The Army That Won By Singing

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Party with the Pastor -  

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Open your bible, if you have one, to 2nd Chronicles 20. 

I think the best movies are the movies where you are unable to predict what happens next. A good movie takes you on a journey and on that journey you discover a twist to the plot. Something happens that you did not predict. And when it happens, it grabs a hold of your attention. The plot twist stops you in your tracks and causes you to ask the question, "who wrote this movie?"  

That same emotion is also present when we open up the bible and we start reading. There are stories in the bible with unexpected plot twist, where God flips the script, and we are forced to ask the question, "who is this God?" 

Over the next 4 weeks we will explore some of the wildest stories in the bible; stories with plot twists that no one saw coming. As we go along we will ask and answer the question of "who is this God of the Bible?" Who is this God you have place your faith in? Who is this God who demands to be primary in your life? Who is God? 

This morning we start with the story of the army that won a battle by singing. Can you create that picture in your mind? A battlefield with two opposing factions. Both with armed men who are ready to kill and die for their nation. Then all of a sudden, one side starts to sing. They started to sing "What a might God we serve, what a might God we serve, heaven and earth adore him, angels bow before him, what a mighty God we serve." Or maybe they were singing "How great is our God, sing with me how Great, how great, is our God. And all will sing with me how great, how great is our God." Or maybe it was "Emmanuel, Emmanuel, Emmanuel, you're here with us." 

This was the scene in 2 Chronicles 20 when Judah (the southern kingdom of Israel) went to the battlefield against its invaders. And what we’ll see as we explore this story is that there is no battle too great for God if we set our mind and heart on him.  

The story opens up in 20:1 with the words "After this, the Moabites and Ammonites, together with some of the Meunites, came to fight against Jehoshaphat." Jehoshaphat is the King of Judah and he is a king that we can all relate to. A King who wanted to please God and did what was right in God's eyes as we will see in the story for today but he also had moments in his life where he prioritized what he wanted over what God was asking for.  

The story opens up with the words "after this"; if you knew what happened in chapter 19, you would expect something positive to follow those words. But what we read is that multiple nations have banded together to invade the Southern Kingdom of Judah. In chapter 19, Jehoshaphat implemented judicial reforms in the nation, by promoting justice in the courts and appointing ethical, and God-fearing judges. If you know one thing about God, it’s that he loves justice and hates oppression. So, logic would tell us King Jehoshaphat should be rewarded with something good in ch. 20, but that's not the case.   

How many of you can relate to that? You finally quit that habit, you did what you thought you needed to do, but still, things are not what you want them to be. You've been faithful in doing what is needed but it feels like God isn't coming through for you. Let me encourage you that you are not alone in that experience. And here’s the challenge, it matters how you respond to that unexpected reality.  

When Jehoshaphat got the news, here's what happened in verse 3, "Jehoshaphat was afraid, and he resolved to seek the Lord. Then he proclaimed a fast for all Judah, 4 who gathered to seek the Lord. They even came from all the cities of Judah to seek him." 

Here's a king who is afraid he might lose it all. He's afraid his people might be dead in the next 48 hours. It would have been very easy to allow that fear to control his decision making in this moment, but that is not what happened. Rather than find comfort in something else, he resolved to seek the Lord. He resolved to set his attention on God. He resolved to fix his heart and mind on God.  

Let me encourage you this morning that there is no better place to go when it feels like all hell is breaking loose than to run towards God. When it feels like it's just bad new after bad news, when it feels like you're out of answers and don't know what to do, there's no better place to find help and comfort than with God who has his hands on you.  

How did the King seek the Lord? He put together a one day prayer and fasting. Notice it wasn't just the king who fasted, he brought people of Judah into it.  

And this is happening with an invading army on their door steps. Rather than run around like a chicken with the head cutoff, he resolved to slow down and ask God for help. 

What could change in marriages if couples prayed and fasted together? What could change in family dynamics if families prayed and fasted together, what could change in churches, if churches prayed and fasted together, what could change in friendships, if friends prayed and fasted together? 

Here’s what so remarkable about the King, he had no problem confessing his inadequacy. He stood up and prayed publicly infront of the people starting in verse 6 and he ends the prayer in verse 12 with these words "We do not know what to do, but we look to you."  

Do you know how humbling it is for a King to say such a thing infront of the nation he is supposed to be leading?  

While humbling, it is also comforting. I’d rather be led by someone who looks to God when things get hard than by one who doesn’t. 

Those are words that confess "although the news is bad, I trust a God who is greater."  

During the prayer and fasting, the spirit of God came upon a man who gave a prophetic word. The prophetic word was simply this in verse 15, “Listen carefully, all Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and King Jehoshaphat. This is what the Lord says: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast number, for the battle is not yours, but God’s." 

Listen church, this was a prophetic word but it was not a new word, it was not a new revelation. This was the word God has always spoken to his people when life starts to feel overwhelming, when external pressures threaten to take priority over God's sovereignty. This was the same word God gave to Joshua and Israel when they were going to battle the Canaanites, this was the same word God gave to Nehemiah when they were rebuilding the temple in the face of opposition. This was the same word God had given over and over to his people over the years and it is the word that God is giving to you this morning.  

And the message is this: There is no battle too big for God! In every battle, God is present determining the outcome.  

The question is for them in that moment is will they believe that prophetic word? The question is for you this morning is “will you believe that prophetic word” – that there's no battle too big for God? 

Often times we want a new word, a fresh revelation, and I'm guilty of that too but let me tell you church, when you pray, and you fast, and you open your bible and you meditate on the words of God, God can being to speak to you through the word that is already revealed.  

Here's the telltale sign that the people believed the prophetic word – they began to praise and worship God. They were praising him not because the battle has already been won, but because they were comforted in knowing that the battle belongs to God. What you do next after hearing the message that your battle belongs to God and he is fighting for you will show whether you believe it or not.  

The King led the charge again in verse 18 after hearing the prophetic message. He bowed down and worshipped God. (Then Jehoshaphat knelt low with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down before the Lord to worship him. 19 Then the Levites from the sons of the Kohathites and the Korahites stood up to praise the Lord God of Israel shouting loudly.) 

Let me say something that's important to the men and to who are the head of their households. Your example in the things of God carries an enormous weight. Don't overlook the presence of the King in this story as he leads the people through every stage. He leads them in seeking God, he leads them in prayer and fasting, he prayed for them, he leads them in worshiping God, he encouraged them to sing songs of praise to God. Listen to me men and the head of households, the spiritual vitality of your home goes as your spiritual vitality goes. When you lead from a place of dependence on God, your household follows, when you lead from a place of humility the household follows, when you lead from a place of confession, the household follows, when you lead from a place of confidence the household follows.  

And so it was with Judah. They followed as the King led. And here comes the plot twist, they don’t know how God will give them victory. They believed he would, but they didn't know how. They might have assumptions and expectations. They showed up to battle ready to fight but they also showed up with songs on their lips. They stepped out in faith not knowing how it would go. 

Verse 21 says, "Then he consulted with the people and appointed some to sing for the Lord and some to praise the splendor of his holiness. When they went out in front of the armed forces, they kept singing: Give thanks to the Lord, for his faithful love endures forever." 

The king placed the music team in front of the battle field to lead armed forces. Imagine if Restoration music team was in the front lines singing praise to God as the United States military was going to war? It would look ridiculous.  

But they did it because they fully trusted and believed God. The believed him so much they went to battle worshiping and praising him.  

That was not the strategy they thought would bring them victory but it was the one God used. Verse 22 says, "The moment they began their shouts and praises, the Lord set an ambush against the Ammonites, Moabites, and the inhabitants of Mount Seir who came to fight against Judah, and they were defeated. 24 When Judah came to a place overlooking the wilderness, they looked for the large army, but there were only corpses lying on the ground; nobody had escaped." 

The people of Judah did not come to battle thinking they would win by singing, but God used it in his own unique way to bring about the victory. I don't know what happened because the bible doesn't tell us. But what we do know is when they started singing loudly, the enemy heard it, and chaos happened.  

We might not be able to control the outcome to look like what we want, because God is the one who determines what the outcome looks, like but friends we can control our faithfulness to God in the process. We can control our faith and trust in God in the process. And God takes what we have and what we do and he'll use it in ways that will often surprise us.  

He is the God who takes what looks insignificant and uses it for his glory and for your good.  

As we wrap up.  

Fear, and inadequacy should not lead you away from God, but it should lead you deeper towards him because there is no battle too big for him to fight if we set our eyes on him. His ears are open to our cry, his eyes see our faithfulness, and his hand is holding us through it all.  

Where in your life could you set your face toward God in prayer and fasting?  

Where could you lead your household, your friendships, your roommates, your small group, or your circle of influence in seeking the face of God? 

Maybe this week, you can name one battle that’s in front you and dedicate s time to pray and fast over it. Maybe invite a trusted friend to join you.  

Judah sang and watched God fight a battle on their behalf. At the cross, Jesus stood in our place and fought a greater battle on our behalf: the battle against sin, death, and the powers of darkness.  

At the cross, Jesus shows us how far God will go to fight on our behalf. 

We too can sing because we know is fighting for us. We too can sing because Christ has won the victory.  

You can press further into God because Jesus went into the grave and came out victorious.  

If you're here this morning and you know you have not set your eyes toward God when life gets real, you can start today. If you're tired of looking to solutions that can't compare to what God offers, today can be the start. I want to end by praying for you. Right where you are, close your eyes and open your hands. If you've looking to God and you're still waiting for his response, I want to pray for you too. I want you to stand right where you are.