Psa. 111:2; Rom. 11:33; Psa. 19:1-2
2 Chronicles 20:1-8 tells us about the humility of King Jehosaphat in his prayers for deliverance from an enemy too strong for him. Armies from Moab, Ammon, along with others, came against Jehoshaphat to fight. Jehoshaphat feared, and purposed to seek the Lord. He proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.
Notice that the King and all of Judah gathered themselves together, to ask help of the Lord—even out of all the cities of Judah they came to seek the Lord. As Jehoshaphat stood and prayed in the house of the Lord, before the new court, he acknowledged God’s power over all the nations and reminded Him of the promises made in Moses time—that the land of Israel would be for His people. Then the Lord answered Jehoshaphat with a reminder of what He had often said.
And he said, Hearken ye, all Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou king Jehoshaphat, Thus saith the LORD unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God’s (2 Chr. 20:15).
- Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; (See also: Exo. 14:13-14; Deut. 1:29-30; Deut. 20:1; Deut. 20:4; Deut. 31:6; Joshua 11:6; 2 Chr. 32:7-8; Neh. 4:14; Psa. 27:1-2; Isa. 41:10-16; Isa. 43:1-2).
- …for the battle is not yours, but God’s (See also: 1 Sam. 17:47; 2 Chr. 32:8).
To morrow go ye down against them: behold, they come up by the cliff of Ziz; and ye shall find them at the end of the brook, before the wilderness of Jeruel. 17 Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the LORD with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; to morrow go out against them: for the LORD will be with you. 18 And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground: and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell before the LORD, worshipping the LORD. 19 And the Levites, of the children of the Kohathites, and of the children of the Korhites, stood up to praise the LORD God of Israel with a loud voice on high. 20 And they rose early in the morning, and went forth into the wilderness of Tekoa: and as they went forth, Jehoshaphat stood and said, Hear me, O Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem; Believe in the LORD your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper. 21 And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the LORD, and that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise the LORD; for his mercy endureth for ever. 22 And when they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten. 23 For the children of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of mount Seir, utterly to slay and destroy them: and when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, every one helped to destroy another. 24 And when Judah came toward the watch tower in the wilderness, they looked unto the multitude, and, behold, they were dead bodies fallen to the earth, and none escaped (2 Chr. 20:15-24).
What was the result of God’s fighting for Judah and Jehoshaphat that day? And when Jehoshaphat and his people came to take away the spoil of them, they found among them in abundance both riches with the dead bodies (perhaps garments is the idea here), and precious jewels, which they stripped off for themselves, more than they could carry away: and they were three days in gathering of the spoil, it was so much. 26 And on the fourth day they assembled themselves in the valley of Berachah; for there they blessed the Lord: therefore the name of the same place was called, The valley of Berachah, unto this day. 27 Then they returned, every man of Judah and Jerusalem, and Jehoshaphat in the forefront of them, to go again to Jerusalem with joy; for the Lord had made them to rejoice over their enemies. 28 And they came to Jerusalem with psalteries and harps and trumpets unto the house of the Lord. 29 And the fear of God was on all the kingdoms of those countries, when they had heard that the Lord fought against the enemies of Israel (2 Chr. 20:25-29).
Jehoshaphat and the people saw what happened, but could not tell how it happened. Everything appeared to be from natural causes, but by inspiration of the Scriptures we know the Lord fought for Israel that day.
–Beth Johnson