2 Chronicles 20:13-20 "Faith and Encouragement"

2 Chronicles 20:13-20 “Faith and Encouragement”

2 Chronicles 20:13 “All the men of Judah, with their wives and children and little ones, stood there before the Lord.”

In 2 Chron 20:4, the verse informs us that the people assembled together to seek help from the Lord. We also see a family unit assemblying at this moment. Great things happen in our community when the family stands before God together.

2 Chronicles 20:14 “Then the Spirit of the Lord came on Jahaziel son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite and descendant of Asaph, as he stood in the assembly.”

Jahaziel [Ja-ha’-zi-el], who came from a line of well know Levites namely Asaph - one of David’s main musicians. Asaph was one of the musicians David appointed for worship, and likely the author of some of the Psalms. This verse signifies his validity as a prophet because the spirit of the Lord came upon him.

2 Chronicles 20:15 “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.”

Jahaziel is being led by the Lord with his words to King Jehoshaphat. (Not his opinion but the Lords words). 1. Don’t be afraid or discouraged because of the army. 2. He also tells them that the battle is not yours, but God’s.

the battle is not yours, but God’s reminds us of David’s speech to Goliath (1 Sam 17:48,  As the Philistine moved closer to attack him, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet him.)

The Lord was telling them that “I’ve got this” Even though you will have to face your enemy, you will not have to fire a single shot.

2 Chronicles 20:16 “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.”

Ziz in Hebrew means flowers, blossoms. A mountain pass in Judah used by the Ammonites and the Moabites during this battle against Jehoshaphat. It also led to the Dead Sea.

Jeruel - a wilderness in the South of Judah

gorge is a valley

His prophecy encourages the people to have faith. He is giving them instructions about what they will see on tomorrow.

2 Chronicles 20:17 “You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you.’ ””

Fight of Faith

Jehoshaphat was the 4th King after the divide of the kingdom of Israel but He continues the religious reform his father started. This is why he went to God to fight his battles and not try to fight them with his army.

Jehoshaphat knew what to do because he was familiar with King Solomon’s prayer given over a century earlier at the temple dedication (see 6:28–30). 2 Chronicles 6:28–30 ““When famine or plague comes to the land, or blight or mildew, locusts or grasshoppers, or when enemies besiege them in any of their cities, whatever disaster or disease may come, and when a prayer or plea is made by anyone among your people Israel—being aware of their afflictions and pains, and spreading out their hands toward this temple—then hear from heaven, your dwelling place. Forgive, and deal with everyone according to all they do, since you know their hearts (for you alone know the human heart),” He even referred to that prayer in his own intercession (20:8–9) because his crisis was exactly the kind of disaster Solomon had prayed about. Solomon had talked about the Lord going out from his temple and fighting the battles for his people. Jehoshaphat spoke to the Lord about the same thing and in the same terms. God’s people were under attack, and the promised land was being threatened. But, Jehoshaphat knew that victory by God’s hand had been promised long ago. And, Jehoshaphat knew that God keeps his promises.

This is a powerful example for Christians of how to respond to crises and prevail in God’s strength. Though Christians can still be overwhelmed by a crisis situation just like people of the world can, we have the option of looking to the Lord for his intervention and deliverance when we don’t know what to do—as Jehoshaphat did when he faced his enemies Tony Evans, The Tony Evans Bible Commentary (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2019), 437.

Similar to when Moses encouraged the people to “stand firm and see the salvation of the Lord” as they came out of Egypt. (Exod 14:13-14 )13    But Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid, stand firm, and see the deliverance that the LORD will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians whom you see today you shall never see again.  14    The LORD will fight for you, and you have only to keep still.” The Holy Bible: New Revised Standard Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1989), Ex 14:13–14.

2 Chronicles 20:18 “Jehoshaphat bowed down with his face to the ground, and all the people of Judah and Jerusalem fell down in worship before the Lord.”

King Jehoshaphat despair in 2 Chron 20:6,    and said, “O LORD, God of our ancestors, are you not God in heaven? Do you not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations? In your hand are power and might, so that no one is able to withstand you turns to worship now as he and Judah praise God for His promise to deliver them.

Holy Bible: New Revised Standard Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1989), 2 Ch 20:6.

Point: Jehoshaphat bowed down his face to the ground, and the people of Judah and Jerusalem fell down in worship before the Lord

2 Chronicles 20:19 “Then some Levites from the Kohathites and Korahites stood up and praised the Lord, the God of Israel, with a very loud voice.”

Jehoshaphat was encouraged by the prophets words, and the only thing left to do was stand up and give the Lord praises. A situation that started out being a crisis turned into a praise and worship service.

I believe we need to first humble ourselves before the Lord to reverence who He is in our life, and then we are able to give Him praise and worship Him for what He is in our lives. I believe it is a challenge to give effective praise and worship to God when you have not first humbled yourself. (John 12:32, NIV, Jesus says,   And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw all people to myself)

2 Chronicles 20:20 “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.””

Tekoa - the place of pitching tents. It was a section of the wilderness of Judah.

King Jehoshaphat encourages the people to trust God. When you trust God then the results are His blessings. “When praises go up, then blessings come down”

Also he encourages them to have faith in his prophets, and you will be successful. How can they hear without a preacher?

“In God, if you can believe then you can succeed.”

We should pray and act as God has directed us.

In conclusion, God gives them victory with the combination of Prayer, Prophecy, and Praise. And worship is a great weapon against the enemy. This point is not in this lesson but read verses 21-22, and you will see that the hardest decision they had to make was what song to sing and what key to sing it in. God caused and “ambush” against their enemies.