Good morning!
Greetings in the name of Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
After consulting the people, the king appointed singers to walk ahead of the army, singing to the LORD and praising him for his holy splendor. This is what they sang:
“Give thanks to the LORD;
His faithful love endures forever!” (2 Chronicles 20:21)
Jehoshaphat succeeded King Asa, who was his father, and became the 4th king of Judah. He followed the example of his father’s early year, and did not worship idols. He sought his father’s God and obeyed his commands instead of following the evil practices of the kingdom of Israel. So God established Jehoshaphat’s control over the kingdom of Judah. He was deeply committed to the ways of God. He removed the pagan shrines and Asherah poles from Judah so that his people be faithful to God. He also sent his officials and Levites to teach his people in all the towns of Judah with God’s Word.
Then the fear of the LORD fell over all the surrounding kingdoms so that none of them wanted to declare war on Jehoshaphat. Some of the Philistines brought him gifts and silver as tribute, and the Arabs brought rams and goats. So Jehoshaphat became more and more powerful and built fortresses and storage cities throughout Judah.
One day, the armies of the Moabites, Ammonites, and some of the Meunitesa allied and declared war against Jehoshaphat. Messengers came and told Jehoshaphat, “A vast army from Edom is marching against you from beyond the Dead Sea. They are already at Hazazon-tamar.” (This was another name for En-gedi, which was the west side of the Dead Sea, on which side Jerusalem was.)
Suddenly, a huge challenge found him and his country. Three countries on the east side of the Dead Sea made alliance and were about to attack Judah. They had already crossed the Dead Sea, and arrived at En-gedi, which was on the east side of the Dead Sea. The allied enemy were only 40 miles/60 km away from Jerusalem.
On the news, Jehoshaphat was terrified, but he did not call for a meeting to devise a plan how to defend against the huge allied enemy’s army. Instead, he sought the LORD first, and he ordered everyone in Judah to begin fasting. So people from all the towns of Judah came to Jerusalem to seek the LORD’s help.
Jehoshaphat stood before the people of Judah in front of the courtyard at the Temple of the LORD. He prayed,
“O LORD, God of our ancestors, you alone are the God who is in heaven. You are ruler of all the kingdoms of the earth. You are powerful and mighty; no one can stand against you! O our God, did you not drive out those who lived in this land when your people Israel arrived? And did you not give this land forever to the descendants of your friend Abraham? Your people settled here and built this Temple to honor your name. They said, ‘Whenever we are faced with any calamity such as war, plague, or famine, we can come to stand in your presence before this Temple where your name is honored. We can cry out to you to save us, and you will hear us and rescue us.’
… O our God, won’t you stop them? We are powerless against this mighty army that is about to attack us. We do not know what to do, but we are looking to you for help.” (2 Chronicles 20: 12)
In his prayer, Jehoshaphat declared God’s sovereignty and His absolute power. Then he uttered the God’s promise in his prayer, which was followed by the King Solomon’s prayer of the temple dedication: “Whenever we are faced with any calamity such as war, plague, or famine, we can come to stand in your presence before this Temple where your name is honored. We can cry out to you to save us, and you will hear us and rescue us.” Jehoshaphat had nothing but hope in God. He cried for help earnestly and humbly with all of his people to God including little ones, wives and all children. All nation was humbly before God for His help.
God answered through one Levite, who spoke: “Listen, all you people of Judah and Jerusalem! Listen, King Jehoshaphat! This is what the LORD says: Do not be afraid! Don’t be discouraged by this mighty army, for the battle is not yours, but God’s. Tomorrow, march out against them. You will find them coming up through the ascent of Ziz at the end of the valley that opens into the wilderness of Jeruel. But you will not even need to fight. Take your positions; then stand still and watch the LORD’s victory. He is with you, O people of Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid or discouraged. Go out against them tomorrow, for the LORD is with you!” (2 Chronicles 20:15-17)
Then King Jehoshaphat bowed low with his face to the ground. And all the people of Judah and Jerusalem did the same, worshiping the LORD. Then the Levites stood to praise the LORD, the God of Israel, with a very loud shout.
Early the next morning the army of Judah went out for the battle. On the way Jehoshaphat stopped and said, “Listen to me, all you people of Judah and Jerusalem! Believe in the LORD your God, and you will be able to stand firm. Believe in his prophets, and you will succeed.” (2 Chronicles 20:20) Jehoshaphat shared his absolute faith and God’s glory with the people, because he truly trusted in the LORD.
After consulting the people, the king appointed singers to walk ahead of the army, singing to the LORD and praising him for his holy splendor. This is what they sang:
“Give thanks to the LORD;
his faithful love endures forever!” (2 Chronicles 20:21b)
At the very moment they began to sing and give praise, the LORD caused the armies of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir to start fighting among themselves! The armies of Moab and Ammon turned against their allies from Mount Seir and killed every one of them. After they had destroyed the army of Seir, they began attacking each other. So when the army of Judah arrived at the lookout point in the wilderness near En-gedi, all they saw were dead bodies lying on the ground as far as they could see. Not a single one of the enemy had escaped.
What a power of God! As God promised, the Jehoshaphat and his army did not have to shoot even one arrow or to draw one sword. God saw the faith of Jehoshaphat and his people, and he answered.
Oh, God of mercy. Please stretch your hand, touch our heart and soul to be filled with your spirit, and strengthen our faith in you. We, as human beings, are frail and easily terrified by what we see, but you are always faithful to us. On earth, help us to focus on you, and experience your power and your absolute sovereignty. We will give our praise forever and ever to you, our ever-loving Father. Praise Him! Praise His Name with the loudest voice! His name is worthy of our highest praise. Amen.
Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good,
for His steadfast love endures forever.
Give thanks to the God of gods,
for His steadfast love endures forever.
Give thanks to the Lord of lords,
for His steadfast love endures forever; (Psalm 136:1-3)
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