The year was between 873-849 BC, and the king of Judah was just notified that "a great multitude is coming against [him] from Edom, from beyond the sea." (2 Chr. 20:2)
King Jehoshaphat was absolutely horrified, because he didn't see this as any regular battle, but more of a spiritual one. The warning from Jehu, the son of a seer, was still fresh on his mind, that the wrath of God had gone out against him (19:2).
He thought, This is it. This is what Jehu warned me about.
He knew that there was no way to win this war on his own, especially with God against him, and so he "set his face to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast all throughout Judah." All the cities in Judah, town after town, fasted and prayed, petitioned and sought the face of God. No doubt, they were terrified, just as the king himself was. These people were far too familiar with the wrath of God, and they knew they deserved it. Any wrath God pours out is nothing but just. They could ask for nothing sort of extravagent grace to get them out of this.
It is then that Jehoshaphat prayed to God,"For we are powerless against this great horde that is coming against us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.” All of Judah lined up as he prayed this before the Lord. Men and women, wives and children grown and small. All seeking nothing but the presence of the Lord, that He may be with them all as they faced Edom. They had fasted. Prayed. Sought God. But they could not fight this battle alone, and they knew it.
I'm not exactly sure how long they all stood there waiting for a response, but I'm guessing intense and climactic music was playing in that room. Then, the Spirit of the Lord came upon a Levite man, and through him God said,"Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed at this great horde, for the battle is not yours but God’s. Tomorrow go down against them. Behold, they will come up by the ascent of Ziz. You will find them at the end of the valley, east of the wilderness of Jeruel. You will not need to fight in this battle. Stand firm, hold your position, and see the salvation of the LORD on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed. Tomorrow go out against them, and the LORD will be with you.”
What? God had just warned Jehoshaphat that His wrath was coming against him...but now God is going to fight for him?
This is just one small example of how absolutely huge God's forgiveness is. These people deserved judgement. They found grace. The fact that we are even given the opportunity to repent is hard to fathom. The fact that He listens to our petitions that are spoken from such unclean lips, and even cleanses us? Thank God, because I could never earn what He has freely given.
I can tell that as you're reading this, you're trying to find out how this fits into your life, and how this is one big metaphor. Our normal thought process is kind of like, okay, but why does this matter to me? You're trying to figure out what big army you're up against, or how your situation is similar to Jehoshaphat's or the rest of Judah. We want to feel good, quick. We avoid parts of the Bible that are hard to relate to because we want to feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Maybe you're expecting me to close up this article by showing where you fit into it all, how to apply it, right? Sounds like most sermons these days; Self-help but with a few mentions of God thrown in.
I'm not doing that. I'll say this in the gentlest way I can.
The Bible is not a metaphor of your own life. Stop looking for yourself in it. This is truth, not a fable to see your own faults. This is a historical event that actually happened. We are not living in Jehoshaphat's Judah, and it is not eight hundred years before Christ's birth. You are not in this story at all, in fact.
BUT.
The main character is the exact same in this story as in your own life, and that is God. The same God that showed this lineup of sinners extravagant grace, is the same One that does the same for you. The same God that turned wrath to forgiveness upon hearing a feeble cry for help, is the same One with you. The same God that won this battle is the same One who has overcome yours.
We are not in Judah, but we still have the same God.
I tell you this random little story in 2 Chronicles 20 not so you can seek yourself in it (though that is, very much, our natural inclination), but instead so we can look away from ourselves and unto Christ. Reading Scripture in hopes of making everything a metaphor to relate back to yourself is exhausting and confusing. I highly recommend seeking the One whose name is actually printed in the book.
Don't misunderstand me here- the Word of God is active and it should help shape who you are, but that is not achieved by looking at the Bible through a selfish lens. To quote C.S. Lewis,"The more we let God take us over, the more truly ourselves we become."
Seek Christ, the heart of Christ, in the pages of Scripture, and that will shape you and change you in such a way that a self-focused perspective never will. The more you take your eyes off yourself and see who Christ has been and always will be, the more truly yourself you will become.
P.S. I am aware I wrote on this a few months ago, or something similar at least but...oh well. There is nothing new under the sun :).
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