Lord willing, I'll be preaching on Jehoshaphat's utterly weird battle strategy in 2 Chronicles 20. The plan, which led to the complete rout of an overwhelming enemy, sounds more like the script for a praise
concert than a plan for a battle.
You can read the Chronicler's account here.
You can hear the story put to music here.
As I was reading through the passage, I was fascinated with the word, "stand."
The Hebrew word is very common in the Old Testament and, not unlike our English word "stand," it takes on a number of nuances.
In 2 Chronicles 20:5 the word describes Jehoshaphat's stance, he "stood in the assembly." As he prayed, he made a declaration on behalf of the people of Judah, perhaps a challenge or appeal more than a statement of settled fact. "We will stand before this house [the temple] and before You [God]." The response was what the king had hoped it would be. Verse 13 finds all of Judah "standing before the Lord." "We do not know what to do, but we will look to you" (v. 12). It was a stance of attitude--a conviction, an act of the will. That comes across even more clearly in verse 17, "hold your position." We might say "stand firm." In verse 21, Jehoshaphat "appointed" singers (this is where the strangeness of the battle plans comes in). The appointment was telling them where they stood in this operation,
“And when he had taken counsel with the people, he appointed those who were to sing to the Lord and praise him in holy attire, as they went before the army, and say, “Give thanks to the Lord, for his steadfast love endures forever.” And when they began to sing and praise, the Lord set an ambush against the men of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah, so that they were routed. For the men of Ammon and Moab rose [stood] against the inhabitants of Mount Seir, devoting them to destruction, and when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, they all helped to destroy one another.” (2 Chronicles 20:21–23, ESV)
In brief, the enemies of Judah took a stand against Jehoshaphat and his people. Their clear intention was to utterly defeat them in battle and take all of their possessions as their own. Instead, they ended up standing against one another. The internal struggle between the enemies of Judah was so complete that by the time the singers had finished their concert, God had given Judah complete victory.
I can imagine two of the singers surveying battle field. "It had to be that high-note I sang at the end of the first phrase," said a tenor. "No," objected a bass, "it was that booming rhythm I kept up all during the song." in reality:
“You will not need to fight in this battle. Stand firm, hold your position, and see the salvation of the Lord on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem.’ Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed. Tomorrow go out against them, and the Lord will be with you.”” (2 Chronicles 20:17, ESV)
- Know what the Lord says. In our day, that means knowing--really knowing--the Bible.
- Believe it.
- Do it.
