2 Chronicles 20:21-24 "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. (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."
The nations still have Jerusalem surrounded. But instead of Jehoshaphat now
praying that he had no strength nor understanding as to how to fight the
battle, the Lord has given direction to him. For twenty-four hours the people
have now been worshipping the Lord and believing that He is true to His
promises. They have been using the waiting period to prepare their hearts to
follow the Lord God into battle. They have now assembled and are ready to go.
Jehoshaphat encouraged them to enter the battle with faith believing that God
would indeed give them victory. As they begin to go forward, he positions them.
One might think that he would first place those with sword and shield, then
those skillful with bow and arrow. As Jehoshaphat begins to line them for
battle, he calls for the singers to go first.
Is this the same great Jehoshaphat who had been called to help Ahab and Israel
in their battle? Is this the great tactician who has won other battles? Has
something gone wrong that he places unarmed people at the front of the
battle? OR, has everything gone right and now he is following the
direction for which he had so earnestly prayed. He is definitely following
directions, for you see the Lord is indeed the greatest tactician and greatest
warrior. It might appear that unarmed people were leading the way, but in
truth, the Lord is leading the way. The choir is singing praises unto the Lord.
They are praising the beauty of the Lord's holiness. They are praising Him for
"his mercy endureth for ever." How can I say the Lord is
leading? Let me use Scripture to explain. "But thou art holy, O thou that
inhabitest the praises of Israel." (Psalm 22:3)
Yes, the Lord inhabits the praise of His people. So as the people were
believing, praising, worshipping the LORD God, He was leading them into the
place of battle. I would hope that I could remember this very important
fact. In all our struggles of life, the LORD inhabits our praise. We ask for
His deliverance in times of trouble, but many times as we are waiting His
answer and His action, we fail to use that time to believe and praise Him.
Jehoshaphat was blessed to have this very basic truth revealed to him. Wait
upon the Lord and you shall mount up on wings, as eagles. Use that waiting time
to exalt His holiness and strengthen your heart in believing He is true to His
Word. Consult those who are skilled in the need you have, but cover them with
prayer and praise. We all know the power of God is manifested when we pray. Why
is that? The Lord inhabits the praises of His people.
Praise Him! Praise Him! Jesus our blessed Redeemer.