Jehoshaphat
The Result of Preparation

Because Jehoshaphat had prepared his heart and taught the people the Word when adversity came they were prepared.

II Chronicles 20 
:1 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.
:2 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 Hazazontamar,
            which is Engedi.
:3 And Jehoshaphat feared ,
    and s et himself to seek the LORD ,
    and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.

Jehoshaphat feared --his initial adrenaline reaction--but he set himself {his face} to seek the Lord. It is what you do with fear that determines the outcome.

:4 And Judah gathered themselves together, t o ask help of the LORD:
    even out of all the cities of Judah they came to seek the LORD.

People heard the Word of God and believed; therefore they could believe with Jehoshaphat. This would not have happened had Jehoshaphat not had the Word of God taught to the people. God is not just a God of crisis. He is not there just to help in time of need. He is always there to love and care for us. Build the relationship now, Judah had, so when stormy seas present themselves you have confidence toward God.

:5 And Jehoshaphat stood in the congregation of Judah
    and Jerusalem,
    in the house of the LORD, before the new court,
:6 And said,
        O LORD God of our fathers,
        art not thou God in heaven?
        and rulest not thou over all the kingdoms of the heathen?
        and in thine hand is there not power and might,
            so that none is able to withstand thee?
:7     Art not thou our God,
        who didst drive out the inhabitants of this land before thy people Israel,
        and gavest it to the seed of Abraham thy friend for ever?
:8     And they dwelt therein,
        and have built thee a sanctuary therein for thy name, saying,
:9     If, when evil cometh upon us,
            as the sword,
            judgment,
            or pestilence,
            or famine,
        we stand before this house,
        and in thy presence,
            (for thy name is in this house,)
        and cry unto thee in our affliction,
        then thou wilt hear and help.

Jehoshaphat reminds God of His promises . Jehoshaphat was believing and claiming what promises of God he knew . What promises do you know? You have the right as a son or daughter of God to claim promises. Don't let yourself get talked out of them.  See footnote at end of teaching for a great book.*

:10   And now, behold,
        the children of Ammon
            and Moab
            and mount Seir,
        whom thou wouldest not let Israel invade,
        when they came out of the land of Egypt,
        but they turned from them,
        and destroyed them not;
:11   Behold, I say, how they reward us,
        to come to cast us out of thy possession,
            which thou hast given us to inherit.
:12   O our God, wilt thou not judge them?
            for we have no might against this great company that cometh against us;
            neither know we what to do:
        but our eyes are upon thee .

 

" Eyes upon thee ".....KEY principle to believing. We must recognize where the ability and power originates, it is of God. When you come upon circumstances that you don't know what to do! Don't forget the promises of God. Don't let fear grip your mind and paralyze you. Remember, God is faithful!

:13And all Judah stood before the LORD,
        with their little ones,
        their wives,
        and their children.
:14 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;
:15 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.
:16   To morrow go ye down against them:
        behold, they come up by the cliff of Ziz;
        and ye shall find them at the end of the brook,
            before the wilderness of Jeruel.
:17   Ye shall not need to fight in this battle:  [what a relief!]
            set yourselves,
            stand ye still,
            and see the salvation of the LORD with you,
        O Judah and Jerusalem:
            fear not, nor be dismayed ; [have negative believing]
        to morrow go out against them:
            for the LORD will be with you .

Because they didn't tell God what they needed Him to do, but asked for instruction, they were able to listen for God's solution.  God's solution was to not go and fight, but instead go and watch and ..... see the salvation of the LORD ....very sweet!

:18 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.
:19 And the Levites,
        of the children of the Kohathites,
        and of the children of the Korhites,
    stood up to praise the LORD God of Israel with a loud voice on high.
:20 And they rose early in the morning,
    and went forth into the wilderness of Tekoa:
    and as they went forth,
    Jehoshaphat stood and said,
        Hear me, O Judah,
            and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem;
        Believe in the LORD your God ,
            so shall ye be established ;
        believe his prophets,
            so shall ye prosper .
:21 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.

Seek God first and believe what He has said. You will be established and prosper. Here the singers were out in front of the soldiers. Set your singers out in front. No matter the circumstances proclaim God's Word first. Jehoshaphat put God's Word in front, this was God's battle.

:22 And when they began to sing and to praise,
    the LORD set ambushments against the children of Ammon,
        Moab,
        and mount Seir,
            which were come against Judah;
    and they were smitten.
:23 For the children of Ammon and Moab
    stood up against the inhabitants of mount Seir,
        utterly to slay and destroy them:
    and when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir,
    every one helped to destroy another.
:24 And when Judah came toward the watch tower in the wilderness,
    they looked unto the multitude,
    and, behold, they were dead bodies fallen to the earth,
    and none escaped.

They killed themselves off, Judah never entered into the battle.

:25 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.

The day before it looked like they were going to be wiped out by reason of the multitude. The next day their enemies totally destroyed each other and for the next three days they hauled off all of the booty. Instead of being totally wiped out they were delivered and paid not to fight.

They had prepared themselves by learning and obeying God's Word so that when adversity came they could pray to God and believe for help. God showed them their deliverance and they obeyed the revelation. The singers were in front of the army as they marched off to the appointed place. Revelation will not always be the same, this tactic probably won't work next time, but the important thing is they obeyed and believed. When God says something to us we are to BELIEVE IT . If there is corresponding action-- DO IT . God has to bring His promises to pass. Ask for instruction--it is not up to us to figure out the situation/opportunity--that's God's job, we ask and believe.

:26 And on the fourth day they assembled themselves in the valley of Berachah;
        for there they blessed the LORD:
    therefore the name of the same place was called,
    The valley of Berachah, unto this day. [Berachah: that is, blessing]
:27 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 .
:28 And they came to Jerusalem with psalteries and harps and trumpets
    unto the house of the LORD.
:29 And the fear of God was on all the kingdoms of those countries,
    when they had heard that the LORD fought against the enemies of Israel.
:30 So the realm of Jehoshaphat was quiet:
        for his God gave him rest round about.

God's rest is available to us all as we prepare, believe and obey.

* Here is a link to a great little book called The Bible Promise Book. There are promises in this book over a wide variety of subjects like Anger, Children, Courage, Death, Fear, Forgiveness, Fruitfulness, Honesty, Hope, Humility, Joy, Loneliness etc. There are a great many promises in God's Word and this is not an exhaustive study but a great little reference book.