Text: 2 Chronicles 20:1-30
“You will not need to fight in this battle. Stand firm, hold your position, and see the salvation of the LORD on your behalf…” —2 Chronicles 20:17
A man was bragging that he had cut off the tail of a man-eating lion with his pocketknife. A friend asked him why he hadn’t cut off the lion’s head. The man replied: “Someone had already done that.”
What made the man so courageous to cut off the tail? It was the fact that someone more heroic had already come along and killed the lion, wasn’t it?! It’s a lot easier to act boldly when a bigger hero has already done the job of defeating our enemy. That’s a picture of what happened with God’s people in 2 Chronicles 20.
When a coalition of enemies came out to pick a fight with outnumbered Judah, King Jehoshaphat “was afraid and 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.” With their little ones, their wives, and their children, Judah stood vulnerably before the Lord. The king prayed a courageous prayer declaring the power and faithfulness of God over the situation:
“For we are powerless against this great horde that is coming against us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.” (2 Chronicles 20:12)
Have you ever prayed that kind of prayer? “God, I am powerless against this great ___________ that is coming against me. I don’t know what to do, but my eyes are on you.” God’s answer to Jehoshaphat in that moment wasn’t a full battle plan with strategic instructions or a 7-step booklet on outwitting your opponent, it was quite minimalistic. Some might even call it uninspiring, because it didn’t require the kind of grit we would expect from a Hollywood scripted battle. Judah’s road map to victory was simply this:
“Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed at this great horde, for the battle is not yours but God’s… You will not need to fight in this battle. Stand firm, hold your position, and see the salvation of the Lord on your behalf… Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed.”
After ending the night with a worship set (vv. 18-19), the people rose early in the morning and Jehoshaphat proclaimed, “Hear me, Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem! Believe in the LORD your God, and you will be established; believe his prophets, and you will succeed.” Then after another round of praise and worship, it says “the LORD set an ambush against the men of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah, so that they were routed.” After that, the fear of God came on all the kingdoms of the countries when they heard that the LORD had fought against the enemies of Israel.
This is a powerful picture of what God does when his people pray and worship from a heart that believes and trusts Him. God doesn’t need us to attack the head of the lion. That would only rob Him of His glory and give us reason to boast in ourselves about how we defeated the enemy. God is looking for hearts that will BELIEVE Him, TRUST Him, and WORSHIP Him in the moment of crisis. Are you willing to do that with the battle you are facing right now? Think about it as you seek to abide in Him this week.
PRAYER
Heavenly Father, You always have a plan to confound your enemies and to overcome what is hostile toward our faith. You look for simple belief, trust, and worship in your people. May you find that in our hearts this week. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Questions for Personal Reflection or Group Discussion:
- When have you felt surrounded by the enemy?
- In this passage, all of Judah assembled to “seek” the LORD. In your own words, what does it mean to “seek the LORD”? What actual steps are taken?
- Why do you think praise and worship are such vital exercises of our faith?
- Believe and trust are very important to God. Why do you think this is seen throughout the scriptures?
- How will this story in 2 Chronicles 20 impact the way you walk out your faith this week?