2 Chronicles 20:20b - Prayer + Prophecy (God's Word) + Praise = Victory in Jesus!
2Ch.20:20b: Prayer + Prophecy (God's Word) + Praise = Victory in
Jesus!
2 Chr 20:20b (KJV) Believe in the LORD your God, so shall ye be
established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper.
2 Chr 20:20b (NIV) Have faith in the LORD your God and you will
be upheld; have faith in his prophets and you will be successful."
2 Chr 20:20b (NNAS) put your trust in the LORD your God and you
will be established. Put your trust in His prophets and succeed."
2 Chr 20:20b (TEV) Put your trust in the LORD your God, and you
will stand your ground. Believe what his prophets tell you, and you
will succeed."
2 Chr 20:20b (CEV) if we trust the Lord God and believe what
these prophets have told us, the Lord will help us, and we will be
successful."
The combination of prayer (20:3-13), prophecy (20:14-17), and
praise (20:18-22) brought him the victory. [Wiersbe Expository
Outlines]
When Jehoshaphat is attacked by a coalition of hostile nations,
he calls his people together to pray and seek help from the Lord.
[Victor Bible Reader's Companion]
Jehoshaphat, the king [of Judah], was panic-stricken when he
heard of the heavy war-cloud that was rolling on, ready to burst in
thunder on his little kingdom.... His first act was to muster the
nation, not as a military levy but as suppliants, "to seek help of the
Lord."... Jehoshaphat's prayer ... was the most powerful weapon that could
have been employed, for the rest of the chapter tells the strangest
story of a campaign that was ever written. No sword was drawn....
Levites with their instruments of music, not fighters with their spears,
led the van, and as "they began to sing and to praise," sudden panic
laid hold on the invading force, who turned their arms against each
other. The very depth of despair set [Judah] to climb the height of
trust...... "We know not what to do but our eyes are upon Thee"... We are all
outnumbered and overborne by the claims, duties, hindrances, sorrows, and
entanglements of life.... The meaning of all circumstances that force our
helplessness on us is to open to us Jehoshaphat's refuge in his - "our eyes
are upon Thee." (Alexander Maclaren) [Spirit Filled Life Devotional
SB]
Chapter 20 describes perhaps the most curious battle scene found
anywhere in Scripture. Jehoshaphat leads his army out to confront the
combined forces of Moab and Ammon. His battle plan is simple: "Set
yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the LORD" (20:17).
Then, as if to add insult to injury, Jehoshaphat selects singers to go
before the army and chant choruses of praise. While the singers sing
and the soldiers stand at attention, God produces a mighty victory
for Judah as the enemy forces oblige and "every one [helps] to
destroy [one] another" (20:23)! Have you learned yet the lesson
Jehoshaphat and the people of God learned? When the battle seems
overwhelming, when the enemy is large and imposing, don't turn and run.
Instead, stand still, sing out, and watch God work. [Your Daily Walk SB]
More necessary than guns or soldiers, more important than
strategy, is the giving of thanks to God. Judah faced a literal, physical
battle involving great odds. They were told that they should not be
dismayed or fear, that they were to trust God. He would go with them; the
battle was his battle, not theirs. The singers were to march first,
singing their praises to God, thanking him for his everlasting
lovingkindness. Ahead of us, as we face formidable foes and conflict, we must
send forth thankfulness. By this we acknowledge that the problem or
the confusion or the sorrow we feel belongs in the hands of the
Lord. The needs of our life belong to the One who has proved to us
over and over his constant presence, his total sufficiency and his
perfect love. What we cannot achieve ourselves, he can. Hopelessness
disappears, and thankfulness ascends to God. [Daily Devotional Bible]
I suppose we all know that it's appropriate to thank and praise
God for His goodness even though we sometimes forget. This passage,
however, points up an unexpected aspect of praise. We can praise before
we experience His goodness. We can praise before we receive what we
request.
Threatened by a massive invasion force, Jehoshaphat called on
all of Judah to look to God. The king himself led in prayer,
confessing Judah's lack of power and expressing total reliance on God. In
response God spoke through the Prophet Jahaziel and promised victory.
"The battle is not yours, but God's," the prophet proclaimed. "Stand
firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give you.... Do not be
afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the
LORD will be with you" (v. 17).
Immediately after receiving this word from God, the king and the
people fell down to worship. And then in a "very loud voice" some of
the Levites stood up and began to praise God.
The danger was still ahead. The invading army still threatened.
But God's people began to praise Him before the promised victory was
won!
The next day God did provide victory. Ancient armies were often
composed of a variety of peoples, some hired as mercenaries and others
engaged as allies. In this case God caused the various peoples who
composed the invading force to annihilate each other before Judah's army
even arrived! The praises that resounded over the slain enemy were so
loud and heartfelt that the place was given a new name: Beracah, the
"Valley of Praise."
One day when final victory is won, as we stand with Jesus in
God's eternal kingdom, our shouts of praises too will be loud. Yet we
too are called to praise now.
When we're afraid, we're called to praise.
When we're discouraged, we're called to praise.
When we face any enemy, we're called to praise.
And praise we can! For we too have the promises of God. You too
can "go out and face [difficulties] tomorrow." You too can know that
"the LORD will be with you."
And this, the assurance of God's presence with us, is cause for
praise. Praise even before victory. [The 365-Day Devotional Commentary]
Oh, if only we would worry less about our problems and sing and
praise more! There are thousands of things that shackle us that could
be turned into instruments of music, if we just knew how to do it.
Think of those people who ponder, meditate, and weigh the affairs of
life, and who continually study the mysterious inner workings of God's
providence, wondering why they suffer burdens and are opposed and battled on
every front. How different their lives would be, and how much more
joyful, if they would stop indulging in self-centered and inward
thinking and instead would daily lift their experiences to God, praising
Him for them.
It is easier to sing your worries away than to reason them away.
Why not sing in the morning? Think of the birds - they are the first
to sing each day, and they have fewer worries than anything else in
creation. And don't forget to sing in the evening, which is what the
robins do when they have finished their daily work. Once they have
flown their last flight of the day and gathered the last bit of food,
they find a treetop from which to sing a song of praise.
Oh, that we might sing morning and evening, offering up song
after song of continual praise throughout our day! selected [Streams
In The Desert By Cowman]
If more praising of God were engaged in now, hope and courage
and faith would steadily increase. And would not this strengthen the
hands of the valiant soldiers who today are standing in defense of
truth? {PK 202.1}
Do you not think that if more of this were done now, our hope
and courage and faith would be revived? Would not the hands of the
soldiers who are standing in defense of the truth be strengthened? If
there were much more praising the Lord, and far less doleful
recitation of discouragement, many more victories would be gained. {SD
199.3}
An Israelite named Uzzah lost his life because he "reached out
and took hold of the ark of God" (2 Sam. 6:6). He placed his hands
on it with the best of intentions - to steady it, "because the oxen
stumbled" (2 Sam. 6:6) - but nevertheless, he had overstepped his bounds
by touching the Lord's work, and "therefore God struck him down" (2
Sam. 6:7). Living a life of faith often requires us to leave things
alone.
If we have completely entrusted something to God, we must keep
our hands off it. He can guard it better than we can, and He does
not need our help. "Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for
him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out
their wicked schemes" (Ps. 37:7).
Things in our lives may seem to be going all wrong, but God
knows our circumstances better than we do. And He will work at the
perfect moment, if we will completely trust Him to work in His own way
and in His own time. Often there is nothing as godly as inactivity
on our part, or nothing as harmful as restless working, for God has
promised to work His sovereign will. A. B. Simpson [Streams In The Desert
By Cowman]
If God is on our side, even the greatest of difficulties will
not stand in the way of victory. Just as the prophet spoke to the
people of Israel, urging them to hope in God's power to deliver them,
God speaks to us in the Bible. He calls upon us to trust in him. The
most common command in all of Scripture is "Don't be afraid!" And God
always pronounces this command when the surrounding circumstances are
terrible. God shows us time and again that no matter how terrible the
circumstances, he is able to give the victory. All we need to do is trust in
him. [Life Recovery SB]
Why have a choir lead soldiers into battle? (20:21)
Soldiers typically would shout war cries or chant and sing in
rhythm to the marching. Jehoshaphat had the Israelites do the same, but
their shouts were to summon the help of the Lord instead of their own
courage. He wanted them to see that they weren't the warriors; God was
fighting for them! Joshua (Joshua 6:20), Gideon (Judges 7:20) and
Jeroboam (13:14-15) commanded similar processions or war shouts that
glorified God. [Quest SB]
Why would allies ambush each other? (20:22-23)
They didn't. They were ambushed by God. The ambush, some kind of
sudden surprise, frightened Judah's enemies and sent them into panicked
confusion. Their fear and confusion caused them to fight each other. Some
think God used angels or some other supernatural means to ambush them.
[Quest SB]
Ambushes: It is not specified whether local inhabitants or
supernatural forces were used. In either case, Judah's allied enemies fell
out and destroyed each other. [Passages Of Life SB]
"Relying on God has to begin all over again every day as if
nothing had yet been done." C.S. Lewis [The 365-Day Devotional
Commentary]
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