Third Presbyterian Church Tuesday Study Tour – 2 Chronicles 20

Lesson 116 - Worshipping instead of Worrying 2 Chronicles 20:1-30 (NIV) 1 After this, the Moabites and Ammonites with some of the Meunites came to make war on . 2 Some men came and told Jehoshaphat, "A vast army is coming against you from , from the other side of the Sea. It is already in Hazazon Tamar" (that is, En Gedi). 3 Alarmed, Jehoshaphat resolved to inquire of the LORD, and he proclaimed a fast for all Judah. 4 The people of Judah came together to seek help from the LORD; indeed, they came from every town in Judah to seek him. 5 Then Jehoshaphat stood up in the assembly of Judah and at the temple of the LORD in the front of the new courtyard 6 and said: "O LORD, God of our fathers, are you not the God who is in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. Power and might are in your hand, and no one can withstand you. 7 O our God, did you not drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel and give it forever to the descendants of your friend? 8 They have lived in it and have built in it a sanctuary for your Name, saying, 9 'If calamity comes upon us, whether the sword of judgment, or plague or famine, we will stand in your presence before this temple that bears your Name and will cry out to you in our distress, and you will hear us and save us.' 10 "But now here are men from , and , whose territory you would not allow Israel to invade when they came from Egypt; so they turned away from them and did not destroy them. 11 See how they are repaying us by coming to drive us out of the possession you gave us as an inheritance. 12 O our God, will you not judge them? For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon you." 13 All the men of Judah, with their wives and children and little ones, stood there before the LORD. 14 Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jahaziel son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a and descendant of Asaph, as he stood in the assembly. 15 He said: "Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the LORD says to you: 'Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God's. 16 Tomorrow march down against them. They will be climbing up by the Pass of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the gorge in the Desert of Jeruel. 17 You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the LORD will be with you.'" 18 Jehoshaphat bowed with his face to the ground, and all the people of Judah and Jerusalem fell down in worship before the LORD. 19 Then some from the Kohathites and Korahites stood up and praised the LORD, the God of Israel, with very loud voice. 20 Early in the morning they left for the Desert of Tekoa. As they set out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, "Listen to me, Judah and people of Jerusalem! Have faith in the LORD your God and you will be upheld; have faith in his prophets and you will be successful." 21 After consulting the people, Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the LORD and to praise him for the splendor of his holiness as they went out at the head of the army, saying: "Give thanks to the LORD, for his love endures forever." 22 As they began to sing and praise, the LORD set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated. 23 The men of Ammon and Moab rose up against the men from Mount Seir to destroy and annihilate them. After they finished slaughtering the men from Seir, they helped to destroy one another. 24 When the men of Judah came to the place that overlooks the desert and looked toward the vast army, they saw only dead bodies lying on the ground; no one had escaped. 25 So Jehoshaphat and his men went to carry off their plunder, and they found among them a great amount of equipment and clothing and also articles of value-- more than they could take away. There was so much plunder that it took three days to collect it. 26 On the fourth day they assembled in the Valley of Beracah, where they praised the LORD. This is why it is called the Valley of Beracah to this day. 27 Then, led by Jehoshaphat, all the men of Judah and Jerusalem returned joyfully to Jerusalem, for the LORD had given them cause to rejoice over their enemies. 28 They entered Jerusalem and went to the temple of the LORD with harps and lutes and trumpets. 29 The fear of God came upon all the kingdoms of the countries when they heard how the LORD had fought against the enemies of Israel.

Questions 1. What is your normal method of dealing with problems?

2. When was the last time you had so many problems you felt like crying or giving up?

3. How can prayer be a response or a defense against trouble if prayer is just us talking

to God?

4. What was the secret of Israel’s success in battle? Have you experienced success like

this in a personal battle?

5. What does God want us to do when we face problems and threats? Why is it so hard to

do what God wants us to do initially when threats/problems are present.

6. What did it take for the people of Israel to march into battle greatly outnumbered,

singing praises to the Lord? When have you entered a situation where there was

apparently little or no hope and you trusted God for deliverance and God delivered?

7. How can our enemies destroy themselves when we trust the Lord and refuse to fight

them with their methods?

8. How can our trust in the Lord during difficult challenges be an effective witness for

the Lord to those around us?

9. What conflict are you facing this week for which faith should be your primary

defense?

I. The Reign of Jehoshaphat (Part 4)—His Great Victory Over a Foreign Alliance: God’s Wonderful Deliverance, 20:1-37 (20:1-37) Introduction: whenever we face a severe crisis in life, we need either a way to escape the crisis or the inner strength and knowledge to conquer the crisis. But many times we have no means of escape and no clue how to deal with the emergency or predicament. It is then more than ever that we need the help of someone who has the power or resources to deliver us from the crisis. The crisis may be due to an accident, illness, death, a criminal act, war, a work related matter, or some failure on our part. But no matter what crises we may face, there is wonderful news. There is Someone who has the power and resources to deliver us, Someone who can make a way for us to escape. This Someone is God Himself. This is clearly seen in the story of the present Scripture. Unexpectedly and shockingly, Jehoshaphat faced the crisis of his life, that of an invasion by a coalition of three powerful nations. Standing all alone, the Southern Kingdom of Judah faced the distinct possibility that it would be utterly destroyed as a nation and taken over by foreigners. Only one hope for escape and deliverance existed. That hope was in the LORD and His mighty power. If Jehoshaphat and the people were willing to seek the LORD through prayer and fasting—seek Him wholeheartedly—the LORD might have mercy upon them and deliver them. Reading the present account, the returning exiles would be encouraged to follow the example of Jehoshaphat in seeking the LORD through prayer and fasting. The readers knew they would face one crisis after another as they sought to restore true worship in the temple and to rebuild their nation. By remembering this event in the life of Jehoshaphat, they would be stirred when facing their own crises. And if the crises were severe, they would be encouraged to set aside a day of fasting and prayer in order to show the LORD the depths of their sincerity and trust in Him. This is, The Reign of Jehoshaphat (Part 4)—His Great Victory Over a Foreign Alliance: God’s Wonderful Deliverance, 20:1-37.

1. Jehoshaphat’s great victory: a lesson on prayer (vv.1-30). 2. Jehoshaphat’s reign summarized: a godly man who compromised in the end (vv.31-37).

1. (20:1-30) Prayer, Example of—Seeking, the LORD, Example of—Victory, Source, the LORD—Conquest, Source, the LORD—Enemies, Conquered, by the LORD—Judah, Southern Kingdom of, Wars—Moabites, Wars Against Judah—Ammon, Wars of, Against Judah—Meunites, Wars of, Against Judah— Jehoshaphat, Victories Against a Moabite Coalition: God gave Jehoshaphat an astounding and miraculous victory over a three-nation coalition. But the victory was given by the LORD, given because Jehoshaphat and the people sought the LORD through prayer. The remarkable story is painted in detail by Scripture (due to the length of this particular passage, it has been split into smaller sections): 1. The three-nation coalition—Moab, Ammon, and the Meunites—launched an invasion against Judah (vv.1-2). Just why such a large coalition attacked the Southern Kingdom is not stated. But whatever the reason, the invasion caught Jehoshaphat completely by surprise. When he received word of the invasion, the vast army of the coalition forces had already conquered Hazazon Tamar, another name for En Gedi. The Meunites were a people from Mount Seir in Edom (10, 22-23; 26:7; 1 Chr.4:41). Apparently, the enemy forces had crossed the from Edom and launched a surprise attack from the south, a little used route.

2. Utterly alarmed and stricken with fear, Jehoshaphat did the only thing he could do; he sought the LORD. Then he proclaimed a national day of fasting for all the citizens of Judah (v.3). From all indications, he sought the LORD before he mobilized his forces, being fully aware that his only hope for deliverance from such a vast army was the LORD. 3. People from all over the nation responded to Jehoshaphat’s proclamation for a national day of fasting. They quickly traveled to Jerusalem to seek the LORD in the temple (v.4). Fasting was, and still is, a symbol of great distress and of a person’s sincerity in seeking the LORD. A person fasts when he longs for the blessing of the LORD or for the power of the LORD to meet a need or handle a critical situation. 4. After the people had gathered in the new courtyard of the temple, Jehoshaphat stood before the assembly and sought the LORD in prayer on behalf of the nation (vv.5-12). There were five parts to his prayer:

a. Jehoshaphat acknowledged the LORD as the only living and true God, the God who had been worshipped by their forefathers (v.6). He acknowledged three facts about the LORD: ⇒ that He is the only God in heaven ⇒ that He is the only God who is Sovereign, the only Ruler over all the kingdoms and nations of this earth ⇒ that He alone is omnipotent, possessing all power and might b. Jehoshaphat acknowledged that the LORD Himself had given the promised land to His people, the descendants of Abraham (v.7). Just as important, the LORD had given the promised land to His people forever (Ro.4:11-13, 16-18). Apparently, Jehoshaphat feared losing the land, feared being conquered and utterly destroyed. He feared that the land would be taken over by the Moabite coalition and divided up among the three nations. Thus, he was appealing to the LORD for deliverance by acknowledging that the LORD Himself had given the promised land to Abraham’s descendants forevermore. c. Jehoshaphat declared that God’s people had settled in the promised land and had built a temple for God’s Name (vv.8-9). Standing within the promised land, the temple was a strong witness for the Name of the LORD, a witness to the unbelievers of the world. Recalling ’s prayer at the dedication of the temple, Jehoshaphat declared the very purpose for the temple (6:16-42). The temple had been built so that God’s people could seek the LORD in times of distress. In response, the LORD was expected to hear, save, and deliver His people (v.9). d. Continuing his appeal, Jehoshaphat laid out the predicament that he and his people were facing. They were being confronted unjustly by the three-nation alliance (vv.10-11). Pleading the unfairness of the enemy’s assault, Jehosh-aphat mentioned the fact that Israel had spared these very same nations centuries before, refusing to attack them (De.2:5, 9, 19). But here they were now committing a gross injustice, repaying God’s people not with kindness, but with the worst imaginable act of lawlessness. These enemies were seeking to conquer God’s people, to drive them out of the promised land, the inheritance given to them by the LORD Himself. e. In closing his prayer, Jehoshaphat begged the LORD for deliverance (v.12). He asked the LORD to judge the invaders. Then he confessed his and his people’s weakness and ignorance. They had no power to face such an enormous army, and they did not know what to do to defend themselves. Jehoshaphat then expressed a total trust and reliance upon the LORD, stating that their eyes were looking to Him and Him alone for deliverance.

5. While Jehoshaphat was praying, all the people were standing silently, their hearts joining in the prayer being offered by the king (v.13). When Jehoshaphat finished praying, he and all the people continued to stand and wait silently for an answer from the LORD. 6. Suddenly the silence was broken by God’s Spirit speaking through a Levite who was standing in the midst of the people (vv.14-17). His name was Jahaziel. He was a descendant of Asaph who had been the chief Levitical musician during the days of . Four pronouncements were made by the Spirit of God through this Levite. a. The Spirit of God encouraged the king and the people not to fear nor to be discouraged or dismayed by the threatening enemy (v.15). They were to know this one fact: “The battle is not yours, but God’s.” They would not win the battle by their own strength but, rather, through the power of the LORD Himself. b. The Spirit of God then instructed Jehoshaphat and the people to march against the invaders (v.16). They were to march the very next day, the day following their fast and prayer for deliverance. Note how they had put the arm of the LORD before the arm of the flesh. They had first sought the LORD, depending upon His arm or power. Then they were to mobilize their army and march out to face the enemy. c. The Spirit of the LORD gave Jehoshaphat information on the enemy’s movements, revealing exactly where they were (v.16). By marching out against them the next day, Jehoshaphat and his army would find the enemy coming up through the Pass or the cliff of Ziz. They would be found at the end of the gorge in the desert of Jeruel, which was located some distance south of Bethlehem. d. The Spirit of the LORD gave Jehoshaphat and the people wonderful news, strong assurance of God’s deliverance (v.17). In a stunning announcement, God’s Spirit declared that Judah’s army would not even have to fight the battle. They were merely to take up their positions, stand still, and witness the mighty deliverance of the LORD. Encouraging the king and his people once again, God’s Spirit instructed them not to fear nor be discouraged. They were simply to go out to face the enemy, and the LORD would be with them.

7. Hearing this wonderful promise from God’s Spirit, Jehoshaphat and the people fell to their knees and worshipped God (v.18). Some Levites then stood up and praised the LORD in a loud voice. Note how active their faith was: they were praising the LORD for the victory even before the battle had begun. They believed the promise of God.

8. Just as the LORD had promised, He delivered His people and gave them an amazing victory over the enemy (vv.20-23). Marching out early the next morning to face the invaders, King Jehoshaphat encouraged the armed forces. He assured them of success if they would just have faith in the LORD and in His Word that had been proclaimed through His prophets. Note how the victory was conditional: if the people followed God’s instructions, believing Him and His Word, they would behold the miraculous hand of God and be victorious over the enemy. After challenging the armed forces, Jehoshaphat appointed some singers to walk ahead of the army (v.21). These singers leading the Judean army out to battle were to praise the LORD for His holy splendor. They were to give thanks to the LORD, in particular for His love that endures forever. At the very moment they began to sing and give praise, an incredible event took place (vv.22-23). The LORD miraculously delivered His people. Stirring strife among the invaders, the LORD aroused some of them to ambush the others. The Ammonites and Moabites turned against the other coalition army of the Meunites, and then they turned against one another.

9. When the army of Judah reached the battlefield, they discovered only dead bodies lying on the ground for as far as they could see (v.24). Not a single enemy soldier had escaped. Jehoshaphat and his army spent three full days gathering the plunder (v.25). On the fourth day, they set aside a time for worshipping and praising the LORD (v.26). As a memorial to the LORD’s triumphant rescue, Jehoshaphat named the area the Valley of Beracah, which means blessing or praise. The army then marched back to Jerusalem (v.27). No doubt with hearts full of joy and rejoicing, the soldiers praised the LORD all the way home. They had witnessed a truly miraculous deliverance by the LORD. 10. Two marvelous results took place because of the great victory (vv.28-29). First, immediately upon returning to Jerusalem, the king and the army went to the temple and held a worship service to celebrate their triumph. Note that the celebration included the musicians. Before they all left for battle they had sought the LORD, and now, returning from battle, they wanted first to give thanks to the LORD for His marvelous delivery. Second, due to this astounding victory, the kingdom of Judah was given a period of peace with its neighbors. The surrounding nations were stricken with fear—the fear of God—when they heard of His miraculous deliverance of the Southern Kingdom. For the remainder of Jehoshaphat’s reign, he and his people were at peace, being given rest from conflict and warfare.

Thought 1. The lesson for us is a much needed one on the importance of prayer and fasting. Jehoshaphat and his people faced a crisis, a crisis from which they could not personally escape. They did not have the power to stand against the enemy confronting them. Within their own strength, they would have been defeated, utterly crushed. So they did the only thing they could do: they turned to the LORD. But in order to show the LORD how sincere and desperate they were, they set aside a full day for fasting and prayer. By their fasting, they wanted to show the LORD the depth of their sincerity, that they were willing to repent, to turn away from their sins and recommit their lives to Him anew. What a dynamic lesson for us! How often have we needed something or faced a crisis so severe that we committed ourselves to fast before the LORD? That we sought to show the sincerity, the depth of our need through fasting? Fasting is a neglected form of worship by most of us. God longs for us to show the genuineness of our hearts through fasting and prayer. When we long for God or need His help so much that nothing else matters, not even food itself, then the LORD knows that we truly want Him. But in the midst of our fasting, we must be willing to give up not only food but also our lives. By being the very sustenance of life, food is a symbol of life. Thus when we fast, we are symbolizing that we are giving up our lives to the LORD, offering our lives to worship and serve Him alone. Through fasting, we are offering up our lives for Him to demonstrate His Presence and power through us.

Simply stated, seeking the LORD through prayer and fasting is the way to secure the presence and power of the LORD. Whether we are facing a crisis or longing for more of God’s blessings, we should often show the LORD the depth of our sincerity through fasting as well as prayer. Listen to what God’s Holy Word says about fasting and prayer: “Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred” (Mt.4:1-2). “But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly” (Mt.6:17-18). “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you” (Mt.7:7).

2. (20:31-37) Compromise, Example of—Spiritual Separation, Failure, Example of—Worldliness, Example of—Jehoshaphat, Sin of, Compromise—Jehoshaphat, Reign of, Summarized: in summarizing Jehoshaphat’s reign, Scripture states that he was 35 years old when he began to reign and that he ruled for a period of 25 years (v.31). In Second Kings the author states that Jehoshaphat reigned for 22 years, which means that he ruled in a co-regency for three years with his father Asa (2 Kings 3:1; 8:16). Jehoshaphat lived a righteous life and carried out several major religious reforms (17:1-19; 19:1-11). He walked in the godly ways of his father King Asa, never straying from them (vv.32-33). He pleased the LORD in all that he did. However, he failed to permanently remove the high places. Although he had attempted to destroy them all, the people apparently rebuilt them as soon as they could due to their halfhearted commitment. They were simply unwilling to turn from their wickedness and false worship, unwilling to turn back to the LORD and to the worship of Him as the only living and true God. As Scripture states, they had not prepared their hearts, had not fully committed themselves to the God whom their forefathers had worshipped. Jehoshaphat’s reign and achievements were recorded in the book of , which is included in The Book of the Kings of Israel (v.34). Obviously, this was the major source used by the author to secure information on the history of Jehoshaphat’s reign. At some point during his reign, Jehoshaphat formed a joint shipping venture with Ahaziah, the wicked king of Israel (vv.35-37). Cooperating together, both the Southern and the Northern Kingdoms built a fleet of commercial ships at Ezion Geber (vv.35-36). However, the commercial alliance was denounced by the LORD’s prophet Eliezer (v.37). Rebuking Jehoshaphat, the prophet declared that he had formed a worldly alliance with an unbeliever, King Ahaziah. As a consequence, the hand of God’s chastisement would fall upon King Jehoshaphat. Because of his compromising, worldly alliance, the ships were to be destroyed in a storm before they ever left port. Although Jehoshaphat was a true believer and worshipper of the LORD, he failed the LORD on two different occasions by compromising with unbelievers. Earlier in his reign, he had compromised with wicked . Now he is seen to have compromised with Ahaziah.

Thought 1. God warns the believer against compromising and forming worldly alliances with the unbelievers and wicked of this world. God demands spiritual separation. If we fellowship or become closely associated with sinful and wicked individuals or groups of people, they will eventually seduce us into sin. Because of the desires and lusts of our flesh, we will eventually give in. No believer who constantly exposes himself or herself to constant seduction can withstand it. Eventually, the believer will cave in and engage in the sin. Believers are just as subject to temptation as unbelievers, just as subject to commit immorality, lawlessness, and violence. We are all inhabitants of the same flesh, a flesh that has natural desires. But these natural desires can turn into sinful desires unless they are controlled and governed by God’s commandments. Whether the desire turns lustful or wicked or greedy or corrupt—whether for forbidden sex or selfish indulgence—coveting is forbidden. The point is this: if we join together or become involved with the sinful and wicked of this earth, we will eventually be seduced to participate in their sin. Compromise is forbidden by God. We are to live lives of spiritual separation, not backing down or backing away from our commitment to God, not engaging in the sinful and evil behavior of unbelievers. Listen to what God says about spiritual separation: “And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares” (Lu.21:34). “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God” (Ro.12:1-2). “But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat” (1 Cor. 5:11).

Preacher's Outline and Sermon Bible - Commentary - The Preacher's Outline & Sermon Bible – 2 Chronicles.