2/27/20

Revival: Stronger Than Ever

Where to Turn in Your Darkest Moment

2 Chronicles 17-20

[Note to pastor: I began this sermon with a personal story of a humorous time in my childhood when I found myself in a situation where I did not know what to do. You might be able to think of a time in your life when you finished poorly and begin with that story from your life. Here’s mine:

One of my most vivid childhood memories is of an afternoon in sixth grade, when a friend and I decided to swing on a newly-installed bar hanging over the walkway on our way out of school. The bar was about 8 feet off the ground, just low enough for the two of us to reach if we jumped.

So on the count of three we jumped. And a second later discovered that this bar wasn’t just a bar, it was actually a sprinkler pipe, under tremendous pressure. The pipe burst, we fell to the ground, and water began gushing everywhere… and it was unstoppable.

We did not know what to do, so we both ran home as fast as we could.]

Today I want to introduce you to a man who did not know what to do, but his situation was a lot more serious than ours.

He’s a man I’d like to meet some day.

He’s the son of Asa. His name is Jehoshaphat and he was the 6th king in the line of David.

Ezra, our teacher, introduces him to us this way:

The Lord was with Jehoshaphat because he walked in the former ways of his father David. He did not seek the Baals, but sought the God of his father and walked in his commands… So the Lord established the kingdom in his hand. Then all Judah brought him tribute, and he had riches and honor in abundance. His mind rejoiced in the Lord’s ways… 2 Chronicles 17:3-6

NEED

If you’ve ever been in a tight spot, if you’ve ever been in a place where you didn’t know what to do, if you’ve ever felt like you’re facing an enemy who is bigger than you and could destroy you and all you hold dear, Jehoshaphat will be your hero. Because Jehoshaphat faced all of that and humbly confessed, “I don’t know what to do.” In front of God and everybody.

And yet, he did exactly the right thing, eight times in a row.

Let me show you his story. It’s in 2 Chronicles 20.

Open a Bible, open up your notes, and pray this prayer with me:

Lord Jesus, speak to me. Amen.

FILLER

While you’re getting your Bible and your notes together, let me tell you that Jehoshaphat was 35 years old when he became king. And he reigned over Judah, the southern kingdom of Israel, for 25 years. Jehoshaphat’s story spans two wars and a bad marriage. I’ll tell you about the bad marriage next week. It almost wrecked the kingdom, and almost scuttled God’s plans to send a Messiah through the line of David. – Don’t miss next week!

The story begins with… 2 Chronicles 20:1-2;

After this, the Moabites and Ammonites, together with some of the Meunites, came to fight against Jehoshaphat. People came and told Jehoshaphat, “A vast number from beyond the Dead Sea and from Edom has come to fight against you; they are already in Hazazon-tamar” (that is, En-gedi).

If you’ve got a map of Israel in the back of your Bible, you might sneak a peek at it. Otherwise, do you best to imagine with me the Jordan River, and the Dead Sea, and the countries to the east of it.

[Note to pastor: To aid in visualizing, you might want to insert this map or something similar in your message notes, or on a screen. Here’s a map of what was happening:

http://www.freebibleimages.org/illustrations/jehoshaphat-victory/ ]

The Ammonites, Moabites and Edomites all lived on the east side of the Dead Sea. Their nations had been conquered under King David, and now were rebelling.

How would you feel if you got word that a huge army, much bigger than your own, was coming to get you? What would you do? Well…

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.

Three strategic things Jehoshaphat did in this dark moment:

What Jehoshaphat Did in His Dark Moment:

He resolved to seek the Lord. V. 3aHe called for a fast. V. 3bHe gathered the people. V. 4

Last week we learned God’s promise to Asa: that the eyes of the Lord roam throughout the earth to show himself strong for those who are wholeheartedly devoted to him.

At the first sign of danger, Jehoshaphat sought the Lord because… he sought the Lord in all things. His heart was fully devoted to the Lord.

Application

How’s your heart these days? Who or what is it devoted to?

To deepen his commitment, he called a fast. When you fast, you’re constantly thinking about food. Which means you’re constantly reminded that you do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.

Jehoshaphat gathers the people together because there is strength in numbers. – Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor. And, “Wherever two or three are gathered in Jesus’ name, there He is in our midst.”

Jehoshaphat does a fourth strategic thing.

He prayed. Vs. 5-12

5 Then Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem in the Lord’s temple before the new courtyard. 6 He said: Lord, God of our ancestors, 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. 7 Are you not our God who drove out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel and who gave it forever to the descendants of Abraham your friend? 8 They have lived in the land and have built you a sanctuary in it for your name and have said, 9 “If disaster comes on us—sword or judgment, pestilence or famine—we will stand before this temple and before you, for your name is in this temple. We will cry out to you because of our distress, and you will hear and deliver.”

10 Now here are the Ammonites, Moabites, and the inhabitants of Mount Seir. You did not let Israel invade them when Israel came out of the land of Egypt, but Israel turned away from them and did not destroy them. 11 Look how they repay us by coming to drive us out of your possession that you gave us as an inheritance. 12 Our God, will you not judge them? For we are powerless before this vast number that comes to fight against us. We do not know what to do, but we look to you.

Jehoshaphat reminds God of who He is and what He’s done for them in the past. “You rule with power, and you’ve been there for all the descendants of Abraham,” he says.

Jehoshaphat affirms their commitment to the Lord, “We built your sanctuary. We’ve worshiped you there. And now, we’re crying out to you from there.”

Then he presents the problem: “We’re being invaded by people we once had mercy on.”

And He calls on God for justice. “Will you not judge?” He’s reminding God that His reputation is on the line.

The climax of Jehoshaphat’s prayer is a prayer I have prayed hundreds times. He says, “We do not know what to do, but we look to you.”

That prayer works on every occasion. Practice it with me. Repeat this outloud:

We do not know what to do. (We do not know what to do. )

But we look to you. (But we look to you.)

God’s Answer

13 All Judah was standing before the Lord with their dependents, their wives, and their children. 14 In the middle of the congregation, the Spirit of the Lord came on Jahaziel (son of Zechariah, son of Benaiah, son of Jeiel, son of Mattaniah, a Levite from Asaph’s descendants), 15 and he said, “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.

APPLICATION

How many times have you faced something terrible and felt like you were all alone in it?

Friend, if you are committed to the Lord, if you are wholeheartedly devoted to Him,

if you have said, “Lord, live your life through me, and I will live for you for the rest of my life,” then the eyes of the Lord are on you, to strengthen you. The battle you are facing is not yours, but God’s.”

Look up and say these words, “This battle is yours Lord.” (“This battle is yours Lord.”)

Jahaziel continues: 16 Tomorrow, go 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.

And listen to this friends…

17 You do not have to fight this battle. Position yourselves, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord. He is with you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid or discouraged. Tomorrow, go out to face them, for the Lord is with you.’”

Isn’t that good?

18 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.

Isn’t THAT good?

A fifth thing Jehoshaphat did:

5. He led the people in worship. Vs. 18-19

“They stood up to praise the Lord God of Israel loudly.”

Well, what do you suppose happened the next day? How many Israelite’s do you think died in the battle?

Let’s find out: 20 In the morning they got up early and went out to the wilderness of Tekoa.

Tekoa is about 12 miles south of Jerusalem. It’s a fairly easy hike, since it’s all downhill. Just before they started the hike, the text says…

As they were about to go out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Hear me, Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem. Believe in the Lord your God, and you will be established; believe in his prophets, and you will succeed.”

I’m intrigued by this next part:

21 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.

POINT

I don’t know if you’ve ever thought about the power of singing, but meditate on this for a minute. They all sang, and the Lord heard them, and here’s what happened:

22 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. 23 The Ammonites and Moabites turned against the inhabitants of Mount Seir and completely annihilated them. When they had finished with the inhabitants of Seir, they helped destroy each other.

Apparently, there is a hidden power in singing friends! There is power in praise. Something happens when we use our voices to make a melody to God. – You might consider that the next time you’re in trouble, or the next time you’re in the shower.

The sixth strategic thing Jehoshaphat did was...

6. He appointed people to sing. Vs. 20-21

Who would have thought that a major move to defeat an enemy would involve music and voices?

Now, bear in mind, Jehoshaphat and all the people don’t know what’s happened on the battlefield. They haven’t arrived yet. They’re just marching along singing. Verse 24 says… 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.

RECAP

Here’s the story. And it’s a true story: once upon a time, there was a big bad army coming against the people of God. The people did not know what to do, but they resolved to seek the Lord. They gathered together; they fasted; they prayed; they heard a word from God from one of His spokesmen; and they worshiped. They began to sing, and God performed a miracle: He ambushed their enemies… and the people lived happily ever after!

But wait! There’s more:

25 Then Jehoshaphat and his people went to gather the plunder. They found among them an abundance of goods on the bodies and valuable items. So they stripped them until nobody could carry any more. They were gathering the plunder for three days because there was so much. 26 They assembled in the Valley of Beracah on the fourth day, for there they blessed the Lord. Therefore, that place is still called the Valley of Beracah today.

“Beracah” means, “blessing.” The place became the Valley of Blessing.

Jehoshaphat’s seventh strategic move was…

7. He blessed the Lord. Vs. 26-29

And the rest, as they saw, is history. Let’s read about it:

27 Then all the men of Judah and Jerusalem turned back with Jehoshaphat their leader, returning joyfully to Jerusalem, for the Lord enabled them to rejoice over their enemies. 28 So they came into Jerusalem to the Lord’s temple with harps, lyres, and trumpets. 29 The terror of God was on all the kingdoms of the lands when they heard that the Lord had fought against the enemies of Israel. 30 Then Jehoshaphat’s kingdom was quiet, for his God gave him rest on every side.

RECAP

This is the revival under King Jehoshaphat: A terrible disaster looks like it’s going to ruin the nation. Nobody knows what to do. But one man, the king, stands up and says, “I’m going to seek the Lord.”

He asks the nation to join him, in fasting, in gathering together to pray and ask God to deliver them. God answers through Jahaziel. “I’ve got this.” He says. “The battle is mine. I invite you to come and watch.”

The people believe. They bow down to thank God in faith for what He’s going to do, and they rise up and praise Him with singing. Early the next morning, they sing their way to the battlefield, where, instead of having to engage the enemy, they find out that the enemy has engaged themselves.

So the people help themselves to the spoils, return home and hold another worship service, and then they enjoy the eighth and final strategic move which is…

8. They rested. V. 30

They enjoyed the peace God gave them.

SUMMARY

Ezra, who chronicles this story for us, is teaching us about how to rescue a nation.

He’s showing us that…

Lessons from Jehoshaphat’s Revival:

God is available and attentive in your darkest moments. 2 Chronicles 20:17b

God is there and God is aware.

Ezra is showing us that…

Prayer is more powerful than any enemy. 2 Chronicles 20:12

Even when we don’t know what to pray for. Jehoshaphat’s prayer is one of the simplest, yet most profound prayers in all of Scripture. He just says… We do not know what to do, but we look to you. 2 Chronicles 20:12

Paul, in the New Testament, says,

In the same way the Spirit also helps us in our weakness, because we do not know what to pray for as we should, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with inexpressible groanings. Romans 8:26

When you’re in a dark moment, you don’t have to have the solution to your problem. You just have to remember who does.

“We do not know what to do, but we look to you.” I encourage you to memorize that. It will work for any occasion.

Say it after me: “We do not know what to do, but we look to you.” “We do not know what to do, but we look to you.”

In this story, Ezra is showing us that…

God is able to turn whatever comes against you against itself. 2 Chronicles 20:22

He can turn trials into triumphs.

Failures into learning lessons.

Enemies into friends.

Or into providers for our every need.

God can take anything that is coming against you and use it for you… because He is for you.

And Ezra is showing us that…

God can turn evil into good. Romans 8:28

In Romans 8, right after telling us that the Spirit prays for us when we don’t know how to pray for ourselves, Paul says… And we know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28

Jehoshaphat’s enemies thought they were coming to steal, kill, and destroy. They didn’t know they were actually coming to turn over their personal possessions to the Israelites.

APPLICATION

Today, we are facing an enemy too small to see but too big to ignore. The Coronavirus is a real enemy, with real consequences.

We’re worried about losing our health or losing our loved ones.

We’re worried about our jobs and our finances.

We’re worried about equality.

We’re worried about politics.

“Come to me,” Jesus says, “all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon me and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”

PRAYER

Father in heaven, you preserved this story about Jehoshaphat to remind us to turn to you in our darkest moments.

The worldwide pandemic and its economic effects feel pretty dark to us Lord.

We don’t know what to do, but we are looking to you.

Please turn this virus upon itself. Destroy it. And direct us to the Valley of Blessing where we can pick up the plunder and give you praise.

[Before I finish my prayer, I know that all of us are facing this crisis together, but how it's affecting each of us individually in slightly different ways. So I want to give you a chance to pray your own prayer of deliverance for your situation right now. Pray these words after me.]

Lord, I don’t know what to do. [Lord, I don’t know what to do.]

But I look to you. [But I look to you.]

Look at me one more time before I conclude my prayer.

The Bible says, “One with many friends may be harmed, but there is a friend who stays closer than a brother.” -Proverbs 18:24

That friend is Jesus. He was the Son of God, who came to earth to show us how much we matter to God by giving His life in our place.

You and I have distanced ourselves from God by doing things we know are wrong. Jesus came to remove that distance between us and God by paying for our wrongs with His own life, on the Cross.

Jesus wants to be with you, and for you. He wants to be the friend who is closer than a brother. He wants to be your savior, your leader, your forgiver. And in this moment you are only one prayer away from a relationship with Him that will make all that He is available to you for all of the rest of you and on into eternity.

What He asks is that you invite Him into your life, to be your Lord and leader.

So if you’d like to become Jesus’ friend and follower, I want to lead you in a prayer that will make that so right now.

Here’s the prayer. Just pray it outloud, kind of under your breath if you’d like. And Jesus will come into your life:

Lord Jesus, I admit, I’m a sinner in need of a Savior, and I invite You to be mine. Come into my heart, and live Your life through me. And I will live for You for the rest of my life.

[Give assurance of salvation and close the prayer.]