“After this the Moabites and Ammonites, and with them some of the Meunites, came against Jehoshaphat for battle. Some men came and told Jehoshaphat, ‘A great multitude is coming against you from Edom, from beyond the sea; and behold, they are in Hazazon-tamar’ (that is, Engedi). Then Jehoshaphat was afraid and set his face to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. And Judah assembled to seek help from the LORD; from all the cities of Judah they came to seek the LORD.
“And Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the LORD, before the new court, and said, ‘O LORD, God of our fathers, are you not God in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. In your hand are power and might, so that none is able to withstand you. Did you not, our God, drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel, and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham your friend? And they have lived in it and have built for you in it a sanctuary for your name, saying, ‘If disaster comes upon us, the sword, judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we will stand before this house and before you—for your name is in this house—and cry out to you in our affliction, and you will hear and save.’ And now behold, the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir, whom you would not let Israel invade when they came from the land of Egypt, and whom they avoided and did not destroy—behold, they reward us by coming to drive us out of your possession, which you have given us to inherit. O our God, will you not execute judgment on them? For we are powerless against this great horde that is coming against us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.’
“Meanwhile all Judah stood before the LORD, with their little ones, their wives, and their children. And the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, son of Benaiah, son of Jeiel, son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, in the midst of the assembly. And he said, ‘Listen, all Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem and King Jehoshaphat: Thus says the LORD to you, ‘Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed at this great horde, for the battle is not yours but God’s. Tomorrow go down against them. Behold, they will come up by the ascent of Ziz. You will find them at the end of the valley, east of the wilderness of Jeruel. 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.’
“Then Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down before the LORD, worshiping the LORD. And the Levites, of the Kohathites and the Korahites, stood up to praise the LORD, the God of Israel, with a very loud voice.
“And they rose early in the morning and went out into the wilderness of Tekoa. And when they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, ‘Hear me, Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem! Believe in the LORD your God, and you will be established; believe his prophets, and you will succeed.’ 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 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.” [1]
The nation was threatened. It wasn’t a pandemic that threatened the people, but that might have been preferable. A vast horde of people intent on conquering the land was approaching, and the whole populace was frantic with fear. The king’s advisers were in disarray, uncertain what should be done. If it had been modern politicians who were advising the king, they would have perhaps counselled hastily building an alliance, placing the armed forces on full alert and calling up every reservist, all the while weighing every possible option. They would undoubtedly appeal to the populace to be patriotic, to express love for the fatherland, to refuse to give way to those seeking to destroy our way of life. They would advise that the population must be united in agreeing with governmental decisions. They would be unable to see beyond this, however. Their focus would be on how they might secure their own position, how to defeat the enemy, how to assemble the arms and the forces required to ensure victory.
The king, however, recognised he was charged to make the tough decisions; but the decision he would ultimately make would leave everyone in dismay. He didn’t do anything people would have expected. It wasn’t that the royal advisers were ignored, or that they were somehow exposed as unpatriotic; they simply failed to take into account the greatest strength available to the nation.
Bureaucrats don’t think like the people of God. They think in terms of the size of the army, the weapons available to be used against the enemy, the ability of the generals to strategize, these are the considerations they are able to bring to bear. The godly, however, realise the truth penned by the Psalmist:
“The war horse is a false hope for salvation,
and by its great might it cannot rescue.”
[PSALM 33:17]
The wise man will understand the reality of the divine affirmation,
“Some trust in chariots and some in horses,
but we trust in the Name of the Lord our God.
They collapse and fall,
but we rise and stand upright.”
[PSALM 20:7-8]
Indeed, wise counsellors will understand, and he will be convinced of the truth that,
“The horse is made ready for the day of battle,
but the victory belongs to the LORD.”
[PROVERBS 21:31]
I don’t mean to imply that there are not godly people in the military or even that no godly people can be found among those seated in the halls of Parliament; I do mean that it is common that those who occupy such positions have trained themselves when they are threatened or when they are preparing to engage the enemy to think first of the armaments they have at their disposal. I am grateful for those leaders who do look to God, though they are trained as war-fighters.
In the movie, “We Were Soldiers,” Mel Gibson plays the role of Colonel Hal Moore, commander of the first battalion, seventh cavalry during the battle of the Ia Drang Valley. This was the first largescale battle of the Viet Nam War that used air lifted troops. The battle began when the American battalion was ambushed by a large North Vietnamese force.
In one scene, Colonel Moore is depicted as entering the base chapel shortly before the battalion ships out to Viet Nam. The Colonel encounters a young lieutenant named Jack Gagon who is at prayer. The colonel and the lieutenant speak briefly, with the lieutenant wondering if he really makes a difference in the world. Colonel Moore responds by inviting the lieutenant to pray with him. Then, Colonel Moore is shown as he prays, “Our Father in Heaven, before we go into battle every soldier among us will approach You, each in his own way. Our enemies, too, according to their own understanding will ask for protection and victory. And so we bow before Your infinite wisdom and offer our prayers as best we can. I pray that You watch over the young men like Jack Gagon that I lead into battle. You use me as Your instrument in this awful hell of war to watch over ‘em, especially if they are men like this one beside me deserving of a future and Your blessing and good will. Amen.” As he prepared to rise from kneeling, he suddenly turned again to the altar and lifted his eyes before saying, “Oh, yes, and one more thing, Dear Lord. About our enemies, ignore their heathen prayers and help us blow those little [explicative deleted] straight to hell. Amen, again.” [2] Well, that is undoubtedly an earthy prayer; and I can imagine that some may actually pray thusly.
JEHOSHAPHAT DETERMINED TO SEEK THE LORD — Jehoshaphat was the king; the nation looked to him to provide leadership. If something was to be done, he would need to make a decision. If there was to be divine guidance, he would need to determine that he would seek the Lord or rest on his own wisdom. No doubt the king was familiar with the words of the wise king who had reigned long years before. Solomon wrote,
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart,
and do not lean on your own understanding.”
[PROVERBS 3:5]
I have no doubt that the counsellors assembled before Jehoshaphat gave him the best advice they were able to give. That is what they were hired to do. Jesus has provided us some insight into the counsel that can be offered by the cognoscenti of this world. Jesus asked, “What king, going out to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace” [LUKE 14:31-32].
Facing Jehoshaphat was a great army composed of troops representing Moabites, Ammonites, and some of the Meunites. They were already nearby, approaching far more rapidly than the king could have anticipated. Jehoshaphat had ample reason to be fearful, and he was indeed afraid!
Politicians in recent years have sometimes called for a Day of Prayer during a time of national crisis, but the effort seems always to be reduced to a meaningless act. During one such Day of Prayer recently, the President of the United States read a prayer that didn’t even mention God. And many are fearful of naming the Name of Jesus to Whom they presumedly are praying. When they invite pagans and non-Christians to “pray,” they are permitted to pray in the name of their multiplied gods, but politicians are compelled to demonstrate the catholicity of their attitude by avoiding naming the Name of Christ Jesus the Risen Lord of Glory. May I say that if they are not looking to Him as they make their various requests, they reveal that they are mere showmen.
The world watched the United States of America enter into a time of reflection and prayer following the attack on the nation that was launched on September 11, 2001. The churches were immediately filled as people sought comfort, looking earnestly toward Heaven for some stability in the midst of a world that was suddenly turned upside down. Tragically, the same churches that were open daily with pews filled to capacity were empty within mere days as people again resumed their busy routines of making money and going about the mindless acts that mark the lives of so many of our fellow citizens.
The situation reminded me of the words of a dear friend who lived through the horror of the Nazi occupation of Holland during the dark days of the Second World War. In the days leading up to the German invasion, Gerry said that the churches were empty, with only a few worshippers attending. However, following the German invasion and the occupation of the country by foreign troops, the churches were suddenly filled to overflowing with people praying and pleading for God’s deliverance. Then, the country quickly settled down to stoically accept the situation and the churches were again empty. The same phenomenon prevailed in the United States in the fall of 2001.
Years ago, I struck up a friendship with an Anglican priest who ministered in the same community in which I served. Bob, a High-Church Anglican, would often bemoan the transformation that he had observed since he was a lad growing up in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia. He told of how in the past the Bishop of Victoria would call for a Day of Prayer, and the Legislature would close so that the political leaders could gather to petition God for mercy. “Now,” he lamented, “it is you Evangelicals who pray and seem to have all power.”
“No, Bob,” I replied, “any supposed evangelical prowess is tragically superficial. We who bear the title of Evangelical appear to have influence, but our influence is like the Pecos River at floodtide—half a mile wide and ankle deep.”
Have you ever heard someone saying during a time of crisis, “Well, I guess there is nothing left but to pray?” This statement is usually uttered after every imaginable effort has been expended in a futile effort to resolve the crisis. In times of financial need we explore the possibility of borrowing money, or finding extra work, or somehow discovering a way to bring in the funds that are needed. When none of these efforts yield the needed results, we will at last turn to prayer. But, why did we not ask God first? Perhaps He would have rebuked us, but it would have been for our good and for His glory! Perhaps He would have revealed a way for us to turn from the supposed dependence on money to learn new reliance on His grace. When we analyse the situation we discover that the real reason we didn’t pray was because we were fearful of the answer we might receive. We wanted to work things out so that it was “easy” on us, never thinking that “easy” has a way of coming back to haunt us.
We know what happens in our personal lives, happens just as frequently in the life of the congregation. The congregation attempts to resolve each crisis through our own devices. We are certain that a conflict in the church can be resolved by punishing the offender. We act quickly, assuring ourselves that our impetuous, hasty action somehow honours the Master, even though we know that He teaches us to seek reconciliation.
In our haste to put an end to the disruption of our “worship,” it becomes dreadfully easy for us to forget that Christ calls us to restore the offender, leading that petulant brother or sister to repentance rather than seeking to punish the offender. We are responsible to build, not destroy. If we would pause to seek the Lord’s face, how many times would we avoid destroying brothers and sisters! Our democracy drives us to move quickly, because fifty percent plus one will immediately resolve an issue. Prayer and waiting on the Lord can take more time than we think we have.
Perhaps you will recall an incident that occurred early in the history of the united kingdom of Israel. The Philistines came up against Israel, and the people were terrified. Samuel had told the king to wait until he could come, but Samuel was delayed. Therefore, we read, “[Saul] waited seven days, the time appointed by Samuel. But Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and the people were scattering from him. So Saul said, ‘Bring the burnt offering here to me, and the peace offerings.’ And he offered the burnt offering. As soon as he had finished offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came. And Saul went out to meet him and greet him” [1 SAMUEL 13:8-10].
The prophet was horrified at the defiance Saul displayed, and he asked the king, “What have you done?” Listen to Saul’s answer to Samuel’s query. “When I saw that the people were scattering from me, and that you did not come within the days appointed, and that the Philistines had mustered at Michmash, I said, ‘Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not sought the favor of the LORD.’ So I forced myself, and offered the burnt offering” [1 SAMUEL 13:11-12].
Saul excused his lèse majesté by blaming his fear that the people would flee. Like some national leaders in our day, Saul never made a mistake. His foibles were always the fault of someone else. In this case, it was the people who were at fault. Saul rationalised his actions and forced himself to disobey the Lord’s command. In a similar manner, a congregation may face a serious need, and rather than wait on the Lord, the leaders will force themselves to do what must be done. Perhaps things will work out, but the action dishonours the Lord and refocuses the gaze of the people on the leaders rather than focusing on the Lord.
Perhaps we face a lack of funds to do what we have convinced ourselves we should do. You know very well that we can readily convince ourselves that our will is the will of God. There are plenty of voices that will affirm our decision, and we tacitly believe that adage that “fifty percent plus one makes an issue right.” However, is there not time for the people of God to seek unity before we demand a vote to resolve our impasse? Shouldn’t we seek to build one another rather than merely attempt to push the church forward as though it is some great juggernaut, crushing all opposition that would dare stand in our way? Shouldn’t we take time to pray, seeking what honours God and allowing His Spirit to actually direct us rather than giving a brief acknowledgement of His presence before we take a vote and move ahead with our own agenda?
JEHOSHAPHAT WENT TO THE HOUSE OF THE LORD — There is a time for secret prayer; and there is a time for public prayer. The prospect facing Jehoshaphat presented a clear threat jeopardising the nation, to say nothing of presenting a jeopardy to him as king. Whatever he would do as leader of the nation must be done in the sight of all, rather than being done secretly. He could not hide and hope the problem would somehow go away. Whatever decision Jehoshaphat would make would be a public decision if for no other reason than it would have an impact on all who were then living in Israel. There would be no secret deal to avoid the catastrophe that was hanging over the land.
Tragically, there are always people holding the opinion that they can trade their honour for some momentary advantage, they seek to secure their own position rather than honouring their citizenship. History is replete with national leaders who were willing to betray their country, making secret arrangements with an enemy, but that has never worked out in history or in any nation known to mankind. There seems always to be traitorous individuals willing to betray their country. Benedict Arnold betrayed the American colonies, Guy Fawkes betrayed the British Crown, Vidkun Quisling betrayed Norway to the Nazi invaders, Philippe Petain betrayed France after the formation of the Vichy regime, and Joseph Willcocks betrayed Canada to American invaders during the War of 1812. Each of these individuals betrayed their fellow citizens and their own country to enemies of the state. The names of these individuals will forever stand out as a monstrous stain because they betrayed their own people. They were men without honour and without conscience; and no one wants to be associated with such perfidy.
Perhaps some imagine that they can enrich themselves or spare themselves hardship by selling out their country, but in the end such perfidy results in death and disgrace for the traitor. National leaders today need to realise that they cannot use elected office to enrich themselves, trading off national authority for personal wealth. We elect Prime Ministers and Premiers to govern for the benefit of the citizenry, not to betray the people or to enrich themselves at the expense of the tax payers. Those elected to public office need to see that exchanging their integrity for momentary advantage cannot work to their advantage in the final analysis.
But the same is true for church leaders. One who follows the Risen Lord must not imagine that he can treat with the enemy. We live among those who are opposed to Christ and His Word, but we must never think that we can live as they live. We who follow the Saviour are encouraged to “Be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the Word of Life” [PHILIPPIANS 2:15-16a].
Each follower of Christ must recognise that he or she does give answer to the Master Whom we serve. Therefore, we must always consider how to encourage one another within the assembly of the righteous, how to build one another in this holy faith, how to fulfil the Apostle’s instruction to “give preference to one another in honour” [ROMANS 12:10 NASB].
Just as national leaders must not think that they can betray the trust the citizens have invested in them for their own personal advantage, so the people of God must never imagine that they can betray their responsibility to honour the Lord God without suffering severe consequences. The follower of Christ cannot surrender integrity and honour to culture or to sustain friendship with those of this dying world without inflicting severe pain on the assembly and ultimately upon oneself. There can be no surrender of the Faith for momentary peace with the world. No Christian can ever imagine that God will bless compromise with those who are immersed in the evil of this dying world.
We are warned in the Proverbs,
“A muddied spring or a polluted well—
that’s what a righteous person is
who compromises with the wicked.”
[PROVERBS 25:26 ISV]
Condemning His people, Hosea censured Ephraim by writing on behalf of the LORD,
“Ephraim compromises with the nations;
he’s a half-baked cake.”
[HOSEA 7:8 ISV]
The Spirit of God speaking through the Apostle Paul, urges us who follow Christ, “Who would think of setting up pagan idols in God’s holy Temple? But that is exactly what we are, each of us a temple in whom God lives. God himself put it this way:
‘I’ll live in them, move into them;
I’ll be their God and they’ll be my people.
So leave the corruption and compromise;
leave it for good,’ says God.
‘Don’t link up with those who will pollute you.
I want you all for myself.’”
[2 CORINTHIANS 6:16-17 THE MESSAGE]
I recall an incident from an earlier congregation that I pastored for a brief period. The congregation had fallen into severe decline, and leaders pleaded with me to assist in halting the decay. They asserted that they wanted to restore the congregation to a spiritual vibrancy it had once been noted as possessing. Almost immediately, God began to bless the labour I invested in that congregation and the church began to grow. However, the growth precipitated a crisis that required multiple intense meetings with the deacons who were fearful that with the growth, they were losing control over what had become a private fiefdom for them.
The immediate crisis was precipitated when early in my time with that congregation a gracious lady presented herself for baptism and church membership. The people who were beginning to populate the services were mostly first-generation Canadians, which proved to be a threat to the old pioneer-heritage group; and now a woman from Barbados wanted to be baptised and to join this church. One man in particular was incensed as this lady came requesting acceptance into the assembly. You see, she was from Barbados and not from one of the Prairie Provinces. So, he loudly and publicly announced that no one could join the church until he said it was okay! “Ain’t nobody getting’ saved until I say they are saved,” was his announcement.
I immediately met with the deacons to discover what was going on. I remonstrated with them that the Word of God called people to faith in Christ the Lord. The one deacon who had protested was incensed—he was convinced that only he could determine who was suited to profess Christ and thus be received into the fellowship. He was incensed that the “wrong kind of people” were coming to faith. By that, he meant that they were not gentrified Canadians, whether saved or not.
When I pointed out what was written in the Word of God, he argued that such a position violated the constitution of the church. When I pointed out that nothing in the constitution was violated in receiving people into the fellowship of the church by action of the church, he argued that I was reading the wrong constitution. He asserted that he had an alternative constitution which negated the one I had received and from which I was working. Moreover, his copy of the constitution vested all power in him to determine who was to be permitted to unite with the congregation.
Thinking that the deacons were simply wrought up and not thinking rationally at that point, I gently said in that meeting that if there was a conflict between the Bible and the constitution, we would always follow the Bible. At this, that power hungry man blustered, “We are Canadian! If there is a conflict between the Bible and our constitution, we always follow the constitution.”
I was astounded that any professing Christian could make such a statement. Questioning the seven men who claimed the title of deacons, each of them, without exception, excused himself and deferred to the position of this one tyrant. I admit that I’ve not always been the sweet, gentle soul that you imagine me to be. Upon hearing this, I said, “Gentlemen, I apologise for a serious error on my part. I had assumed you were spiritually mature men; but now I see that you are all spiritual imbeciles.”
These men had chosen abdication of spiritual responsibility for momentary peace. That congregation is no longer in existence; spiritual rot had progressed until destruction of the assembly was assured. Throughout this sad affair, those in leadership had met in secret meetings seeking to circumvent the Word of God. These men were guilty of lese majesté, exposed as traitors to all righteousness. I have never witnessed success coming from tolerating a cabal going behind the one God has appointed in order to get their way.
I have taken this roundabout route to bring us to the point of encouraging you to adopt the position that if you claim to be walking with the Lord Christ, then honour Him. Participate in the life of the assembly wherein He has placed you; be present each time the congregation meets so that you strengthen those who share this life with you. Be loyal to those who share this holy Faith with you; encourage them to stand firm in the Faith. Exalt Christ as Master by seeking His will and then doing what He has commanded so that He receives the honour and the glory in all things.
JEHOSHAPHAT CRIED OUT TO THE LORD — Without doubt, the most relevant step Jehoshaphat took was that he “set his face to seek the LORD.” The actions of the King of Judah served to unite the nation, so that we read, “Judah assembled to seek help from the LORD; from all the cities of Judah they came to seek the LORD” [2 CHRONICLES 20:4]. The actions of leaders do influence the people. If the Prime Minister acts in a tyrannical fashion, the nation will respond in lawless fashion. If the Pastor acts in a godly manner, the people will show reverence as they come into the House of the Lord. And if a leader cries out to the Lord, the people will follow suit, praying and seeking divine help.
Worship should be shown toward those who are manifestly worthy of being worshipped. When we worship, we are ascribing worth to the one we worship. To be certain, people may—and do—worship those who are not worthy to receive worship. I am adamant in stating that God alone is worthy of worship. And Jesus, being very God in human flesh, is worthy of worship. In Heaven, the redeemed saints will unite in worshipping God as the One who gives us our being, and as the One Who has given us life. Listen to what shall take place as we look in on what will take place in Heaven.
“Before the throne [of God] there was as it were a sea of glass, like crystal.
“And around the throne, on each side of the throne, are four living creatures, full of eyes in front and behind: the first living creature like a lion, the second living creature like an ox, the third living creature with the face of a man, and the fourth living creature like an eagle in flight. And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and within, and day and night they never cease to say,
‘Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty,
who was and is and is to come!’
“And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who is seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne, saying,
‘Worthy are you, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things,
and by your will they existed and were created.’”
[REVELATION 4:6-11]
Then, when the Lamb of God steps onto the scene, we see the assembled people of God again worship. This is the account as John wrote it down. “I saw in the right hand of him who was seated on the throne a scroll written within and on the back, sealed with seven seals. And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice, ‘Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?’ And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it, and I began to weep loudly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it. And one of the elders said to me, ‘Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.’
“And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. And he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne. And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song, saying,
‘Worthy are you to take the scroll
and to open its seals,
for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God
from every tribe and language and people and nation,
and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God,
and they shall reign on the earth.’
“Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice,
‘Worthy is the Lamb who was slain,
to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might
and honor and glory and blessing!’
“And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying,
‘To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb
be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!’
“And the four living creatures said, ‘Amen!’ and the elders fell down and worshiped” [REVELATION 5:1-14].
In our excitement at reading what John has written, it is easy to miss something that is glorious and exciting. Looking upon this glorious and majestic scene, John sees a mighty angel holding the sealed scroll in his hand. The angel asks with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?” John is devastated at the thought that he will not know who is able to open the scroll, and he begins to weep loudly.
And this is what I find exciting. As John is weeping, one of the elders speaks to him, pointing out that the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, the Lamb of God, has prevailed and will break the seals. It is one of the redeemed saints of God who informs John of what is to happen! We who are redeemed in this age have an even more complete knowledge of what God is doing than did John as he wrote the Revelation of Jesus Christ. To be certain, John received the revelation, but in the midst of his wondering gaze upon what is taking place in Heaven, it was a saint from this Church Age who disclosed to John what was happening. In short, with the completed canon of Scripture, you and I have a full revelation of the will of the Living God! And that is more than what was given to the disciples of that ancient day! Hallelujah! Hallelujah, indeed!
Prayer is so much more than merely worrying aloud when we face a challenge. Prayer is the prelude to worship; prayer leads us to worship. In prayer we come before the God Who hears and answers our requests. In one of the Psalms, David has written,
“Praise is due to you, O God, in Zion,
and to you shall vows be performed.
O you who hear prayer,
to you shall all flesh come.
When iniquities prevail against me,
you atone for our transgressions.
Blessed is the one you choose and bring near,
to dwell in your courts!
We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house,
the holiness of your temple!
“By awesome deeds you answer us with righteousness,
O God of our salvation,
the hope of all the ends of the earth
and of the farthest seas;
the one who by his strength established the mountains,
being girded with might;
who stills the roaring of the seas,
the roaring of their waves,
the tumult of the peoples,
so that those who dwell at the ends of the earth are in awe at your signs.
You make the going out of the morning and the evening to shout for joy.”
[PSALM 65:1-8]
Here, God is identified as the God Who hears prayer. And because God hears prayer, the Psalmist confesses that God is worthy to receive praise. David confesses that it is God Who atones for our transgressions. It is God Who chooses whom He will bring near. Then, the Psalmist confesses that it is God Who answers the cries of His people, giving them righteousness and performing mighty works on their behalf.
Notice especially how the strophe I’ve cited concludes. David recognises that as God is praised, praise that arises from the knowledge that God does hear prayer, that praise leads many others to acknowledge that He is God, thus leading people to worship. Morning and evening God is worshipped because of His goodness. And it is the goodness of God that David reveals as he praises God. We learn, then, that as we cry out to God, and as He graciously answers our cries, all about us witness what we have done and also witness God’s answer. God hears us when we cry out to Him, and all about us see the mercies of God as He answers us.
When Jehoshaphat had cried out to the LORD, and when the people had worshipped, note the outcome of the battle. The people, together with their infants and their children, received the message of the LORD. A Levite delivered God’s message. “You will not need to fight in this battle. Stand firm, hold your position, and see the salvation of the LORD… Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed” [2 CHRONICLES 20:17].
The king urged the people to worship and to believe God’s prophets. Having counselled the people to look to the LORD, those who were appointed to lead in song, dressed in their holy attire, went before the army, singing and praising the LORD. Never had a more bizarre sight been witnessed! An army led by men leading in worship marched forward toward the foe. What they saw was astonishing, to say the least. The divine text reads, “When Judah came to the watchtower of the wilderness, they looked toward the horde, and behold, there were dead bodies lying on the ground; none had escaped” [2 CHRONICLES 20:24].
God fought for His people, and because of the Lord’s intervention, we read that, “The fear of God came on all the kingdoms of the countries when they heard that the LORD had fought against the enemies of Israel” [2 CHRONICLES 20:29]. This was not the only time that the LORD fought for His people, and it would not be the last time that the LORD would fight for His people. I do note that this generation had not actually witnessed the LORD fighting for His people. It must have made a great impression on those who witnessed what God had done.
I will say this to the congregation. Each generation must learn to rely on the Lord rather than merely coasting on victories their fathers witnessed. This generation must discover God’s mercy for itself. If we are to witness great victories, it will not be because those who preceded us won those victories, it will be because God has revealed His grace and majesty on our behalf. And we will witness His power when we learn to worship Him.
We face some determined foes in this day, and we will face even greater battles until the return of our Master. We dare not rely on what has gone before, though we should know that God has performed in a powerful fashion in the past. We must know that we are responsible to look to Him, anticipating that He is well able to accomplish great things through us as we look to Him and exalt His Name. He will not share His glory with any man, but He will bless those who exalt Him and who glorify His Name. Amen.
[1] Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. Wheaton: Standard Bible Society, 2016. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
[2] “A Soldier’s Prayer,” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLaTyNe8mg0, posted 26 Oct 2011. Accessed 2 October 2021
