Sermon Tone Analysis

Context of Chronicles and Jehosophat

Chronicles is all about the kings of the south.

The only times that the kings of the north are mentioned in Chronicles is when their reigns intersect with the reign of a southern king.

If Chronicles were made into a TV show, and if the TV show were faithful to the events recorded in the text, it would rival any show on TV today.

The Kings were one of my favorite parts of the Bible when I was younger and still are today.

850 years before Jesus was born, Israel was divided into two kingdoms.

The northern kingdom which was called Israel and the southern kingdom that was called Judah.

Today, we begin a series that I have entitled, ALL IN, that will be rooted in the reign of the fourth king of the southern kingdom.

His name was Jehosophat.

Don’t name your kid Jehosophat.

Summary of 2 Chronicles 20

Jehosophat is most famous for the battle described in 2 Chronicles 20.

In this account, three of Judah’s enemies formed an alliance and were 15 miles away from Jehosophat ready to attack he and his people.

Scripture says he was alarmed, he was afraid, but he calls his people together, he calls them to fast and pray, and one of the musicians prophecies that they would not only win the battle, but that they would not even need to fight the battle, that God would supernaturally win the battle for them.

They marched to meet the enemy, they sang as they marched, and by the time they arrived at the scene of the battle, the three enemies had turned on each other, had killed each other, they were all dead, it took three days for Jehosophat and the people to carry off the riches that the three enemies had left…and the story and Jehosophat’s reign ends with joy, peace, and absolute victory.

Obscurity of Jehosophat

I am sure you didn’t wake up this morning thinking about the king Jehosophat.

However, I shouldn’t say that…and I’ll tell you why...

Mom and Jehosophat

This past week, we were at our family reunion at the beach.

I was looking through my email and found my mom’s daily devotional that she sends out to thousands of people every day, I am assuming perhaps some of you read it as well.

And I read Thursdays’ devotional and lo and behold it was on Jehosophat.

Not only that but most of her devotionals this past week were on Jehosophat.

Neither one of us had any idea that the other had developed this special interest in this obscure king—and when I told her I was preaching on him this Sunday, she said that she loves 2 Chronicles 20 which is the famous battle scene, but that she also loves how the earlier events of his life prepared him for and tied into this defining moment of 2 Chronicles 20.

And again, that is exactly the way I had planned on approaching the series.

I want to stay in 2 Chronicles 20 as the basis and flash back to various scenes in his life.

So if you have been reading her devotional this past week it may not be true that Jehosophat hasn’t been on your mind.

I believe that the Holy Spirit works in those little ways in life.

I have a burning hammer inside of me to preach this series.

I believe with all my heart that this series will be crucial for Reach Church.

Like I said, I have entitled this series ALL IN.

ALL IN to what?

It’s so vague.

ALL IN could mean anything.

I’m not going to tell you what I mean by ALL IN…I’m going to allow it to unfold itself through the text…the obvious parallel between this story and you and Reach Church is that Jehosophat and his people CLEARLY were ALL IN for the Lord, let’s be like Jehosophat and his people and ALSO be ALL IN for the Lord.

And there are those parallels:

Verse 1: After This

Isn’t it amazing in life that there is ALWAYS an AFTER THIS.

There is always another test…another temptation…another mountain to climb…another blessing…another opportunity to build the kingdom…another time to invest in your church, in your friendships, your marriage, another day to honor God.

But that actually isn’t true.

There isn’t ALWAYS and AFTER THIS for you or for me.

At some point, there will be a last “after this.”

But what is the context here?

After What?

Early in chapter 19, Jehosophat had received a rebuke from a prophet.

Now rebuking a king was risky business, even for a prophet of God.

But he didn’t execute the prophet, he didn’t complain about the prophet, he received the rebuke like the ALL IN kind of man that he was and he changed.

For the rest of chapter 19, Jehosophat is doing good.

Verse 4: he was among the people.

He was a people’s king.

Verse 5: he fortified the cities.

Verse 6 and following: he encouraged the leaders to lead well, to lead fairly, to be just, to uphold the Law of God.

Things are going well for Jehosophat.

Things are going well for the kingdom.

And then BAM.

This is How he is Repaid

Chapter 20 happens.

Common Enemy and the MeUnites

After this, this is how God repays him.

The Moabites and Ammonites didn’t even like each other.

Yet they are banding together to take out Jehosophat and Judah.

Nothing else brings people together more quickly than a common enemy.

Jehosophat and Judah suddenly became the common enemy.

And then there is this mysterious THIRD group of people who join the Moabites and the Ammonites and translators of the Bible aren’t even clear as to who these people were…some versions literally say, “the others” joined them.

ESV translates them as the MeUnites.

What a name.

How relevant is THAT name in our time.

The ME people.

The ALL ABOUT ME people.

The ALL ABOUT ME people UNITE.

The Me-Unites.

It’s comical.

The Me-Unites are the ones who join up against you just for fun.

So Jehosophat in chapter 19 received his rebuke like a man, seemed to have really changed, made reforms all through the nation, turning people back to God, and this is Jehosophat’s AFTER THIS…this is how God repays him....a great multitude coming up against you.

His Response: Set His Face to Seek the Lord

We don’t really and truly know how ALL IN we are with the Lord until trouble hits.

Verse 3:

I love that phrase in verse 3: he “set his face to seek the Lord”.

There was another King, 850 years later, who ALSO had groups of people who were normally enemies with each other join together to hurt him and kill him.

He also had done nothing to deserve their wrath.

Only for this King it was the Sadducees, the Herodians, the Pharisees, the scribes, and the chief priests.

And like Jehosophat, this king also set his face...

ALL IN.

Are you starting to see what ALL IN means?

So Jehosophat calls the people together …he doesn’t strategize, he doesn’t fortify, he doesn’t panic, he prays in the presence of the people.

Look at how he ends his prayer in verse 12:

I don’t know what to do but my eyes are on you.

The valley where this battle was fought became known as the Valley of Jehosophat.

It is thought that the final battle of time, the battle of Armageddon, will be fought at the Valley of Jehosophat.

The place where Jehosophat prayed in front of the people and said, we don’t know what to do but our eyes are on you.

Another King would also pray in the same valley.

Only it became known as the Kidron Valley.

There was a Garden called the Garden of Gethsemane where this King, facing his enemies, also prayed in front of his people, like Jehosophat, he expressed great ansgt to God, saying let this cup pass from me, but not my will but your will be done.

In other words, I don’t want to do this, but my eyes are on you.

He was ALL IN.

Are you starting to see what ALL IN means?

It’s far deeper than you following some cheap example.

I don’t know what is going to happen with my children, I’m scared, I don’t have any answers, but my eyes are fixed on you.

I don’t know what is going to happen with my future, with my health, but my eyes are fixed on you.

Verse 13: