Read 2 Chronicles 20:1-22. What important spiritual principles can we take from this story for ourselves, whatever struggles we are facing?
Toward the close of Jehoshaphat’s reign, Judah was invaded. Jehoshaphat was a man of courage and valor. For years he had been strengthening his armies and his fortified cities. He was well prepared to meet almost any enemy; yet in this crisis he did not put his confidence in his own strength but in the power of God. He set himself to seek the Lord, and he proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. The people all gathered together in the court of the temple, as Solomon had prayed that they would if faced by danger. All the men of Judah stood before the Lord with their wives and children. They prayed that God would confuse their enemies that His name might be glorified. Then the king prayed, “We have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon You” (2 Chronicles 20:12, NKJV).
Image © Jim Howard at Goodsalt.com
After they committed themselves to God in this manner, the Spirit of the Lord came upon a man of God who said, “Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s. … You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the LORD” (2 Chronicles 20:15-17, NKJV).
So, early the next morning the king assembled the people, with the Levitical choir in the front to sing the praises of God. Then he admonished the people, “Believe in the LORD your God, and you shall be established; believe His prophets, and you shall prosper” (2 Chronicles 20:20, NKJV). Then the choir began to sing, and their enemies destroyed one another, and “none escaped” (2 Chronicles 20:24). It took the men of Judah three days just to collect the spoils of the battle, and on the fourth day they returned to Jerusalem, singing as they went.
Of course, the God who delivered them is the same God whom we love and worship, and His power is just as great today as back then. The challenge, for us, is to trust in Him and His leading.
| Read 2 Chronicles 20:20. What special significance should this text have for Seventh-day Adventists? |
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