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VBS 2018 Day 2…One of my favorites <3

Hi! You came back! 

Thank you for comments yesterday…loved them! So much! I answered…but you have to look back to see them.

So today’s battle is one of my go-to’s in Scripture when I am sensing the overwhelming presence of an enemy who has teamed up with other enemies and all of them are the sum total of my greatest fears. 

I probably have written on this passage numerous times, have sent it to you in a private message to urge you into God’s presence and I know it is marked up in every Bible I have used for reading because it is just that good. 

Yes, we are looking at 2 Chronicles 20 today. 

In the very first verse we find the words all Bible students love, love, love… 

“After this…” 

Our ears and hearts need to be looking for that phrase when we are reading a passage of Scripture. That way our minds can know we need to go back a bit and get the context for what we are about to read. 

So I did that for you.

You are welcome.

And here is the Laura Reimer Reader’s Digest version of the “this”… 

  • With a not-so-stellar beginning in his role of leadership of God’s people, King Jehoshaphat begins to institute major reforms in the land.
  • He lived in Jerusalem and went out among all the people and brought them back into worship of God.
  • He set up a solid political system that was godly and fair and honest. He blended church and state in a God-ordained system that was good and right. 
  • And after he did THAT…
    we find ourselves in Chapter 20. 

Now you all need to look this up for yourselves and read it, but for today I am going to give you a summary of the events and how they fit in with our study of how battles are won before the armies ever reach the field. 

1. Sets up the situation.       Verses 1-4

Three armies have teamed up and are rapidly surrounding the land of Judah. This turn of events was unexpected and deadly; the battle was imminent and decidedly against them and so we are told with all the facts in front of him Jehoshaphat did the following… 

  • He feared
    He set himself to seek the LORD
    He proclaimed a fast throughout Judah 
  • and…
    the people of the land united and gathered. 
  • Can we just stop for a minute and take that in … what would that be like? Amazing. 

Ok…let’s move on to what King Jehoshaphat can teach us about preparing for a battle in the early stages. 

2.  Declare who God is.          Verses 5-6

Jehoshaphat stated the facts about God as he knew them:

  • God is the God of the history of His people.
  • He resides in the highest places beyond our comprehension.
  • He rules over all kingdoms and powers and authorities known to man.
  • No one can defeat Him.

3. Declare what He has done.       Verses 7-8 

You drove out the inhabitants of the this land before us and You gave it to the descendants of Abraham…and remember…Abraham is Your friend. 

4. Declare what He has promised.   Verse 9 

Jehoshaphat pulls out the familiar words of Solomon at the dedication of the Temple in Jerusalem, words that would have sounded familiar to God’s ear. 

How God promised if His people were in trouble and turned toward Him and prayed, He would help them. 

5. Declare what the enemy is doing.        Verses 10-11

The nations who were attacking were nations God had spared Israel from defeating and now they were encroaching on the territory God had promised to His own people. 

6. Declare you dependance on Him.      Verses 12-13

“We have no power to face this vast army”

“We don’t know what to do”

“Our eyes are on You”

7. Listen and listen well. Take note of His specifics.      Verses 14-17

As all of Judah, from the King down to the smallest infant, stand before God and wait for what He will do, God sends His Spirit onto one named Jahaziel. The man, a Levite, addresses the assembly and announces God’s message to them. 

First of all, God wants to assure them they have nothing to be afraid of. Neither should they be discouraged. He informs them that they will not even fight the battle, but instead He will take care of it. 

He does, however, give them specific instructions.

The next day they are to march down toward the approaching armies, take their positions, stand firm…and then just watch. 

And then He tells them one more time…Do not be afraid. Do not be discouraged. Go out and face them…the LORD will be with you. 

8. Believe and respond.      Verses 18-19

Jehoshaphat responded by bowing down and worshipping. All the people did likewise. They had a praise and worship service and then early in the morning, they obeyed what God had told them and they marched out in full battle gear to the specified location.

9. Go forward in praise.    Verses 20-22

As the army formed ranks, Jehoshaphat gave them one final pep talk reminding them to have faith in God and to believe His Word and His promises to them. 

He then placed the praise team on the front lines of the troops and they marched into battle singing praise songs. 

Picture that. Picture your church’s praise team up in front of the United States Army about to enter into one of the fiercest battlefields with three nations marching against them. 

As they moved forward, loudly praising God, the armies that had gathered to over take them panicked and turned on each other. 

10. Collect all the spoils the enemy leaves behind.     Verses 23-25

The battle was being waged in the midst of the enemy so that by the time Judah arrived on the scene, all the say were dead bodies. 

According to God’s Word, no one escaped. 

Except God’s people who never even had to pull a weapon from their sheath. 

It took them three days to collect all the spoils of war.

11. Rejoice and give thanks to the LORD giving Him honor and praise.    Verses 26-28 

And on the fourth day, they assembled on what should have been the field of their battle and they praised God with great rejoicing. 

12. Rest.          Verses 29-30 

And then they rested because the kingdom of Jehoshaphat was at peace..it says God gave him rest on every side. 

Oh…can I tell you…I happen to love there are twelve points to this and I didn’t have to work at coming up with that number. 

Often when I am facing great opposition, I simply turn to this chapter and go through the steps borrowing the wording and tailoring it to my situation. 

I don’t believe it is against regulations to use a manual that is proven in time so war. 

I hope you will take some time today to read through the passages above and let them sink into your soul. 

Today’s snack is something sweet…anything from a slice of fruit to a little teeny tiny Dove square…but only if it is dark chocolate. 

Enjoy and I will see you back here tomorrow. 

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