Jehoshaphat’s Story – Victory and Blessing

As they began to sing and praise, the Lord set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated. The Ammonites and Moabites rose up against the men from Mount Seir to destroy and annihilate them. After they finished slaughtering the men from Seir, they helped to destroy one another.

When the men of Judah came to the place that overlooks the desert and looked toward the vast army, they saw only dead bodies lying on the ground; no one had escaped. So Jehoshaphat and his men went to carry off their plunder, and they found among them a great amount of equipment and clothing and also articles of value—more than they could take away. There was so much plunder that it took three days to collect it. On the fourth day they assembled in the Valley of Berakah, where they praised the Lord. This is why it is called the Valley of Berakah [blessing] to this day.

– 2 Chronicles 20:22-26

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We are continuing in Jehoshaphat’s story found in 2 Chronicles 20. In the last post, we saw the men marching off to battle, while praising God. Today the verses we are focusing on continue to show us the power of praise.

As Jehoshaphat and his men were singing and praising, the Lord set ambushes for the vast army that was coming against them. Is it possible that their praises helped set this scene? When we praise God in tough situations, we are surrendering everything to Him. We are telling Him that we trust Him to handle our problems. We are acknowledging His power to save us.

God’s Ways Are Not Our Ways

Next we read that when Jehoshaphat and his men arrived on the scene, everyone was already dead! They had all killed each other. The army of Judah didn’t have to lift a finger.

A few weeks ago we read where God told the nation, “You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you.” ( v 17)

Even after hearing these words, did the people still think they would have to join in battle? Perhaps they assumed they had to fight, but God would give them the victory? Or maybe they thought the vast army would change their minds and want to resolve peaceably? There could have been a number of possibilities running through their minds.

However, could any of them have imagined this outcome? Only God could orchestrate something like this!

Oh, sing to the LORD a new song! For He has done marvelous things; His right hand and His holy arm have gained Him the victory. – Psalm 98:1 NKJV

As human beings, we often obsess over our difficulties. Over and over in our minds, the situation keeps turning, like a hamster on his wheel. We try to imagine different outcomes. We wonder how God will work everything out. But it is not our job to figure it out. It is our job to trust Him and let Him figure it out.

Then when we do see victory or breakthrough in our lives, in many cases it will look completely different from the way we imagined it would go.

As it says in Isaiah 55:8-9 NIV: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

Everything about Jesus’ life is an example of how God shows up in ways that our human minds can’t fathom. His ordinary parents and His inconvenient birth in Bethlehem. God in a human body, with us on earth. He came hundreds of years after He was promised. When Jesus grew older, His own family thought He lost His mind. The religious folks continually pointed fingers at everything He did “wrong.” He walked in a radical new way – the way of love. When some believed He was the Messiah, they thought He would become their earthly king. They couldn’t understand what was happening when He was nailed to a cross. This wasn’t how things should go. How can He save the world when He was dead? But everything about Jesus, His birth, His life, His death, and His resurrection was part of the plan. Our human minds wouldn’t have imagined being saved this way. Yet with God’s amazing grace, we were.

And thanks to Jesus, the ultimate victory has already been won. He has overcome satan, sin, and death. We have an eternity in heaven to look forward to.

But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. – 1 Corinthians 15:57 NKJV

Unexpected Blessing

In the verses above, it goes on to say that Jehoshaphat and his men took away all the plunder left over from the other armies. There was so much, it took them three days to gather all of it.

What an unexpected blessing! And isn’t that just like our God. Ephesians 3:20 reminds us that God will do “exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think.” (KJV)

I believe that when we learn to trust the Lord and follow His ways, this path brings unexpected blessings into our lives. In Jehoshaphat’s story, they trusted God with the outcome of this battle. They believed He would help them win. They obeyed when God told them to “March down against [the vast army] … Take up your positions … Go out to face them.”

If they had not trusted, believed, and obeyed would they have received this unexpected blessing?

God is a giver. He wants to bless His children. But we have to do our part and walk in alignment with His will.

In Luke 11:28 Jesus told us that blessed are those who hear the word of God and obey it.

In the words of Dr. Charles Stanley, “When you choose to obey the Lord, he will bless you. This is because obedience always leads to blessing.”

The night before His death, when Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane, He was in anguish knowing what He would face. He prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” (See Matthew 26:36-46) Despite how unbelievably difficult it would be, Jesus followed through anyway. He was obedient to God’s plan, even though it meant unspeakable pain for Himself. As a result, this brought unimaginable blessing for all who would receive Him.

No matter what we are facing, we too can say, “Thy will be done.” When we have a close relationship with Almighty God, we know there is no safer place to be, and we can trust Him.

Obedience isn’t always easy. But it’s always worth it. In the end, we will find that God’s path was better than any we could have mapped out for ourselves.

For the LORD God is our sun and our shield. He gives us grace and glory. The LORD will withhold no good thing from those who do what is right. – Psalm 84:11 NLT

Jehoshaphat wasn’t a perfect man. No one is. But he had a heart for God. And that is the important thing. He wanted to follow the Lord, by listening and obeying. He was quick to seek God’s will and follow through. And in this story we see that his actions reaped a reward.

Whatever you might be facing today, perhaps you can’t imagine how God might come through with a victory. Perhaps you can’t yet see how an unexpected blessing will come from your story. I know when we are in the thick of it, looking ahead isn’t always easy. But God is beside you. If you keep your focus on Him, and follow His lead, He will get you to the finish line.

Remember these truths: God’s purpose cannot be thwarted (Job 42:2), God acts on the behalf of those who wait for Him (Isaiah 64:4), and God works all things together for the good of those who love Him (Romans 8:28).

Thank you for reading. I hope you have a victorious and blessed weekend.

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