Proceed With Faith And Praise, And Prosper
Copyright © July 2010 by Rev. Donnie L. Martin. All Rights Reserved.
Text: 2 Chron. 20:22
I. JEHOSHAPHAT’S BURDENSOME PROBLEM
A. Judah’s Enemies Were Preparing To Fight.
B. Jehoshaphat Responded With Proclaiming A Fast.
II. JEHOSHAPHAT’S BOLD PRAYER
A. He Acknowledges God’s Power.
B. He Acknowledges God’s Promise.
C. He Acknowledges Gnawing Problem.
D. He Appropriates God’s Protection.
III. JEHOVAH’S BATTLE PROCLAMATION
A. The Proclamation Of Victory Came Via God’s Priest.
B. The People Of God Responded With Prostration.
C. The Priests Of God Responded With Praise.
IV. JEHOSHAPHAT’S BATTLE PLAN
A. He Prompts The People To Trust God And Prosper.
B. He Prompts The People To Proceed Into Battle With Praise.
Intro: In most Baptist churches of our day, the title of this message would not be readily comprehended. Though many Christians tend to agree in principle with the idea of praise, not many of them really practice praise toward God. Even fewer Christians would understand the relationship between praising God and prospering.
It is sad that so little praise of God is heard in our churches these days. In many places, if someone were to say, “Praise the Lord!” or “Amen!” during the preaching, half the congregation would think that the person had suddenly lost his or her mind, or that a charismatic had slipped into the service. This type of attitude toward praise seems to be somewhat unreasonable when you stop to think about the many lesser things that folks shout and carryon about. Vance Havner once said,
The same church members who yell like Comanche Indians at the ball game on Saturday sit like wooden Indians in church on Sunday.1
I’m certainly not advocating a “pep rally” atmosphere in church; nor do I believe that people should utter insincere praise toward God. But the fact remains that praise toward God is a biblical concept and practice. And as such, it should not be confined to church services only. Praise ought to be a normal part of the Christian’s life.
Someone has said, “We set the mood for our entire day within the first three minutes after awakening.”2 I wonder how much more victorious our day would be if we would begin the day by praising and thanking God for His goodness? I wonder how much better we would come through difficulties if we would learn to praise God in the midst of them?
In our text, Jehoshaphat and the people of Judah were facing a very serious situation. They were about to go to battle with some very powerful enemies. But when they faced this situation with faith and praise toward God, the Lord caused them to prosper in their campaign.
It’s my prayer that the Lord will begin to teach us how to maintain an attitude of faith and praise toward the Lord. It’s God’s desire that we “PROCEED WITH FAITH AND PRAISE, AND PROSPER.”
Theme: The value of an attitude of faith and praise toward God is seen in:
I. JEHOSHAPHAT’S BURDENSOME PROBLEM
NOTE: Obviously, some problems are worse than others. But why does God permit His children to endure so much difficulty? James Packer suggests the following:
Grace is God drawing sinners closer and closer to him. How does God in grace prosecute this purpose? Not by shielding us from assault by the world, the flesh, and the devil, nor by protecting us from burdensome and frustrating circumstance, not yet by shielding us from troubles created by our own temperament and psychology, but rather by exposing us to all these things, so as to overwhelm us with a sense of our own inadequacy, and to drive us to cling to him more closely.
This is the ultimate reason, from our standpoint, why God fills our lives with troubles and perplexities of one sort and another—it is to ensure that we shall learn to hold him fast. The reason why the Bible spends so much of its time reiterating that God is a strong rock, a firm defense, and a sure refuge and help for the weak is that God spends so much of his time showing us that we are weak, both mentally and morally, and dare not trust ourselves to find or follow the right road. When we walk along a clear road feeling fine, and someone takes our arm to help us, likely we would impatiently shake him off; but when we are caught in rough country in the dark, with a storm brewing and our strength spent, and someone takes our arm to help us, we would thankfully lean on him. And God wants us to feel that our way through life is rough and perplexing, so that we may learn to lean on him thankfully. Therefore he takes steps to drive us out of self-confidence to trust in himself, to—in the classic scriptural phrase for the secret of the godly man’s life—“wait on the Lord.”3
A. Judah’s Enemies Were Preparing To Fight.
2 Chron. 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 Hazazon-tamar, which is En-gedi.”
NOTE: It needs to be noted here that this threat from the enemies of Judah came at a time when Jehoshaphat was diligently endeavoring to bring his nation back to God (2 Chronicles 19). In like manner, it is often when we are seeking to faithfully serve and obey the Lord that the enemy of our soul begins to wage his most intensive war against us. That’s the reason the Apostle Peter warned us to, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:” (1 Pet. 5:8).
B. Jehoshaphat Responded With Proclaiming A Fast.
1. Jehoshaphat’s initial emotional response was one of fear.
2 Chron. 20:3a “And Jehoshaphat feared…”
NOTE: In a traumatic situation, a person’s initial response of fear is both understandable and normal. But to live in constant fear is neurotic.
2 Tim. 1:7 “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”
2. Jehoshaphat responded to his initial fear with faith and fasting.
2 Chron. 20:3b “…and set himself to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.
4 And Judah gathered themselves together, to ask help of the Lord: even out of all the cities of Judah they came to seek the Lord.”
NOTE: [1] A lot of Christians tend to wallow in fear. A spiritually mature Christian will learn to allow their initial fear to prompt faith in God. The psalmist said, “What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee” (Ps. 56:3).
[2] Notice the words “set himself.” The basic meaning of these words is “to purpose something, come to a determination.”4 Jehoshaphat determined, or “resolved”5 to seek the Lord for this crisis. God often allows our crises to help us get real with God, and seek Him with our whole heart. I wonder what sort of tragedy it’s going to take in America for her to realize that she needs to turn back to the Lord in repentance.
[3] It is precisely at the point of our fear that we need to respond in faith and praise toward God. Notice how Jehoshaphat praises God in his prayer that follows.
II. JEHOSHAPHAT’S BOLD PRAYER
NOTE: Why should we pray about things that God already knows? Even though God is already aware of what’s going on in your life, it’s still a good idea to pray.
One of the great paradoxes of the Christian faith is that God wants us to talk to Him about everything that is going on in our lives, even though He already knows everything. So why pray?
If you’ve ever wrestled with that question, perhaps the thoughts of the 19th-century preacher, R. A. Torrey, can help. Among the reasons he gave for prayer are these:
· Because there is a devil, and prayer is a God-appointed way to resist Him (Eph. 6:12-13, 18).
· Because prayer is God’s way for us to obtain what we need from Him (Lk. 11:3-13; Jas. 4:2).
· Because prayer is the means God has appointed for us to find “grace to help in time of need” (Heb. 4:16).
· Because prayer with thanksgiving is God’s way for us to obtain freedom from anxiety and to receive “the peace of God” (Phil. 4:6-7).
Besides these reasons, it’s enough to read the command in 1 Thessalonians 5:17, “Pray without ceasing,” and realize that God wants us to talk with Him. Yes, He is all-knowing, but He also desires our fellowship. When we seek God’s face in prayer, we strengthen our relationship with Him. That’s the most important reason to pray. —JDB6
A. He Acknowledges God’s Power.
2 Chron. 20:5 “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 forever?”
NOTE: Jehoshaphat rested firm in the knowledge that Jehovah God was more powerful than any problem he might face.
The Christian is guarded on all sides by the Lord. We have God before us (Isa. 48:17), God behind us (Isa. 30:21), God on our right (Ps. 16:8), God to our left (Job 23:9), God above us (Ps. 36:7), God’s arms underneath us (Deut. 33:27), and His Spirit within us (1 Cor. 3:16). God is our true environment. What protection!
An Australian missionary told a thrilling story of the Lord’s special care for him as he made a lonely and dangerous journey on foot. He had no problem getting to his destination, but was uneasy on the return trip because he carried with him a large sum of money. A man was waiting at a lonely spot, planning to rob and kill anyone who passed by. The missionary, unaware of this but concerned about the risk of traveling alone, prayed aloud to God for protection as he walked along. Before the bandit saw him, he heard him talking, and immediately he thought there must be two men, so he decided not to attack.
Later, he told someone what he had intended to do that day, and the news got around. When the missionary heard it, he realized that God’s Spirit had prompted him to pray aloud as he journeyed. His heart rejoiced as he thought of the Lord’s wonderful protection from harm.7
B. He Acknowledges God’s Promise.
2 Chron. 20:8 “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.”
NOTE: In verse nine, Jehoshaphat reminds God of Solomon’s plea found in 2 Chron. 6:28-30 that God would hear and answer the prayers of His people when they were in distress. God agreed to that request in 2 Chron. 7:13-15. True faith and praise have as their basis, an almighty God, Who has never failed to fulfill even one of His promises.
C. He Acknowledges The Gnawing Problem.
2 Chron. 20:10 “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.”
D. He Appropriates God’s Protection.
2 Chron. 20:12 “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.
13 And all Judah stood before the Lord, with their little ones, their wives, and their children.”
NOTE: Get the picture here. Jehoshaphat has praised God for His great power, reminded Him of His promise to His people, and shared with God the problem Judah was facing. Now the king says in essence, “O Lord, won’t You intervene? We are absolutely helpless in this situation. Lord, we don’t know anything else to do but look to You for help.”
III. JEHOVAH’S BATTLE PROCLAMATION
A. The Proclamation Of Victory Came Via God’s Priest.
2 Chron. 20:14 “Then upon Jahaziel (“whom God watches over”8 ) 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 your’s, but God’s.
16 Tomorrow 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: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the Lord with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them: for the Lord will be with you.”
NOTE: Folks, faith is simply believing what God has said he will do in a particular situation. If God has said it, you can take it to the bank. Faith is always based squarely on the revealed will of God in His Word. God plainly revealed what He was going to do for Jehoshaphat and his people. Their responsibility was to believe God’s word to them, no matter what the circumstances looked like at the time. As Bro. Manley Beasley once said, “…the point is that we can believe it is so when it is not so, in order for it to be so, because God has said it is so.”9
B. The People Of God Responded With Prostration.
2 Chron. 20:18 “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.”
NOTE: Dear brothers and sisters, when you find yourself in the midst of the battles of life, that is the time to worship, not worry. Worship God in faith and praise, and you may find that God will give you “…joy unspeakable and full of glory” in the midst of it all (1 Pet. 1:8).
C. The Priests Of God Responded With Praise.
2 Chron. 20:19 “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.”
NOTE: Notice that the priests praised God with a “…loud voice on high” (v. 19b). Now days we can scarcely get someone to whisper an “Amen,” much less praise the Lord with a loud voice. Matthew Henry once said, “An active faith can give thanks for a promise though it be not yet performed, knowing that God’s bonds are as good as ready money.”10
IV. JEHOSHAPHAT’S BATTLE PLAN
A. He Prompts The People To Trust God And Prosper.
2 Chron. 20:20 “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.”
B. He Prompts The People To Proceed Into Battle With Praise.
1. The praise of God preceded Judah’s army to battle.
2 Chron. 20:21 “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 forever.”
2. The power of God begins to be seen on Judah’s behalf.
2 Chron. 20:22 “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.”
3. The people of God praised Him, and the enemy went berserk.
2 Chron. 20:23 “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.”
4. The people of God reaped a great bounty.
2 Chron. 20:24 “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.
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.”
Theme: The value of an attitude of faith and praise toward God is seen in:
I. JEHOSHAPHAT’S BURDENSOME PROBLEM
II. JEHOSHAPHAT’S BOLD PRAYER
III. JEHOVAH’S BATTLE PROCLAMATION
IV. JEHOSHAPHAT’S BATTLE PLAN
End Notes:
1. Leonard Ravenhill, Why Revival Tarries, published by Bethany House Publishers, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55438; pg. 82.
2. Source unknown.
3. James Packer, Your Father Loves You, Harold Shaw Publishers, 1986.
4. Keil & Delitzsch Commentary On The Old Testament, as found in e-Sword software.
5. Ibid.
6. Our Daily Bread, November 25, 1998.
7. Source unknown.
8. Smith’s Bible Dictionary, as found in e-Sword software.
9. Manley Beasley, Faith Workbook No.2, published by Murdock Printing Company, Memphis Tennessee; pg. 3.
10. Matthew Henry’s Commentary On The Whole Bible, as found in e-Sword software.
