We have all had times where we've been in the wrong and we knew that we 'had it coming'. But what about the times where we are blameless, totally free of culpability?
Well, you'll be happy to know that God is never out to get you. He only wishes for us to just.be.still. In this Bible study, you're going to read about soon to be king Jehoshaphat, a man of God who found himself in a situation where some tribes came to fight him, but he chose to seek God.
If you want to grab your own Bible and take notes, feel free to do so- it's encouraged! However, if you want to stay right here without moving a muscle, I'll provide some screenshots of the verses we cover within the post.
Let's get started!So here's where we start. Jehoshaphat was a great man of God and had the God-given wisdom to trust God in all situations. It's a process, but all we have to do is seek God above all, and it's His promise that he will literally be in our midst. Back to Jehoshaphat.
One day, he is just minding his own business, bothering no one and suddenly people came running to him with news- and not the greatest kind. The people came to tell him "A vast number from beyond the Dead Sea and from Edom has come to fight against you...".
Yikes! Doesn't this sound like our own life sometimes? We mind our business, bothering no one, and one day our friends and sometimes family rise up against us?
Jeshoshaphat had endured this, but instead of how we often run and tell our other friends, or rant to them rather, Jehoshaphat ran to God. Verse 20:3 says that immediately after he was told the news, he "...was afraid, and he resolved to seek the Lord."
Following him seeking God, Jehoshaphat "proclaimed a fast for all Judah"(20:3) and they fasted and sought the Lord with him.
I think that's so important. God says that when two or more are gathered, that He is there. On top of that, Jehoshaphat fasted- which throughout the Bible, you will find has unsurmountable amounts of power. Sacrifice shows God the severity or urgency of your requests.Now, at verse 5, Jehoshaphat begins to pray. I took some thought into how he prayed. I believe in prayer strategy. If the enemy has a strategy when he comes to attack us in our lives (look at our guy J's situation), we better have a strategy when we are praying against him. Ephesians 6:12-13 says
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand."
Jehoshphat prays and one of the occurring prayer tactics in the Bible is to not only remind himself all that God has done, but at the same time bring adoration to God by acknowledging who He is. From verse 5 to 8, he praises God by recognizing who God is and all He has done.
At the end of the prayer, he ends by saying in essence, that no matter what comes, "sword or judgement, pestilence or famine", that he and the people will cry out to God and know that God will "hear and deliver".
By this action, not only did Jehoshaphat show faith, but he used one of the most powerful keys of prayer- praise.Now, where there is a prayer there is an answer. Here is God's answer to J's prayer.
All of Judah, including J, gathered in faith to hear the Lord. God immediately was the Glory in their midst, and His spirit came upon Jahaziel (new character!). God used him as a vessel, and spoke the word of the Lord. "Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast number, for the battle is not yours, but God's." God also said to not be afraid, because the Lord is with them.
I think it's so awesome to have a God who tells us to just be still. He wants to fight our battles. In all honesty, the best part is that we have to blessed assurance that we absolutely cannot lose. Look at J's situation. He has legitimate kingdoms coming to demolish him, and he trusted God to win the battle, and he had nothing to be scared of, and was simply instructed to be still. No matter what the circumstance looks like- our God reigns and he cannot lose- it's just not a possibility. He promises us that, and His word never returns void, ever.Following Gods answer, everyone fell on their knees, in total adoration of God's power and began to "shout loudly".
This brings us to the morning of the battle. Everyone got up early and went into the wilderness. As they were about to leave, J had an announcement. He tells everyone to just believe in the Lord and that they will be established, and that if they believed in the prophets that God sent them, they would succeed.
So at this point, the whole kingdom is like- say less! So they started singing and praised the "splendor of His holiness." and they kept singing in front of the people they were to battle.
Here's where God sets it off!
As soon as the people began to shout their praises, the Lord sent and ambush against the ammonites. Did you catch that? the Bible says that the moment they began praising, God came through. By using praise and worship, God dispatched our angels, fights our battles, and overall answers prayer.
Let's remember that the people still haven't made any moves yet. They are still being still. God himself is fighting their battle- here's how. The 'ambush' God sent, made all the tribes who came against his people fight each other. They absolutely "annihilated them".
But wait: there's more! It just gets better and better.
After the battle- more like an annihilation, God rewards his people. What? Isn't the win reward enough? Not in God's eyes. He gives and gives again, and specializes in rewarding obedience.
God rewards His people for letting Him fight their battle. God favors trust and faith so much, He illustrates that by giving J and his people treasures off of the dead peoples bodies.
Now this wasn't some little bounty. It took God's people an entire three, THREE days to collect all of it. As the people returned, they were praising.
At the end of all of this, verse 29 says that "The terror of God was on all the kingdoms...when they heard that the Lord had fought against the enemies of Israel. From then "the kingdom was quiet, and God gave him rest on every side."Trusting in God gives us peace and joy that is incomprehensible. It's all such a blessing, and God really is so good.
I absolutely love this Bible story because it is so relatable in life and shows God's nature. I hope you enjoyed this study.
stay blessed,
rebecca.
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