April 28, 2021: Day 53 – II Chronicles 20

We find ourselves stepping back a bit into time when Jehoshaphat had not teamed up with Ahab and the northern kingdom.  We see that the surrounding countries of Judah were intent on invading the land where Jehoshaphat was king.  Moabites, Ammonites, and some more Ammonites were encamped ready to conquer.  As you can imagine all of the people and the king themselves were terrified for what would come next.

The king calls the people to fast and to come before the Lord asking for guidance and direction.  “We cannot overcome the invading armies by ourselves, there are too many of them.”  God then chooses one of the people there present to speak to the entire population.  He chooses Jahaziel to tell the king and the people of Israel that they do not need to worry about it, God will conquer and God will win this battle.  

What happens next is a bit confusing.  It seems like all of the armies of the invading countries end up fighting against themselves.  The king looks down in the valley and sees a mass of corpses and the battle was already fought and Judah did not lose.  Technically they didn’t win either because they actually didn’t fight it, but they did not lose because all of the invaders were gone.  Before the battle the people of Judah were encouraged to: “Give thanks to the Lord, for his steadfast love endures forever.”  This was before God provided the victory in such an obvious way.  He then follows through.  

The people of Judah return to Jerusalem with joy.  Yeah, that would be an understatement.  I wonder if they were singing this as they returned.