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Stand Still and See His Salvation
Grace Sensing on March 24, 2024
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The Lord Sets the Ambush

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INTRODUCTION

One of my favorite lines that I’ve heard from a parishioner came from a sweet, faithful lady who had followed the Lord for many years. When she would recount to me something that wasn’t quite as it ought to be, something troubling that needed sorting out, she would add, “Now, Pastor, I am not the fourth member of the Trinity.” 

That is a good thing for us to remember for the Lord resists the proud but gives grace to the humble (James 4:6). Our passage reminds us of these things.

SUMMARY OF THE TEXT

2 Chronicles 20:1-24

Jehoshaphat, king of Israel, was informed that a great multitude of Moabites and Ammonites were camped at En-gedi and soon to come up in battle against Judah (v. 1-2). Jehoshaphat feared, proclaimed a fast, and all of the cities of Judah gathered to seek the LORD (v. 3-4). Jehoshaphat stood amid this assembly in the house of the LORD and prayed, acknowledging that the LORD ruled over all kingdoms (v. 5-6). He recounted that God gave Israel the land promised to Abraham in which they built a temple for the LORD (v. 7-8). Jehoshaphat recalled the words of Solomon at the dedication of the temple: the name of God was in the temple. When God’s people sought Him there during times of trouble, He would hear and help (v. 9). Jehoshaphat then marked the particular threat from Ammon, Moab, and Edom, asking the LORD to judge them. For Judah had no strength against such a large invading army, indeed they knew not what to do. But their eyes were on their God as they stood before the Lord with their wives and their little ones (v. 12-13) . . .

YOUR NAME IS IN THIS HOUSE

It is not incidental that all the cities of Judah gathered in Jerusalem. Jehoshaphat stood in the house of the Lord because that is where God had placed His name. God made promises about that house. Jehoshaphat recalled those promises that Solomon marked in his day when the temple was dedicated.

“That thine eyes may be open toward this house night and day, even toward the place of which thou hast said, My name shall be there: that thou mayest hearken unto the prayer which thy servant shall make toward this place. And hearken thou to the supplication of thy servant, and of thy people Israel, when they shall pray toward this place: and hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place: and when thou hearest, forgive” (1 Kings 8:29-30).

There remains a house of God . . .

BUT YOU SAID, LORD

Jehoshaphat ran into a predicament that all of God’s covenant people run into. God has made promises. But there are routine threats to those promises. Jehoshaphat played it just right when he prayed, 

“Lord, we know not what to do. But our eyes are upon you.” The reply comes, “But Jehoshaphat, you’re the king. Aren’t kings supposed to know what to do?”

And so we discover that the wisdom of kings ultimately lies in them knowing where to stand, with whom to stand, and where to look . . .

THEN CAME THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD

Being downstream from both the industrial revolution and the technological revolution, we are tempted to think we can steer God. Sermons aim to teach the three easy steps to a healthier marriage, or the four simple principles for raising godly children. Practical Christianity is one thing. And paint-by-numbers morality is another. 

All Judah stood before the LORD with their children. They did this while their enemies were just around the corner. And the pragmatic among the congregation were getting a little antsy. “Wait for it . . . wait for it . . . “ whispered the faithful. And the Spirit came upon Jahaziel. 

That’s really the end of the matter. The Spirit comes upon us, and we are saved. He does not come, and we perish . . .

SO SHALL YE PROSPER

The Spirit does His work. And His work is ultimate. But it does not follow that we have nothing to do. We must work out our salvation with fear and trembling. We must do so because it is God who works in us (Philippians 2:12-13). We’d like to break this down like it is an equation: we do 50% and God does 50%. But, God being holy—set apart—the breakdown is actually that God does 100% and we do 100%. Jehoshaphat knew that Judah had obligations in the face of adversity, so he said, “Believe in the LORD your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper.” 

We want to prosper. And there is only one way to do so. Believe God’s prophets . . .

WHEN THEY BEGAN TO SING

When God’s people believe His prophets, they can’t help but worship. Worship is our vanguard. You do have to wonder, if you’re honest, “But really, why the choir out front and not the soldiers?” 

The answer is, you win every battle in the same way you won your eternal salvation. “The battle is not yours, but God’s.” Where were you when Christ determined to lay down His life for you? 

While you very much must suit up for the contest and mind your duties. Do you think He needs you for this one? No, you need only to stand still and see the salvation of the LORD.

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Worship as Our Warfare

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Introduction

The church is the “worshiping assembly,” and her mission is to call the nations to worship God. But worship is not only our goal; it is also one of the chief means for achieving that goal. Worship is not a retreat from the church’s work of conquest. Worship is a fundamental “strategy” of the church militant.

During this time of the coronavirus scare, we are being told that our worship services are somehow “non-essential.” In actual fact, it is the most essential activity of our lives. As we assemble before God now, we want to be pleading with Him to rise up and vindicate His name. Without Him, we are all of us nothing.

The Text

“It came to pass after this also, that the children of Moab, and the children of Ammon, and with them other beside the Ammonites, came against Jehoshaphat to battle. Then there came some that told Jehoshaphat, saying, There cometh a great multitude against thee from beyond the sea on this side Syria; and, behold, they be in Hazazon-tamar, which is En-gedi. And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah . . . Then upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, came the Spirit of the Lord in the midst of the congregation; And he said, Hearken ye, all Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, 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 . . . And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground: and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell before the Lord, worshipping the Lord . . . And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the Lord, and that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise the Lord; for his mercy endureth for ever . . . And when Jehoshaphat and his people came to take away the spoil of them, they found among them in abundance both riches with the dead bodies, and precious jewels, which they stripped off for themselves, more than they could carry away: and they were three days in gathering of the spoil, it was so much . . . Then they returned, every man of Judah and Jerusalem, and Jehoshaphat in the forefront of them, to go again to Jerusalem with joy; for the Lord had made them to rejoice over their enemies.” (2 Chron. 20:1-3, 14-15, 18, 21, 25, 27).

Summary of the Text

Though he had sinned by giving support to Ahab in the Northern Kingdom (2 Chronicles 19:1-3), Jehoshaphat (whose name means “Yahweh judges”) was generally a faithful and reforming king of Judah. He removed the idols from the land (17:6; 19:3), and appointed judges throughout the land (19:5-11).

Jehoshaphat’s response here was consistent with his faithfulness:

He assembled the people at the house of the Lord and proclaimed a fast (20:2-5). Even the infants and children were included (20:13; and see Joel 2:15-16). In the assembly (20:5), Jehoshaphat prayed to the Lord. He confessed that the Lord is “ruler” of all nations and that “no one can stand against Thee” (20:6). He called on God to remember His covenant with Abraham (20:7; see Genesis 15:18), and specifically that He had driven the Canaanites from the land and given it to His people (20:7). He reminded the Lord about the promise that He would deliver His people when they turned to Him at His temple (20:8-9; see also 2 Chronicles 6:24-25,34-35). His prayer was also a confession of helplessness before the invaders (20:12).

He trusted the word of God through Jahaziel, that the “battle is not yours but God’s” (20:15-17). Jahaziel’s instructions to “stand and see the salvation of the Lord” is reminiscent of Moses’ words at the Red Sea (Exodus 14:13). The Lord here is promising a new “exodus,” a miraculous escape from a new Egypt.

Jehoshaphat led the people in humble worship (20:18), and appointed the Levites to praise God (20:19, 21).

In short, he responded with an assembly for prayer, preaching, and praise. He responded with worship. While the army of Judah went out with the singers in the lead, the Lord “set ambushes” for the Ammonites and Moabites, turning them to fight among themselves (20:22-23). When Judah went to find out what had happened, they found a valley full of corpses, which they plundered for three days (20:24-26; see Exodus 12:35-36). The Moabites and Ammonites came to plunder Judah; but the plunderers ended up plundered. When Judah worshiped, Yahweh became a terror to the surrounding nations (20:29).

So Worship Really is Warfare

Worship and prayer are frequently a means of warfare in Scripture: Israel “cried out” during their oppression in Egypt, and the Lord remembered His covenant and came near to deliver them (Exodus 2:23-25; 3:6-9). Throughout the period of the judges, Israel was oppressed and defeated whenever they worshiped idols. When they repented and “cried out to the Lord,” He would raise up a judge to deliver them (Judges 2:11-23; 3:8-11; 3:12-15; 3:1-3; 6:7-10). And when Samuel assembled the people at Mizpah, the Philistines attacked them. While Samuel offered sacrifice and cried out to the Lord, God thundered at the Philistines and confused them, allowing Israel to win a great victory (1 Sam. 7:3- 11).

Battle in the Heavens

Though the power of worship is evident in the Old Covenant, it is even more so in the New. In Christ, we are positioned in the heavenly places, that is, in places of rule and authority (Eph. 2:6; see 1:21-23). When we assemble for worship, we join with the heavenly hosts (Heb. 12:22-24), and our heavenly worship affects the course of earthly history. Our prayers and praises ascend before God, and coals are thrown from the heavenly altar. And the Lord thunders from the heavens, shakes the earth, and scatters our enemies before us (Rev. 8:1-5).

“Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered: Let them also that hate him flee before him. As smoke is driven away, so drive them away: As wax melteth before the fire, So let the wicked perish at the presence of God” (Psalm 68:1–2).

God shall arise and by His might put all His enemies to flight;
In conquest shall He quell them.
Let those who hate Him, scattered, flee before His glorious majesty
For God Himself shall fell them.
(Ps. 68, Huguenot Battle Hymn, Cantus Christi)

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