OVERCOMING VICTORY- Jehoshaphat found the secret. 2 chronicles 20

Judah’s king, Jehoshaphat, faced rebellion from the people of Moab and Ammon, whom God had protected when the children of Israel had entered the land after 40 years’ wandering in the desert. Now these nations defied the people of God.

Understandably, Jehoshaphat feared when he heard, that ‘A great multitude is coming against you from beyond the sea, from Syria, and from Engedi. The king wisely ’feared and set himself to seek the Lord; and ’did what is unusual today, ’He proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.’ ’They came from all the cities of Judah to seek the Lord; gathering together to ask help from the Lord.’ This is the only safe procedure when facing a grave national threat. (v4)

The king bravely led his nation in prayer in this crucial hour. Our Governor General, the Queen Elizabeth’s viceroy, has called Australia to a day of countrywide thanksgiving, which our homeland has never observed. Our nations demand godly leaders to call us to bow before and revere the living God .

Jehoshaphat identified with his people, ‘Standing in the congregation of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the Lord before the new court.’ Listen to his outstanding prayer,’ ‘O Lord God of our fathers, are you not God in heaven, and do you not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations, and in your hand is there not power and might, so that no one is able to withstand you (v6) ?

He acknowledged the Lord as the God of our fathers; Abraham, Isaac, Jacob; of Moses and Joshua. May the same unchanging Lord remind us He is eternal. He further pleaded that the Lord is the ruler of the nations; this is easily overlooked as we tremble at their strength: and that power and might are in His pierced hands; and that no ruler can resist HIM. God’s Holy Spirit had faithfully taught the king.

Our heavenly Father was pleased when reminded of HIS Person by His children; ‘Are You not our God, Who drove out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel, and gave it to the descendants of Abraham, your friend for ever?’ Do you remind your heavenly father of His gracious promises to you? He delights in that! ’You promised!’ My children reminded me to keep my promises.

Jehoshaphat continued, ’They have built you a sanctuary in the land for your name, saying,’ If disaster comes upon us such as the sword, judgment, pestilence , or famine, we will stand before this temple and in your Presence ( for Your name is in this temple ) and cry to you in our affliction, and you will hear and save.’ (v9) This shows the value of the worshipping centre; and the certainty that the great God would hear their cry and deliver them. They knew. Are we as deliberate as they?

Their prayer purposively reminded the Lord ‘He had restrained them from invading the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, when they came out of Egypt, who had now assembled to throw God’s people out of our possession which You have given us to inherit.’ (v11) Privileged king to tell all to his heavenly Father.

Then they entreated their Lord ’Will you not judge them? We have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us, nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are on you.’(v2) The king understood the sovereignty of his God, who was not embarrassed with the vast crowd of enemies assembled. Opposing numbers upset us; but one with God is a majority, which Jehoshaphat knew. Did his people know; or did he protest to remind them of his Lord’s greatness.

When ’we do not know what to do‘, we are powerless. Satan paralyses when we are uncertain about the right path. However, the eternal Spirit of God willingly directs us when we follow the Lord Jesus. Gideon did not know that his God would send home the majority of his army, leaving him with a depleted team of faith-filled men. God gave him a mighty victory, by scattering his enemies. Jehoshaphat faced similar circumstances; and frankly told his Lord of his unreadiness to face such a vast army. Tell your FATHER all the story. He understands fully. That’s why the detailed account is preserved in the Word of God.

His prayer included that gem, ’Our eyes are on you.’ (v12). A generation ago, we sang the chorus, which has been lost in this grappling age group,

’Turn your eyes upon Jesus, Look full in His wonderful face;

And the things of earth will grow strangely dim, In the light of His glory and grace.’

During our stay in Indonesia, my wife and I attended a medical dinner, where a servant carefully watched each table . The hostess directed her by sweeping her eyes on us individually. She understood the message of her mistress. So did King Jehoshaphat, who never took his eyes from his COMMANDER in the heavens.

Is HE always in your direct ( not peripheral ) vision? Or is your vision blurred?

God has a heart for the little children: ‘Now all Judah, with their little ones, their wives and their children, stood before the Lord.’ (v13) He whose eye is on the sparrow watches over you.’ The heavenly Father’s great heart moved to see the defenceless women with their little ones standing before HIM. Hence, He intervened.

‘The Spirit of the Lord came upon the prophet Jahaziel, whose descendants were listed to four generations. A wise God had prepared his forefathers for this crisis. Jonathan Edwards, that great American theologian, philosopher and scholar had 100 descendants in the ministry of the Lord. An amazing record! Is God shaping your generations? Our Lord treasures the sanctified family. Yours-mine.

‘Thus says the Lord to you,’ do not be afraid or dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not your’s, but God’s The Father controlled the situation.

The path of faith was perfectly clear. Yes, thank God they followed implicitly!

The victorious sequel will be told in the next study.