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Episode 609: In this episode, we dive into an engaging discussion about a remarkable biblical story found in 2 Chronicles chapter 20, featuring King Jehoshaphat of Judah. We delve into the serious topic of warfare and divine intervention. Jehoshaphat finds himself facing a vast army from Moab, Ammon, and Edom, and in a moment of desperation, he turns to God for guidance. The king calls for a fast among the people of Judah, demonstrating their collective dependence on God in the face of overwhelming odds.
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You're listening to the Bible Guys, a podcast where a couple of friends talk about the Bible in fun, in practical ways. Hey, everybody, Wow, you sound excited today, Chris. Yeah, well you know what, Jeff, Today's Thursday and Thursdays are awesome? Are they awesome? Yeah? So are Wednesdays, and so are Fridays. Every day you're on this side of the dirt, it's pretty awesome. That's what people say. Yeah, that's what I hear. Yeah. Okay, well, hey, we have a super exciting one that is a segment that is designed uniquely especially for you. And it seems like I've been tagged long, long time. Ago as the movie buff, as the movie buff because I do like movies. People know it, and so. So it's ten forty one in the morning. Have you already watched a movie today? H yes, Okay, then I've already was. I wonder who the movie buff is here? You've not watched a movie today. I haven't even turned a screen on today except my phone. So actually I'm pretty guilty of, like, yeah, an incredible amount of screen time. Actually this last twenty four hours for me. Oh yeah, yeah, but it's but it's not it's not me sitting at home. Well, you're not guilty, it's it's what you've done. Yeah, and it's actually just on my phone. But I play in the background. Oh yeah right, yeah, background for me is elevator music usually. Okay, for real. I'll listen to jazz. I'll listen to classical music in the background. Yeah, a lot of times. So I see on my phone has a little If you're watching, you can see my phone as a prop up here. Okay, so this is this is a confession. So actually I I propped this up on a shelf in the shower. So you can watch a movie. Yes, as I'm taking a shower. Oh no, that's what I did, not me. I guess what I watched. I'm making plans for the day in the shower. You guess what I watched this morning? The musical Hairspray with Zach Effron. I can imagine. Good for you. There's some things you shouldn't tell the world more. Okay, yep, that's what it was. That's what I listening to today. You are so weird. Okay, here we go. So this one is. Can Chris determine the Disney film based on each eight word description. So I'm going to give you eight words and you have to tell us the title. And they're Disney, so you're going to get every one of these, and they're they're pretty easy. For instance, Queen orders stepdaughter's murder. Stepdaughter befriends small men and the seven Drs. Thank you. Puppy befriends, but later hunts a wild vulcan. There you go, Zach Braff and Joan Cusack avoid falling sky. Junk chicken little. There you go. Old woman's feelines are left in butler's hands. Old woman's felines. Ooh, this was almost a tricky one. I was almost going to say hundred one dmations, but it's the aristocrats'. Yes, aristocrats, Yes, that's right. King's brother murders King and drives away Prince. I'd say it again, King's brother murders King and drives away Prince the Lion. That was a good one, though. My save orphan girl from wicked kidnapper woman woman the rescuers part with the rescuers. There you go, Wolf raised orphan refuses to join human community. There you go, Wolf rais orphan. That's right, that's right. That was it. I get to determine how many points you get for this. I'm going to give. You, by the way, thank you, because those were the those were great, the main ones. I was waiting for a bed knobs and broomsticks one. So I get to determine how many points are awarded. I should have done this ahead of time. Yeah, but I'm going to give a million points per correct question. We're going to help you catch up a little bit. You just got eight million points, Jeff. She may be the most generous thing I've ever done for. You, Grace. I only do a thousand points. I know, I know there's some saying, so we're catching you up eight million, eight million points. I can never seven seven million points? What do you mean because there's only seven questions, there's eight. I know I messed up as seven okay, seven. Million, But I could never lose my points though. Well you could because you don't know what's coming next as far as points, okay, But I don't know that I've ever been more generous to you than in this moment. I agree. This is Have I ever given you seven million anything else? It's it's oh no, nothing. Yeah, So that's what I'm saying. So congratulations, Chris, thank you. I'm feeling super benevolent today. I feel like I can retire and go to the Bahamas. Okay, yes, it feels like a retiring moment. Yeah. Well, usually after fighting a war you want to retire. And speaking of wars, Jude had to fight a war. Yes, yeah, wow, that is with my wab Am and Edam. Yes, and not places you'd necessarily want to retire to. No, no, no, no, not at all. Only Christmas. Have you ever been in that area? Yeah, that's not again area. I've been, so that's mostly all Jordan. It's beautiful to me. I love it. It's just very very rugged. Oh yeah, yeah, it's beautiful to look at it, but very rugged in your air conditioned bus. Yes it is. We were in a car, but yeah yeah yeah, but it's it's very very rough, very very rugged. Takes rugged people to survive there, I think, very difficult. So anyways, here we are in Second Chronicles, chapter twenty, and Jehoshaphat is the king of the southern half of the people of the Israelites, specifically Judah and Benjamin. The large southern half says after this time, after this, right after he'd set up all this good political system and good judging and stuff like that. After this, the armies of the Moabites and Ammonites and some of the Muenites declared war, and Johashaphat the note here says the ancient version reads aram right, so it just seems like Aram. Okay, Ammonites. It's another it's a repeat of the Ammonites. I don't know, so I mean Aramites, Well, they'd be the yeah, whatever, Well, I'm just reading the notes in the thing. Okay. So came and told Jehostraphat, a vast army from Edom is marching against you from beyond the Dead Sea. They are already at hazes On Tamar. And this is another name for Engeddi. By wish we would have just said and geddy, because I can say that one easier, right. Jehostraphat was terrified by this news and begged the Lord for guidance. He also ordered everyone in Judah to begin fasting, so people from all the towns of Judah came to Jerusalem to seek the Lord's help. Jehoastaphat stood before the community of Judah and Jerusalem in front of the new courtyard at the Temple of the Lord. He prayed o Lord, God of our ancestors, You alone are the god who is in heaven. You are a ruler of all the kingdoms of the earth. You are powerful and mighty. No one can stand against you. Oh our God, did you not drive up those who lived in this land when your people arrived, when your people, Israel arrived, And did you not give this land forever to the descendants of your friend Abraham. Your people settled here and built this temple to honor your name. They said, whenever we are faced with calamity, such as war, plague, or famine, we can come to stand in your presence before this temple where your name is honored, and we can cry out to you to save us, and you will hear us and rescue us. And now see what the armies of Am and Moab and Mount Syr are doing. You would not let your ancestor, our ancestors invade those nations when Israel left Egypt, so they went around them and did not destroy them. Now see how they reward us, For they have come to throw us out of your land, which you gave us as an inheritance. Oh Our God, won't you stop them? We are powerless against this mighty army that is about to attack us. We do not know what to do, but we are looking to you for help. As all the men of Judas stood before the Lord with their little ones, wives and children, the spirit of the Lord came upon one of the men standing there. His name was Jehesel, son of Zachariah, son of bena Ayah, son of ja Al, son of Matanaya Alevi, who was a descendant of Asaf. Good. I'm glad that pointed out, because I wasn't sure which Jayzel it was talking about. That it matters. He's a descendant off Asaf was one of David's writers, music writers. So you're see in the book of Psalms, it'd be a psalm of Asaf. Yes, that's the Aceph it's talking about. So just showing these a famous family, right. Anyways, Sorry about that. He said, Listen to all you people of Judah and Jerusalem. Listen, King Jehoshaphat, this is what the Lord says. Do not be afraid. Don't be discouraged by this mighty army, for the battle is not yours, but God's tomorrow. March out against them. You'll find them coming up through the ascent of Zizz at the end of the valley that opens into the wilderness of Jerul. But you will not need even to fight. Take your positions. Then stand still and watch the Lord's victory. He is with you, Oh people of Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid of discourage. Go out against them tomorrow, for the Lord is with you. Then King Jehoshaphat bowed low with his face to the ground, and all the people of Judah and Jerusalem did the same, worshiping the Lord. And then the Levites from the clans of Kohath and Korrah stood to praise the Lord, the God of Israel, with a very loud shout. Early the next morning, the army of Judah went out into the wilderness of Takoah. On the way, Jehashaphat stopped and said, listen to me, all you people of Judah and Jerusalem. Believe in the Lord your God, and you will be able to stand firm. Believe in his prophets, and you will succeed. After consulting the people, the king appointed singers to walk ahead of the army, singing to the Lord and praising him for his holy splendor. And this is what they're saying give thanks to the Lord, His faithful love endures forever. At that very moment they began to sing and gave give praise. The Lord caused the armies of am and Moab and Mount Syr to start fighting among themselves. The armies of Moab and Ammon turned against their allies from Mount Syr and killed every one of them. After they destroyed the army of Sir, they began attacking each other. So when the army of Judah arrived at the lookout point in the wilderness, all they saw were dead bodies lying on the ground. As far as they could see, not a single one of the enemy had escaped. King Jehashaphat and his men went out to gather the plunder. They found vast amounts of equipment and clothing and other valuables, more than they could carry. There was so much plunder that it took them three days just to collect it all. On the fourth day, they gathered in the Valley of Blessing, which got its name that day because the people praised and thanked the Lord there. It is still called the Valley a Blessing today. Then all the men returned to Jerusalem with Jehashaphat leading them. Overjoyed that the Lord had given them victory over their enemies, they marched into Jerusalem to the music of harps and leers and trumpets, and they preceded the temple of the Lord. And when all the surrounding kingdoms heard that the Lord himself had fought against the enemies of Israel, the fear of God came over them. So Jehashaphat's kingdom was at peace, for his God had given him rest on every side. This perhaps is one of the greatest miracle battle victories. Phenomenal ever. Yeah, this is up there with Jericho. Yeah, yeah, it really is. Yeah in Gideon, in Gideon, yeah, yes, well. Gideon, remember they also did sort of the same thing. They just broke their lanterns and I'll shouted the sword of the Lord to Gideon, and they appeared to be three hundred thousand men, right, And so then what ended up happening was everybody in the valley actually like threw their swords on each other, remember, and they took themselves out. Only in this case they. Didn't have to do lamps or night times or shouting or horns or anything. All they had to do is go to God. And God said, tell you what I got it covered. You don't have to lift a finger. All they did was literally sing and then marched over the hill to find them dead. Because God had caused them to quarrel with one another. Well, he had them take their positions. Yeah, that's right. They took their position, the positions then and. Then they sang. And then they Yeah, they marched over the hill. But in terms of plumbing, fighting, nothing nothing. So they sang and the and they're singing and give thanks to the Lord is faithful love and duris forever. Didn't Chris Holland take that and write a song. He took that phrase from this passage and write a song. That's where you get. The phrase thanks to the Lord forever. Yeah, I think so. I think that's a Chris Talin song. In fact, I think I was there when he introduced them. I think it's a Jazel song. But well, he rewrote it, he gave it new new he took credit melody. I'm joking. Nothing's new under the sun, that's right. But but this is just an incredible thing. And uh and and by the way, you know, you and I we can't even imagine living under fear of armies attacking. And I understand that America isn't invincible, right. We were attacked in our own land the first time ever. We remember it, right, and so nine to eleven. So we're not in what I'm looking for. Yeah, it was. It was impenetrable anyway in. Previous I'm not sure what word I was actually searching for. But but in other other parts of the world, they know exactly this fear. War is a regular part of there or in some places. I was where was i Oh? I was with my friend Kujo, and Kujo was talking about this. The country next where we were in Kaban country next to US, Central African Republic, and then right below that was the Democratic Republic of Congo. He said, Now there are twenty five year olds and thirty year olds that have never known anything about war their whole life. It was always only war from the day they were born until now, always only war. Can you imagine that? No, it's just war, that's it. There's always a nanger, you know, you and in those countries you have to get up and grow your food, you have to raise your animals, so you're going through everyday life with the threat that your village is the next village is going to get overrun or burned down and everybody murdered. But you have to go through life, but there's always this underlying fear. Yeah. And that's the kind of world that they lived in, right, very warring kingdoms all the time was consistently a part of it, so a part of their existence. Yeah, And you and I just we don't really have much of a concept of that doing. Know. Did you ever see Star Trek? Yes they have or war for the Klingon has a saying and he goes, perhaps today is a good day to die. Right, I always feel that way when I was whenever I watch small territories that are always threatened with war, like in fact, I'm sort of glancing through or breezing through this horizon with Kevin Costner. You know, it's this you know, it tells the stories. Of the Western expansion. Yeah, yeah, yeah, And here they are, they're just the middle of the open lands, and all of a sudden, the Indians come in, and that's really what it's about, right, And these Indians at any given day there's like this settlement and then any given day the settlement can be wiped out and everybody dies right as they wake up every day thinking today might be the day. And as I'm watching this old you know series that Kevin Costner created, that's the feeling. And it's like, well, I think of that when I read this passage, because it says, you know, he's totally scared and here comes this vast army and. They realize it's it's it's too much for them, and. No matter how strong and fortified they are, they know, without God's help, their toast. So they say to the people fast and then all of a sudden, it says that all the people are fasting. So my mind immediately goes to you know, like the woman who is running her household with her three kids, and she gets up and she says, Okay, guys, today we're going to fast. And we're going to go to God and we're. Gonna we're gonna pray because we've been told that we may get overrun and we may die today. Isn't that crazy? It's just a crazy mentality, And and so that's why, you know, the nation goes to uh, you know, it says that they're standing in front of the temple, not just him, but everybody, right, the whole nation. So they just you know, and we realize how big the temple is, how grand it is, how many people can go to it, and so as a whole nation, you're going there. And then here's Josaphat leading the prayer. And what an eloquent prayer. Oh man, beautif you can tell when somebody spends time with God in prayer, yeah, the way they pray, yes, really, yeah, it's such a fabulous prayer. So there's a note here that says, when faced with disaster, Jehasha Phat called upon the people to get serious with God by going without food fasting. That's what fasting is, just letting God know, hey, I'm really serious for a designated time, and by separating themselves from the daily routine of food preparation and eating, they could devote that extra time to considering their sin and praying to God for help. Hunger pangs would reinforce their penitence and remind them of their weakness and their dependence on God. Fasting is still helpful today as we seek God. So when you're really want to get serious, that's the very first thing he did is, hey, you're not earning some kind of extra answer from God. God, here, all you're doing is saying, God, I'm really serious about this, right, this is a big deal to me that it's more important to me than food. It's more important to me than my normal daily routine. This is more important to me than my own comfort. That's all you're doing is you're kind of ringing the bell saying this is a big deal to me, God, I need your help. Right, And it's appropriate, especially when you're coming up against what looks like insurmountable odds. Right, you're looking like you're coming into a bad time. And so then he leads them in this prayer, and the note for twenty verse six says he committed the situation to God, acknowledging only God could save the nation. He sought God's favor because his people were God's people. He acknowledged God's sovereignty over the current situation. He praised God's glory and took comfort in his promises. He professed complete dependence on God, not himself, for deliverance. To be God's kind of leader today, follow Jehashafat's example. Focus entirely on God's power rather than your own. Yeah, and that's awesome. Now, this is the only time this ever happened in Jehoshaphat's life. Jehaspat's gone to war before, right, He's gone to war before, so it's likely he also prayed these kind of prayers before. But he strapped on his armor, he put on his sword, he got in his chariot, and he went out to fight. Right. But this time God goes stand back, m right, and watch this, watch this, watch this, right. That's pretty cool. Do you know why do you know why God said watch this? Do you know why God intervened on this one and didn't intervene on the others in this way? I don't think I do. Johoshphat kind of calls him out a little bit and says, when we were coming into our promised land, you told us not to fight these people, so had we, we would have wiped them out too, just like we did the Philistines, just like we did, right, that's what he's saying. But you told us not to, so we went around them. So this one's on you, not us. And God goes watch this, right. So there's times when God doesn't completely do a thing in your life because he has a plan for the future to demonstrate not only for you, but for everybody else, because it says all the nations went, WHOA, God fights for these people. It's been a while since God had fought for the people. God fought for them with for Moses, and it was clear everybody knew God fought for them. God fought for them with Joshua. And there was a time people went, oh, yeah, God fights for the people of Israel. God fought for them with Samson and Gideon, and there were there were these during the Judges. It was clear during David's time, God fought for them. Then you have a couple hundred years here where it's pretty much just people running amok. But Jehoshaphat is trying hard to follow God. He's not perfect at it, we already know that, but he's trying hard to follow after God. And God goes, Okay, this is why I saved the Moabites and the Ammonites and the people from Mount Jerrol. Is right here for this moment, We're gonna send a message the whole world. I fight for my people. And it's probably speaks into Josaphat's faith because he sees that they're coming down. He sees that they're a great army, and he's trying to calculate his odds. I mean, this is a guy who he's a pretty smart guy, right, He's a cunning warrior, he's a leader, and so he's calculating all the moves and he's thinking to himself, I know the history, I know the promises of God to Abraham, I know what God did, and I know what God told us to do. And so he goes to God saying, like, wait a minute, why would this unfold? And I think the reason why it's unfolding is because it's you know what, it reminds me of David and Daniel or not David. Daniel and Daniel Chapter six when they signed the decree and they said don't pray, and God's like, Daniel's like, okay, He's like, why in the world would this just randomly happen where it's like they're specifically saying, whatever you do, don't pray when everybody knows I open my window and pray, right, And so he's like, so God's allowing this thing, and only God can solve this problem. But it is really clear that this decree is against me. So I'm going to open up my windows, and I'm going to face Jerusalem like I had before, and I'm going to pray three times a day as I always have, because clearly God is going to intervene this because this is too much of a coincidence, right, like this, this decree has come against me and I'm not violating my prayer to God. And it almost seems like that's josh Fat's position. He's like, wait a minute. He's like, you told us to go around, right, and then it's by no coincidence that they're coming to us. You know what this is. This is a God thing, Like you want us to sit back and witness what you're going to do. So God, you need to take care of. This, right. It's only you can. Only you can. And he's kind of acknowledging maybe God, you were doing something else. That's why you did this, right, and so whatever it is, we need you to do it because we can't do it. Now. They have the ability to wipe us out. And it's three armies against one, right, so they have the ability to wipe us out. And God just says, okay, stand back and want and I love that. So he worships God. God's faithful love endures forever. Give thanks by the way, thankfulness for what you currently have, I believe is an incredibly powerful Paul talks about thankfulness so many of the areas when it comes to prayer or looking for God's guidance. God always leads us to this point of thankful. If you can't be thankful for where you're currently at, then a lot of times I just don't see. I don't see unthankful. People have a lot of big breakthroughs, their victories in their life, and so it's one of those moments where they're going, God, we're grateful for you, we are thankful to you for what you have done, and we're trusting that you're going to do something else because your faithful love is going to endure beyond whatever happens in this next moment. And then guys, I go, all right, here we go and he wipes them out, and what an absurd victory. Right, they kill each other, Israel never even lifts a sword, and then Israel goes in and takes what's not there. They didn't have to do any work for this one. And so I've seen a lot of the success in my life from hard work. I felt like I scratched and clawed and tried to get what I can get right. I do my part as best I can. I try to honor God. But then there have been times in my life when I just stand back and go, how did that happen? Right? And then just take the plunder the thing. You didn't even do the work for right? And God does that. He doesn't do it the whole time. Israel Judah already was prosperous because the three kings leading up to Johshapat moderately followed or completely followed the Lord. Jehoashaphat follows the Lord. They have prosperity in the south just because they're follow but they also had battles Israel didn't have in the northern. Northern, they didn't have a lot of prosperity because they were not following God. So they had to fight their battles and they did hard work. They invested well, they managed well, they did all the things you have to do in society well, and they were prosperous. But on this one, God said, I've been holding this extra special thing back, and you're the one that's going to get it right, and he just dumped it on him. And they go out for three days collecting the plunder. Yeah, which is that's not too bad. Yeah, that's a pretty good, pretty good three days where the work. And so what do they do? They still came back into the temple. The band strikes it up. They're just playing celebrating what God did. They're still giving God credit even when because sometimes I think we're tempted when we have a big win to take all the credit for the win. Right, that's right, that's right. Hey, I got one last question before we sign off, and that is when you read the note that you'd read earlier from the Life Application Study Bible where it says hunger pains would reinforce their penitence and remind them. My only question is did you think of Raiders of the Lost ar? No? I didn't. You didn't, I didn't know. Yes, with the the line no I can't. Only the penitent man shall have yes, yes, never yes, and then he says Neil, Neil before God, and d. All right, he's with me. All right, I'm glad by myself. Hey, that looks like it's our time for today, and we will see you next time on the bubble. Guys,