It's the Lord's

Admittedly the competition isn’t too impressive, but all things considered, Jehoshaphat was one of the better kings of Judah during the years of the divided kingdom. When we first meet him in 2 Chronicles 17, he is described with the phrase “he walked in the ways his father David had followed.” (17:3) His relationship with Ahab, king of Israel, created some issues, but by and large Jehoshaphat avoided much of what plagued kings in both Judah and Israel during the divided Kingdom after the death of Solomon. 

One of my favorite quotes from Jehoshaphat, found in 2 Chronicles 19, comes from the time in his reign when he is appointing judges over Judah. Here’s what he said to them, “Consider carefully what you do, because you are not judging for man but for the Lord, who is with you whenever you give a verdict. Now let the fear of the Lord be upon you. Judge carefully, for with the Lord our God there is no injustice or partiality or bribery.”  (19:6, 7) I know the United States is not a theocracy – and quite frankly I wouldn’t want it to be – but I can’t help but think how different the judicial system in our country would be if every judge and court official took that statement to heart!

At some point in his reign, the Moabites and Ammonites decided to make war on Jerusalem – and Jehoshaphat. (2 Chronicles 20) He gets word that a vast army is preparing to attack and becomes very alarmed. A fast is announced in Jerusalem and all of Judah. The people assemble and the prayer Jehoshaphat offers is majestic in its language and scope. At the end of that prayer, the chronicler says, “All the men of Judah, with their wives and children and little ones, stood there before the Lord.” (20:13) The phrase “stand before the Lord” is a fairly common Old Testament description of people, and all Judah in this text, presenting themselves before the Lord for worship and instruction.

While waiting, a Levite by the name of Jahaziel speaks on behalf of God. His ancestry is unusually long and goes all the way back to Asaph, from the days of David – perhaps another reminder of the kind of kingdom Jehoshaphat sought to create as he “walked in the ways his father David had followed.” Jahaziel’s prophetic words begin (20:15) and end (20:17) with “do not be afraid.” Think how those words would have sounded in the moment of Judah’s gathering to fast and stand before the Lord because of a vast army about to attack. 

But these words are more than FDR’s famous “the only thing we have to fear is fear itself” comment in his first inaugural address in 1933. Here’s why: “For the battle is not yours, but God’s.” Even though the opponents of Judah are vast and powerful, they need not fear for the Lord was fighting for them. This is one of those places where you would expect that perhaps a psalm was read reminding them of the God who rescued them out of Egypt, brought them through the Red Sea, and finally to the promised land. He was on their side. For Jahaziel, the idea of God’s presence was more than some well-crafted theological concept – it was the source of the kind of strength that could overcome Judah’s deepest fears. 

If you read the rest of 2 Chronicles 20, you will discover that by the time the armies of Judah got to the battle field, it was all over and they only saw “dead bodies lying on the ground.” (20:24) It is an amazing story of God’s presence among His people. The army of Judah left the battlefield unharmed and with great spoils. They returned to Jerusalem and the Temple to worship God.

As we approach the annual celebration of the birth of our country, many believers do so with something akin to “great fear” in our hearts. Every survey you see suggests that Christians are losing ground, not gaining ground, in our culture. There is great concern about the decision the Supreme Court made about marriage. What many view as the improper intrusion of government into private life moments is a part of many conversations. Clearly we are yet to figure out how to live in the multi-ethnic culture in which we find ourselves in a Christ-like way.

Those are all internal issues – but there are lots of external realities as well. The whole issue of terror – what should we do about it? How can we do that? How can we pay for it? Or what about the plans Putin has for Russia and its next moves? Is anyone confident that the Middle East is going to quiet down for a while? And the list goes on.

Again, with no sense of thinking the US is “the new Israel” through which God can work, what if Christians decided that the paradigm seen in 2 Chronicles 20 might be worth emulating? What if we “stood before the Lord” – that is, committed ourselves to worship Him and Him alone. What if we finally decided that only in trusting Him can our fears be relieved? What if . . .?”

What if the real issue for the church is not to decide with political candidate will be the closest to what we think is “just,” and simply decided that we would be the people God has called us to be? 

If you read the first scene in Acts – 1:1 – 6:7 – you see a picture of a thriving, “multiplying” body of Christ that seems to be modeling precisely what the kingdom of God is intended to do. Despite some external issues – persecution by Jewish leaders who continue to oppose the idea of Jesus as Messiah – the church seems to be invigorated for greater, not lessor, witness.

Only when there is an internal problem – Acts 5:1-12 and the Ananias and Sapphira story – do we see a bit of a glitch in the progress the body of Christ is making in carrying out the continued mission of Jesus. They want the blessing of a “changed name” (see 4:36) but aren’t interested in the kind of spiritual commitment that requires. If they were alive now, it would be easy for them to point a finger at the Supreme Court’s potential ruling about marriage without ever looking internally about the poor example of marriage so many people who call themselves Christians set. 

Here’s the bottom line: if we are “standing before the Lord,” and willing to listen to His Word, then we have no need to fear – the victory is the Lord’s.