Commentary - 2 Chronicles 20:14-19

Bird's-eye view

In this passage, we come to the pivot point of the entire narrative. King Jehoshaphat and all Judah have done what men must do when they are at the end of their own strength and wisdom. They have gathered, fasted, and prayed, casting themselves entirely on the covenant faithfulness of God. They confessed their utter inability: "we do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you." And when God's people get to that point, the point of genuine, corporate desperation and dependence, God is pleased to answer. The answer here comes not through a committee or a clever strategy session, but through the prophetic word of the Spirit. God speaks, and His word rearranges reality. The central declaration, "the battle is not yours but God's," is the marrow of the gospel. It is the principle of our salvation from beginning to end. What follows is the only appropriate response to such a staggering grace: worship.

This is not just an interesting historical account of a battle that was won without swords. This is a paradigm for all of God's people in every generation. We are always faced with multitudes that are too great for us. We are always in a position where we do not know what to do. And the answer is always to look to God, listen to His word, and to understand that the central conflict has already been won by Him. Our part is to believe what He says and to praise Him for the victory He has accomplished. This is worship as warfare, and it is the most potent weapon the church possesses.

Outline

Context In 2 Chronicles

This chapter comes after a period of significant reform under Jehoshaphat, but also a significant compromise. In chapter 18, Jehoshaphat made an unholy alliance with Ahab, the wicked king of Israel, and nearly lost his life for it. He was rebuked by the prophet Jehu in chapter 19, and he responded with repentance and further reforms. But the fruit of that compromise with the world now comes knocking at his southern border. A massive coalition of Moabites, Ammonites, and others have come to wipe Judah off the map. This is a chastisement from the Lord, designed to drive Jehoshaphat and his people not to military alliances or human cleverness, but to total reliance upon Yahweh alone. The prayer in the first part of the chapter is a model of covenantal appeal, reminding God of His promises. This section, verses 14-19, is God's direct answer to that prayer, setting the stage for one of the most remarkable deliverances in the Old Testament.

Key Issues

Verse by Verse Commentary

14 Then in the midst of the assembly the Spirit of Yahweh came upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, the Levite of the sons of Asaph;

Right when the tension is at its highest, God moves. Notice the setting: "in the midst of the assembly." This is a corporate event. The people have gathered as the people of God, and God speaks to them as the people of God. The Holy Spirit is not some private, mystical force for individualistic experiences. He comes upon a man in the context of the covenant community that is seeking God's face together. The Spirit of Yahweh is the spirit of creation, the one who hovered over the waters. He is the spirit of power, the one who anoints for divine tasks. And here He comes upon Jahaziel. The Chronicler is careful to give us his full resume. This isn't some wild-eyed enthusiast from off the street. He is a Levite, from the sons of Asaph. These were the men appointed by David to lead the ministry of music and prophecy in the tabernacle. Jahaziel was a man steeped in the worship of God, and it is out of this context of faithful service and worship that the prophetic word comes. God uses established means.

15 and he said, “Pay attention, all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem and King Jehoshaphat: thus says Yahweh to you, ‘Do not fear or be dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours but God’s.

The prophet begins with a summons to listen up. This is a word from outside of them. It is not the result of their strategic planning. "Thus says Yahweh to you." This is the foundation of all true faith. God has spoken. The first thing God says is a command against fear. "Do not fear or be dismayed." Why? Because of the reason He provides. The reason is not that the multitude is smaller than they thought, or that they have a secret weapon. The reason is a fundamental redefinition of the situation: "for the battle is not yours but God's." This is the gospel in miniature. You are confronted with an enemy, sin and death, that is a "great multitude," far too powerful for you. The temptation is to fear and be dismayed. But God speaks a better word. He says, "That fight you think you are in? It's not actually your fight. It's Mine." God claims ownership of the conflict. This changes everything. If the battle belongs to God, then the outcome depends on Him, not on us. Our salvation, from first to last, is the Lord's.

16 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.

Now this is where it gets interesting. If the battle is God's, you might expect the command to be, "Stay home and bolt your doors." But that is not what God says. He says, "Tomorrow go down against them." Faith is not passive inertia. It is active obedience based on a divine promise. God gives them specific, verifiable intelligence. He tells them the enemy's exact route and location. This is to bolster their faith. God is not speaking in generalities. He is the sovereign Lord of history, and the troop movements of the Ammonites are as much under His control as the rotation of the planets. He is demonstrating that He is in complete command of the situation. They are to go out, not to fight, but to witness what God is about to do. They are being invited to the front row seats for a display of divine power.

17 You need not fight in this battle; take your stand, stand and see the salvation of Yahweh on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem.’ Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out to face them, for Yahweh is with you.”

Here is the heart of the instruction. "You need not fight in this battle." Their swords were to remain sheathed. Their role was something else entirely. "Take your stand, stand and see the salvation of Yahweh." This echoes Moses' command at the Red Sea. They are to position themselves, hold their ground, and watch. Their activity is the activity of faith, which is to trust God so completely that you can stand still in the face of an advancing army and simply watch Him work. This is the rest that we are called to enter into in Christ. The work of salvation is finished. Our task is to stand in that finished work and see what God has done. The exhortation not to fear is repeated, and the reason is grounded in the presence of God: "for Yahweh is with you." This is the ultimate promise of the covenant. Immanuel. God with us. If God is with you, who can possibly be against you?

18 So Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down before Yahweh, worshiping Yahweh.

What is the proper response to such a word of pure grace? It is not to start sharpening swords or drawing up battle plans. It is to fall on your face. Jehoshaphat, the king, leads the way. He doesn't question the prophet or ask for a second opinion. He hears the word of God and immediately prostrates himself in worship. And the people follow their king. This is true leadership. The king leads the people to their knees before the Lord. This act of worship is their first act of war. Before they march to the battlefield, they bow on the temple floor. They are acknowledging that the victory is already won because God has spoken it. Their worship is the assent of faith to the promise of God.

19 Then the Levites, from the sons of the Kohathites and of the sons of the Korahites, rose up to praise Yahweh, the God of Israel, with a very loud voice.

After the silent prostration comes the audible praise. And who leads it? The Levites, the appointed ministers of worship. The sons of Kohath and Korah were famous families of singers. They get up and praise God "with a very loud voice." This is not a timid, mumbling sort of praise. This is a full-throated, confident, joyous roar. Why? Because they believe the promise. They are praising God for a victory that has not yet happened in time and space, but which is absolutely certain because God has declared it. They are, in effect, singing the victory song before the battle has even been joined. This is what faith does. It treats God's future promises as present realities and gives thanks for them now. This loud praise is the sound of an army that knows the battle is not theirs, but God's.

Application

The principles here are not locked away in ancient history. They are the very fabric of the Christian life. We are constantly confronted with great multitudes: our own indwelling sin, the hostility of the world, the accusations of the devil. Our natural response is fear and dismay, and a frantic search for some human strategy to save ourselves.

But God speaks to us in His word, and His word to us is the gospel. He tells us, "Do not fear. This battle for your soul, for your righteousness, for your eternal life, is not your battle. It is Mine." Christ has already fought the decisive battle on the cross. He has defeated sin, death, and the devil. The victory is already won.

So what are we to do? We are commanded to "go out to face them." We are to live our Christian lives in the world, facing temptation and trial. But we are not to fight in our own strength. We are to "stand and see the salvation of the Lord." We stand by faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ. We see His salvation as we trust His promises and not our own performance. And our primary weapon in this is worship. We bow down, acknowledging His sovereignty and grace. And we rise up to praise Him with a loud voice, singing of the victory He has already secured. Our corporate worship on the Lord's Day is our primary battle formation. We are declaring to the principalities and powers that the battle belongs to our God, and in Christ, the victory is already ours.