The Faith of Courage (2 Chronicles 20)

WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.120 --> 00:00:05.519 Please be seated. Well, let's turn to Second Chronicles Chapter Twenty, continuing 2 00:00:05.759 --> 00:00:14.429 to read through this book and preach through it, the chronicler is giving us 3 00:00:15.910 --> 00:00:21.739 history of God's people, but through it not just communicating to us bare facts, 4 00:00:21.780 --> 00:00:29.339 a mere timeline, nor is he simply trying to entertain us or amuse 5 00:00:29.420 --> 00:00:35.539 us, though we certainly have those things as well, but he is trying, 6 00:00:35.619 --> 00:00:41.409 as God's mouth peace, and succeeding, I might add, to teach 7 00:00:41.409 --> 00:00:46.490 us about the Lord, to teach us who our king is and the kind 8 00:00:46.530 --> 00:00:51.799 of salvation that we have in him. So let's give our attention to the 9 00:00:51.880 --> 00:00:57.079 king's words, the Great King, the king of kings. In Second Chronicles 10 00:00:57.320 --> 00:01:02.920 Chapter Twenty, I'm going to read through Verse Twenty Three. After this, 11 00:01:03.159 --> 00:01:08.230 the MOABITES and the AMMONITES, and with them some of the men unites, 12 00:01:08.670 --> 00:01:14.390 came against Jehosha fat for battle. Some men came and told Jehosha Fat, 13 00:01:15.109 --> 00:01:19.060 a great multitude is coming against you from Edom, from beyond the sea, 14 00:01:19.780 --> 00:01:23.659 and behold they are in has as on Tamar, that is, in getty. 15 00:01:23.739 --> 00:01:30.980 Then Jehoshah fat was afraid and set his face to seek the lord and 16 00:01:30.140 --> 00:01:36.129 proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah and Judah assembled to seek help from the Lord. 17 00:01:36.849 --> 00:01:40.930 From all the cities of Judah, they came to seek the Lord. 18 00:01:41.010 --> 00:01:47.480 And Jehoseph, Jehoshah Fat, stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem, 19 00:01:47.760 --> 00:01:51.159 in the House of the Lord, before the new court, and said, 20 00:01:52.760 --> 00:01:57.560 O Lord, God of our fathers, are you not God in Heaven? 21 00:01:57.680 --> 00:02:02.590 You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations in your hand, our power 22 00:02:04.230 --> 00:02:07.949 and might, so that none is able to withstand you? Did you not, 23 00:02:08.270 --> 00:02:12.990 our God, drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people, 24 00:02:13.110 --> 00:02:16.099 Israel, and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham, your friend? 25 00:02:17.259 --> 00:02:22.180 And they have lived in it and built for you, in it a sanctuary 26 00:02:22.300 --> 00:02:28.900 for your name, saying if disaster comes upon us, the sword judgment or 27 00:02:28.979 --> 00:02:35.289 pestilence or famine, we will stand before this house and before you, for 28 00:02:35.449 --> 00:02:38.330 your name is in this house, and cry out to you in our affliction 29 00:02:38.689 --> 00:02:46.039 and you will hear and save. And now behold the men of ammon and 30 00:02:46.199 --> 00:02:50.719 Moab and Mountser, whom you would not let Israel invade when they came from 31 00:02:50.719 --> 00:02:54.680 the land of Egypt, and whom they avoided and did not destroy. Behold 32 00:02:54.719 --> 00:03:00.110 they reward us by coming to drive out your possession which you have given us 33 00:03:00.189 --> 00:03:05.990 to inherit. Oh our God, will you not execute judgment on them, 34 00:03:07.189 --> 00:03:12.590 for we are powerless against this great horde that is coming against us. We 35 00:03:12.710 --> 00:03:19.819 do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you. Meanwhile, 36 00:03:19.860 --> 00:03:23.539 all Judah stood before the Lord with their little ones, their wives and 37 00:03:23.740 --> 00:03:29.530 their children, and the spirit of the Lord came upon Jehaziel, the son 38 00:03:29.650 --> 00:03:35.169 of Zechariah, son of Benoniah, son of Jeiel, son of Mattanyah, 39 00:03:35.370 --> 00:03:38.090 a Levite of the sons of Asaf, in the midst of the assembly, 40 00:03:39.490 --> 00:03:46.759 and he said, listen, all Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem and King Jehoshaphat. 41 00:03:46.520 --> 00:03:52.439 Thus says the Lord to you, do not be afraid and do not 42 00:03:52.599 --> 00:03:57.030 be dismayed at this great horde, for the battle is not yours, but 43 00:03:57.229 --> 00:04:01.590 God's. Tomorrow, go down against them. Behold, they will come up 44 00:04:01.590 --> 00:04:05.270 by the ascent of Ziz. You will find them at the end of the 45 00:04:05.310 --> 00:04:11.620 Valley East of the Wilderness of Jeruel, and you will not need to fight 46 00:04:11.740 --> 00:04:16.060 in this battle. Stand firm, hold your position and see the salvation of 47 00:04:16.139 --> 00:04:21.860 the Lord on your behalf, Oh Judah, and Jerusalem. Do not be 48 00:04:23.019 --> 00:04:28.009 afraid and do not be dismayed. Tomorrow, go out against them and the 49 00:04:28.170 --> 00:04:33.009 Lord will be with you. Then Jehoshah fat bowed his head with his face 50 00:04:33.089 --> 00:04:38.920 to the ground, and all Judah and the hat inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down 51 00:04:38.959 --> 00:04:45.319 before the Lord, worshiping the Lord, and the Levites of the Koothites and 52 00:04:45.480 --> 00:04:49.199 the Kora Heights who stood stood up to praise the Lord, the God of 53 00:04:49.319 --> 00:04:56.829 Israel, with a very loud voice, and they rose up early in the 54 00:04:56.870 --> 00:05:00.389 morning and went out into the wilderness of Takulla. And when they went out, 55 00:05:00.389 --> 00:05:04.470 Jehoshah fat stood and said, hear me, the Judah inhabitants of it 56 00:05:04.509 --> 00:05:09.699 Jerusalem, believe in the Lord, your God, and you will be established. 57 00:05:10.379 --> 00:05:15.259 Believe his prophets and you will succeed. And when he had taken counsel 58 00:05:15.860 --> 00:05:19.699 with the people, he appointed those who were to sing to the Lord and 59 00:05:19.980 --> 00:05:27.050 praise him in wholly attire as they went before the army and say give thanks 60 00:05:27.129 --> 00:05:32.050 to the Lord for his steadfast love endures forever. And when they began to 61 00:05:32.209 --> 00:05:38.240 sing and praise, the Lord set an ambush against the men of Ammon, 62 00:05:38.399 --> 00:05:42.399 Moab and Mount Seer, who had come against Judah so that they were routed. 63 00:05:43.240 --> 00:05:46.040 For the men of Ammon and Moab rose against the inhabitants of Mount Seer, 64 00:05:46.560 --> 00:05:49.910 devoting them to destruction. And when they had made an end too, 65 00:05:49.949 --> 00:05:57.910 the inhabitants of seer, they all helped to destroy one another. Sends the 66 00:05:57.949 --> 00:06:11.379 Reading of God's word, may bless it to us. I wanted to title 67 00:06:11.459 --> 00:06:15.019 this sermon at the God who saves, but that would be the title of 68 00:06:15.060 --> 00:06:20.329 all my sermons, so I had to try again and I decided to title 69 00:06:20.410 --> 00:06:28.050 it the courage of faith. It's a phrase that describes, in a way, 70 00:06:28.129 --> 00:06:32.079 this story from our perspective, of what we might hope to get out 71 00:06:32.079 --> 00:06:35.720 of this, the thing that we might hope to be like. At least 72 00:06:35.720 --> 00:06:41.000 that's how I felt when I read of Jehosha Fat, this amazing leader, 73 00:06:41.240 --> 00:06:46.639 calling on his people, I'm to trust in the Lord, and I thought 74 00:06:46.720 --> 00:06:50.709 of myself. You know, in my roles, in my particular callings, 75 00:06:51.709 --> 00:06:57.550 when we face difficulties as a church, when we face difficulties, is the 76 00:06:57.629 --> 00:07:01.019 Chelpka family. It is this my response. Is this how I respond to 77 00:07:01.139 --> 00:07:04.899 say we do not know what to do, but our eyes on on you 78 00:07:05.339 --> 00:07:12.819 to call, to call my children, my wife, my congregation, my 79 00:07:12.980 --> 00:07:16.930 friends and family, to wait on the Lord and to trust him, not 80 00:07:17.089 --> 00:07:24.449 always. That's why I appreciate this example and I'm thankful for Jehoshah Fat's faithfulness 81 00:07:24.529 --> 00:07:27.689 here. It's such a great example and so much courage. They go into 82 00:07:27.730 --> 00:07:32.920 battle not knowing what will happen. There is a great courage that is demonstrated 83 00:07:33.000 --> 00:07:38.759 here of faith, but at the same time we have to remember that the 84 00:07:39.079 --> 00:07:44.430 courage of his faith is really secondary to the main point, that God saves. 85 00:07:45.509 --> 00:07:48.629 That is really the point of this chapter, the thing that God wants 86 00:07:48.790 --> 00:07:54.949 to communicate to us. You may have heard of this super bloom happening in 87 00:07:55.029 --> 00:08:01.779 various parts of the country, these flowers that have been dormant for who knows 88 00:08:01.779 --> 00:08:05.459 how long, hundreds of years, maybe, just laying in the ground, 89 00:08:05.540 --> 00:08:09.779 these seeds everywhere, not doing anything. But then the right conditions come in, 90 00:08:09.860 --> 00:08:13.209 the right amount of rain in the right ways, the right temperatures at 91 00:08:13.209 --> 00:08:18.810 the right time, and now you have flowers everywhere. In some ways that 92 00:08:18.930 --> 00:08:22.129 courage of faith is like those flowers. We look at and we say wow, 93 00:08:22.370 --> 00:08:26.410 that's amazing, but we have to remember that they're there because of a 94 00:08:26.529 --> 00:08:31.079 certain set of conditions, an environment in which they are growing, and that's 95 00:08:31.120 --> 00:08:35.960 true of Jehosha fat's courage. It's and the environment is not the strength of 96 00:08:35.080 --> 00:08:41.590 his will. The environment is the salvation of the Lord, God's promise to 97 00:08:41.629 --> 00:08:48.669 David and to Solemnon to preserve his people. Jehoshah fat is flourishing an environment 98 00:08:48.870 --> 00:08:56.460 in which God is is rescuing them, speaking to them. As we continued 99 00:08:56.620 --> 00:09:01.460 on reading, read of a sad ending to Jehoshah fat's life as king, 100 00:09:01.340 --> 00:09:07.740 when he creates alliances with the King of Israel, who is not doing these 101 00:09:07.820 --> 00:09:11.769 kinds of things, who is not living in an environment that is trusting in 102 00:09:11.850 --> 00:09:16.409 the Lord or in which the Lord is working? Deities very absent from it. 103 00:09:18.970 --> 00:09:22.929 All that to say that we have this amazing example of a courageous faith, 104 00:09:24.919 --> 00:09:28.279 but you must remember that it's secondary to the secondary to the work that 105 00:09:28.360 --> 00:09:35.519 God is doing. Courageous faith is only known by knowing and believing in the 106 00:09:35.639 --> 00:09:41.309 God who saves, and I think this. We consider this story, you'll 107 00:09:41.350 --> 00:09:46.350 see that in some pretty remarkable ways. So what I'd like to do is 108 00:09:46.389 --> 00:09:50.230 sort of walk through the story with you. We'll look at it setting in 109 00:09:50.389 --> 00:09:56.580 conflict and then we'll sort of jump back and forth between Judah and her things 110 00:09:56.740 --> 00:10:01.139 she's saying and then God's responses. So back and forth, back and forth, 111 00:10:01.299 --> 00:10:07.690 is how this chapter moves. So first the setting in the conflict on, 112 00:10:07.090 --> 00:10:11.850 just in case you missed it at the beginning. They are facing this 113 00:10:11.090 --> 00:10:18.250 problem, these foreigners that the Momot Moabites, the ammonites with them, so 114 00:10:18.490 --> 00:10:22.919 this other tribe than Moonites. They come against Jehosha Fat, these people, 115 00:10:22.960 --> 00:10:28.360 people that Jehosha fat later says that when they came into Israel, they didn't 116 00:10:28.360 --> 00:10:33.080 destroy them, but they specifically avoided them. This is sort of his plea 117 00:10:33.159 --> 00:10:35.789 to God. Later he says, we didn't destroy them earlier because we were 118 00:10:35.870 --> 00:10:43.070 depending on you, so please continue protecting us against them. Nevertheless, he 119 00:10:43.230 --> 00:10:48.830 is facing what's described as a great multitude, a great horde. Imagine being 120 00:10:48.950 --> 00:10:54.220 in a situation like that. Imagine being here, being in a country and 121 00:10:54.899 --> 00:11:01.659 knowing that there are thousands and thousands of people advancing on your country or your 122 00:11:01.820 --> 00:11:09.129 city. I've talked to people that have been in this situation and it's very 123 00:11:09.210 --> 00:11:11.409 scary. You don't know what's hot going to happen, you don't know where 124 00:11:11.409 --> 00:11:15.049 to go, you don't know what to do, and this was their land. 125 00:11:16.090 --> 00:11:18.440 They didn't know if they were going to be able to win this battle. 126 00:11:18.480 --> 00:11:22.240 Indeed, we know how they were feeling. It says that they were 127 00:11:22.279 --> 00:11:28.360 afraid. That's what verse three says. Jehosha fat was afraid, and Jehoshah 128 00:11:28.360 --> 00:11:33.629 fat had had success before he had seen the Lord's work. He had had 129 00:11:33.750 --> 00:11:41.750 success, but he was still legitimately worried. So how does Jehosapha respond to 130 00:11:41.870 --> 00:11:48.700 this? We read that he was afraid and he set his face to seek 131 00:11:48.779 --> 00:11:52.580 the Lord. He proclaims a fast throughout all Judah. He calls all Judah 132 00:11:52.620 --> 00:11:56.700 together, and when it says all Judah, they mean everyone, as we 133 00:11:56.779 --> 00:12:00.779 read in verse thirteen, their little ones, their wives, their children, 134 00:12:01.100 --> 00:12:07.250 everyone's there in the fast. They're humbling themselves before the Lord. They're expressing 135 00:12:07.450 --> 00:12:13.049 to him their great weakness and their need for him. And then he prays. 136 00:12:15.840 --> 00:12:22.320 His prayer is admirable and worthy of emulation. He first addresses the Lord 137 00:12:22.399 --> 00:12:26.600 according to who the Lord is. In his truthfulness, he says, in 138 00:12:26.759 --> 00:12:30.990 Verse Six, Oh Lord, God of our fathers, are you not God 139 00:12:31.190 --> 00:12:33.870 in Heaven? This is, of course, how Jesus tells us to pray 140 00:12:33.990 --> 00:12:39.149 our father who art in heaven. It's a way of establishing God's authority and 141 00:12:39.230 --> 00:12:43.700 his supremacy of all things. And jehosaphat doesn't stop there. You rule, 142 00:12:45.419 --> 00:12:48.779 he says, over all the kingdoms of the nations, in your hand, 143 00:12:48.980 --> 00:12:54.860 our power and might, and no one is able to withstand you. JEHOSHAPHAT 144 00:12:56.059 --> 00:13:03.090 is establishing him his his strengthening his faith by reminding himself and his people who 145 00:13:03.129 --> 00:13:05.809 the Lord is. And he does so even more because, you notice, 146 00:13:05.889 --> 00:13:11.850 this isn't a serve and this is a prayer. As he confesses these things 147 00:13:11.970 --> 00:13:16.279 and as a representative of people, they are together putting themselves before the Lord 148 00:13:16.759 --> 00:13:22.879 in prayer, humbling themselves. They add to these great expressions of his rule 149 00:13:24.080 --> 00:13:28.909 and his authority, proof of these things. For seven and following, did 150 00:13:28.990 --> 00:13:35.950 you not our God dive out the inhabitants of this land? From this and 151 00:13:35.110 --> 00:13:41.820 the verses following, he establishes and speaks to God in a very personal way 152 00:13:41.860 --> 00:13:48.019 about their relationship. He talks to God about the Covenant that God himself has 153 00:13:48.139 --> 00:13:52.860 made. He goes to God and he appeals to the Lord, as the 154 00:13:52.980 --> 00:13:58.529 Lord in who he is as ruler, as sovereign God, as supreme in 155 00:13:58.610 --> 00:14:05.610 all things, but also as covenant maker, Covenant Keeper, as Friend of 156 00:14:05.730 --> 00:14:09.960 Abraham, an amazing word. You see, when he goes to God, 157 00:14:11.120 --> 00:14:16.120 he's not just appealing to some kind of divine, the cosmic power that he 158 00:14:16.240 --> 00:14:22.759 hopes he'll somehow be able to channel into this military victory. He's going to 159 00:14:22.879 --> 00:14:28.590 the one whom he has a relationship with, not just him personally, but 160 00:14:28.750 --> 00:14:35.830 his people. Over and over we read these phrases our God, your people, 161 00:14:37.549 --> 00:14:45.419 we are descendants of Abraham, your friend. You've given us this land. 162 00:14:45.580 --> 00:14:52.500 Will you not defend it? So this is what Jehoshah hat a praise 163 00:14:52.580 --> 00:14:56.769 to the Lord, and then he speaks of his his great need. He 164 00:14:56.850 --> 00:15:01.649 says, disaster or you've caught called us to pray to you. He says 165 00:15:01.690 --> 00:15:03.850 that in the following verses. And then he calls him and says, listen, 166 00:15:03.929 --> 00:15:07.399 this is what is happening. These people are coming against us. Now 167 00:15:07.519 --> 00:15:13.879 behold the men of ammon and Moab and Mount Seer. And then he appeals 168 00:15:13.919 --> 00:15:16.039 to me, says, Lord, do something. Will you not do something? 169 00:15:18.080 --> 00:15:22.230 Execute judge, judgment on them? And then one of the most important 170 00:15:22.230 --> 00:15:28.990 lines in this chapter. He says we are powerless a great this against this 171 00:15:28.149 --> 00:15:35.940 great horde. Joshaphat is talking to the Lord. He's not just saying things, 172 00:15:37.059 --> 00:15:43.179 he's not just abstractly repeating religious things, he is appealing to him in 173 00:15:43.340 --> 00:15:48.299 the basis of their relationship and the because of this reality that they are facing. 174 00:15:50.409 --> 00:15:54.649 When you pray, do you pray like that? Are you just repeating 175 00:15:54.769 --> 00:15:58.929 words and phrases, or you talking to God as he has revealed himself to 176 00:16:00.049 --> 00:16:06.320 us, as he has shown him himself to you? Do you talk to 177 00:16:06.360 --> 00:16:11.320 him about your particular situations, about the things that are immediately going on? 178 00:16:12.000 --> 00:16:19.590 This is what Jeoshah hat rightly does. Kenny says we got nothing, it's 179 00:16:19.750 --> 00:16:25.470 game over for us, Lord. We are powerless against this great horde. 180 00:16:26.029 --> 00:16:30.269 And then the words I want you to memorize. We do not know what 181 00:16:30.470 --> 00:16:37.659 to do, but our eyes are on you. We do not know what 182 00:16:37.860 --> 00:16:45.220 to do, but our eyes are on you. We do not know what 183 00:16:45.500 --> 00:16:56.730 to do, but our eyes are on you. I think in a way 184 00:16:56.809 --> 00:17:03.320 the chronicler even expresses their weakness by reminding us that even these little ones are 185 00:17:03.440 --> 00:17:10.200 there among the congregation. Sometimes people ask me, perhaps they've asked you, 186 00:17:10.240 --> 00:17:15.480 why do we have the children and worship with us. Of course we want 187 00:17:15.480 --> 00:17:18.910 them to learn and we want them to grow, but maybe in a way 188 00:17:18.950 --> 00:17:25.230 there an expression of our weakness. How we are all to come before the 189 00:17:25.430 --> 00:17:32.539 Lord. Why bother giving them what they can't under stand? Well, maybe 190 00:17:32.539 --> 00:17:36.980 it's a good reminder that none of us can really understand, that none of 191 00:17:37.019 --> 00:17:40.500 us really seek after the things of God, that none of us can really 192 00:17:40.579 --> 00:17:48.529 know him apart from his working in us. We are powerless, we don't 193 00:17:48.569 --> 00:17:56.009 know what to do, but our eyes are on you. This is a 194 00:17:56.130 --> 00:18:00.240 confession of faith that really you can't go wrong with. Pastor Schroeder was speaking 195 00:18:00.279 --> 00:18:06.359 about waking up this morning. You saying wait, talking about waking up and 196 00:18:06.559 --> 00:18:12.390 reminding yourself who the Lord is and what he is in the and they the 197 00:18:12.470 --> 00:18:17.829 strength in which we can rest in him. I think this is a great 198 00:18:17.869 --> 00:18:23.109 expression of that feeling, a great way to express our prayers. Do not 199 00:18:23.309 --> 00:18:30.900 know what to do, but because our eyes are on him, we don't 200 00:18:30.940 --> 00:18:34.059 need to be afraid, we don't need to fear, we don't need to 201 00:18:34.539 --> 00:18:44.089 be dismayed, and that's what the Lord will say. A prophet sent by 202 00:18:44.250 --> 00:18:48.970 God comes to Judah, and I love how it says in Verse Fifteen. 203 00:18:48.049 --> 00:18:53.329 Listen, all Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem and King Jehosha Fat. I love 204 00:18:53.450 --> 00:19:00.160 that because here Jehosha fat is recognized as part of this group. This prophet 205 00:19:00.200 --> 00:19:04.519 doesn't come alongside of King Jehosha fat and say hey, I heard something, 206 00:19:04.640 --> 00:19:08.359 let's work this out. You announce it to the people. The Prophet really 207 00:19:08.519 --> 00:19:15.789 stands over Jehosha fat at this particular moment. He doesn't submit himself to the 208 00:19:15.829 --> 00:19:19.029 king, even though he speaks respectfully to him, but he declares with authority 209 00:19:19.190 --> 00:19:23.619 because he's speaking the words of the king of kings. He's an emissary, 210 00:19:23.740 --> 00:19:29.140 an ambassador of God himself. And so he says to all of them, 211 00:19:29.980 --> 00:19:33.099 to Jehosha fat, to Judah, to Judah, and he says listen, 212 00:19:34.339 --> 00:19:40.650 here is the Lord's response. Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed 213 00:19:40.690 --> 00:19:48.009 at this great horde, for the battle is not yours but God's. So 214 00:19:48.170 --> 00:19:51.970 first he tells them, the first thing he tells them is that their emotions 215 00:19:52.210 --> 00:20:00.200 need to change, and then he gives them a reason why it's God's battle. 216 00:20:00.200 --> 00:20:04.440 I want to make just two comments about that. First of all, 217 00:20:04.559 --> 00:20:10.230 that should be incredibly comforting to you and to Jehoshah Fat, knowing who God 218 00:20:10.430 --> 00:20:12.869 is. But at the same time I want you to also notice that it 219 00:20:12.950 --> 00:20:19.670 doesn't necessarily answer everything. God doesn't spell out all the plan he will say, 220 00:20:19.710 --> 00:20:25.619 as he says a little bit further, he goes on to explain mean 221 00:20:25.779 --> 00:20:29.220 what he will do. He says go up against them. They'll come to 222 00:20:29.259 --> 00:20:33.940 the ascent of Ziz you will find them there. But then he says this 223 00:20:33.140 --> 00:20:38.210 very confusing thing. You will not need to fight in this battle. Stand 224 00:20:38.369 --> 00:20:44.089 firm, hold your position and see the salvation of the Lord on your behalf. 225 00:20:45.369 --> 00:20:48.809 Do you think that, upon hearing those words of the Prophet, anyone 226 00:20:49.039 --> 00:20:53.000 among the thousands and thousands of people were there, do you think any of 227 00:20:53.079 --> 00:20:57.559 them expected to see a bunch of dead bodies the next day? I don't 228 00:20:57.559 --> 00:21:02.480 think so. I wouldn't think that. I would think why? I don't 229 00:21:02.480 --> 00:21:04.750 know what's going to happen. All I know is that I'm supposed to stand 230 00:21:04.910 --> 00:21:08.950 firm. All I know is God is saying the battle is his. He's 231 00:21:08.990 --> 00:21:15.309 saying don't be dismayed, he's saying go out and be strong, but he 232 00:21:15.430 --> 00:21:21.539 doesn't exactly describe all the details. They don't have know everything that is going 233 00:21:21.700 --> 00:21:26.380 to happen. Yet God simply says, go out, be strong and I'll 234 00:21:26.380 --> 00:21:32.930 take care of it. But notice the actions of their strength. Sometimes God 235 00:21:33.009 --> 00:21:38.009 tells his people to go in with strength and ferocity and to fight and tells 236 00:21:38.049 --> 00:21:41.490 them they will win the day, and they do. Other Times, just 237 00:21:41.609 --> 00:21:48.000 to press the form point a little further, God tells them don't do anything 238 00:21:48.359 --> 00:21:55.039 and watch and see the salvation of the Lord. Does he remind you of 239 00:21:55.079 --> 00:22:00.440 Jericho, the priests and the people going before the Lord, worshiping, going 240 00:22:00.519 --> 00:22:03.150 around and around the city? What are you doing? Don't you have a 241 00:22:03.230 --> 00:22:10.190 battle to fight? And the walls came tumbling down? Or does it remind 242 00:22:10.269 --> 00:22:12.950 you of the judges and God saying reduce your people, reduce your people, 243 00:22:14.029 --> 00:22:17.019 too many fighters, too many fighters, too many fighters. All right, 244 00:22:17.180 --> 00:22:22.980 now you can go with this piddly little group or Jonathan and his armor bearer, 245 00:22:23.579 --> 00:22:27.259 one sword between them both, no other weapons in all of Israel. 246 00:22:27.299 --> 00:22:33.569 All right, go fight that Philistine garrison. They climb up this hillside. 247 00:22:33.970 --> 00:22:37.009 All the people are the Philistines are yelling down and I'm making fun of them 248 00:22:37.049 --> 00:22:41.970 as they're climbing up in this totally unstrategic position, they get up and they 249 00:22:42.130 --> 00:22:48.519 slay them all. This is the story of God's salvation, over and over 250 00:22:48.640 --> 00:22:52.240 and over again. I know you're weak, I know your palace powerless. 251 00:22:52.720 --> 00:23:02.069 Watch and see what I will do. That's why we can have great comfort 252 00:23:02.150 --> 00:23:06.789 when we say we don't know what to do, but our eyes are on 253 00:23:06.910 --> 00:23:12.380 you, because we're not appealing to some kind of cosmic, abstract force, 254 00:23:15.099 --> 00:23:18.940 but we're appealing to Yahweh the god of our father's, the friend of Abraham, 255 00:23:19.700 --> 00:23:29.650 the father of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. So God tells 256 00:23:29.690 --> 00:23:33.970 them to go fight, to stand firm, to see what will happen. 257 00:23:34.210 --> 00:23:42.079 Now back to Judah. How does Judah respond? They respond by bowing down. 258 00:23:44.559 --> 00:23:52.839 They respond by worshiping, and this is the proper response. Standing firm 259 00:23:53.039 --> 00:24:00.549 in your faith is not an assent in your mind to particular doctrines and checking 260 00:24:00.710 --> 00:24:07.349 boxes and saying, ah Ha, I've checked doctrinal boxes. That's not standing 261 00:24:07.390 --> 00:24:12.380 firm in the faith. Standing firm in the faith is not being stoic about 262 00:24:12.539 --> 00:24:15.940 things and saying, well, what's going to happen is going to happen. 263 00:24:17.019 --> 00:24:22.579 I guess we'll just stand here and see God is good. No, it's 264 00:24:22.619 --> 00:24:27.529 not stoicism. It's not a blind faith either. It's not just waiting around 265 00:24:27.730 --> 00:24:32.730 going I don't know what's going to happen, as though we were worshiped and 266 00:24:32.849 --> 00:24:37.930 believed in fate instead of Yahway. Now they don't do any of those things. 267 00:24:38.279 --> 00:24:42.119 They do what all God's people should do. When he says see my 268 00:24:42.319 --> 00:24:49.720 salvation, they worship him. That's the proper response when God ever tells you 269 00:24:49.799 --> 00:24:55.190 anything, when God says here is my salvation, here is the Gospel, 270 00:24:55.549 --> 00:25:02.670 stands strong in it to worship him. You might put it this way. 271 00:25:02.710 --> 00:25:07.539 If we want to be successful, we should worship, because success is in 272 00:25:07.740 --> 00:25:15.299 submission. Success is not in trying harder. Success is not in overplanning. 273 00:25:15.460 --> 00:25:21.450 Success is not in taking all things into our hands. Success is going to 274 00:25:21.490 --> 00:25:30.890 the Lord and saying I'm weak, but you are strong and I'm okay because 275 00:25:30.049 --> 00:25:37.759 I'm in you, and worshiping him, praising him, and that's what they 276 00:25:37.759 --> 00:25:42.920 do when they go out into battle. Jehoshaph had commands the priests and other 277 00:25:44.359 --> 00:25:49.589 others to go to sing, to sing before the Lord, to praise him 278 00:25:49.869 --> 00:25:56.910 in holy attire. It's I think it's a remarkable but these people are going 279 00:25:56.430 --> 00:26:02.910 before the army. They're not. The musicians aren't standing in the back saying, 280 00:26:02.950 --> 00:26:04.859 all right, keep going, you guys are doing good. I'm glad 281 00:26:04.940 --> 00:26:11.180 you have a swords in the front. No, they're going with their instruments 282 00:26:11.299 --> 00:26:17.900 and their voices out in front of the army, praise and worship, leading 283 00:26:18.019 --> 00:26:26.930 the way. This is Judah's response. One more thing I want to remind 284 00:26:27.009 --> 00:26:34.880 you. I skipped over. There's a period of waiting. Admittedly, it's 285 00:26:34.960 --> 00:26:40.599 short. Remember, God says tomorrow these things will happen, and they rise 286 00:26:40.799 --> 00:26:44.960 early in the morning. I want you to notice what Jehosha fat does in 287 00:26:45.039 --> 00:26:49.990 Verse Twenty. He preaches to them, he calls them to faith. He 288 00:26:51.230 --> 00:26:55.630 says, hear me, Judah, inhabitants of Israel, believe in the Lord, 289 00:26:55.710 --> 00:26:59.950 your God, and you will be established. Believe in his prophets and 290 00:27:00.230 --> 00:27:06.900 you will succeed. I just want to point out that sometimes you know the 291 00:27:06.940 --> 00:27:12.299 sermon from the day before, it's easy to forget the prophet just spoke to 292 00:27:12.339 --> 00:27:15.930 them. You would hope, you would think that would be enough, but 293 00:27:17.049 --> 00:27:22.369 Jehoshah fat knows what you all know. It's so easy to forget, isn't 294 00:27:22.410 --> 00:27:26.849 it? To hear the gospel of our salvation, to be sent out into 295 00:27:26.890 --> 00:27:33.960 the world and then to immediately get clawvered by our emotions, by our fears, 296 00:27:33.079 --> 00:27:38.559 by our doubts, by the Great Horde of Satan and all his evil 297 00:27:38.640 --> 00:27:52.710 ones. And so jehoshaphat is wise. He repreaches the sermon from yesterday, 298 00:27:53.549 --> 00:27:59.460 and you should too, when you hear the Gospel preached you, when God 299 00:27:59.579 --> 00:28:04.700 proclaims his salvation to you and he says wait and see, remind yourself again 300 00:28:06.900 --> 00:28:08.460 when you wake up in the morning, when you go throughout your day, 301 00:28:08.500 --> 00:28:12.809 or just remind yourself again and again. If I believe in the Lord, 302 00:28:12.930 --> 00:28:18.769 my God, I will be established, if I trust in his prophets, 303 00:28:18.650 --> 00:28:32.319 I will succeed. So they go into battle, he, Jehoshaphat, sets 304 00:28:32.319 --> 00:28:34.880 up the priest, they go out singing, of course, these great words 305 00:28:34.920 --> 00:28:40.480 that we read many times in strict scripture give thanks to the Lord for his 306 00:28:40.519 --> 00:28:45.910 steadfast love and doers forever. And they go out and they find that the 307 00:28:45.029 --> 00:28:51.910 Lord has already set an ambush against the men of Ammin, MOEBB and mountseer. 308 00:28:52.109 --> 00:28:55.109 I think when you read that, if you're reading it for the first 309 00:28:55.190 --> 00:29:00.700 time, you kind of think well, who's ambushing them? Right, all 310 00:29:00.900 --> 00:29:07.180 parties are accounted for. We have Israel advancing and the three enemies. WHO's 311 00:29:07.180 --> 00:29:11.529 left? Where's the ambush coming from? And then he says, he says, 312 00:29:11.569 --> 00:29:17.609 the people that are ambushing them are the inhabitants of Mount Seer. What's 313 00:29:17.609 --> 00:29:22.289 even going on? All of a sudden one of these three armies turns and 314 00:29:22.490 --> 00:29:26.359 devotes the others two to destruction, and you think, okay, well, 315 00:29:26.400 --> 00:29:29.720 that takes out too. There's one remaining. What's going to happen now? 316 00:29:30.400 --> 00:29:34.400 And then the great surprise ending. And when they had made into destruction, 317 00:29:36.119 --> 00:29:38.710 or, I'm sorry, they devoted them to destruction, and when they had 318 00:29:38.829 --> 00:29:45.789 made an inhabit an end to the inhabitants of seer, they all helped destroy 319 00:29:45.950 --> 00:29:51.670 one another. What's even going on? Honestly, I have a hard time 320 00:29:51.789 --> 00:29:56.740 even imagining how this could happen. But this happens with the way of the 321 00:29:56.859 --> 00:30:00.980 Lord. When you see salvation playing out in front of you, you're watching, 322 00:30:00.500 --> 00:30:03.299 you know, your Lord and Savior, who's been telling you for several 323 00:30:03.420 --> 00:30:07.529 weeks I'm going to die, I'm going to be crucified, I'll be dead 324 00:30:07.690 --> 00:30:11.650 three days and then I'll rise again. And you're seeing it play out before 325 00:30:11.650 --> 00:30:18.089 your eyes and you're still going, what's going on? I don't understand this. 326 00:30:18.970 --> 00:30:22.920 In fact, I'm very scared. The disciples were afraid, they were 327 00:30:23.319 --> 00:30:26.759 didn't know what to do. They were scattering, despite the fact that God 328 00:30:26.920 --> 00:30:34.789 had said, wait and see my salvation. You know, when we read 329 00:30:34.829 --> 00:30:41.190 the Gospels, we get some details that perhaps they didn't all understand in the 330 00:30:41.309 --> 00:30:45.990 moment. We see these disciples here, we see Peter over here, we 331 00:30:47.150 --> 00:30:49.940 get to an inner ear. It gots going on behind the scenes with Jesus, 332 00:30:51.059 --> 00:30:57.460 in the courtroom scenes. We don't always know the whole picture as God 333 00:30:57.660 --> 00:31:03.609 is playing out his salvation. But it doesn't matter because, I'll remind you, 334 00:31:03.730 --> 00:31:10.849 you are not in control. It's not your plan, it's not you 335 00:31:11.170 --> 00:31:17.210 who's masterminding everything and pulling all together. Your Salvation is not dependent upon you 336 00:31:17.450 --> 00:31:22.319 figuring it all out and being in control of everything. Your Salvation is dependent 337 00:31:22.440 --> 00:31:29.039 on one thing and one thing alone, and that is Yahwah, the friend 338 00:31:29.119 --> 00:31:36.549 of Abraham, going into battle for you. That's why we say, I 339 00:31:36.789 --> 00:31:42.109 don't know what to do, but I'm waiting on you, I'm watching you, 340 00:31:42.670 --> 00:31:49.059 I'm trusting in you and I know that I will be saved. I 341 00:31:49.220 --> 00:31:53.180 mentioned that this morning. I mentioned this morning in Sunday school that, least 342 00:31:53.220 --> 00:31:57.579 in my opinion, the story has kind of this anti climax. There's all 343 00:31:57.700 --> 00:32:01.890 this great worry, there's all this great fear. Everybody's wondering what's going to 344 00:32:02.009 --> 00:32:06.930 happen. A prophet comes before them. You know, they're all gathered together. 345 00:32:06.970 --> 00:32:10.369 It's this great scene. They wake up the next day, Jehosha fets, 346 00:32:10.490 --> 00:32:15.039 Jehoshah fat stands up, the priests go out and then you expect this 347 00:32:15.119 --> 00:32:21.519 kind of eruption on the battlefield. Instead they turn the corner and everyone's dead. 348 00:32:22.680 --> 00:32:24.799 It's this guy. I mean it's amazing and it's sort of climactic in 349 00:32:24.920 --> 00:32:30.029 that way, but in another way you sort of are left kind of puzzled 350 00:32:30.069 --> 00:32:36.509 and confused what even happened here. I think that's purposeful. I think it's 351 00:32:36.509 --> 00:32:40.109 yet another way in which the Lord is saying this is no big deal for 352 00:32:40.190 --> 00:32:46.859 me. It's really not a big deal for me to cause the sun to 353 00:32:47.019 --> 00:32:52.259 stand still, to slay a great horde, to orchestrate all the events of 354 00:32:52.460 --> 00:32:58.609 Providence to accomplish my ends, to send a prophet, to establish a King, 355 00:32:59.210 --> 00:33:04.730 to raise our Lord Jesus from the dead. It's not a big deal. 356 00:33:04.809 --> 00:33:09.690 I am God, Ruler of Heaven, ruler of the Kingdoms and all 357 00:33:09.730 --> 00:33:16.559 the nations. He is telling us about himself so that, brothers and sisters, 358 00:33:17.119 --> 00:33:22.519 you can be courageous, so that you can wake up in the morning 359 00:33:22.559 --> 00:33:28.069 and say, I will stand firm, I will believe what the prophets have 360 00:33:28.230 --> 00:33:31.269 said, I will trust in the Lord, my God, and we preach 361 00:33:31.430 --> 00:33:36.710 the self this our are we preach this message to ourselves again and again, 362 00:33:37.230 --> 00:33:44.220 and it's good and it gives us that courage to not know what's going on, 363 00:33:45.019 --> 00:33:47.579 to not know how things are going to play out, but to stand 364 00:33:47.779 --> 00:33:55.970 there and watch and receive. If you go on to read, they go 365 00:33:57.170 --> 00:34:00.730 on to the battlefield. They didn't read this part. They take this vast 366 00:34:00.970 --> 00:34:07.329 plunder, this huge amount of materials from the army, and then not only 367 00:34:07.409 --> 00:34:12.519 are they are not only does the are they at Peace Now, not only 368 00:34:12.559 --> 00:34:15.960 do they have freedom from this great horde that was attacking them, but second 369 00:34:16.000 --> 00:34:21.960 chronicles goes on to say, but they had peace on all sides. Why? 370 00:34:22.719 --> 00:34:25.989 Because everyone else was shaken in their boots, all the people all over 371 00:34:27.070 --> 00:34:32.190 the land. We're going, okay, back off. Yah Way is at 372 00:34:32.230 --> 00:34:37.670 work. In other words, God gave them more than they even asked for. 373 00:34:37.699 --> 00:34:42.579 They asked for protection against this great horde and they got peace on every 374 00:34:42.659 --> 00:34:47.860 side. Ultimately, this is what Jesus does for us, and he does 375 00:34:47.900 --> 00:34:52.860 it not just in this geopolitical way, at this moment, but for all 376 00:34:52.289 --> 00:34:59.570 eternity. When Jesus gives his life on the Cross and rises from the dead. 377 00:34:59.969 --> 00:35:06.369 This is his great victory. We read that he puts all authorities and 378 00:35:06.570 --> 00:35:14.079 powers to open shame. They're embarrassed at the great loss at which they've faced 379 00:35:14.679 --> 00:35:23.030 at the hands of Jesus. This story is a story about resting in God's 380 00:35:23.030 --> 00:35:32.309 strength. Our business is to believe it. Our business is to not be 381 00:35:32.510 --> 00:35:40.460 afraid, to not be dismayed, but instead to stand right in the middle 382 00:35:40.500 --> 00:35:45.780 of our discomfort, right in the middle of our weakness, right in the 383 00:35:45.820 --> 00:35:52.929 middle of our powerlessness, and to trust the Lord. We stand firm, 384 00:35:52.210 --> 00:35:59.969 not in ourselves, but in him and him alone. What does that look 385 00:36:00.010 --> 00:36:06.159 like? It looks like worship, it looks like prayer, it looks like 386 00:36:06.400 --> 00:36:09.960 fasting, it looks like humbling ourselves before the Lord, our God, our 387 00:36:10.039 --> 00:36:20.949 maker, and saying you are great and you're my friend. You've promised to 388 00:36:21.110 --> 00:36:28.789 take care of me, you have promised me everything. In Jesus and him, 389 00:36:28.829 --> 00:36:34.420 I believe I am a friend of Abraham because I am a friend of 390 00:36:34.579 --> 00:36:40.579 Jesus, and so Lord, God father, Son and Holy Spirit, take 391 00:36:40.659 --> 00:36:46.210 care of me today. I know that each of you are facing lots of 392 00:36:46.329 --> 00:36:51.690 different things. I don't say that abstractly, but I say that because I 393 00:36:51.889 --> 00:36:54.610 know you, and I won't go on to name them all, because you 394 00:36:54.769 --> 00:37:02.400 know them and we know them. Whatever your situations are, there you're fighting 395 00:37:02.480 --> 00:37:08.599 a sin, struggling in a family conflict, or facing a difficult job decision 396 00:37:08.639 --> 00:37:17.150 or anything. I tell you, do not be afraid, but trust in 397 00:37:17.309 --> 00:37:25.630 the Lord. He's promised to take care of you and he will. We 398 00:37:25.750 --> 00:37:30.699 may not see all the answers in this life. We may have to wait 399 00:37:30.739 --> 00:37:35.300 till the consummation of all things in the end, but boy will it be 400 00:37:35.340 --> 00:37:44.889 a consummation better than anything that's pictured here on these battle fields. The victory 401 00:37:45.010 --> 00:37:50.449 that the Lord earns for us is one that is eternal and forever. Give 402 00:37:50.489 --> 00:37:53.369 your heart to him. Let's pray