Victorious Worship

VICTORIOUS WORSHIP

2 CHRONICLES 20:1-30

INTRODUCTION… Key verse 2 Chronicles 20:20 (use several)

KJV: “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.”

MSG: “Listen Judah and Jerusalem! Listen to what I have to say! Believe firmly in GOD, your God, and your lives will be firm! Believe in your prophets and you’ll come out on top!"

NLT: "Listen to me, all you people of Judah and Jerusalem! Believe in the LORD your God, and you will be able to stand firm. Believe in his prophets, and you will succeed."

CEV: "Listen my friends, if we trust the LORD God and believe what these prophets have told us, the LORD will help us, and we will be successful."

I have reflected on this verse much in the past weeks and ended up at the obvious question that perhaps I should have started with: How do I apply this verse to my life? How do I create the atmosphere in my life to be firm in the Lord and to be successful? How? This morning I would like to take a look at the whole passage that surrounds this verse and understand its place and then we may get some answers to our questions.

READ 2 CHRONICLES 20:1-30

I. THE SITUATION

The Books of 1st and 2nd Kings and 1st and 2nd Chronicles give us a broad view of the history of Israel. After the death of King Solomon (David’s son), the nation of Israel split into two kingdoms: Israel in the north and Judah in the south. We could characterize the Northern Kingdom of Israel as having evil kings and were mostly drawn away from the worship of God. We could characterize the southern Kingdom of Judah as having good and evil kings and they swayed back and forth between worshipping the One True God and idols. In Judah, it all depended on the king.

The passage we have read this morning, 2 Chronicles 20:1-30, falls in a time in Judah’s history when they have had a series of good godly kings. King Asa (the father of King Jehoshaphat) was a godly king who fortified the nation as well as their faith in God. We find his story recorded in 2 Chronicles 14-16. Judah was at peace and controlled key ports and was prosperous during his reign (Bright, John. A History of Israel. Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1959. pg 239-240).

We are focused on Asa’s son, King Jehoshaphat. The report about him at his death (2 Chronicles 20:31-21:3) is mixed. He followed God and followed the faith his father had instilled in him, but did make some mistakes by making allies with enemies of God and did not purge idol worship when he found it among his people. As I said, his reign was mixed. To summarize this man, I would describe Jehoshaphat as godly, persevering, and flawed (just like anyone else).

II. THE COMPLICATION

King Jehoshaphat and the people of Judah find themselves in deep trouble and peril. Judah does not seem to have done anything to provoke this attack nor should they expect it. This trouble came upon them suddenly. Perhaps you have been in that situation… trouble or hardship has come upon you and your family all of a sudden.

This king and this people were faced with a crisis. Verse 3 tells us that the king and his people were alarmed at the news of impending attack. An overwhelming army made up of three Kingdoms was marching toward them and were going destroy them and lay waste the people of God. Jehoshaphat was limited on his options. Negotiating with these people seemed like an option that had already passed them by because their armies are already on the march. Giving gifts or bribes to appease them was unrealistic because you did not have to give to just one antagonistic force, but three. Military action was not an option because verse 12 tells us that Jehoshaphat had no way of stopping this force of doom that was marching towards them. The king and the people were entering a time of fear and bewilderment. Perhaps the true crisis is that the king, the man in charge, had no idea what to do.

III. THE RESOLUTION

ILLUSTRATION… Never Act in Panic Our Daily Bread, H.G.B, Tuesday, January 12

The great preacher F. B. Meyer gave some sound advice on what to do in a crisis. He wrote, “Never act in panic, nor allow man to dictate to you; calm yourself and be still; force yourself into the quiet of your closet until the pulse beats normally and the ‘scare’ has ceased to disturb. When you are most eager to act is the time when you will make the most pitiable mistakes. Do not say in your heart what you will or will not do, but wait upon God until He makes known His way. So long as that way is hidden, it is clear that there is no need of action, and that He accounts Himself responsible for all results of keeping you where you are.”