When Everything Seems Hopeless
2 Chronicles 20:1-29
Introduction: The story is told of a man named Brian Hice of Provo, Utah, who had a single day that takes the cake. First, his apartment became flooded from a broken pipe in the apartment above his. So, his manager told him to go rent a water vacuum. That's when Brian discovered that he had a flat tire. So, he went inside to phone a friend for help. But because he was standing in water, when he grabbed the phone, he got an electrical shock that threw him to his knees and caused him to rip the phone off the wall. By the time he finally was ready to leave, water damage had swelled his door jamb shut. He had to yell for a neighbor to come and kick the door down. While this was all going on, because Brian left his keys in his car, somebody had stolen it, flat tire and all. However, it was almost out of gas, so he found it a few blocks away. But he still had to push it to a gas station to fill it up. That evening, Brian had to attend a military ceremony at his university. Unfortunately, he injured himself severely when he somehow sat on his bayonet which he had tossed on the front seat of his car. Fortunately, doctors were able to stitch up his wound. However, his four pet canaries were not so lucky. All of them were crushed by falling plaster from the wet apartment ceiling. When he got back from the university, Brian Hice slipped on the wet carpet and injured his back. He said at that point he began to wonder if, "God wanted him dead, but just kept missing." - “When the Odds Are Against You”, Kerux Sermon #62964. Have you ever felt like that? Have you ever asked, “Why me?”. Have you ever thought that no light was ever going to appear at the end of the tunnel that you’re traveling through? If so, 2 Chronicles 20 provides you with encouragement to dependence and reliance on God in the face of insurmountable difficulties.
I. There are times we face foes and adversities which seem to be overpowering and unbeatable. (20:1-3)
A. Jehoshaphat and the people of Judah were enjoying a time of relative peace and safety, when as we read in verses 1-3, the king was informed that an overwhelmingly vast, combined army of the Moabites, Ammonites, along with a marauding horde of Bedouins, known as the Meunites, were marching against Judah seeking to overpower and destroy them. The king and the nation felt helpless in the face of this seemingly hopeless situation.
B. Understand, every one of us all will face or is presently facing, overwhelming difficulties in life. Listen, it’s not a question of “if”, but “when”. At some point, everyone will be confronted with struggles, grief, pain, broken relationships, sin, or persecution. Some of these may seem to be not much more than minor aggravations or disruptions, but others come at us with such ferocity and intensity that we wonder how we will ever survive the trial.
C. The universality of trouble is seen in Matthew 5:45 where we read “...He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.”
D. 1 Corinthians 10:13 “No temptation (trial or testing) has overtaken you except such as is common to man...”
E. Trouble comes to both the Christian and to the non-Christian alike. It attacks both the young and the old. Trouble doesn’t discriminate because of age, race, or sex.
F. There are times in our lives where our struggles emerge from areas of life for which we are not morally responsible. Think about the nature of intrusive thoughts – these are unwanted thoughts for which a person is not morally culpable. Think about grief from the loss of loved ones or the loss of health, being victimized by crime or sexual assault, or betrayal by a spouse. Often dreadful things will happen to good people. But we must also recognize that some of life’s dilemmas are because of our choices, irresponsibility, and sin.
G. In the Bible we read of a godly man, named Job, whose life fell to pieces in short order. He is hit with every kind of misfortune; literally losing everything. In 1890, William James, wrote that “a man's Self is the sum total of all that he CAN call his, not only his body and his psychic powers, but his clothes and his house, his wife and children, his ancestors and friends, his reputation and works, his lands and horses, and yacht and bank-account.” For Job, all of these were swept away in a moments time. Raiders stormed his fields; all his cattle were rustled or destroyed; his servants slain, a house collapsed killing his children, and disease caused painful sores to cover his body from the soles of his feet to the top of his head. In short, Job, by the world’s standards, was reduced to nothing. In Job 14:1, Job cries out “Man who is born of a woman is few of days and full of trouble.”
H. We live in a fallen world that is marked by the effects of man’s sin. Living in a fallen world, we struggle with sin daily. We experience heartache and pain. We witness natural disasters and staggering loss. Injustice, inhumanity, and falsehood seem to hold sway. Discord and trouble are commonplace.
I. The problems you face will either defeat you or develop you - depending on how you will respond to them.
II. The natural response to facing such foes and adversity is to experience a sense of fear.
A. Verse 3 says “Then Jehoshaphat was afraid...”
B. Jehoshaphat feared... Exceedingly, as translated in the Aramaic Targum. It wasn’t merely because of the number of his enemies, for he had forces enough to go forth against them. In 2 Chronicles 17:14-19 we read that he was able to muster an army of over 1 million. So, the king wasn’t someone who we’d naturally expect to fear. But, when he learned that a vast multitude had gained access into Judah’s land, his natural reaction would have to have been one of fear as they had gained a foothold in Judah. However, I believe that his fear may have had its roots in the fact that the Lord had told Jehoshaphat that His wrath was upon him as a result of Jehoshaphat’s ungodly alliance with Ahab. He may have feared that this was the time for the execution of that wrath. - adapted from John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
C. Fear is a natural, reasonable and helpful response to potential danger or harm. It is the emotion that motivates us to ensure our safety when faced with a perceived or assumed threat. Generally speaking, to ignore the fear would be foolish. Thus, “the prudent see danger and take refuge, but the simple keep going and pay the penalty” (Proverbs 22:3).
D. There are three types of fear: prudent, godly, and sinful. Prudent fear is that rational fear which keeps one from danger. The prudent man as seen in Proverbs 22:3 is described as a sensible man who considers his steps, is surrounded with knowledge, and avoids evil when he sees it rather than continuing headlong into it. Godly fear is a reverential respect for the Person and work of Christ in our lives and is manifested in our thoughts, words and actions aligning themselves with the commands of Scripture. Sinful fear is fear that motivates us away from biblical thinking, speaking, and behaving.
E. There are several methods people choose to deal with their problems and anxiety.
1. Pretend it does not exist
a. Ignore the problem. Make it a figment of your imagination.
b. “If I just ignore the problem and keep my head down it will pass with time’”
c. The problem is ignoring problems will not make them disappear. They do not just go away.
d. Ignoring a problem only allows it to grow. You can only ignore it for so long before it will reach grand proportions.
2. Play Down or Minimize the problem.
a. People playing down will be heard saying, "It can't be that bad.” “it’s no big deal.”
b. Minimizing the problem is see when a couple is going through a crisis and one spouse says that the other is exaggerating. He or she might make the statement, “Every marriage has problems.” A person using drugs often minimizes the effects and dangers and like the drunkard says, “I can handle it.”
c. Thinking or saying a difficulty, problem, or sin is small doesn't make it so. And when it comes to sin, if it is a sin issue, minimizing sin is a sure-fire formula for disaster.
d. How often are we guilty of minimizing our own sin by saying that it was a “mistake”, or we simply made an “error in judgment”, or assert that what we did really wasn’t a big deal or not that bad?
e. Proverbs 28:13 “He who covers his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy.”
f. Listen sin is sin! Sugar coating or minimizing sin leads to a loss of hope for the sinner, as it stops a clear conscience.
g. Isaiah 5:20 “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!”
3. Panic or come down with the “Chicken Little” syndrome
a. Panic is a paralyzing anxiety in which one is unable to move forward, as they think something catastrophic is about to happen. It is a deep sense of despair or passivity which not only blocks them from action but often infects and injures others.
b. If you don’t remember the folk tale of Chicken Little (or Henny Penny), Chicken Little was a chick who thinks the world is coming to an end because an acorn, fell on its head. Filled with unrealistic fear, throughout the story, Chicken Little cries, "The sky is falling!", thinking disaster is imminent. Panic ultimately brings doom not only on Chicken Little but also on those infected by Little’s influence.
c. When a situation occurs, it’s easy to let our imagination run wild with all the plausible causes and impending consequences that ultimately will lead to disaster to ourselves and others.
d. Someone has said, “Fear will establish the limits of your life.”
e. Inordinate fear will cause inaction. This is seen in the account of the unprofitable servant in Matthew 25:24-25. Being afraid of his master the servant buried his talent rather than using it for his master’s profit.
4. Procrastinate, put it off & seek to delay having to deal with the matter.
a. In the book of Exodus, we read the account of God exacting plagues on Egypt demonstrating His power and Sovereignty in delivering Israel from bondage. Each of the ten plagues attacked one of the gods or idols that the Egyptians cherished. The second plague focused on the frog goddess Heket. What they once cherished and worshipped became a problem as God sent a deluge of frogs. Someone said, “One frog is cute; ten million are not.” Frogs were everywhere – in Egyptian bedrooms, in their beds, in their kitchens, in their stoves, in the bath, in every room in the house. Wherever they walked, they walked on frogs; whenever they sat, they sat on frogs. The land was frog infested. It was an appalling situation. Pharaoh asked Moses to intercede on his behalf and have the frogs removed. When Moses asked Pharaoh when he should pray for the removal of the frogs, Pharaoh’s response is amazing.
b. We read the narrative in Exodus 8:8-10 “Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron and said, "Entreat the LORD that He remove the frogs from me and from my people; and I will let the people go, that they may sacrifice to the LORD." Moses said to Pharaoh, "The honor is yours to tell me: when shall I entreat for you and your servants and your people, that the frogs be destroyed from you and your houses, that they may be left only in the Nile?" Then he said, "TOMORROW." So, he said, "May it be according to your word, that you may know that there is no one like the LORD our God...."
c. Pharaoh says to Moses the frogs must be dealt with, but when asked when, not unlike so many of us, Pharaoh says to give him one more night with the frogs. We’ll deal with the problem; I’ll quit; I am going to get serious about it - tomorrow; Just give me one more night with the frogs; just one more night.
d. Pharaoh had had the opportunity to get rid of that which was stealing the peace and tranquility of the Egyptians right then and there and he said not now - TOMORROW.
e. Too many people are choosing to spend another night with the frogs, holding onto the croaking things that are robbing them of joy and peace, when the Bible instructs us in 1 Peter 5:7 “Casting all your cares upon Him for He cares for you.”
f. Psalm 62:2 “From the end of the earth I will cry to You, when my heart is overwhelmed; lead me to the rock that is higher than I.”
III. When we are overwhelmed with fear due to facing foes and adversity seeking to bring us down, it is time to focus on the right object – God
A. Second Chronicles 20:3-4 “And Jehoshaphat feared, and set (resolved) himself to seek the Lord and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. So, Judah gathered together to ask help from the Lord; and from all the cities of Judah they came to seek the Lord.”
B. The first thing Jehoshaphat did was to proclaim a fast throughout all Judah. The fast was an act of national self-humiliation, self-examination, mourning and repentance for sin before the Lord. In abstaining from bodily food and labor they devoted one’s focus upon the Lord. - copied
C. When trials arise, we need to spend time focusing upon God and in self-examination and repenting for anything that God reveals to us that we must confess and forsake.
D. Psalm 24:3-4 “Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord? Or who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who has not lifted up his soul to an idol, nor sworn deceitfully.”
E. Psa. 66:18 “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:”
F. When trouble comes we need to put everything else aside - things that so easily distract us - and pray. There’s no better place to be than to be in prayer when trouble comes. You need to bring your troubles, your problems, and your anxieties to God.
G. Hebrews 4:16 “Let us, therefore, come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”
H. Jehoshaphat prayed, we read that Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the Lord before the new court, and he said, “O Lord, the God of our fathers, are You not God in the heavens? And are You not ruler over all the kingdoms of the nations? Power and might are in Your hand so that no one can stand against You.” In his prayer, he acknowledged the Sovereign Power of God. Laying out his burden before the Lord, Jehoshaphat expressed confidence that God would hear and answer his prayer saying that “we will cry out to You in our affliction, and You will hear and save.” He also acknowledged his utter weakness, inability and absolute dependence on God as the one and only source of deliverance. In verse 12, we read, “we have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon You.”
I. It is sad that often, God must bring us to the point where we as humans are desperate and have exhausted all our strength before we will focus on God. We try everything but turning to God. When everything seems to be falling in around us, when the walls seem to be closing in on us, when nothing in our world or in this world seems to hold any glimmer of light, when everything looks totally hopeless, we need to turn to Him.
J. It wasn’t until Jonah, the runaway prophet had come to the end of Himself that he turned back to the Lord. We read, “When my soul fainted within me I remembered the LORD: and my prayer came in unto thee, into thine holy temple” (Jonah 2:7).
K. When everything seems insurmountable, we need to admit that we don't know what to do but we do know One who does.
L. 2 Corinthians 1:8-9 “we were burdened excessively, beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of life; indeed, we had the sentence of death within ourselves so that we would not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead.”
M. "There is no excuse for Christian hopelessness. The Christian’s response in the blackest hour must be: "My eyes are upon thee."" - copied
N. Psalm 50:15 “... call on me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me.”
O. Jehoshaphat prayed, and God responded.
IV. When we are overwhelmed with fear due to facing foes and adversity seeking to bring us down and have focused on God, we must have and demonstrate faith that God is both Omniscient and Omnipotent. He knows what He is doing, He will meet our need and we can trust His heart.
A. Jehoshaphat prayed, and God answered, (2 Chronicles 20:16-17 NASB) “‘Do not fear or be dismayed because of this great multitude, for THE BATTLE IS NOT YOURS BUT GOD’S. Tomorrow go down against them. Behold, they will come up by the ascent of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the valley in front of the wilderness of Jeruel. YOU NEED NOT FIGHT IN THIS BATTLE; station yourselves, stand and see the salvation of the Lord on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem.’ Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out to face them, for the Lord is with you.”
B. Dr. Fred Schindler, in his book “The God of the Crisis”, wrote, “A crisis may surprise you. If you stand before a doctor and he gives you bad news, you don’t have to say ‘God, do You know what’s going on? Can’t You see what’s happening?’ No! He knows all about it because He’s God. He’s omnipotent; He’s omnipresent. He’s there with you, no matter what! God is never taken by surprise. He not only knows what is going on in your life; He knows how it is going to turn out.”
C. Listen to what David said in Psalm 139:16 (HCSB) “Your eyes saw me when I was formless; all my days were written in Your book and planned before a single one of them began.” Listen, God knows!
D. One of the hardest things for many of us to do is to do nothing. But that is exactly what God told Jehoshaphat and Judah to do. Whatever our danger, whoever our foe, God has sufficient power to save and deliver us. Sometimes what we need to do is to stand still, quit running around trying to find the answers, and listen to God and trust His Word. Someone has said, the Lord may not answer you in the way you want him to, but he will answer you in the way you needed him to.
E. Jehoshaphat demonstrating his faith in God declares in verse 20, “Listen to me, O Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, put your trust in the Lord your God and you will be established. Put your trust in His prophets and succeed.”
F. Just believing God is not enough. Faith without works is dead! Jehoshaphat didn’t just believe God’s promise he acted upon it. He appointed those who were to sing to God and praise Him in holy array going unarmed before the enemy armies. It was when they began to sing and praise, then, that God brought the victory. We read that when they “began to sing”, God confused the armies so that they turned on each other killing all the enemy. It’s only as we respond to God’s anointed Word in our own lives that we’ll know the victory that He’s promised us.
G. Faith is not biblical faith if we do not act on it.
H. Adrian Rodgers said “God is ready to move on your behalf in victory, but He will not do one solitary thing until you praise Him. Sadly, we secure our defeat by our lack of praise. Prayer infuses us with the energy of God and confuses the enemies of God... Confusion came into the camp of the enemy as a result of their praises to God... When we praise Him, embrace His promises, and stand upon them, that He always brings victory.”
I. Praise is never described as a means towards an end but as a response to an established fact.
This account also provides an illustration of salvation. In salvation, we need to realize that we are hopelessly lost and cannot do anything to save ourselves; God does it all. Even saving faith is the gift of God, so that we cannot boast (Eph. 2:8-9). Saving faith which is the means for God’s salvation is not just intellectual assent, where we say, “I believe” but don’t act on it. Satan and his hosts believe. Faith without works is a dead faith. Saving faith is always obedient faith. Just as these singers’ faith was demonstrated by their marching out to battle, armed only with songs of praise, so genuine faith in Christ as Savior will be demonstrated in a life of surrender and praise to him. “Faith” that says, “I believe, but I’m not going to act on it” is not saving faith. - adapted
No claims of absolute originality are made for this material. I glean from a lot of resources, but I always prayerfully seek to honor Christ in my material and that which I use.
