After
barely escaping his disastrous alliance with Ahab, King Jehoshaphat returns to
Jerusalem where he faces rebuke from God’s prophet. Jehoshaphat proves his character by taking
the criticism, and returning to the work he should have been doing, the administration
of justice and support of God’s Law for his people. In the midst of this renewed effort to be the
type of king the people of God need, calamity strikes without warning:
Jehoshaphat is informed of a league of three kingdoms to the east that have
joined to invade Judah, and they’re already on this side of the Jordan River.
In the
midst of a crisis that could end his kingdom and destroy his people if not
thwarted, Jehoshaphat turns not to his palace to meet with his generals, but to
the temple to lead the assembled people of God in prayer. With the invading army only a day away,
Jehoshaphat prays before the people, recalling God’s seat upon the throne of
heaven, his promise to Abraham, and ending by recalling that his ancestors had
shown mercy to the Edomites who are now amongst those invading Judah, which
leads to a call for God to show justice.
The
response to Jehoshaphat’s powerful prayer is impressive: God speaks through a
Levite in attendance at this assembly in the temple courtyard to assure his
people that they need not be afraid even of an approaching army, for “the
battle is not yours, but God’s”. This is
the key truth for Jehoshaphat and for us today.
The true battle between Good and Evil was never ours to win or lose, it
was always the responsibility of God, and the outcome of victory was never in
doubt. The champion of the cause of right
is the Lamb of God, who is indeed worthy.
The
battle is God’s, but his people still need to put on their armor and take the
field. Jehoshaphat leads the army out of
Jerusalem with a choir of men in front praising God, “Give thanks to the LORD,
for his love endures forever.” As the
people praise, God throws the enemy army into confusion and they turn upon each
other and destroy themselves. What was
the key to victory? The power of God
fulfilling his Word. And how was that
power accessed? By the fervent prayer of
his people, gathered together, and their subsequent steps of obedience in
faithful trust.
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