Wednesday February 01st, 2023
Memorize: 2 Chronicles 20:22 NLT
« At the very moment they began to sing and give praise, the LORD caused the armies of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir to start fighting among themselves »
Read: 2 Chronicles 20:1-26 CSB
After this, the Moabites and Ammonites, together with some of the Meunites,came to fight against Jehoshaphat.
2 People came and told Jehoshaphat, “A vast number from beyond the Dead Sea and from Edom has come to fight against you; they are already in Hazazon-tamar” (that is, En-gedi).
3 Jehoshaphat was afraid, and he resolved to seek the Lord. Then he proclaimed a fast for all Judah,
4 who gathered to seek the Lord. They even came from all the cities of Judah to seek him.
5 Then Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem in the Lord’s temple before the new courtyard.
6 He said: Lord, God of our ancestors, are you not the God who is in heaven, and do you not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations? Power and might are in your hand, and no one can stand against you.
7 Are you not our God who drove out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel and who gave it forever to the descendants of Abraham your friend?
8 They have lived in the land and have built you a sanctuary in it for your name and have said,
9 “If disaster comes on us—sword or judgment, pestilence or famine—we will stand before this temple and before you, for your name is in this temple. We will cry out to you because of our distress, and you will hear and deliver.”
10 Now here are the Ammonites, Moabites, and the inhabitants of Mount Seir. You did not let Israel invade them when Israel came out of the land of Egypt, but Israel turned away from them and did not destroy them.
11 Look how they repay us by coming to drive us out of your possession that you gave us as an inheritance.
12 Our God, will you not judge them? For we are powerless before this vast number that comes to fight against us. We do not know what to do, but we look to you.
13 All Judah was standing before the Lord with their dependents, their wives, and their children.
14 In the middle of the congregation, the Spirit of the Lord came on Jahaziel (son of Zechariah, son of Benaiah, son of Jeiel, son of Mattaniah, a Levite from Asaph’s descendants),
15 and he said, “Listen carefully, all Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and King Jehoshaphat. This is what the Lord says: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast number, for the battle is not yours, but God’s.
16 Tomorrow, go down against them. You will see them coming up the Ascent of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the valley facing the Wilderness of Jeruel.
17 You do not have to fight this battle. Position yourselves, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord. He is with you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid or discouraged. Tomorrow, go out to face them, for the Lord is with you.’”
18 Then Jehoshaphat knelt low with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down before the Lord to worship him.
19 Then the Levites from the sons of the Kohathites and the Korahites stood up to praise the Lord God of Israel shouting loudly.
20 In the morning they got up early and went out to the wilderness of Tekoa. As they were about to go out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Hear me, Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem. Believe in the Lordyour God, and you will be established; believe in his prophets, and you will succeed.”
21 Then he consulted with the people and appointed some to sing for the Lord and some to praise the splendor of his holiness. When they went out in front of the armed forces, they kept singing: Give thanks to the Lord, for his faithful love endures forever.
22 The moment they began their shouts and praises, the Lord set an ambush against the Ammonites, Moabites, and the inhabitants of Mount Seir who came to fight against Judah, and they were defeated.
23 The Ammonites and Moabites turned against the inhabitants of Mount Seir and completely annihilated them. When they had finished with the inhabitants of Seir, they helped destroy each other.
24 When Judah came to a place overlooking the wilderness, they looked for the large army, but there were only corpses lying on the ground; nobody had escaped.
25 Then Jehoshaphat and his people went to gather the plunder. They found among them an abundance of goods on the bodies and valuable items. So they stripped them until nobody could carry any more. They were gathering the plunder for three days because there was so much.
26 They assembled in the Valley of Beracah on the fourth day, for there they blessed the Lord. Therefore, that place is still called the Valley of Beracah today.
Understand
We are always engaged in battles and the greatest weapon of our warfare apart from holiness is praise.
When you are going to war against odds that are far too great for you, the only way to win is by praising God.
That was the strategy of Jehoshaphat. He knew that there was no way he could have defeated three great kings, so instead of calling a meeting with the general of his army to plot strategies, he went to God in praise.
« You, LORD, are the God our ancestors worshiped, and from heaven you rule every nation in the world. You are so powerful that no one can defeat you » 2 Chronicles 20:6
There were Jehoshaphat’s words to the Most High God. There is no way God would hear such words of praise from His child and not pay attention to the fellow.
When Jehoshaphat was through, God told him: Don’t worry boy, I will fight this battle Myself.
When you pray, you fight your battles, but when you praise, God fights for you.
On the day of the battle, Jehoshaphat appointed singers, not soldiers to go to the battle field.
Today’s memory verse says: “Now when they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set ambushes against the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; and they were defeated.” By the time they got to the battlefield all their enemies were already destroyed; all they had to do was to take the spoils of war.
As you sing and praise God henceforth, all your enemies will be destroyed.
If you have already been captured by the enemy, put in prison and bound, the only way to get out is by praise. If you don’t believe me, ask Paul and Silas (Acts 16:25-34).
When you are in any impossible situation, deploy the weapon of praise.
Praise has never failed me before. It will not fail you either, in the mighty name of Jesus.
Application: With praise as your weapon of warfare, there is no enemy too great for you to conquer.
Author: Pst E. A. Adeboye.
Edited by Naomie
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