Chapter 20 starts with the words “after this…”. After what? After he had established judges in every town.
In a country full of sinners, he had told them that to stand up against sin, to stand up against evil, and not let evil men intimidate you. As the last verse of chapter 19 says, “Deal courageously, and may the LORD be with the upright!” So, in chapter 19 we see that to deal with evil within they needed to trust the LORD that he would be faithful to the upright in heart. It all starts with cleaning out the inside. But now that the inside is clean there is a threat coming from outside. Satan doesn’t give up this side of eternity
The danger that is approaching are the ancient familial enemies of Israel. Moab and Ammon who are related to Abraham’s nephew, Lot, and Edom who was the son of Isaac the brother of Jacob. This has always been about the two lines. Coming from the same family. Brother against brother. And they come from beyond the sea. The violent seas which is the place of the nations, from which the beast arise, and they strike fear in the heart of Jehoshaphat.
Jehoshaphat was “afraid and set his face to seek the Lord” (2 Chron. 20:3). He wasn’t superhuman; he was a normal guy. The initial step of anyone trusting in God’s help—in his day or in ours—must be admitting weakness. Must be admitting these enemies are too great for us and will crush us. It may be good medicine right now to go before the Lord and honestly tell him how you are doing. You know you are allowed to say I’m scared. I’m frustrated. I’m angry. I’m lonely. I’m wounded. I’m exhausted. The point of airing our pain isn’t to shake a finger at God; it’s to be honest as we trust him with our deepest concerns. I mean he knows it.
And what does he do. “He set his face to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah and Judah assembled to seek help from the LORD; from all the cities of Judah they came to seek the LORD (v3-4).”
He set his face to seek the LORD. When is the last time you set your face to seek the LORD? This is removing all distractions, removing all other options, but deliberately, conscientiously, and persistently turning to the LORD. Not giving up before he answers. God is calling his people to learn a lesson here in crisis. Whether it is war or pestilence. What do you do? Brainstorm? Get to work? Plan? gather the troops? brandish the weapons? Encourage the weak? No! What do the people of God do? fall flat on your face and cast yourself wholly upon the God of the Covenant. Seek the LORD while he may be found.
Seeking the LORD in the face of disaster
- Seeking the LORD in prayer.
- Listening to the word of the LORD
- Giving Thanks for God’s Word of salvation
Seeking the LORD in prayer
How is your prayer life in this time? What happens when you get stressed? When life overwhelms you? What do we do when a pandemic threatens the wellbeing of the church?
Our text shows us a time when the people of God were in grave danger. A time when it looked like all hope was gone. They are staring at the barrel of the gun and looks as if they are facing certain death. Extinction. And what do they do? They assemble to pray. They assemble.
Just a quick note on this in Chronicles. This word “Assmeble” is the word used in Chronicles for corporate worship. It is used in the time of David and Solomon, and then not again till this moment, and then it won’t be used again till Hezekiah (Qahal is used 14 times there). There is something important here. Worship for the Chronicler is a means of transformation into covenant obedience and the kindling of faith and hope. Corporate worship transforms us. All of Israel’s good – communion with God, joy and festive meals, victory over enemies, the coronation of kings – comes at and through assembly. There is power in the people of God united in worship!
And he prays a beautiful covenant prayer. When you hear this prayer, you know you are in the presence of one who knows the Word of God and knows the promises of God! Sometimes we like to fill our prayer with filler, and we just start with “Father, God, help so and so, be with so and so, keep me safe, forgive me, For Jesus’ sake Amen.” Or there are people that say the same word over and over. Father this, Father that. Now its not bad but that is not how you talk to your own dad.
Hear we have a prayer based on God’s word, as all effective prayer should. Prayer is a response to God. The introduction reminds me a bit of the Lord’s Prayer, “O YAHWEH, God of our Fathers, are you not God in heaven?” Doesn’t that sound like “Our Father who is Heaven”?
He continues and basically says, “God you promised that if we cry out to you will hear and save us (v. 9).” In the Hebrew it says “vetishma, vetoshia.” It sounds almost the same, as if to say, for God to hear is to save. He is saving God because he is a hearing God. there is no deeper ground of hope for Israel then this: “Does he who planted the ear, not hear? (Ps 94:9).” This gives us every motivation to pray. The God who acts is a God who hears.
God would hear him on account of his own glory! You see he prays not to save himself, but according to the honor of God! That is what is at stake here! Look at ver. 10 and 11: behold (or look) at these men, “whom you would not let Israel invade” then verse 22 they are coming to drive us out of “your possession, which you have given us to inherit.” And then again, “will you not execute judgement.” This is a God centered prayer!
A prayer in the face of danger, in the face of the unknown, in the face of overwhelming odds that stands out in this book. I love how it ends: “We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you, Lord (2 Chron 20:12).” Since I started studying Chronicles this prayer has been on my heart, and lips. Guiding me through this time. This is a declaration of complete helplessness. Note I said helplessness not hopelessness. You see many people get hopeless in this situation, not the covenant people they are helpless but not hopeless, because God is their hope and their help!
Jehoshaphat’s ancient perspective is more appropriate for July 2021 than we might think. He prayed this prayer because a massive army was approaching. But his faith was all-encompassing. He was not just trusting the Lord in the face of potential military defeat, but for any disaster that may come! Look at 2 Chronicles 20:9, “If disaster comes upon us, the sword, judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we will stand before this house and before you—for your name is in this house—and cry out to you in our affliction, and you will hear and save.”
This is the posture of the Christian. Appeal to God’s character, confess your inability, and put your eyes on the Lord. And then when he responds you listen.
Listening to the word of God
The whole community of Israel is together at this moment. I can’t wait for this to happen again here. In the past year I have seen more and more little ones here, and I have loved it. They are part of the church. They belong as part of the assembly.
. And the Spirit of God speaks through a person worshipping there. Again, we see the Spirit of God responds to the prayers of his people. And he says, “Listen!” Are you listening? This is where it starts. With listening.
This is the word of the LORD.
“Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed.” This is the message of God to his people over and over and over again. It was the first words from the mouth of resurrected Jesus!
God will be victorious. He always is. This is God’s battle. It always is and always was. Maybe the reason the church is so weak is because they have forgotten the art of setting our face to seek the LORD. Because we think it is always first and foremost our battle. Its not. Our God fights for us.
Then the prophet proceeds to tell them all the strategy of the enemy. Where they are going to move what they are going to do. Almost as if he is LORD and king over them as well! He is! Remember Jehoshaphat confessed him as Lord of all nations.
And then he lays out Israel’s battle plan. Its brilliant. You ready for it. Its short simple and sweet. “DON’T DO ANYTHING!” Just watch. Stand firm. Don’t run away. Just hold your position because I want you to see the salvation of the LORD.” He wants the people to see it, so that they might grow in him!
Dear church, you know what the strategy for salvation is. Don’t do anything. Now right away I can see you thinking! Yea right pastor, we must do something. I can imagine some people in Israel’s army thinking the same thing, when this prophet, who tell them not to do anything.
“Yea, right!” they might of said say, “Armies don’t just fall over and die.” Yes they do if they are fighting their maker. Remember who this was written to the post exiles. God is saying, watch me! I am going to bring salvation. It will be my own hand! I will get the glory! Just listen to the word of the LORD! Salvation is from your God! Will you take that to heart. Or will you still trust in your own might, power, expertise, planning, etc?
This story is a small example of a bigger, spiritual battle for everyone in every age. We MUST HEAR The word of our God! the glory belongs to him! We have a lethal problem. We can do nothing about on our own (though we try!). We must trust another, because the battle isn’t ours to fight. As we trust the One who can battle on our behalf, we’re invited to sit back and watch the salvation of the Lord.
The coronavirus may get better, or it may worsen. Still, we look to God’s salvation. Not because he’ll necessarily prove his love to us by protecting me from illness, but because he’s already demonstrated his love by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners, so that whoever believes in him might not perish but have eternal life (Rom 5:8).
So do not be afraid and do not be dismayed. The LORD will be with you! Through all of life. Through war, pandemic, poverty and riches! And yes, through death! Behold says our Lord Jesus Christ to his church I am with you always to the end of the age! Our king is fighting our battles! Our king is the Lord strong and mighty (Ps 24)! Listen – this is Gods fight. And the best way to respond, is in worship thankfulness.
Giving Thanks for God’s Word of salvation
And the response to Gods promises of salvation? Worship! They were seeking the LORD, now they are falling before the LORD! Worshipping! And the worship leaders get up and praise the Lord with a very loud voice!”
Worship causes the gates of hell to shake and crumble! Worship causes the walls of Jericho is fall to the ground. Worship defeats the enemies of God! That is what happens here.
Note the end game: worship. In 2 Chronicles 20:21, before victory had even come, the king leads the people to praise. It through worship that the church overcomes the world! You note who is going up front? The choir! Not exactly the battle plan you would expect! But it is through the people glorying and rejoicing in the God of their salvation and in making his name great that God comes to the rescue of his people. “And when they began to sing and praise, the LORD set an ambush against [their enemies], so that they were routed” (2 Chron. 20:22).
They believe God and worship. Do you still believe in the greatness of your God? that he is exalted above the earth. That he rules in this time. that all his promises are yes and amen! Faith and faith alone in the promises of God alone! How do the people of God move forward in every age, not through the ingenuity, power, and wealth of man but in the power of the promises of God! And they realize this in Worship.
Worship him and give thanks! And see the salvation of your God! The Judeans go out the next day, and their threat is gone. I’m not saying God will miraculously solve all your problems if you’ll only start worshiping. But I am saying your biggest problem—the problem of disbelief—will be solved if you’ll only start worshiping.
In our passage the salvation is total, and the spoils of war are great! We read in v. 24 and following that they came to the watch tower – and watched and looked there were dead bodies lying on the ground. None had escaped. And they came they found more spoils than they could ever carry! This is the overflow of our God! He gives us the victory all on his own and allows us to share in the spoils of that victory to overflowing! Salvation is yours. It is a work of God. But in that salvation, he also gives so much more! Indeed, our cup overflows! His victory over sin and death is 100% credited to him, and yet all the spoils of that victory, eternal live, communion with God, sanctification, adoption is 100% credited by him to us! O praise the LORD makes his name great. As the Psalmist sing, “Bless the LORD, o my soul, and forget not all his benefits!”
That is what they do here, as we read in verse 26, “on the fourth day they were assembled in the Valley of Beracah, which means valley of blessing, for there they blessed the LORD.” Maybe they even sang Psalm 103!
And what was the result of this victory that God had wrought? Joy security peace. We see that again and again and again. Mans’s work leads to destitution, fear, and war – and ultimately death. But in worship there is the realization of Hope that leads to peace and security within the border of Israel! O may there be peace in the church. Security be found here! All because we have our eyes on God, and God alone. If we are all focused on the same thing, we will find our ourselves moving as one. Because we have set our face to seek him!
And finally, just to briefly end the chapter we see that here although we have a king that leads in worship, yet he lacks discernment and does not go the whole way. He had not learned his lesson when he had made the alliance with Ahab and makes an alliance with Ahaziah, only to be disciplined. We so quickly forget especially when experiencing Gods salvation. Let us not forget and heed the Lord’s discipline.
His reign is the reign of a real human. Weakness, and strengths. One who was disciplined by God. We see that there are consequences for obedience and disobedience. And they stretch throughout the generations. As we will see his unfaithfulness stretches to the third generation. In the next chapters. But for today Remember: Set your Face to seek the LORD in worship!
Amen