Morning Bible Study 2 Chronicles 20:1-19 20141204 2Ch 20:1 After this the Moabites and Ammonites, and with them some of the Meunites, came against Jehoshaphat for battle. 2Ch 20:2 Messengers came and told Jehoshaphat, A great multitude is coming against you from Edom, from beyond the sea; already they are at Hazazon-tamar (that is, En-gedi). 2Ch 20:3 Jehoshaphat was afraid; he set himself to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. 2Ch 20:4 Judah assembled to seek help from the LORD; from all the towns of Judah they came to seek the LORD. 2Ch 20:5 Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the LORD, before the new court, 2Ch 20:6 and said, O LORD, God of our ancestors, are you not God in heaven? Do you not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations? In your hand are power and might, so that no one is able to withstand you. 2Ch 20:7 Did you not, O our God, drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel, and give it forever to the descendants of your friend Abraham? 2Ch 20:8 They have lived in it, and in it have built you a sanctuary for your name, saying, 2Ch 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 to you in our distress, and you will hear and save. 2Ch 20:10 See now, the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, whom you would not let Israel invade when they came from the land of Egypt, and whom they avoided and did not destroy-- 2Ch 20:11 they reward us by coming to drive us out of your possession that you have given us to inherit. 2Ch 20:12 O our God, will you not execute judgment upon them? For we are powerless against this great multitude that is coming against us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you. 2Ch 20:13 Meanwhile all Judah stood before the LORD, with their little ones, their wives, and their children. 2Ch 20:14 Then the spirit of the LORD came upon Jahaziel son of Zechariah, son of Benaiah, son of Jeiel, son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, in the middle of the assembly. 2Ch 20:15 He said, Listen, all Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, and King Jehoshaphat: Thus says the LORD to you: Do not fear or be dismayed at this great multitude; for the battle is not yours but Gods. 2Ch 20:16 Tomorrow go down against them; they will come up by the ascent of Ziz; you will find them at the end of the valley, before the wilderness of Jeruel. 2Ch 20:17 This battle is not for you to fight; take your position, stand still, and see the victory of the LORD on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, and the LORD will be with you. 2Ch 20:18 Then Jehoshaphat bowed down with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down before the LORD, worshiping the LORD. 2Ch 20:19 And the Levites, of the Kohathites and the Korahites, stood up to praise the LORD, the God of Israel, with a very loud voice. New Revised Standard Version Copyright © 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America 2 Chronicles 20:1-2 4. Jehoshaphat’s Defeat of a Foreign Alliance (2Ch_20:1-30) Shortly after the disastrous adventure at Ramoth Gilead (2Ch_18:1-34), Moabites… Ammonites, and Meunites launched an attack on Jehoshaphat from across the Jordan. The Meunites (cf. 1Ch_4:41; 2Ch_26:7) were an Arabian tribe living in Edom and elsewhere east and south of the Dead Sea. The army mentioned in 2Ch_20:2, then, was from Edom (cf. Mount Seir [Edom] in 2Ch_20:10, 2Ch_20:22-23), not from Aram (Heb.; cf. NIV marg., 2Ch_20:2). Jehoshaphat learned that this great host was already at Hazazon Tamar (En Gedi; cf. 1Sa_23:29), on the west shore of the Dead Sea, and would soon head for Jerusalem. 2 Chronicles 20:3-12 This situation prompted the king to proclaim a national fast (perhaps to show the people’s sincerity; cf. 1Sa_7:6) and to seek God. He then addressed the Lord in prayer before the temple… courtyard (cf. 2Ch_4:9). Jehoshaphat first extolled God for His sovereign power (2Ch_20:6) and then recalled God’s grace in giving them, Abraham’s descendants, the land (2Ch_20:7; cf. Gen_15:18-21) and temple (sanctuary, 2Ch_20:8). (Abraham was also called God’s friend in Isa_41:8 and Jas_2:23.) Next Jehoshaphat reminded the Lord of His promise to deliver them if they would only seek Him before His temple (2Ch_20:9; cf. 2Ch_6:28-31). The prayer closed by referring to the immediate need — Judah was being assaulted by the same nations they had spared en route to Canaan from Egypt. They now needed the Lord’s help (we have no power to face this vast army and we do not know what to do) to deliver them from their ungrateful attackers (2Ch_20:10-12). 2 Chronicles 20:13-19 After Jehoshaphat’s moving prayer, the Spirit of the Lord came on the Levite Jahaziel and empowered him to address the assembly. His message was one of comfort. (Twice he said, Do not be afraid or discouraged, 2Ch_20:15, 2Ch_20:17.) The battle, he said, was not theirs but God’s. David had spoken similar words when facing Goliath (1Sa_17:47). The next day they should depart and meet the enemy in the narrow mountain pass called Ziz, somewhere in the wilderness of Judah southeast of Jerusalem. But when the enemy was in sight they need only stand and watch what God would do. The assembly then fell down in worship to the Lord, and some Levites gave loud praise to Him. THE BIBLE KNOWLEDGE COMMENTARY An Exposition of the Scriptures by Dallas Seminary Faculty Based on the New International Version by John F. Walvoord Roy B. Zuck Cook Communications Ministries Oh my, how I fail at this! Judah is facing a major trail and temptation, God is allowing a huge foreign force to come against it. It is the a test to see if they have faith of a mustard seed or if they have the will of man. Jehoshaphat is amazing, instead of turning to man for comfort he calls man together to seek the counsel and wisdom of the Lord. Jehoshaphat praises the Lord for the blessing they have received and reminded the Lord of the covenant that God has made. Because of their faith and trust in the Lord Jahaziel is called on by the Lord to deliver a message from God to all the people including Jehoshaphat that the battle is not theirs but the battle is Gods. God alone will deliver them out of the hands of their enemies. All they are to do is go out and watch as God battles for them. This is an area that God is really stressing that I need to work on. I need to give all of myself to God and quite trying to fight the battle by myself but allow God to fight and provide from me. I have a huge tendoncy of doing it myself and not relying on anyone else to help. That I am the only one that can fight the battle. All I am doing is saying I do not trust you Lord I have to do it. Wow!! have I blew it or what. I must give myself over to the Lord and give Him the steering wheel to drive the car. Revelation From God
Posted on: Thu, 04 Dec 2014 14:18:24 +0000
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