“Our God, will you not judge them? For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you. All the men of Judah, with their wives and children and little ones, stood there before the Lord. 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. 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.” (2 Chronicles 20:12-15 NIV)
The story of King Jehoshaphat is a great example of how God can take disasters in our lives and turn them into great military victories. The Bible tells us that Jehoshphat was a marvelous king who did what was right in the sight of God. He was good to the people he ruled over. The nation was prospering, debt-free and, additionally, free from war. Everything and everybody were blessed.
That is until one particular day when Jehoshaphat gets the news that the kingdom is surrounded by enemy troops. It seems that the nation of Israel was prospering too much. The kings from the enemy kingdoms didn’t like it one bit. The kings of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir formed a powerful alliance to destroy Jehoshaphat and his kingdom.
Instead of panicking, instead of running and hiding, do you know what king Jehoshaphat did? He said, “Tell everybody in the kingdom that it’s time to fast. It’s time to go to the temple and call upon God.” You know, that’s the problem with many of us today. We try to handle our own problems, our own battles. When we should turn to God instantly like king Jehoshaphat did. When you are surrounded by the forces of darkness, and it seems there is no way out, just turn to God.
The Word tells us that after Jehoshaphat finished praying, that he waited. What was he waiting for? An answer from God! He expected to hear from God. I believe that too many times we don’t expect to hear from God, and if He did speak to us, it would probably scare us to death. But king Jehoshaphat expected to hear from Him. And hear from him he did. The Spirit of the Lord spoke and 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’” (v.15). When we are under attack, it isn’t our battle–it’s God’s battle.
But God wasn’t through speaking just yet. He had one other thing to tell Jehoshaphat. This is what He said: “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” (v.17). What Lord? You want us to march out to battle, but we won’t have to fight? All we have to do is just stand still and watch you fight for us? Okay Lord.
Early that next morning, Jehoshaphat and the people of Israel did as the Lord said and marched out towards this massive sea of soldiers from three different kingdoms. This is the part that I love so much though. King Jehoshaphat told the people that morning this little instructional piece of advice. “Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the Lord and to praise him for the splendor of his holiness as they went out at the head of the army, saying: ‘Give thanks to the Lord, for his love (mercy) endures forever.’” (v.21) [italic emphasis mine] Sing? Yes, sing!
I can just hear Jehoshaphat now telling the people, “Don’t sneak in. Down cower in fear. The battle is not ours but God’s. So here’s what we're going to do–we’re going to sing our way into the enemy camp. We are going to let them know we are coming.”
I can picture that down in the enemy camp a lone soldier is standing on guard duty while everyone else is asleep. All of a sudden that guard hears a noise. Then it gets louder, and then louder still. “What is that?,” he wonders. I can just almost imagine as the Israelites march forward and sing “Praise the Lord, for His mercy endures forever,” that their voices begin to echo across the mountains. I can see that guard waking everyone up and screaming, “It’s Jehoshaphat, and he’s hired troops to help him fight. It sounds like there’s a million of them!”
As the children of Israel stood outside of the encampment of these enemy soldiers, still singing “Praise the Lord, for His mercy endures forever,” the Word tells us what happens next: “As they began to sing and praise, the Lord set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated. The Ammonites and Moabites rose up against the men from Mount Seir to destroy and annihilate them. After they finished slaughtering the men from Seir, they helped to destroy one another. When the men of Judah came to the place that overlooks the desert and looked toward the vast army, they saw only dead bodies lying on the ground; no one had escaped. So, Jehoshaphat and his men went to carry off their plunder, and they found among them a great amount of equipment and clothing[d] and also articles of value—more than they could take away. There was so much plunder that it took three days to collect it.” (vv.22-25)
God sent confusion into the camps of the Moabites, the Ammonites, and those from Mount Seir, and caused them to draw swords on each other. In their panic, they fought and killed each other! All the while, the Israelites are still standing outside the camps singing their song. All the while they are continually praising the Lord for the victory that was coming. Fellow Christian warrior, don't ever lose your song. Don’t ever lose your joy. When the enemy has surrounded you with more things that you can possibly count, and when your life seems overwhelmed by constant threats from the forces of darkness, do not lose hope in your God. Allow your faith in the Most High to trust Him to win the same kind of victories for you that He did for king Jehoshaphat. Believe like the king. Stand still and see God’s glory manifested in your life.