Scripture References:
2 Chronicles 17:3-6 (NKJV)
3 Now the LORD was with Jehoshaphat, because he walked in the former ways of his father David; he did not seek the Baals, 4 but sought the God of his father, and walked in His commandments and not according to the acts of Israel. 5 Therefore the LORD established the kingdom in his hand; and all Judah gave presents to Jehoshaphat, and he had riches and honor in abundance. 6 And his heart took delight in the ways of the LORD; moreover, he removed the high places and wooden images from Judah.
2 Chronicles 20:1-12 (NKJV)
1 It happened after this that the people of Moab with the people of Ammon, and others with them besides the Ammonites, came to battle against Jehoshaphat. 2 Then some came and told Jehoshaphat, saying, “A great multitude is coming against you from beyond the sea, from [Syria; and they are in Hazazon Tamar” (which is En Gedi). 3 And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. 4 So Judah gathered together to ask help from the LORD; and from all the cities of Judah they came to seek the LORD.5 Then Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the LORD, before the new court, 6 and said: “O LORD God of our fathers, are You not God in heaven, and do you not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations, and in Your hand is there not power and might, so that no one is able to withstand You? 7 Are You not our God, who drove out the inhabitants of this land before Your people Israel, and gave it to the descendants of Abraham Your friend forever? 8 And they dwell in it, and have built You a sanctuary in it for Your name, saying, 9 ‘If disaster comes upon us—sword, judgment, pestilence, or famine—we will stand before this temple and in Your presence (for Your name is in this temple), and cry out to You in our affliction, and You will hear and save.’ 10 And now, here are the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir—whom You would not let Israel invade when they came out of the land of Egypt, but they turned from them and did not destroy them— 11 here they are, rewarding us by coming to throw us out of Your possession which You have given us to inherit. 12 O our God, will You not judge them? For 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.”
One day, I locked the dog in his cage before I began to run the vacuum cleaner. As I got closer to him. He began to squirm while watching intensely and carefully. I then told him that he was safe because he was locked in. The sides of the cage intercepted any would-be contact, that could have caused him harm, but he did not know that.
Suddenly it dawned on me that believers in Christ do cringe when we perceive that the enemy can defeat us. The closer we see the arrows it’s the greater our tendency to retreat and forget that God has provided a cushion to stun their effects. (Ephesians 6:16)
We have mighty weapons of praise, prayer, the scriptures, and community. These help to nurture and support our faith shield. Since we know this, we should discern spiritual attacks, stand sure-footed and engage confidence in God’s Word.
That kind of confidence opens our spirit to the potency of the promises God has given us. The tendency to watch, gaze, track the onslaughts, of the enemy, keep us enslaved to fear, depression, and questions about God’s intent for our journey. If we focus on the problems, they become larger than life.
The seemingly insurmountable problems, then, are interpreted as impossibilities for God. Have we forgotten about Moses and Pharaoh; Joshua and Jericho; Daniel and Darius; David and Goliath? In each situation, God showed Himself as the Almighty Warrior who fought the battle and handed them the victory. In this race called life, eminent problems push past God’s promises and take precedence in the moment. God’s protective arms are always available to the extent that our names are written on His palm.
Jehoshaphat, righteous king of Judah (Jerusalem, Hebron, Beersheba, south of Israel), destroyed idols in Israel and so had favor with God. His neighbor to the east and the northeast conspired against him to seize the land of Judah, which God had promised to the Jews.
Just imagine Jehoshaphat’s emotional state when vast, credible messengers reported that war was brewing against him! It was a time when what he heard and saw dictated that he had something to be anxious about. So, Jehoshaphat feared, but he also strategized. Sometimes our resolve must be that with faith in God we will be victorious even though we may be fearful.
When we hear unfavorable news and reality suppresses our faith, fright can become the norm. Fear can be a good servant, in the sense of it protecting us from danger. However, it is a bad master when it dominates our thought patterns, and we visualize nothing but defeat. The apprehension that Jehoshaphat had, propelled him to run to God, who had a masterful history with him.
Jehoshaphat’s father, Asa, had set the example for him (2 Chronicles 17:1-2). Because of this heritage, Jehoshaphat knew that he should lift his eyes towards the place where His help was certain (Psalm 121: 1). After submitting to God, he directed the people to rely on God’s help. Let us create a possible scenario when Jehoshaphat gathered all of Judah in the sanctuary.
We often say, “Nothing takes God by surprise.” Here is one such proof. Let us visualize the gathering. Can we hear him reminding them of a family story that was passed down about his great, great, great, great, great, Grandfather Abraham? In that story: Pharoah and his army were in hot pursuit after the Israelites when they fled Egypt. Yahweh fought back and defeated the Egyptian army. So, since God did it back then for our ancestors, certainly we have no real reason to be fearful. Let us all discard terror and depend on the God of our fathers. So, this is what we will do. Keep that story in mind and fast and expect Yahweh to keep His covenant with Grandpa. He will fight for us without fail.
Our preconceived obstacles must be compared to God’s might. In so doing, we surrender possible hindrances to Jesus, and trust that He is interceding for us. Then we will see His hand at work, and we will be more hopeful and productive.
In Matthew 17:21-23 the disciples were given a lesson on fasting. When we deny our physical desires, and seek God’s will, He rewards us with what is perfect for His glory. So, the Jews gathered, fasted, exalted God, confessed their inability and earnestly prayed. Everyone was aware of the threat and so they desired the safety and procurement of their person as well as their possessions. Besides, if Judah were to be conquered, no doubt they would be forced to return to idol worship.
God’s help was their only recourse then. Vast numbers of soldiers, weapons of war, military strategy and self-confidence could not have won the war at hand. Those were distractions for the Jews, but mere tools in Yahweh’s hand. Imagine an entire nation humbling themselves to seek God, instead of teaming with allies.
The king unashamedly acknowledged God and prayed publicly. He knew that the nation needed to be exalted above its enemy, so he eradicated sin and sought God (2 Chronicles 7:14; Proverbs 14: 34). Judah chose not to face reproach.
To confess that God was the Lord, Ruler over mankind and government, Almighty and powerful, is to acknowledge our weakness and insufficiency. When the Jews recalled the times of deliverance and victory for the Israelites with whom God was in covenant relationship, they wanted to see the manifestation of God’s covenant in their current situation. Generational blessings can be experienced when we surrender to God by walking according to His given guidelines.
Where do we meet with God? Yes, He does not leave nor forsake us, but where is that secret place where we are set apart with Him, only? Jehoshaphat and Judah went to the sanctuary. They were confident that in that place, God would attend to their cry. We must petition God if we anticipate His help.
Fasting set them apart (us also) so that they could realize their insufficiency, and the potency of the Majestic Ruler of heaven and earth. It also brings the recollections of past fetes, to the present expectation. It is fasting that takes us into a deep realm of faith. At that juncture, the pain of circumstances pale in comparison to the ecstasy of God’s presence. There, we focus on the control that God has over both us and the difficult things that we experience. Jehoshaphat declared with certainty that when God hears our cry (deep earnest request) He helps.
The journey that ultimately works for our good, can be detoured, delayed, or hindered by negative self-talk. Jehoshaphat reflected on God’s displays of triumph, and then he made his request and confessed his insufficiency. He spoke of God’s promise concerning the land that was being contended for.
The opposers were recognized as being great because that was the reality. However, God’s servant stood on the premise that his eyes were not on the power of the enemies’ resources, but rather it was on the God who had promised to protect the land for Israel.
Everything that Jehoshaphat said about the situation emphasized Abraham’s legacy. The testimony was that God would remember the descendants of His friend. We can also be described as a “Friend of God” (James 2: 23-24), if we decisively walk by faith and not by sight. Our mustard-seed-faith can work for us if we confess that we don’t know what to do, but….
Our eye gate sends messages to our brain; therefore, we endeavor to partner with like-minded people who support our efforts. Sometimes we gaze at the rewards that we receive and sense that they are not equitable to the kindnesses we have done. The Jews did that too, but in the end, God told them that they should not be afraid because the battle belonged to Him. He wants us to make the declaration: “Our eyes are on You.”
Dr. O. A. James
REFLECTION
Jehoshaphat’s perception of God caused him to change focus. What things or actions may blur our vision of God? Discuss.