Series: March Forward, Stand Firm

Title: The Battle is the Lord’s

2 Chronicles 20:1-22, 27-30

¹ After this the Moabites and Ammonites, and with them some of the Meunites, came against Jehoshaphat for battle. ² Some men came and told Jehoshaphat, “A great multitude is coming against you from Edom, from beyond the sea; and, behold, they are in Hazazon-tamar” (that is, Engedi). 

Understanding the enemy.  Who are the Moabites, Ammonites?

• Moabites were a nation who were descendants from Moab, the incestuous son of Lot and his oldest daughter.
• Ammonites were also a nation who were descendants from Ben-Ammi, he was the incestuous son of Lot and his younger daughter.

At the beginning of this family line, we find the sins of drunkenness and sexual immorality and here they have put themselves as enemies of God by coming to make war against King Jehoshaphat and the nation of Judah.  They are coming with a large army, thinking that by their numbers they could overthrow God’s chosen people. 

We are sadly mistaken if we think that our ways and our scheming are better than God’s ways and His infinite wisdom.

³ Then Jehoshaphat was afraid

Though Jehoshaphat was the man chosen by God to be king of Judah he finds himself afraid of the approaching army.  However, in prior chapters we see a different side of King Jehoshaphat. 

                  2 Chronicles 17:5-6

⁵ Therefore the Lord established the kingdom in his hand. And all Judah brought tribute to Jehoshaphat, and he had great riches and honor. ⁶ His heart was courageous in the ways of the Lord.

Fear is an emotion we all experience at one point or another.  You may be walking in the woods and come across a snake of some sort. If you are like me, you jump back 10’.  But once you determine that it is not a poisonous snake then all fear is gone. Or at least most fear is gone.  In this case, fear is used to bring about a healthy respect for what you are facing. 

Fear causes you to evaluate the situation to determine whether you can handle it on your own, with the resources you have or will you need an alternative plan of action or some sort of intervention.

As a ruler of Judah, King Jehoshaphat must take the threat seriously and prepare his people adequately.  Fear helped him to prepare.  He evaluated the situation and realized he was in trouble and did not have the means in and of himself to bring about a victory, so he does something about it. 

³ Then Jehoshaphat was afraid and set his face to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. ⁴ And Judah assembled to seek help from the Lord; from all the cities of Judah they came to seek the Lord.

It is one thing to be fearful, but the real question is “What do you do with your fear?

• Do you let it control you?
• Do you allow it to rule your imagination as you envision every possible thing that could go wrong?
• Do you allow it to cripple you from moving forward into the calling that God has for you?

Jehoshaphat handles fear like a champ.  Yes, it was important to take the threat seriously, but when he did inventory and seen that he lacked, he went to the Lord God Almighty who is always victorious in battle. 

His fear was a channel through which he would be brought to have greater faith in God.  If there was any chance that he would be victorious against these impending armies, it would not be through his own efforts, but through the power of the Living God.

He fasted and he prayed, and he commanded others to do the same. 

Nearly 100 years prior to this event after the temple is completed, King Solomon prays to God on behalf of God’s people. 

                  2 Chronicles 6:34-35

³⁴ “If your people go out to battle against their enemies, by whatever way you shall send them, and they pray to you toward this city that you have chosen and the house that I have built for your name, ³⁵ then hear from heaven their prayer and their plea, and maintain their cause.

King Jehoshaphat and the people of Judah needed this prayer to be fulfilled more than ever.  So, they humbled themselves and gave themselves to fasting and prayer.  

⁵ And Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the Lord, before the new court, ⁶ and said, “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. ⁷ 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? ⁸ And they have lived in it and have built for you in it a sanctuary for your name, saying, ⁹ ‘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.’ ¹⁰ And now behold, the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir, whom you would not let Israel invade when they came from the land of Egypt, and whom they avoided and did not destroy— ¹¹ behold, they reward us by coming to drive us out of your possession, which you have given us to inherit. ¹² O our God, will you not execute judgment on them? 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.”

What great assertions were made by King Jehoshaphat and the Judeans!

• God of our fathers (God of covenant)
• You rule the earth
• You are powerful and mighty
• You are just
• We are powerless
• We do not know what to do
• Our eyes are on you

We must have an attitude of humility when we face battles that are too much for us to handle.  It is an attitude which the Lord desires from us.  It is ok to not know what to do.  It is ok to be powerless.

¹³ Meanwhile all Judah stood before the Lord, with their little ones, their wives, and their children. ¹⁴ And the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, son of Benaiah, son of Jeiel, son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, in the midst of the assembly.¹⁵ And he said, “Listen, all Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem and King Jehoshaphat: 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.

God’s got it, don’t worry about it. But just because God’s got it, that does not negate their responsibility to be obedient to what the Lord God had commanded them to do.  God always gives us a part to play, you may call it a step of faith.  Do you believe that He is going to do it? If you believe, then take a step of faith to prove that you believe because God can be trusted to fulfill His word.

Here is what they were to do:

¹⁶ Tomorrow go down against them. Behold, 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. ¹⁷ 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.”

Through the prophet Jahaziel the Lord tells them to “go down against them”

(MSG) Don’t be afraid, don’t waver. March out boldly tomorrow—God is with you.”

March forward to the battlefield.  He tells them where they were to march and where they will find their enemies. 

The other thing he tells them to do is to Stand firm Hold their position. That was a posture of faith and of complete dependanceupon The Lord God Almighty. 

That was it, that is all that the Lord had asked them to do.  He had promised to take care of the rest. He would fight their battles for them.

¹⁸ Then Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down before the Lord, worshiping the Lord. ¹⁹ And the Levites, of the Kohathites and the Korahites, stood up to praise the Lord, the God of Israel, with a very loud voice.

²⁰ 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.” ²¹ 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.”

²² And when they began to sing and praise, the Lord set an ambush against the men of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah, so that they were routed. ²³ For the men of Ammon and Moab rose against the inhabitants of Mount Seir, devoting them to destruction, and when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, they all helped to destroy one another.

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²⁷ Then they returned, every man of Judah and Jerusalem, and Jehoshaphat at their head, returning to Jerusalem with joy, for the Lord had made them rejoice over their enemies. ²⁸ They came to Jerusalem with harps and lyres and trumpets, to the house of the Lord.²⁹ 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. ³⁰ So the realm of Jehoshaphat was quiet, for his God gave him rest all around.

I believe this passage is relevant to our lives in 2022.  It does not matter what unforeseen battle that we may encounter this year, our commission is the same. 

March Forward- Continue to march forward into the High Calling of Christ Jesus. 

Stand Firm- Continue to believe and have unshakeable faith that He will bring about the victory.

Now my wife will give you a bit more direction on ways which you can march forward.