II
C H R O N I C L E S
CHAP. XX.
We have here,
I. The great danger and distress that Jehoshaphat and his kingdom were in from
a foreign invasion, ver. 1, 2. II. The pious course he took for their safety,
by fasting, and praying, and seeking God, ver. 3-13. III. The assurance which
God, by a prophet, immediately gave them of victory, ver. 14-17. IV. Their
thankful believing reception of those assurances, ver. 18-21. V. The defeat
which God gave to their enemies thereupon, ver. 22-25. VI. A solemn
thanksgiving which they kept for their victory, and for a happy consequences
of it, ver. 26-30. VII. The conclusion of the reign of Jehoshaphat, not
without some blemishes, ver. 31-37.
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Jehoshaphat's
Prayer to God.
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1 It came to pass after this also, that
the children of Moab, and the children of Ammon, and with them other
beside the Ammonites, came against Jehoshaphat to battle. 2 Then
there came some that told Jehoshaphat, saying, There cometh a great multitude
against thee from beyond the sea on this side Syria; and, behold, they be
in Hazazon-tamar, which is En-gedi. 3 And Jehoshaphat
feared, and set himself to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. 4 And Judah
gathered themselves together, to ask help of the LORD:
even out of all the cities of Judah they came to seek the LORD.
5 And Jehoshaphat stood in the congregation of Judah and Jerusalem, in the
house of the LORD,
before the new court, 6 And said, O LORD
God of our fathers, art not thou God in heaven? and rulest not
thou over all the kingdoms of the heathen? and in thine hand is there not
power and might, so that none is able to withstand thee? 7 Art
not thou our God, who didst drive out the inhabitants of this land
before thy people Israel, and gavest it to the seed of Abraham thy friend for
ever? 8 And they dwelt therein, and have built thee a sanctuary
therein for thy name, saying, 9 If, when evil cometh upon
us, as the sword, judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we stand before
this house, and in thy presence, (for thy name is in this house,) and
cry unto thee in our affliction, then thou wilt hear and help. 10
And now, behold, the children of Ammon and Moab and mount Seir, whom thou
wouldest not let Israel invade, when they came out of the land of Egypt, but
they turned from them, and destroyed them not; 11 Behold, I
say, how they reward us, to come to cast us out of thy possession, which
thou hast given us to inherit. 12 O our God, wilt thou not judge
them? for we have no might against this great company that cometh against us;
neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon thee. 13
And all Judah stood before the LORD,
with their little ones, their wives, and their children.
We left Jehoshaphat, in the foregoing chapter, well employed in reforming his
kingdom and providing for the due administration of justice and support of
religion in it, and expected nothing but to hear of the peace and prosperity
of his reign; but here we have him in distress, which distress, however, was
followed by such a glorious deliverance as was an abundant recompence for his
piety. If we meet with trouble in the way of duty, we may believe it is that
God may have an opportunity of showing us so much the more of his marvellous
loving-kindness. We have here,
I. A formidable invasion of Jehoshaphat's kingdom by the Moabites, and
Ammonites, and their auxiliaries, v. 1. Jehoshaphat was surprised with
the intelligence of it when the enemy had already entered his country, v.
2. What pretence they had to quarrel with Jehoshaphat does not appear; they
are said to come from beyond the sea, meaning the Dead Sea,
where Sodom had stood. It should seem, they marched through those of the ten
tribes that lay beyond Jordan, and they gave them passage through their
borders; so ungrateful were they to Jehoshaphat, who had lately put his hand
to help them in recovering Ramoth-Gilead. Several nations joined in this
confederacy, but especially the children of Lot, whom the rest helped,
Ps. lxxxiii. 6-8. The neighbouring nations had feared Jehoshaphat (ch.
xvii. 10), but perhaps his affinity with Ahab had lessened him in their
esteem, and they had some intimation that his God was displeased with him for
it, which they fancied would give them an opportunity to make a prey of his
kingdom.
II. The preparation Jehoshaphat made against the invaders. No mention is made
of his mustering his forces, which yet it is most probable he did, for God
must be trusted in the use of means. But his great care was to obtain the
favour of God, and secure him on his side, which perhaps he was the more
solicitous about because he had been lately told that there was wrath upon
him from before the Lord, ch. xix. 2. But he is of the mind of his
father David. If we must be corrected, yet let us not fall into the hands
of man. 1. He feared. Consciousness of guilt made him fear. Those that
have least sin are the most sensible of it. The surprise added to the fright.
Holy fear is a spur to prayer and preparation, Heb. xi. 7. 2. He set
himself to seek the Lord, and, in the first place, to make him his friend.
Those that would seek the Lord so as to find him, and to find favour with him,
must set themselves to seek him, must do it with fixedness of thought,
with sincerity of intention, and with the utmost vigour and resolution to
continue seeking him. 3. He proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah,
appointed a day of humiliation and prayer, that they might join together in
confessing their sins and asking help of the Lord. Fasting from bodily
refreshments, upon such extraordinary occasions, is a token of self-judging
for the sins we have committed (we own ourselves unworthy of the bread we eat,
and that God might justly withhold it from us), and of self-denial for the
future; fasting for sin implies a resolution to fast from it,
though it has been to us as a sweet morsel. Magistrates are to call their
people to the duty of fasting and prayer upon such occasions, that it may be a
national act, and so may obtain national mercies. 4. The people readily
assembled out of all the cities of Judah in the court of the temple to join in
prayer (v. 4), and they stood before the Lord, as beggars at his
door, with their wives and children; they and their families were in danger,
and therefore they bring their families with them to seek the Lord.
"Lord, we are indeed a provoking people, that deserve to be abandoned to
ruin; but here are little ones that are innocent, let not them perish in the
storm." Nineveh was spared for the sake of the little ones, Jonah iv. 11.
The place they met in was the house of the Lord, before the new
court, which was perhaps lately added to the former courts (that, as some
think, which was called the court of the women); thus they came within
reach of that gracious promise which God had made, in answer to Solomon's
prayer, ch. vii. 15. My ears shall be attentive to the prayer that
is made in this place. 5. Jehoshaphat himself was the mouth of the
congregation to God, and did not devolve the work upon his chaplains. Though
the kings were forbidden to burn incense, they were allowed to pray and
preach; as Solomon and Jehoshaphat here. The prayer Jehoshaphat prayed, upon
this occasion, is here recorded, or part of it; and an excellent prayer it is.
(1.) He acknowledges the sovereign dominion of the divine Providence, gives to
God the glory of it and takes to himself the comfort of it (v. 6):
"Art not thou God in heaven? No doubt thou art, which none of the
gods of the heathen are; make it to appear then. Is not thy dominion, supreme
over kingdoms themselves, and universal, over all kingdoms, even those of the
heathen that know thee not? Control these heathen then; set bounds to their
daring threatening insults. Is there not in thy hand the power and
might which none is able to withstand? Lord, exert it on our
behalf. Glorify thy own omnipotence." (2.) He lays hold on their
covenant-relation to God and interest in him. "Thou that art God in
heaven art the God of our fathers (v. 6) and our God,
v. 7. Whom should we seek to, whom should we trust to, for relief, but
to the God we have chosen and served?" (3.) He shows the title they had
to this good land they were now in possession of; an indisputable title it
was: "Thou gavest it to the seed of Abraham thy friend. He was thy
friend (this is referred to, James ii. 23, to show the honour of Abraham, that
he was called the friend of God); we are his seed, and hope to
be beloved for the father's sake," Rom. xi. 28; Deut. vii. 8, 9.
"We hold this land by grant from thee. Lord, maintain thy own grant, and
warrant it against all unjust claims. Suffer us not to be cast out of they
possession. We are tenants; thou art our landlord; wilt thou not hold thy
own?" v. 11. Those that use what they have for God may comfortably
hope that he will secure it to them. (4.) He makes mention of the sanctuary,
the temple they had built for God's name (v. 8), not as if that merited
any thing at God's hand, for of his own they gave him, but it was such
a token of God's favourable presence with them that they had promised
themselves he would hear and help them when, in their distress, they cried to
him before that house, v. 8, 9. "Lord, when it was built it was
intended for the encouragement of our faith at such a time as this. Here thy
name is; here we are. Lord, help us, for the glory of thy name." (5.) He
pleads the ingratitude and injustice of his enemies: "We are such as it
will be thy glory to appear for; they are such as it will be thy glory
to appear against; for, [1.] They ill requite our ancient kindnesses.
Thou wouldst not let Israel invade them, nor give them any
disturbance." Deut. ii. 5, 9, 19, Meddle not with the Edomites,
distress not the Moabites, come not nigh the children of Ammon, no not
though they provoke you. "Yet now see how they invade us." We may
comfortably appear to God against those that render us evil for good. [2.]
"They break in upon our ancient rights. They come to cast us out of
our possessions, and seize our land for themselves. O! our God, wilt
thou not judge them? v. 12. Wilt thou not give sentence against
them, and execute it upon them?" The justice of God is the refuge of
those that are wronged. (6.) He professes his entire dependence upon God for
deliverance. Though he had a great army on foot, and well disciplined; yet he
said, "We have no might against this great company, none without
thee, none that we can expect any thing from without thy special presence and
blessing, none to boast of, none to trust to; but our eyes are upon thee.
We rely upon thee, and from thee is all our expectation. The disease seems
desperate: we know not what to do, are quite at a loss, in a great
strait. But this is a sovereign remedy, our eyes are upon thee, an eye
of acknowledgment and humble submission, an eye of faith and entire
dependence, an eye of desire and hearty prayer, an eye of hope and patient
expectation. In thee, O God! do we put our trust; our souls wait on thee."
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God's
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14 Then upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the
son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons
of Asaph, came the Spirit of the LORD
in the midst of the congregation; 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. 16 To morrow go ye down
against them: behold, they come up by the cliff of Ziz; and ye shall find them
at the end of the brook, before the wilderness of Jeruel. 17 Ye
shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye
still, and see the salvation of the LORD
with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; to morrow go out
against them: for the LORD
will be with you. 18 And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his
face to the ground: and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell before
the LORD,
worshipping the LORD.
19 And the Levites, of the children of the Kohathites, and of the children of
the Korhites, stood up to praise the LORD
God of Israel with a loud voice on high.
We have here God's gracious answer to Jehoshaphat's prayer; and it was a
speedy answer. While he was yet speaking God heard: before the
congregation was dismissed they had assurance given them that they should be
victorious; for it is never in vain to seek God. 1. The spirit of prophecy
came upon a Levite that was present, not in any place of eminency, but in
the midst of the congregation, v. 14. The Spirit, like the wind, blows
where and on whom he listeth. He was of the sons of Asaph, and
therefore one of the singers; on that office God would put an honour. Whether
he was a prophet before this or no is uncertain, most probably he was, which
would make him the more regarded. There needed no sign, the thing itself was
to be performed the very next day, and that would be confirmation enough to
his prophecy. 2. He encouraged them to trust in God, though the danger was
very threatening (v. 15): "Be not afraid; you have admitted
fear enough to bring you to God, do not now admit that which will drive you to
God, do not now admit that which will drive you from him again. The battle
is not yours; it is not in your own strength, not for your own cause, that
you engage; the battle is God's: he does and will, as you have desired,
interest himself in the cause." 3. He gives them intelligence of the
motions of the enemy, and orders them to march towards them, with particular
directions where they should find them. To-morrow (the day after the
fast) go you down against them, v. 16, 17. It is fit that he who
commands the deliverance should command those for whom the deliverance is to
be wrought, and give the necessary orders, both for time and place. 4. He
assures them that they should be, not the glorious instruments, but the joyful
spectators, of the total defeat of the enemy: "You shall not need to
strike a stroke; the work shall be done to your hands; only stand still and
see it," v. 17. As Moses said to Israel at the Red Sea (Exod. xiv.
13), "God is with you, who is able to do his work himself, and
will do it. If the battle be his, the victory shall be his too." Let but
the Christian soldier go out against his spiritual enemies, and the God of
peace will tread them under his feet and make him more than a
conqueror. 5. Jehoshaphat and his people received these assurances with
faith, reverence, and thankfulness. (1.) They bowed their heads,
Jehoshaphat first, and then all the people, fell before the Lord, and
worshipped, receiving with a holy awe and fear of God this token of his
favour, and saying with faith, Be it unto us according to thy word.
(2.) They lifted up their voices in praise to God, v. 19. An active
faith can give thanks for a promise though it be not yet performed, knowing
that God's bonds are as good as ready money. God hath spoken in his
holiness; I will rejoice, Ps. lx. 5.
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Ammon or Moab Destroyed.
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20 And they rose early in the morning, and went
forth into the wilderness of Tekoa: and as they went forth, Jehoshaphat stood
and said, Hear me, O Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem; Believe in the LORD
your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye
prosper. 21 And when he had consulted with the people, he
appointed singers unto the LORD,
and that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the
army, and to say, Praise the LORD;
for his mercy endureth for ever. 22 And when they began to
sing and to praise, the LORD
set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which
were come against Judah; and they were smitten. 23 For the
children of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of mount Seir,
utterly to slay and destroy them: and when they had made an end of the
inhabitants of Seir, every one helped to destroy another. 24 And
when Judah came toward the watch tower in the wilderness, they looked unto the
multitude, and, behold, they were dead bodies fallen to the earth, and
none escaped. 25 And when Jehoshaphat and his people came to take
away the spoil of them, they found among them in abundance both riches with
the dead bodies, and precious jewels, which they stripped off for themselves,
more than they could carry away: and they were three days in gathering of the
spoil, it was so much. 26 And on the fourth day they assembled
themselves in the valley of Berachah; for there they blessed the LORD:
therefore the name of the same place was called, The valley of Berachah, unto
this day. 27 Then they returned, every man of Judah and Jerusalem,
and Jehoshaphat in the forefront of them, to go again to Jerusalem with joy;
for the LORD
had made them to rejoice over their enemies. 28 And they came to
Jerusalem with psalteries and harps and trumpets unto the house of the LORD.
29 And the fear of God was on all the kingdoms of those countries, when
they had heard that the LORD
fought against the enemies of Israel. 30 So the realm of
Jehoshaphat was quiet: for his God gave him rest round about.
We have here the foregoing prayer answered and the foregoing promise
performed, in the total overthrow of the enemies' forces and the triumph (for
so it was rather than a victory) of Jehoshaphat's forces over them.
I. Never was army drawn out to the field of battle as Jehoshaphat's was. He
had soldiers ready prepared for war (ch. xvii. 18), but here is
no notice taken of their military equipment, their swords or spears, their
shields or bows. But Jehoshaphat took care, 1. That faith should be their
armour. As they went forth, instead of calling them to handle their arms, and
stand to them, to keep ranks, observe orders, and fight valiantly, he bade
them believe in the Lord God and give credit to his word in the mouth
of his prophets, and assured them that they should prosper and be
established, v. 20. That is true courage which faith inspires a man
with; nor will any thing contribute more to the establishing of the heart in
shaking times than a firm belief of the power, and mercy, and promise of God.
The heart is fixed that thus trusteth in the Lord, and is kept
in perfect peace. In our spiritual conflicts, this is the victory, this is the
prosperity, even our faith. 2. That praise and thanksgiving should be their
vanguard, v. 21. Jehoshaphat called a council of war, and it was
resolved to appoint singers to go out before the army, to charge in the
front, who had nothing else to do but to praise God, to praise his holiness,
which is his beauty, to praise him as they did in the temple (that beauty of
holiness) with that ancient and good doxology which eternity itself will not
wear thread-bare, Praise the Lord; for his mercy endureth for ever. By
this strange advance towards the field of battle, Jehoshaphat intended to
express his firm reliance upon the word of God (which enabled him to triumph
before the battle), to animate his own soldiers, to confound the enemy, and to
engage God on their side; for praise pleases God better than all burnt
offering and sacrifice.
II. Never was army so unaccountably destroyed as that of the enemy; not by
thunder, or hail, or the sword of an angel, not by dint of sword, or strength
of arm, or any surprising alarm, like that which Gideon gave the Midianites;
but the Lord set ambushments against them, either hosts of angels, or, as
bishop Patrick thinks, their own ambushments, whom God struck with such
confusion that they fell upon their own friends as if they had been enemies,
and every one helped to destroy another, so that none escaped.
This God did when his people began to sing and to praise (v.
22), for he delights to furnish those with matter for praise that have hearts
for it. We read of his being angry at the prayers of his people (Ps.
lxxx. 4), but never at their praises. When they did but begin the work
of praise God perfected the work of their deliverance. What ground there was
for their jealousies one of another does not appear, perhaps there was none;
but so it was that the Ammonites and the Moabites fell foul upon the Edomites
and cut them off, and then they fell out with one another and cut one another
off, v. 23. Thus God often makes wicked people instruments of
destruction to one another; and what alliances can be so firm as to keep those
together whom God designs to dash in pieces one against another? See the
mischievous consequences of divisions which neither of the contending parties
can give any good account of the reason of. Those are wretchedly infatuated,
to their ruin, that fall foul upon their friends as if they were enemies.
III. Never was spoil so cheerfully divided, for Jehoshaphat's army had nothing
to do besides; the rest was done for them. When they came to the view of this
vast army, instead of finding living men to fight with, they found them all
dead men, and their carcases spread as dung upon the face of the earth, v.
24. See how rich God is in mercy to those that call upon him in truth, and how
often he out-does him in truth, and how often he out-does the prayers and
expectations of his people. Jehoshaphat and his people prayed to be delivered
from being spoiled by the enemy; and God not only delivered them, but enriched
them with the spoil of the enemy. The plunder of the field was very great and
very rich. They found precious jewels with the dead bodies, which yet could
not save them from being loathsome carcases. The spoil was more than they
could carry away at once, and they were three days in gathering it,
v. 25. Now it appeared what was God's end in bringing this great army
against Judah; it was to humble them and prove them, that he might do them
good in their latter end. It seemed at first a disturbance to their
reformation, but it proved a recompence of it.
IV. Never was victory celebrated with more solemn and enlarged thanksgivings.
1. They kept a day of praise in the camp, before they drew their forces out of
the field. Many thanksgivings, no doubt, were offered up to God immediately;
but on the fourth day they assembled in a valley, where they blessed God with
so much zeal and fervency that that day's work gave a name to the place, the
valley of Berachah, that is, of blessing, v. 26. The
remembrance of this work of wonder was hereby perpetuated, for the
encouragement of succeeding generations to trust in God. 2. Yet they did not
think this enough, but came in solemn procession, all in a body, and
Jehoshaphat at the head of them, to Jerusalem, that the country, as they
passed along, might join with them in their praises, and that they might give
thanks for the mercy where they had by prayer obtained it, in the house of
the Lord, v. 27, 28. Praising God must not be the work of a day
only; but our praises, when we have received mercy, must be often repeated, as
our prayers were when we were in the pursuit of it. Every day we must bless
God; as long as we live, and while we have any being, we must praise him,
spending our time in that work in which we hope to spend our eternity. Public
mercies call for public acknowledgments in the courts of the Lord's house,
Ps. cxvi. 19.
V. Never did victory turn to a better account than this; for, 1. Jehoshaphat's
kingdom was hereby made to look very great and considerable abroad, v.
29. When they heard that God fought thus for Israel, they could not but say, There
is none like unto the God of Jeshurun, and Happy art thou, O Israel!
It begat in the neighbours a reverence of God and a cautious fear of doing any
injury to his people. It is dangerous fighting against those who have God with
them. 2. It was made very easy and quiet at home, v. 30. (1.) They were
quiet among themselves. Those that were displeased at the destroying of the
images and groves were now satisfied, and obliged to own that since the God of
Israel could deliver after this sort he only is to be worshipped, in that way
only which he himself has appointed. (2.) They were quiet from the fear of
insults from their neighbours, God having given them rest round about. And, if
he give rest, who can give disturbance?
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Jehoshaphat's
Navy Wrecked.
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31 And Jehoshaphat reigned over Judah: he
was thirty and five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned
twenty and five years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Azubah
the daughter of Shilhi. 32 And he walked in the way of Asa his
father, and departed not from it, doing that which was right in the
sight of the LORD.
33 Howbeit the high places were not taken away: for as yet the people had not
prepared their hearts unto the God of their fathers. 34 Now the
rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, first and last, behold, they are
written in the book of Jehu the son of Hanani, who is mentioned in the
book of the kings of Israel. 35 And after this did Jehoshaphat
king of Judah join himself with Ahaziah king of Israel, who did very
wickedly: 36 And he joined himself with him to make ships to go to
Tarshish: and they made the ships in Ezion-geber. 37 Then Eliezer
the son of Dodavah of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, Because
thou hast joined thyself with Ahaziah, the LORD
hath broken thy works. And the ships were broken, that they were not able to
go to Tarshish.
We are now drawing towards the close of the history of Jehoshaphat's reign,
for a further account of which those who lived when this book was published
were referred to an authentic history of it, written by Jehu the prophet (ch.
xix. 2), which was then extant, v. 34. This was the general character
of his reign, that he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, kept
close to the worship of God himself and did what he could to keep his people
close to it. But two things are here to be lamented:-- 1. The people still
retained a partiality for the high places, v. 33. Those that were
erected to the honour of strange gods were taken away (ch. xvii. 6);
but those where the true God was worshipped, being less culpable, were thought
allowable, and Jehoshaphat was loth to disoblige the people so far as to take
them away, for as yet they had not prepared their hearts to serve the God of
their fathers. They complied with Jehoshaphat's reformation because they could
not for shame do otherwise, but they were not hearty in it, did not direct
their hearts to God in it, did not act in it from any good principle nor with
any zeal or resolution: and the best magistrates cannot bring to pass what
they would, in reformation, when the people are cool in it. 2. Jehoshaphat
himself still retained a partiality for the house of Ahab, because he had
married his son to a daughter of that family, though he had been plainly
reproved for it and had like to have smarted for it. He saw and knew that
Ahaziah, the son of Ahab, did very wickedly, and therefore could not expect to
prosper; yet he joined himself with him, not in war, as with his father, but
in trade, became his partner in an East India fleet bound for Ophir, v.
35, 36. There is an emphasis laid upon the time--after this, after God
had done such great things for him, without any such scandalous and pernicious
confederacies, given him not only victory, but wealth, yet after this to go
and join himself with a wicked king was very ungrateful. After God had
given him such a deliverance as this should he again break God's commandments,
and join in affinity with the people of these abominations? What could he
expect but that God should be angry with him? Ezra ix. 13, 14. Yet he
sends to him, to show him his error and bring him to repentance, (1.) By a
prophet, who foretold the blasting of his project, v. 37. And, (2.) By
a storm, which broke the ships in the port before they set sail, by which he
was warned to break off his alliance with Ahaziah; and it seems he took the
warning, for, when Ahaziah afterwards pressed him to join with him, he would
not, 1 Kings xxii. 49. See how pernicious a thing it is to join in
friendship and society with evil-doers. It is a hard matter to break off from
it. A man may much better keep himself from being taken in the snare than
recover himself out of it.
Contents
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