Monday, June 17, 2013
Wednesday, June 5, 2013
The Battle is Not Ours
My friend reminded me of this chapter this morning. Such a wonderful story. 2 Chronicles 20 is the story of when 3 kingdoms were planning to attack and destroy Judah. Jehoshaphat heard about this and his immediate reaction was to seek God. He proclaimed a fast through all of Judah.
"And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. So Judah gathered together to ask help from the Lord; and from all the cities of Judah they came to seek the Lord." (vs 3-4).
When Jehoshaphat began to pray, right away he starts off with focusing on who God is. He does tell God what his worries are, but not until after He focuses on who God is.
"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? 7 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 forever? 8 And they dwell in it, and have built You a sanctuary in it for Your name, saying, 9 ‘If disaster comes upon us—sword, judgment, pestilence, or famine—we will stand before this temple and in Your presence (for Your name is in this temple), and cry out to You in our affliction, and You will hear and save.’ " (vs 6-9).
(By the way, this is one example in the Bible where God shows us that He wants to be our friend. God loves us, yes. But He also likes us.)
In verse 9, Jehoshaphat claimed God's promise that He would hear their prayer and save them from disasters that came upon them. But he didn't just claim the promise. He believed God's promise. What good would it do for you to claim a prize that you have won but yet you don't go and actually grab hold of the prize? You might claim that you won a car but until you go and grab the keys and the wheel, what good will it do you?
Another very important point to remember is found in verse 12:
"O our God, will You not judge them? For we have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us; NOR DO WE KNOW WHAT TO DO, BUT OUR EYES ARE UPON YOU." (vs. 12).
They didn't know what to do. There was no feasable way in their own strength that they could defeat such a large enemy. It just couldn't happen. But they knew the God who could defeat such an enemy. They even told God, "We don't know what to do. But our eyes are upon you." They didn't know what was going to happen. What they did know was that they were only going to get through this by keeping their eyes on God.
Then God tells them this: "Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s." (vs. 15).
Whatever we are going through, we need to remember that it is not our battle. It is God's battle. We need to let Him fight it.
"You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem!’ Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, for the Lord is with you.” And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem bowed before the Lord, worshiping the Lord." (vs. 17-18).
Then God tells them that they don't need to fight this battle. All they needed to do was grab a spot and "see the salvation of the Lord, WHO IS WITH YOU." And again God tells them not to fear and again He tells them that He is with them. Then the response of Jehoshaphat and of the people is to bow down and worship God. God tells us to not be afraid, that He will fight our battles. So what should be our response? We need to give Him our battles and we need to worship Him. He will not fail us. He has filled His Word with promises that He will not fail us or leave us.
"Believe in the Lord your God, and you shall be established; believe His prophets, and you shall prosper.” (vs 20).
When they went out to the wilderness, Jehoshaphat tells the people what they must do. They must believe in God and what He has spoken through His prophets. Then "you shall be established...and you shall prosper."
Then Jehoshaphat appointed a choir. They weren't going to meet the enemy with swords. They were simply going to sing to God, praising "the beauty of holiness," singing, "Praise the Lord, For His mercy endures forever." (vs 21).
Now here is what God did, after they started to praise Him:
"Now WHEN THEY BEGAN TO SING AND TO PRAISE, the Lord set ambushes against the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; and they were defeated." (vs. 22)
It was when the people began to praise God that He rescued them from their attackers. This is something many of us would do well to remember. And not only did He rescue them, but when they went to get the spoil from all their dead enemies, it took three days to gather all the spoil that their enemies had on them.
Then in vs 27, it says, "for the Lord had made them rejoice over their enemies." I like that. God had made them to rejoice over their enemies. But it was not without a struggle. It was not easy. But because they followed God and obeyed what He told them to do, He "made them rejoice over their enemies."
And here's an added bonus. "And the fear of God was on all the kingdoms of those countries when they heard that the Lord had fought against the enemies of Israel." (vs. 29).
When other would be enemies of Israel heard about what God did, they were afraid. They didn't want to end up as Israel's other enemies did. That said, God doesn't want people to be afraid of Him. But He will rescue His people from their enemies when they trust in Him and give Him the battle.
I love this next part. "Then the realm of Jehoshaphat was quiet, for his God gave him rest all around." (vs. 30).
After this battle, God gave rest to His people. God will one day give you and me rest. Rest from all these battles. Rest from trials. Rest from sickness. Rest from every kind of struggle. Whether it is in this life, or when Jesus comes to take us to Heaven, He will give us rest. And God wants to give us peace of mind here. We just need to trust Him.
Isaiah 26:3 - "You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You."
"And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. So Judah gathered together to ask help from the Lord; and from all the cities of Judah they came to seek the Lord." (vs 3-4).
When Jehoshaphat began to pray, right away he starts off with focusing on who God is. He does tell God what his worries are, but not until after He focuses on who God is.
"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? 7 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 forever? 8 And they dwell in it, and have built You a sanctuary in it for Your name, saying, 9 ‘If disaster comes upon us—sword, judgment, pestilence, or famine—we will stand before this temple and in Your presence (for Your name is in this temple), and cry out to You in our affliction, and You will hear and save.’ " (vs 6-9).
(By the way, this is one example in the Bible where God shows us that He wants to be our friend. God loves us, yes. But He also likes us.)
In verse 9, Jehoshaphat claimed God's promise that He would hear their prayer and save them from disasters that came upon them. But he didn't just claim the promise. He believed God's promise. What good would it do for you to claim a prize that you have won but yet you don't go and actually grab hold of the prize? You might claim that you won a car but until you go and grab the keys and the wheel, what good will it do you?
Another very important point to remember is found in verse 12:
"O our God, will You not judge them? For we have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us; NOR DO WE KNOW WHAT TO DO, BUT OUR EYES ARE UPON YOU." (vs. 12).
They didn't know what to do. There was no feasable way in their own strength that they could defeat such a large enemy. It just couldn't happen. But they knew the God who could defeat such an enemy. They even told God, "We don't know what to do. But our eyes are upon you." They didn't know what was going to happen. What they did know was that they were only going to get through this by keeping their eyes on God.
Then God tells them this: "Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s." (vs. 15).
Whatever we are going through, we need to remember that it is not our battle. It is God's battle. We need to let Him fight it.
"You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem!’ Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, for the Lord is with you.” And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem bowed before the Lord, worshiping the Lord." (vs. 17-18).
Then God tells them that they don't need to fight this battle. All they needed to do was grab a spot and "see the salvation of the Lord, WHO IS WITH YOU." And again God tells them not to fear and again He tells them that He is with them. Then the response of Jehoshaphat and of the people is to bow down and worship God. God tells us to not be afraid, that He will fight our battles. So what should be our response? We need to give Him our battles and we need to worship Him. He will not fail us. He has filled His Word with promises that He will not fail us or leave us.
"Believe in the Lord your God, and you shall be established; believe His prophets, and you shall prosper.” (vs 20).
When they went out to the wilderness, Jehoshaphat tells the people what they must do. They must believe in God and what He has spoken through His prophets. Then "you shall be established...and you shall prosper."
Then Jehoshaphat appointed a choir. They weren't going to meet the enemy with swords. They were simply going to sing to God, praising "the beauty of holiness," singing, "Praise the Lord, For His mercy endures forever." (vs 21).
Now here is what God did, after they started to praise Him:
"Now WHEN THEY BEGAN TO SING AND TO PRAISE, the Lord set ambushes against the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; and they were defeated." (vs. 22)
It was when the people began to praise God that He rescued them from their attackers. This is something many of us would do well to remember. And not only did He rescue them, but when they went to get the spoil from all their dead enemies, it took three days to gather all the spoil that their enemies had on them.
Then in vs 27, it says, "for the Lord had made them rejoice over their enemies." I like that. God had made them to rejoice over their enemies. But it was not without a struggle. It was not easy. But because they followed God and obeyed what He told them to do, He "made them rejoice over their enemies."
And here's an added bonus. "And the fear of God was on all the kingdoms of those countries when they heard that the Lord had fought against the enemies of Israel." (vs. 29).
When other would be enemies of Israel heard about what God did, they were afraid. They didn't want to end up as Israel's other enemies did. That said, God doesn't want people to be afraid of Him. But He will rescue His people from their enemies when they trust in Him and give Him the battle.
I love this next part. "Then the realm of Jehoshaphat was quiet, for his God gave him rest all around." (vs. 30).
After this battle, God gave rest to His people. God will one day give you and me rest. Rest from all these battles. Rest from trials. Rest from sickness. Rest from every kind of struggle. Whether it is in this life, or when Jesus comes to take us to Heaven, He will give us rest. And God wants to give us peace of mind here. We just need to trust Him.
Isaiah 26:3 - "You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You."
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