2 Chronicles 20:1 – 37 War against Jehoshaphat (Obadiah 1:1-14)
“After this, the Moabites and Ammonites, together with some of the Meunites, came to make war against Jehoshaphat. Then some men came and told Jehoshaphat, “A vast army is coming against you from Edom, from beyond the Sea; they are already in Hazazon-tamar” (that is, En-gedi).
Jehoshaphat was alarmed and set his face to seek the LORD. And he proclaimed a fast throughout Judah. So the people of Judah gathered to seek the LORD, and indeed, they came from all the cities of Judah to seek Him.
Jehoshaphat’s Prayer
Then Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem in the house of the LORD, in front of the new courtyard 6and said, “O LORD, God of our fathers, are You not the God who is in heaven, and do You not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations? Power and might are in Your hand, and no one can stand against You.
Our God, did You not drive out the inhabitants of this land before Your people Israel and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham Your friend? They have lived in the land and have built in it a sanctuary for Your Name, saying, ‘If disaster comes upon us—whether sword or judgment, plague or famine—we will stand before this temple and before You, for Your Name is in this temple. We will cry out to You in our distress, and You will hear us and save us.’
And now, here are the men of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, whom You did not let Israel invade when they came out of the land of Egypt; but Israel turned away from them and did not destroy them. See how they are repaying us by coming to drive us out of the possession that You gave us as an inheritance.
Our God, will You not judge them? For we are powerless before this vast army that comes against us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon You.” Meanwhile all the men of Judah, with their wives and children and little ones, were standing before the LORD.
The Prophecy of Jahaziel
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 Levite from Asaph’s descendants, as he stood in the midst of the assembly. And he said, “Listen, all you people of Judah and Jerusalem! Listen, King Jehoshaphat! This is what the LORD says: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army, for the battle does not belong to you, but to God. Tomorrow you are to march down against them. You will see them coming up the Ascent of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the valley facing the Wilderness of Jeruel. You need not fight this battle. Take up your positions, stand firm, and see the salvation of the LORD on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid or discouraged. Go out and face them tomorrow, for the LORD is with you.’”
Then Jehoshaphat bowed facedown, and all the people of Judah and Jerusalem fell down before the LORD to worship Him. And the Levites from the Kohathites and Korahites stood up to praise the LORD, the God of Israel, shouting in a very loud voice.
The Enemies Destroy Themselves
Early in the morning they got up and left for the Wilderness of Tekoa. As they set out, Jehoshaphat stood up and said, “Hear me, O people of Judah and Jerusalem. Believe in the LORD your God, and you will be upheld; believe in His prophets, and you will succeed.”
Then Jehoshaphat consulted with the people and appointed those who would sing to the LORD and praise the splendor of His holiness. As they went out before the army, they were singing: “Give thanks to the LORD, for His loving devotion endures forever.”
The moment they began their shouts and praises, the LORD set ambushes against the men of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir who had come against Judah, and they were defeated. The Ammonites and Moabites rose up against the inhabitants of Mount Seir, devoting them to destruction. And when they had made an end to the inhabitants of Seir, they helped to destroy one another.
When the men of Judah came to a place overlooking the wilderness, they looked for the vast army, but there were only corpses lying on the ground; no one had escaped. Then Jehoshaphat and his people went to carry off the plunder, and they found on the bodies an abundance of goods and valuables —more than they could carry away. They were gathering the plunder for three days because there was so much.
The Joyful Return
On the fourth day they assembled in the Valley of Beracah, where they blessed the LORD. Therefore that place is called the Valley of Beracah to this day. (“Beracah” means blessing.)
Then all the men of Judah and Jerusalem, with Jehoshaphat at their head, returned joyfully to Jerusalem, for the LORD had made them rejoice over their enemies. So they entered Jerusalem and went into the house of the LORD with harps, lyres, and trumpets. And the fear of God came upon all the kingdoms of the lands when they heard that the LORD had fought against the enemies of Israel. Then Jehoshaphat’s kingdom was at peace, for his God had given him rest on every side.”
This is truly King Jehoshaphat’s finest hour! Facing the same crisis of faith that moved his father Asa to foolishly engage the Syrian army, Jehoshaphat trusts in the Lord. First, Jehoshaphat holds a prayer and praise meeting in Jerusalem. During that meeting, God sends a prophet to assure all assembled that the battle is the Lord’s and that He will fight for them.
“This is what the LORD says: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army, for the battle does not belong to you, but to God. Tomorrow you are to march down against them. You will see them coming up the Ascent of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the valley facing the Wilderness of Jeruel. You need not fight this battle. Take up your positions, stand firm, and see the salvation of the LORD on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid or discouraged. Go out and face them tomorrow, for the LORD is with you.’”
Jehoshaphat does something no other ruler has done before or since; he sends the praise team out ahead of the army. As praises arise, God sets ambushes for the attacking armies by causing them to fall upon one another, destroying one another completely. By the end of the day, only corpses are left and there is so much plunder that it takes the Judeans three days to collect it all.
The people of Judah return to Jerusalem praising God for His miraculous deliverance and His provision. The fear of God falls on all the surrounding nations when they realize how God has delivered Judah from such an enormous attacking force. Truly, God gives Jehoshaphat peace.
APPLICATION: It’s sad but true that many times, the pagan nations surrounding the Israelites have more respect for the God of Israel than do the Israelites. When God brought the Israelites safely through the Red Sea, drowning the Egyptian army, the word spread throughout the region. Time after time, God delivers the Israelites and they take miracles for granted while their pagan neighbors stand in awe. This time, Jehoshaphat and his people KNOW that God has delivered them and they are grateful.
But despite such a wonderful deliverance, there are still high places left in Israel. We know this because later in this same chapter, mention is made of Jehoshaphat’s failure to remove all of the high places. The people of Judah are impressed, but not so impressed that they are willing to totally give up their idols.
Before we feel too smug, we need to examine our own lives. Are we whole – heartedly following God, or do we also have idols? Oswald Chambers tells us, “We tend to think that God has some special interest in our particular prejudices and are very sure that He will never deal with us as He has to deal with others.” Chambers goes on to point out that God wants to deliberately remove everything in our lives that is not of Him. “There is only one thing God wants of us, and that is our unconditional surrender.” (Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest October 23)
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to surrender everything to You, including our pet sins and our idols. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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