2 Chron. 20 The Battle is the Lord’s

There are a number of profound revelations given in this chapter that can be applied to our walk with the Lord, provided we permit them to. Near the end of Jehoshaphat’s reign, the Moabites, Ammonites and possibly some Syrians as well, “came to battle against Jehoshapht.” Realizing that the enemy’s forces outnumbered those of Judah the king called for a season of intercession and fasting; which he led the nation in.

A portion of Jehoshaphat’s prayer is recorded for us in verses 5 – 12; that includes the petition for deliverance as well as a very condensed history of the interaction of Moab, Ammon and Judah. The prayer includes expressions of humility as well as deliverance; knowing that they had “no power against this great multitude” that assembled against Judah.

Take note that “all Judah, with their little ones, their wives, and their children, stood before the Lord.” The situation was so critical; its understanding crossed all gender and age barriers.
The prophet Jahziel delivered a word of encouragement to “not be afraid nor dismayed” as a result of the “great multitude” that came against them. We have one of the most powerful verses in scripture in verse 15, “for the battle is not yours, but God’s.”

FRIEND, when we are faced with overwhelming odds that would destroy us, we need to remember what the Lord spoke to Jehoshaphat that it wasn’t his battle; rather it was the Lord’s. Yes, there are some battles we’re called to fight; yet there are those we are admonished to not battle in. Our response in such situations is largely dependent on our ability to “hear what the Lord says”.

We also see the Lord exhorted Judah to “position” themselves by standing still and doing what the Lord directed them to do and how to do it. When we do so, as Jehosphaphat did, we’ll need to confront the enemy, remember the Lord is with us and we need to resist fear or fall apart (dismayed).

Because Jehoshaphat led the way, the people did as they saw modeled for them by their king. As goes the leader, so goes the team. The people responded as well with worshiping the Lord. The Levites and Kohathites stood to praise the Lord with “voices loud and high.” We can’t afford to remain silent about the Lord, rather declare His works in the land of the living.

We find in verse 17 another key to victory; REMEMBER “the Lord is with you”. The word of the Lord says “with God all things are possible”; Israel would discover that within the next twenty four hours.

Prior to positioning themselves, Jehoshaphat gave Judah a final word of encouragement before the battle to 1) believe the Lord which would bring stability in the midst of chaos and 2) believe His prophets that will permit them to prosper. The prosperity went beyond their imaginations, as it took over three days to collect all the bounty from the enemy that had died by killing one another. As a result, “the fear of God was on all the kingdoms of those countries when heard that the Lord had fought against the enemies of Israel.”

Jehoshaphat’s reign brought many reforms to Judah; yet “hearts” of the people were not directed to the Lord. That was evidenced by not destroying the “high places”; which would become the downfall of Judah in the days ahead.
Saint of God; remember whose battle we are confronted by. Are we called to engage it or release it totally to the Lord? When we trust God and His prophets, stability and prosperity are ours.

The battle is the Lord’s; not yours!