“And When…” (Facing Your Enemies With Faith)
The Syrian enemy was closing in to destroy Judah. The people were petrified. Nowhere to turn, their destruction was imminent. Judah’s king, Jehoshaphat, set his heart to seek God and proclaimed a fast throughout all the land.
Standing in the court of Solomon’s Temple, Jehoshaphat summoned the people to prayer. Echoing the words of King Solomon when he dedicated the temple, he prayed these words:
“If, when evil cometh upon us, as the sword, judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we stand before this house, and in thy presence, (for thy name is in this house,) and cry unto thee in our affliction, then thou wilt hear and help.” (2 Chronicles 20:9)
Following the leadership of Jehoshaphat, all of the men of Judah, including their wives and children, cried as one voice with their king “…neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon thee.” (2 Chronicles 20:12)
God always responds to humbleness and complete dependence on him.
Moving upon Jahaziel, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, God sends a message to Judah:
“…Hearken ye, all of Judah…and thou king Jehoshaphat, Thus saith the Lord unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God’s.” (2 Chronicles 20:15)
God reassures them that they would not have to physically fight, but that he still required them to go out to the battle. The men of Judah were not to stay home and tremble in their houses. God commanded them to go and meet the enemy as he approached. This was an undeviating test of their faith.
How would they be able to watch God defeat their enemy if they remained hidden in the city? God was about to bolster their faith…BY their action…WITH their full participation.
Jehoshaphat leads his people in putting action to their faith. The armies of the enemy were near, the danger palpable and undeniable. But, watch what the king does: Jehoshaphat bows his head to the ground to worship…and the people again follow their leader’s example. (2 Chronicles 20:18)
Faith always causes a chain reaction. The Bible says, in verse 19, that the Levites “…stood up to praise the Lord God of Israel with a loud voice on high.”
All this was happening before the enemy’s arrival. Before the battle had begun. When it was time to face their enemy, Judah was ready. Crossing the wilderness of Tekoa to meet the Syrians, Jehoshaphat halts the company and bolsters the people one last time, “Believe in the Lord your God, so shall ye be established, believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper.” (vs. 20)
Victories come through faith and active worship.
Before moving forward, singers are appointed to lead the army and proclaim: “Praise the Lord; for his mercy endureth forever.” (vs. 21)
The next two words are some of the most moving ones in the whole chapter:
“And when…” (vs. 22)
Wait…wasn’t God already planning to perform this miracle anyway? Yes, he was.
Still, God was taking them along for the show and because of their worship and faith he was going to make it a glorious one. Why wouldn’t he? His children were watching!
“And when…” (I love these anticipatory words!)
God stepped onto the stage.
“And when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten.” (vs. 22)
What is incredibly exciting about this scenario is that Jehoshaphat and his people had not even arrived on the scene yet!
God had sent them to the battleground BUT had already destroyed their enemy before they even arrived. Why did God lead them there in the aftermath? Why couldn’t they have waited at home until someone brought word that their enemy was defeated?
“And when Judah came toward the watch tower in the wilderness, they looked unto the multitude, and, behold, they were dead bodies fallen to the earth, and none escaped.” (vs. 24)
How did this happen?! The enemy had actually turned and killed each other!
Now we understand why God had led his people to the battleground: To see the enemy that they had so greatly feared completely destroyed (…and none escaped) AND to carry away the spoil their enemy had left behind.
‘And when Jehoshaphat and his people came to take away the spoil of them, they found among them in abundance…more than they could carry away; and they were three days in gathering of the spoil, it was so much.” (vs. 25)
Perhaps you’ve written in your journal the promise that you felt God gave you. It may be tucked deep in your heart, waiting to bloom into reality. Perhaps you’re still waiting, feeling like your hopes have been shelved, trekking day after day to watch for the clouds to turn into the hand of God moving on your behalf.
It’s never easy to trod through the wilderness, knowing that the enemy is near, coming straight at you with the purpose of destroying you. You believe that God promised you victory–that the overwhelming odds against you are going to turn in your favor.
You’ve worshipped, shouted, danced in victory…all before the battle was even won.
In faith.
Because you believed the promise.
God’s time is not our time. He sees farther into the future than we do. How do you know that the enemy has not already been vanquished just beyond that last hill and you just haven’t arrived yet to see it?
Praise anyway. Worship as if the deed is already done. Give glory to God through the fear, the doubt, the questions.
God will respond and your victory will be much greater than you dreamed. All the provisions of faith and energy that you depleted to get there will be restored beyond what you could have imagined. For the people of Judah, the spoil was “…more than they could carry away…” (vs. 25).
Could it be that God will bless you in such a way that you will be able to share that abundance with others? That people around you facing their own battles will have sustenance from your spoil to equip them for their own journey?
You may be a Jehoshaphat–a fearless leader–among your peers as you prepare to meet the unseen enemy just ahead. And when you do, God will have already secured your victory!