Marching to the Beat of Praise

Jehoshaphat’s experience of marching to the beat of praise and winning the battle without fighting is very inspiring. That’s the story I’ve been working on this week.

See 2 Chronicles 20:1-30.

The Moabites, the Ammonites, and some of the Meunites came to make war on King Jehoshaphat. When some men told him that a vast army was coming against him, he was alarmed. The King resolved to find out from the LORD what he should do. That’s always best! So he proclaimed a fast, and the people came together from every town in Judah to seek God’s help. His prayer is recorded in verses 6-12, which he ended, saying,

“We have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon you.”

The following account is very interesting:

“All the men of Judah, with their wives and children and little ones, stood there before the LORD.”

Everybody, even the little ones, were praying for God’s help. How important to include children, “even the little ones,” when we seek God’s help and guidance.

See God’s promise to be with them:

• The LORD says to you: “Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s.” (vs. 15)
• You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give you. (vs. 17)
• “Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the LORD will be with you.” (vs. 17)

Jehoshaphat bowed with his face to the ground, and all the people of Judah and Jerusalem fell down in worship before the LORD. Some Levites praised the LORD with very loud voice.

Early the next morning they left for the Desert of Tekoa. As they were leaving, Jehoshaphat encouraged the people to have faith in the LORD their God. And he appointed men to sing and praise the LORD and to go ahead of the army, saying,

“Give thanks to the LORD,
for his love endures forever.”

As they began to march to the beat of praise, singing to the LORD, God Almighty set ambushes against the men who were invading Judah, and they were defeated.

When the people of Judah started to praise the LORD, they got the victory!

Jehoshaphat and his men did not have to fight the battle. The armies that had come against him fought among themselves. The King and his men just had to carry off the plunder.

There was so much plunder that it took three days to collect it!

When they finished collecting the plunder, what did they do? They assembled in the Valley of Beracah (Praise), where they praised the LORD.

“Then, led by Jehoshaphat, all the men of Judah and Jerusalem returned joyfully to Jerusalem, for the LORD had given them cause to rejoice over their enemies. They entered Jerusalem and went to the temple of the LORD with harps and lutes and trumpets.”

I love this story! I love to be writing for children using this example. Jehoshaphat led the people in praise BEFORE the battle, and he led them in praise AFTER the battle. He even named a valley Praise!

Praise prepares the way for miracles! Just as the dead-looking trees come to life in the spring, our circumstances that can seem more than dead, can spring to new life. Praise Jesus! Praising him will bring you victory!

Whatever battle you’re facing, take the Jehoshaphat approach. March to the beat of praise!

Jehoshaphat and his men marching to the beat of praise.

 

A Most Tragic End

Yesterday we had a story of triumph!  King Jehoshaphat  praised God and the people of Judah won a great victory. How tragic that his son did not follow in his footsteps!

When Jehoshaphat “rested with his ancestors,” as the Bible describes his death, Jehoram his son succeeded him as king. Jehoram had six brothers. Jehoshaphat had given them many gifts, but the kingdom he gave to Jehoram, his firstborn son.

Sadly, Jehoram did not follow the good example of his father. When he has established himself firmly over the kingdom, he killed all his brothers. He was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years.

Read about him in 2 Chronicles 21.

I will not go into details, but to mention his most tragic end. “Jehoram passed away, to no one’s regret, and was buried in the City of David, but not in the tombs of the kings.”

To no one’s regret!

I’ve been going over those words over and over since I read them early this morning. “To no one’s regret!” How tragic!

His brothers he had killed. But his wife and children… did they not miss him? No one regretted his death!

How are we living? Will we be missed when our day comes to leave this world? Or will there be a sign on our tombstone: NOT MISSED!

I hope I will be missed; that I have made a difference during my pilgrimage on earth. Most of all I hope I will be welcomed in Heaven!

This will be it for now.

Live in such a way that you will be missed on Earth and welcomed in Heaven.

 

Winning the Battle by Praising God

One of the most inspiring battle stories I find in the Bible is about King Jehoshaphat winning the battle by praising the LORD. You can read it in 2 Chronicles 20.

The Moabites and Ammonites with some of the Meunites came to make war on Jehoshaphat. The king was alarmed, but did the best thing you can do in any tight situation: he resolved to ask for God’s help, and he proclaimed a fast for all Judah.

“WE DON’T KNOW WHAT TO DO”

The people of Judah responded and came together to seek God’s help. In fact, they came from every town in Judah. They all assembled at the temple of the LORD and King Jehoshaphat  prayed. He presented their situation before God, and ended by saying, “We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon you.”

What inspires me is that not only did the men of Judah assemble together, but their wives and children and little ones all stood together before the LORD. Everyone was involved!

Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jahaziel, one of the Levites, and he gave them the instructions:

 “Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the LORD says to you: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s. Tomorrow march down against them. They will be climbing up by the Pass of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the gorge in the Desert of Jeruel. You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the LORD will be with you.'”

 THEY PRAISED IN A VERY LOUD VOICE

Jehoshaphat and all the people assembled bowed with their faces to the ground and worshiped before the LORD. It was not just a quiet whisper. Some of the Levites stood up and praised the LORD with very loud voice. When you cry out to God for help you don’t whisper; you make your voice heard loudly.

Early the next morning they did as they had been instructed and left for the Desert of Tekoa. To encourage the people Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Listen to me, Judah and people of Jerusalem! Have faith in the LORD your God and you will be upheld; have faith in his prophets and you will be successful.”

King Jehoshaphat had a special strategy. He appointed men to sing and praise the LORD. Where did he position these men? They went out at the head of the army!

THEY MARCHED AT THE BEAT OF PRAISE

Can you picture the possession?  They might have marched at the beat of the drum, but it was a beat of praise: “Give thanks to the LORD, for his love endures forever.”

What happened when they began to sing and praise the Lord? God himself set ambushes against all the men who were invading Judah, and they were defeated. The armies that had come against Judah ended up destroying one another.

When the men of Judah came to the place that overlooks the desert and looked toward the vast army, they saw only dead bodies lying on the ground; no one had escaped. So Jehoshaphat and his men went to carry off their plunder, and they found among them a great amount of equipment and clothing and also articles of value-more than they could take away. There was so much plunder that it took three days to collect it.

THE VALLEY OF PRAISE

What a victory! It took them three days just to collect the plunder!

On the fourth day, what did they do? They assembled together in the valley to praise the LORD. They called it the Valley of Beracah, which means Praise. And there they praised the LORD.

Following the Praise Party in the Valley of Praise there was a Praise Procession led by King Jehoshaphat. All the men that had gone to battle returned joyfully to Jerusalem, “for the LORD had given them cause to rejoice over their enemies.” With harps and lutes and trumpets they entered the city and went to the temple of the LORD. There the party continued. More Praise!!!

What a testimony to the kingdoms surrounding Judah! The Bible says that “the fear of God came upon all the kingdoms of the countries when they heard how the LORD had fought against the enemies of Israel.”

“And the kingdom of Jehoshaphat was at peace, for his God had given him rest on every side.” (Cited from 2 Chronicles 20, NIV.)

GOD CAN GIVE YOU THE VICTORY

Why is this story so inspiring? Because it shows us how we can win our battles. We all have battles to fight. There will be periods in our lives when we are relatively at peace, but then a battle will start raging. King Jehoshaphat went to the Lord and said, “I don’t know what to do. God, please help me!” That, my friend, is the key. Take your situation to God and ask him for advice on what to do.

Then comes the best part; just praise the Lord! Does that mean you sit down, with legs and arms crossed, look to the sky and see if the solution is going to drop in your lap? No, of course not. You march to battle! You do what you can to remedy your situation, but all the time singing praises to God. The worst battle field can become a Valley of Praise.

I have been in battles so fierce that my praise has been mingled with tears. But even with an aching heart I have praised the Lord. And I’ve seen God fight my battle to the point of victory.

Do you have enemies coming at you on all sides? Are you at loss on what to do next? Are you overwhelmed by your situation? Praise the Lord! Just like King Jehoshaphat, tell God you don’t know what to do. I can assure you the He will see you through.

 

Be joyful always; pray continually;

give thanks in all circumstances,

for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.  

—1 Thessalonians 5:16-18