” 2 Chronicles 20:18
Notice here that they have yet to see the actual victory! They are so confident that the Lord will deliver on his promised victory that they worship him in advance for what they know he will do! Wow!
8. Jehoshaphat obeyed in faith (v. 17 God told them to go out and vs. 20 they went out)
“And they rose early in the morning and went out into the wilderness of Tekoa. And when they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, ‘Hear me, Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem! Believe in the Lord your God, and you will be established; believe his prophets, and you will succeed. And when he had taken counsel with the people, he appointed those who were to sing to the Lord and praise him in holy attire, as they went before the army, and say, ‘Give thanks to the Lord, for his steadfast love endures forever.” 2 Chronicles 20:20-21
Jehoshaphat had faith like David, a shepherd boy in the face of Goliath in 1 Sam. 17:37… ”The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear WILL deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.”
We are to boldly march into battle, knowing who is on our side, knowing that God has not and never will be defeated.
A few interesting things to note in this victory: the enemies destroyed each other on their own ONCE the procession started; there was total annihilation BEFORE Jehoshaphat and his people arrived at the battlefield. They did not have to physically fight at all, but took possession of an immense spoil (it took them 3 days to gather all of it).
“When Judah came to the watchtower of the wilderness, they looked toward the horde, and BEHOLD, there were dead bodies lying on the ground; NONE had escaped. When Jehoshaphat and his people came to take their spoil, they found among them, in great numbers, gods, clothing and precious things, which they took for themselves until they could carry no more. They were three days in taking the spoil, it was so much.” 2 Chronicles 20:24-25
Oh, the abundance of God’s goodness towards his children. He is zealous in his love and care for those who seek to live obedient to him.
9. Jehoshaphat told others of God’s victory over his enemies and God gave him rest.
“They came to Jerusalem with harps and lyres and trumpets, to the house of the Lord. And the fear of God came on all the kingdoms of the countries when they heard that the Lord had fought against the enemies of Israel. So the realm of Jehoshaphat was quiet, for HIS God game him rest all around.” 2 Chronicles 20:28-30
Be encouraged fellow believer, for we are more than conquerors. Romans 8:37
I have been very encouraged by this article. In fact it was just what I needed this morning. Thank you
Very relevant to the spiritual battles we are facing. God’s love is real and through faith we can overcome our obstacles.