What a way to make the top 10!
OK...so Jehoshaphat has come home from Israel to the rebuke from God.
"Should you help the wicked and love those who hate the LORD? Because of this the wrath of the LORD is upon you."
(2 Chronicles 19:2)
And, in response, he did a GREAT job cleaning house...calling the people back to GOD, sending out judges and priests and elders. But what the prophet told him was that because he had gone to war with Ahab (the wicked man who hated the LORD) that Jehoshaphat was under the wrath of God. I bet he dreamed about that word...like in movies when the dreams replay like a psychedelic broken record:
"wrath..wrath of God..wra-wra-wrath of God, the wrath of God is UPON you".
So one morning a messenger comes in with a grim face and Jehoshaphat's stomach fell -- the armies of the Moabites and Amnonites and some of the Edomites were on their way, and in fact they were already in the En-Gedi -- in Judah and only a few hours away. And Jehoshaphat does exactly the right thing : he calls all the people to fast and seek the Lord and prays a powerful public prayer ~ an impassioned cry for help that ends with "We have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon YOU." (2 Chron. 20:12)
Then Jehoshaphat and all the people of Judah just stood and waited. Those moments must have seemed like eternity ~ Jehoshaphat feeling the marching boots of the approaching army in every heart beat. Then a man steps forward and gives a Word from God.
"Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jahaziel son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite and descendant of Asaph as he stood in the assembly."
So, when scripture spends lots of words on something I tend to pay attention. So...why give the lineage of this prophet? What does it have to do with the story? Well, I recognize the name "Asaph". He was a Levite, drummer, worship leader, seer/prophet for King David! {see 1 Chron. 6:39, 1 Chron. 25:1-2 and Psalms 50, and 73 - 83}. And if you go to I Chronicles 25:16, you find Mattaniah. So, Jahaziel comes from a line of Levites who were very important prophetic worship leaders. That become significant to the story.
Jahaziel's word from God is : "Listen King Jehoshaphat, and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the LORD says to you: 'Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours but God's. Tomorrow march down against them. They will be climbing up by the Pass of Ziz and the gorge of the Desert of Jeruel. You will not have to fight his battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give you. O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the LORD will be with you.' "
Wow! OK!!! God's got this one...but crazy instructions: "...march down against them." . . . but . . . "You will not have to fight this battle...stand firm." We are told Jehoshaphat consulted with the people...hmmmm.We are not told that that was God's idea. Ever heard the phrase, 'Go BIG or go home!'? Well, Jehoshaphat went BIG!!! Jehoshaphat and the people come up with a crazy plan: they appoint men to SING AND PRAISE THE LORD, and put them at the head of the army. I think that is why Jahaziel's lineage is mentioned. I think Jehoshaphat remembered, or was reminded of, the power of worship. A huge hint from God was given when God gave a word to a descendant of Asaph. So...Jehoshaphat went with it.The thing I love (besides, of course, the outcome of this crazy battle) is the chutzpah ~ shameless audacity ~ to make his front line in the army of this battle a worship team. Had to be scary: scary for Jehoshaphat, really scary for the sings and worship leaders! BUT as they worship the Moabites, Ammonites and Edomites attack each other and destroy one another. Jehoshaphat's army gets there and, as far as the eye can see, there are dead bodies. It says it took them 3 days to gather all the plunder from the battle field. They came back into Jerusalem "with harps and lutes and trumpets". I bet they did!! And the fear of the LORD fell on all the surrounding nations and no one wanted to attack Judah any more. I bet those battle field songs became Top 10 hits over night! What a way to make the Top 10!!
I love this story. It stirs me. It stirs me -- of course -- because it is crazy and wild and wonderful. But it stirs me with longing too. I have a dream...I dream of the day when "Christian music" is not synonymous with "mediocre music" ... OK, it is better these days, now that we have men like Bono. But really...shouldn't we, Christians, have enough intimacy with the CREATOR of the UNIVERSE to be wildly way out in front of the world with GREAT, POWER-FILLED music? Call me crazy, but I am sure we will some day. I long for the day when the 'war on drugs' or the 'war on terror' ... or any of our other wars ... can be won like Jehoshaphat's worshipers won their war.
"Should you help the wicked and love those who hate the LORD? Because of this the wrath of the LORD is upon you."
(2 Chronicles 19:2)
And, in response, he did a GREAT job cleaning house...calling the people back to GOD, sending out judges and priests and elders. But what the prophet told him was that because he had gone to war with Ahab (the wicked man who hated the LORD) that Jehoshaphat was under the wrath of God. I bet he dreamed about that word...like in movies when the dreams replay like a psychedelic broken record:
"wrath..wrath of God..wra-wra-wrath of God, the wrath of God is UPON you".
So one morning a messenger comes in with a grim face and Jehoshaphat's stomach fell -- the armies of the Moabites and Amnonites and some of the Edomites were on their way, and in fact they were already in the En-Gedi -- in Judah and only a few hours away. And Jehoshaphat does exactly the right thing : he calls all the people to fast and seek the Lord and prays a powerful public prayer ~ an impassioned cry for help that ends with "We have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon YOU." (2 Chron. 20:12)
Then Jehoshaphat and all the people of Judah just stood and waited. Those moments must have seemed like eternity ~ Jehoshaphat feeling the marching boots of the approaching army in every heart beat. Then a man steps forward and gives a Word from God.
"Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jahaziel son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite and descendant of Asaph as he stood in the assembly."
So, when scripture spends lots of words on something I tend to pay attention. So...why give the lineage of this prophet? What does it have to do with the story? Well, I recognize the name "Asaph". He was a Levite, drummer, worship leader, seer/prophet for King David! {see 1 Chron. 6:39, 1 Chron. 25:1-2 and Psalms 50, and 73 - 83}. And if you go to I Chronicles 25:16, you find Mattaniah. So, Jahaziel comes from a line of Levites who were very important prophetic worship leaders. That become significant to the story.
Jahaziel's word from God is : "Listen King Jehoshaphat, and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the LORD says to you: 'Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours but God's. Tomorrow march down against them. They will be climbing up by the Pass of Ziz and the gorge of the Desert of Jeruel. You will not have to fight his battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give you. O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the LORD will be with you.' "
Wow! OK!!! God's got this one...but crazy instructions: "...march down against them." . . . but . . . "You will not have to fight this battle...stand firm." We are told Jehoshaphat consulted with the people...hmmmm.We are not told that that was God's idea. Ever heard the phrase, 'Go BIG or go home!'? Well, Jehoshaphat went BIG!!! Jehoshaphat and the people come up with a crazy plan: they appoint men to SING AND PRAISE THE LORD, and put them at the head of the army. I think that is why Jahaziel's lineage is mentioned. I think Jehoshaphat remembered, or was reminded of, the power of worship. A huge hint from God was given when God gave a word to a descendant of Asaph. So...Jehoshaphat went with it.The thing I love (besides, of course, the outcome of this crazy battle) is the chutzpah ~ shameless audacity ~ to make his front line in the army of this battle a worship team. Had to be scary: scary for Jehoshaphat, really scary for the sings and worship leaders! BUT as they worship the Moabites, Ammonites and Edomites attack each other and destroy one another. Jehoshaphat's army gets there and, as far as the eye can see, there are dead bodies. It says it took them 3 days to gather all the plunder from the battle field. They came back into Jerusalem "with harps and lutes and trumpets". I bet they did!! And the fear of the LORD fell on all the surrounding nations and no one wanted to attack Judah any more. I bet those battle field songs became Top 10 hits over night! What a way to make the Top 10!!
I love this story. It stirs me. It stirs me -- of course -- because it is crazy and wild and wonderful. But it stirs me with longing too. I have a dream...I dream of the day when "Christian music" is not synonymous with "mediocre music" ... OK, it is better these days, now that we have men like Bono. But really...shouldn't we, Christians, have enough intimacy with the CREATOR of the UNIVERSE to be wildly way out in front of the world with GREAT, POWER-FILLED music? Call me crazy, but I am sure we will some day. I long for the day when the 'war on drugs' or the 'war on terror' ... or any of our other wars ... can be won like Jehoshaphat's worshipers won their war.
So his repentance didn't matter in the immediate because he still had to pay for his actions? So why repent?
ReplyDeleteDennis, you KNOW the answer!!! Jehoshaphat turned to God, because like David, he knew intimacy with God means life ... even if consequences must be lived out. AND, as in this story, when the consequences come, you REALLY want God to be with you! The reward for seeking God is INTIMACY WITH GOD! With that comes His life and his help and his protection and his joy and and and and and and and ... !
ReplyDeleteI'm just saying, if I can't escape a wuppin, doesn't seem like too much incentive to stop being bad. Isn't life about escaping wuppins?
ReplyDeleteThis is what I love about you, Barbara: I just read this a few days ago and totally missed all of that. Thank you!!
ReplyDelete