The Battle Is Not Yours, But God's
by Bro. Charlie Heath
06/11/2023
2 Chronicles 20:15 - “And he said, Hearken ye, all Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou king Jehoshaphat, Thus saith the LORD unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God's.”
As the Moabites, the Ammonites, and the Edomites came to Judah to overtake them, King Jehoshaphat did what we all should do in times of trouble: he prayed. Verses 3-12 of 2 Chronicles 20 record for us the prayer of Jehoshaphat as he sought the Lord amid the sure battle to come. The conclusion of the prayer is found in verse 12, where the king says, “but our eyes are upon thee.” As these Gentile nations were coming with the purpose to destroy, the king said, “We will look to God alone for victory.” It was immediately following this prayer that the prophet, Jahaziel, stood on his feet and proclaimed this powerful statement: “the battle is not yours, but God’s.”
Throughout life, the Lord allows us to go through times when we can do nothing else but rely on Him. He does this to bring us to Himself. The difficult part of it all is understanding that He is in control and then surrendering to His control. So many times when difficulty arises, we do our best to get out of it as quickly as possible. Often by doing this, we end up hurting others or making the situation worse. What we need to do is depend on the Lord. Look to Him in the battle!
What can we learn from this passage?
1. Battles should not lead us to fear.
Verse 15 - “Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude;”
A. Think of how intimidating it must have been to have three nations at the front door waiting to infiltrate at any moment. However, Jahaziel told Jehoshaphat that there was no need to fear because the Lord was in control.
B. 2 Timothy 1:7 tells us that the spirit of fear is not of God, but of the world. No matter what you are facing, there is no need to fear because the battle is the Lord’s!
2. Battles should not lead us to fight.
Verse 17 - “Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the LORD with you,”
A. Jahaziel told the nation of Judah that if they would refrain from fighting, they would see the Lord working for them.
B. I understand that there are times in life when we are called to stand up and fight, but in this context, fighting is a fleshly reaction. Anytime we get uncomfortable in life we tend to squirm and resist. When the battle is looming over us, do not fight. Seek the Lord.
3. Battles should lead us to worship.
Verse 18 - “And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground: and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell before the LORD, worshiping the LORD.”
A. What is unique about this verse is that the circumstances had not changed. The battle was still coming. They were still surrounded by the armies. Yet, they chose to worship the Lord.
B. Even during battles, the Lord is worthy of our worship.
What is the Lord trying to teach you in the battles that you face? Learn to trust Him and worship Him through it all and realize that it is not yours to fight, but the Lord’s.
06/11/2023
2 Chronicles 20:15 - “And he said, Hearken ye, all Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou king Jehoshaphat, Thus saith the LORD unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God's.”
As the Moabites, the Ammonites, and the Edomites came to Judah to overtake them, King Jehoshaphat did what we all should do in times of trouble: he prayed. Verses 3-12 of 2 Chronicles 20 record for us the prayer of Jehoshaphat as he sought the Lord amid the sure battle to come. The conclusion of the prayer is found in verse 12, where the king says, “but our eyes are upon thee.” As these Gentile nations were coming with the purpose to destroy, the king said, “We will look to God alone for victory.” It was immediately following this prayer that the prophet, Jahaziel, stood on his feet and proclaimed this powerful statement: “the battle is not yours, but God’s.”
Throughout life, the Lord allows us to go through times when we can do nothing else but rely on Him. He does this to bring us to Himself. The difficult part of it all is understanding that He is in control and then surrendering to His control. So many times when difficulty arises, we do our best to get out of it as quickly as possible. Often by doing this, we end up hurting others or making the situation worse. What we need to do is depend on the Lord. Look to Him in the battle!
What can we learn from this passage?
1. Battles should not lead us to fear.
Verse 15 - “Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude;”
A. Think of how intimidating it must have been to have three nations at the front door waiting to infiltrate at any moment. However, Jahaziel told Jehoshaphat that there was no need to fear because the Lord was in control.
B. 2 Timothy 1:7 tells us that the spirit of fear is not of God, but of the world. No matter what you are facing, there is no need to fear because the battle is the Lord’s!
2. Battles should not lead us to fight.
Verse 17 - “Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the LORD with you,”
A. Jahaziel told the nation of Judah that if they would refrain from fighting, they would see the Lord working for them.
B. I understand that there are times in life when we are called to stand up and fight, but in this context, fighting is a fleshly reaction. Anytime we get uncomfortable in life we tend to squirm and resist. When the battle is looming over us, do not fight. Seek the Lord.
3. Battles should lead us to worship.
Verse 18 - “And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground: and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell before the LORD, worshiping the LORD.”
A. What is unique about this verse is that the circumstances had not changed. The battle was still coming. They were still surrounded by the armies. Yet, they chose to worship the Lord.
B. Even during battles, the Lord is worthy of our worship.
What is the Lord trying to teach you in the battles that you face? Learn to trust Him and worship Him through it all and realize that it is not yours to fight, but the Lord’s.
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