Good morning my “Walking with Jesus” friends,
I wonder if you have some favorite parts of the Bible that when you read them your heart begins to beat a little faster? Today we’ll look at one of mine!
I’m sure we’ve all had the experience of a much anticipated day finally arriving and as you step into the activities or events of that day you know they will be significant, maybe even become a major milestone event in your life? That is what we’re going to experience as we join King Jehoshaphat and all those people who had gathered in Jerusalem with great anxiety, seeking God’s help against a huge army on the march toward them.
Yesterday we watched as a man of God, Jahaziel, gave King Jehoshaphat and the people a fresh word of great hope from God. His words echoed the words God had spoken to Moses and Joshua from centuries before as I explained to you yesterday.
Now it was time to take action and obediently follow the instructions God had given King Jehoshaphat and the people of Judah. The record says: “Early the next morning the people set out for the Desert of Tekoa.” (2 Chron. 20:20)
God had promised His people, through His prophet, that He SAW the approaching army, He knew exactly WHO they were, WHY they were coming to attack the Israelites, and WHAT their evil objectives were. God’s promise was that He would PROTECT His people, but He wanted them to FOLLOW His instructions so they would EXPERIENCE His deliverance, just as God had done with their ancestors, fleeing Hebrew slaves leaving Egypt; (Ex.14) and also as God had done with the next generation as He led them into the Land of God’s promise. (Joshua 3,4)
Once again I’m encouraged to see King Jehoshaphat take his leadership responsibility seriously. Jehoshaphat did not send the people off to face this approaching army, this King went WITH His people and challenged them to follow his lead in trusting God with every step. The record says: “As they set out, King Jehoshaphat 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.” (2 Chronicles 20:20)
So let me ask my friends: as you and I evaluate HOW the leaders of your country and mine lead the people of our nations, when facing tragedies or frightening situations, how does our experience compare to what we see here with King Jehoshaphat? What about how you and I lead our families?
But Jehoshaphat was more than a King who made speeches. He had a plan of action to help the people keep their focus on God and strengthen their faith in God as they marched TOWARD the approaching enemy. Did you get that? 2 Chron. 20:21 tells us “After consulting the people, Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the LORD and praise God for the splendor of His holiness. They went out ahead of the army singing: ‘Give thanks to the LORD for His love endures forever.”
It’s one thing for leaders to make wonderful, even motivating speeches, it’s another thing for those leaders to join in the plan of action and develop ways for the people to keep unified, encouraged, confident and hopeful as they move forward into the challenges ahead. Jehoshaphat did that well, and God responded to Jehoshaphat’s efforts to keep the people focused on God even as they marched toward their approaching enemy.
Do you see how in verses 22 & 23? God engaged in a military strategy by setting ambushes, Himself, against the invaders and soon they were slaughtering each other while the Israelites were marching from Jerusalem toward them.
As the Israelites approached the place the man of God, Jahaziel, had told them to go, they found it was an overlook from which they could see the desert wasteland below them stretching down to the Dead Sea. As they looked across the landscape they were stunned! On they saw the vast army, but rather than marching to a cadence the army was dead!
The people saw only the dead bodies of the Moabite, Ammonite and Meunite warriors who had come against them! The Israelites had not fired an arrow, not even reached for their weapons but now, here before them, were the casualties of war as far as the eye could see! God Himself had intervened and confused the warriors and they had attacked and killed each other while the Israelites were still yet several miles away.
Does that remind you friends of another time the eyes of Israelites were amazed to see the results of God’s direct intervention in protecting them from an approaching army? It’s what the fleeing Israelite slaves saw as they looked out over the Red Sea which had closed over Pharaoh’s army! (Ex. 14:30,31)
Quickly word spread that King Jehoshaphat had given the order to gather up all the usable weapons and clothing, horses, camels and carts which were strewn all over this wilderness, and bring them all back to Jerusalem for the people. There was so much it required three full days for this great ingathering!
And on the fourth day King Jehoshaphat did something very important which most leaders fail to do: King Jehoshaphat called the people to a great THANKSGIVING, making sure God received all the praise and glory for this miracle! Friends, how often do we rush on in life forgetting to stop and thank God for what He has done in our lives?
The record says: “On the fourth day they all assembled in the valley where they praised the LORD. This is why it is called the Valley of Berakah (Blessing) to this day! Then led by Jehoshaphat, all the men of Judah and Jerusalem returned joyfully to Jerusalem, for the LORD God had given them cause to rejoice over their enemies. They entered Jerusalem and went to the Temple of the LORD with instruments and singers to Praise the LORD!” (2 Chron. 20:25-28)
Oh my I can only imagine what a glorious experience this was for all those who had marched down to SEE this great approaching army, only to find them all dead! And then a huge victory parade bringing back to Jerusalem all the spoils of war, even though the Israelites had not fired a single arrow or faced even one living enemy warrior! Can you imagine the stories the adults told their kids and grandkids for years to come?
The record ends with a very significant summary statement: “The fear of God came on all the surrounding kingdoms when they heard how the LORD God 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!” (2 Chronicles 20:29,30) Now friends, how does that compare to what you see happening in Israel TODAY, and the surrounding nations and terrorist groups like Hamas and Hezbollah? Do you suppose God is watching and waiting for some leader in Israel to rise up as Jehoshaphat did and lead Israel to seek God’s help?
God has promised “I the LORD do not change.” (Malachi 3:6) While we look at the larger picture of Israel and the Middle East today, when evaluating this event, can we also look at ourselves and our families and evaluate how we are leading our families against the encroaching darkness and evil in every part of the world in our day?
Are we discerning what God is telling us to do as we stand firm on His truth in the chaos? Are we equipping our kids and grandkids to do as these people did in the face of such a terrifying adversary? Here’s a song to help us reflect on all this as we prayerfully evaluate our need for God’s help in our day, no matter where you live in our troubled world.
Today’s Scripture: 2 Chronicles 20:18-30.
Choose below to read or listen.
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Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here.
Pastor Doug Anderson
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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