What is the size of your battle?

People of Hope part 16:  King Jehoshaphat

Monday devotions@work  20 July 2020

Am I the only one or do you also sometimes feel that the size of this Covid-19 battle is overwhelming? Today we need to restart life and SAW classes in a whole new way that none of us had foreseen, or are looking forward to. There is a story in 2 Chronicles 20 about King Jehoshaphat, whose battle was seemingly overwhelming. The story starts with some messengers who came to bring King Jehoshaphat the news that a great multitude was gathering against his kingdom, and Jehoshaphat feared. He feared because the multitude was overwhelming and they came from beyond the sea. Beyond the sea? Hmm… sounds like an army of Covid-19 viruses to me.

It is under these circumstances that Jehoshaphat decides to do seven things:

• He seeks the Lord (vs 3)
• He proclaims a fast (vs 3)
• He calls on the people to come to Jerusalem – and they came! (vs 4)
• He asks for help from the Lord ( vs 4)
• He stood in the midst of the assembly (vs 5)
• He and the people gathered in the temple, before the new court (so they gathered in a specific location in the temple)
• And where everyone could see and hear him – he spoke to God. (vs 6) In other words, he publicly acknowledged his dependence on God. He did not pretend to be strong before the people, he did not pretend to have all the answers, and he did not try to look good in the eyes of the people.

Then he starts speaking to God. And he asks God a few questions. However, his questions are not really demanding an answer from God. Rather the questions remind him and the people of Who their God is.

So here’s what he asks: 

• Are you not… our God in heaven? (vs 6)
• With this question he calls on the identity of God, His sovereignty, and the ‘our God’ calls to remembrance the covenant He has with His people. 
• Do you not… rule over all the kingdoms of the nations? (vs 6) This is an acknowledgement of God’s supremacy over all the kingdoms of this world – but also over the kingdoms of the spirit world. 
• Is there not… (vs 6) power and might in Your hand so that no one is able to withstand You? This is a declaration and acknowledgement of God’s power. Not only is He supreme in who He is, but He is also the all-powerful One! Are you not… (vs 7) our God who drives out the enemy?

In vs 8-9 he says – on grounds of the above, when we face disaster, we will stand in the temple and in His presence and You will hear us and save us! In this discussion he has with God he declares his inability, his powerlessness against this multitude, he acknowledges that he does not have an answer, a plan or a strategy, in other words he declares his dependence on God by saying:

“For we have no power against this multitude that is coming against us,

 nor do we know what to do”.

I think we very much feel that we have no power over the multitude of viruses coming against us, nor do we really know what to do.

King Jehoshaphat declares that his trust is in God by saying ‘our eyes are on You’ - we look to You, we focus our attention and our faith and our trust solely on You, God, for an answer in this situation! I think we should be doing the same. Let’s see what God answeres King Jehoshaphat. He says:

• Do not fear nor be dismayed because of the great multitude
• The battle is not yours but it is God’s
• Go down against the enemy
• They will come up against you
• You will find them at the brook before the wilderness
• You will not need to fight the battle
• You have to position yourself
• You have to stand still and see the salvation of the Lord
• Do not fear nor be dismayed
• Go out against them, the Lord is with you

Our current battle is against an enemy we cannot see. It is a tiny invisible virus. The battle is not against a fellow human being or an army that threatens our existence. It is true that in every battle that comes to the door of our life there are some things we must do but the real, spiritual battle is the Lord’s. He is the stronger covenant partner who will fight for us! The battle is His, the victory is ours. We need to not fear nor be dismayed, we need to be obedient to what He tells us to do – we need to position ourselves and go face the enemy, we need to stand still and see the salvation of God!

Note Jehoshaphat’s reaction when he heard this from God:

•  He bowed his head with his face to the ground, and the people followed his example
• They worshipped the sovereign God with all their hearts
• They praised God with voices loud and high

The very next morning they went out to face the enemy and Jehoshaphat exhorts the people to BELIEVE in the LORD YOUR GOD!

He positioned the worshippers in front of the army as they went out. Worship is our strongest form of warfare against fear and despair in the current crisis we are in. We need to move ourselves into a position of worship where we can praise the beauty of God’s holiness, His provision and protection and His mercy that endures forever!

In the story of Jehoshaphat, when they began to sing – the Lord ambushed the enemy and the enemy fought against each other, destroying their own army. I do not know which strategy God will use to overcome this virus pandemic for us, but I do know that we need to face this enemy with the courage He placed inside of us, and with the spiritual weapons He gave us – like worship. When the battle just seems to be simply too big and our courage falters, let us worship our covenant-keeping God Who promises to fight the battle for us and give us the victory.

  
 ©2020 All rights reserved HG Venter