Can you remember from the dedication of the temple what the
substance of the prayer of Solomon and the promise of God was (2nd Chronicles
6 & 1st Kings 8)?
Basically, Solomon asked for God to hear the prayers of His people in
the future when they encountered hard times and danger. In response to Solomon's prayer, God assured
him and his people that He would gladly grant this thing. Now, here, Jehoshaphat came to the temple to
cash in this great spiritual check for something that he could spend to
purchase his safety and the safety of his people (2nd Chronicles
20:8 - 13).
Jehoshaphat's reign was interrupted by an invasion of
Moabites and Ammonites. Now remember, Jehoshaphat had taught the nation truth
and had held them accountable for the truth they had been given. So, he had a
strong foundation upon which to stand when this crisis arose. Naturally, he and his people came to the
sanctuary to ask God for mercy and aid.
Jehoshaphat was a man of faith. But, there was a citizen in
his kingdom who had even greater faith. His name was Jahaziel (2nd Chronicles
20:14). Because of the influence of the
Spirit of God upon him, he not only believed that God could help them, he was
certain that God would indeed intervene on their behalf. He took God's character and His promises at
face value and spoke accordingly (2nd Chronicles 20:15-17).
Jehoshaphat not only believed the message of Jahaziel, he
called on his people to do the same (II Chronicles 20:20). So, as he and his people worshipped and
praised God in song, God delivered them from their enemies. The power of God was so great in their favor
that they didn't even have to fight. God
turned their enemies against one another and then promptly passed the
possessions of those unbelieving gentiles right along to the believing Jews who
had called upon Him for help (2nd Chronicles 20:25).
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