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Jehoshaphat – The King Who Defeated Three Armies With Praise

Jehoshaphat In The Bible – 2 Chronicles 20

Free online resources based on the Biblical story of King Jehoshaphat of Judah defeating the three invading armies with nothing more than faith in God released in praise. His story can be found in the Bible in the books of 1 Kings and 2 Chronicles. Scroll down for links to sermons, songs, stories and entertaining sites for his story.

Jehoshaphat’s War Against Idolatry

The reign of King Jehoshaphat was marked by a religious revival. He encouraged the people to destroy the idols and sacred places, and worship the True God of their ancestors. To help the people settle disputes peacefully, he appointed men of integrity and a fear of the Lord to be judges over the cities of Judah. And because the nation largely followed, they knew what to do when there was trouble.

Three Armies Invade Judah

Now that Israel was a divided kingdom, Ammon, Edom, and Moab, three nations from East of the Dead Sea, saw an opportunity to attack Judah. They believed their combined forces would be more than enough to conquer Judah, which consisted of just the tribes of Benjamin and Judah from the original twelve.

Jehoshaphat declared a fast for the nation. Judah responded immediately. Many people gathered in Jerusalem at the Temple to seek a solution from God. In front of everyone, Jehoshaphat prayed for Judah’s protection.

Jehoshaphat’s Prayer

6 And said, O Lord, God of our fathers, are You not God in heaven? And do You not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations? In Your hand are power and might, so that none is able to withstand You. 
7 Did not You, O our God, drive out the inhabitants of this land before Your people Israel and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham Your friend? 
8 They dwelt in it and have built You a sanctuary in it for Your Name, saying, 
9 If evil comes upon us, the sword of judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we will stand before this house and before You—for Your Name [and the symbol of Your presence] is in this house—and cry to You in our affliction, and You will hear and save. 
10 And now behold, the men of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, whom You would not let Israel invade when they came from the land of Egypt, and whom they turned from and did not destroy—[Deut. 2:9.]
11 Behold, they reward us by coming to drive us out of Your possession which You have given us to inherit. 
12 O our God, will You not exercise judgment upon them? For we have no might to stand against this great company that is coming against us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon You. 
-- 2 Chronicles 20:6-12 <AMP>

We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon You.

God Speaks Through Jahaziel

Judah did not have to wait long, because the Spirit of the Lord came on Jahaziel and he told them exactly what God was going to do.

15 He said, Hearken, all Judah, you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you King Jehoshaphat. The Lord says this to you: Be not afraid or dismayed at this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God’s. 
16 Tomorrow go down to them. Behold, they will come up by the Ascent of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the ravine before the Wilderness of Jeruel. 
17 You shall not need to fight in this battle; take your positions, stand still, and see the deliverance of the Lord [Who is] with you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Fear not nor be dismayed. Tomorrow go out against them, for the Lord is with you. 
-- 2 Chronicles 20:15-17 <AMP>

Be not afraid or dismayed at this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God’s.

An Army Led By A Choir

The next morning as the army was preparing to march out from Jerusalem, Jehoshaphat addressed the people. He said, “Hear me, O Judah, and you inhabitants of Jerusalem! Believe in the Lord your God and you shall be established; believe and remain steadfast to His prophets and you shall prosper.” (2 Chronicles 20:20 AMP)

King Jehoshaphat appointed a choir to march before the army, praising the Lord for His Goodness and Mercy. As they marched towards the wilderness, God stirred up the the soldiers of Ammon and Moab and they attacked and killed all of Edom’s men. Then, they turned on each other. In a matter of minutes, every soldier in all three armies were dead.

God Fights The Battle; Judah Collects The Spoils Of War

Reaching the watchtower overlooking the wilderness, for as far as Jehoshaphat could see, there was nothing but dead soldiers. All three camps were still intact, but there was not a single man left alive. The reality of what had just happened finally registered on the soldiers of Judah. God had in fact fought the battle. They had done nothing but praise the Lord.

Now, it was time to collect the booty. They gathered much cattle, goods, garments, and precious things, along with weapons and military equipment. There was so much to gather that it took them three days to gather the spoil.

On the fourth day, the gathered in the Valley of Beracah, also known as the Valley of Blessing. There, they gave thanks to the Lord, and praised Him for all He had done. They returned to Jerusalem full of joy, marching to the music of harps, lyres, and trumpets. They made their way to the Temple, where they continued praising God.

News of the victory spread fast. All of Judah’s neighbors heard how God had fought for them. No nation dared to attack or even threaten Judah for the remainder of Jehoshaphat’s reign. He was 35 years old when he became King of Judah, and ruled for 25 years.

Give thanks to the Lord, for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever!

One of the key lessons to be learned from Jehoshaphat is the reassurance that “…the battle is not ours, but God’s.” (2 Chronicles 20:15) Once you know that God has already fought the battle and won the victory, you can enjoy the Peace and Blessing promised to the children of God as more than conquerors in Christ! (Romans 8:31-39)

Read Jehoshaphat’s story in five popular translations – AMP, KJV, HCSB, NIV, The Message:

1 Kings 22:1-402 Chronicles 18:1-34 – Jehoshaphat’s alliance with King Ahab against the Arameans.
2 Chronicles 17:1-19 – God’s Blessing at work during Jehoshaphat’s reign.
2 Chronicles 19:1-11 – Jehoshaphat encourages the people to return to God.
2 Chronicles 20:1-30 – The war with Ammon, Edom and Moab.
2 Chronicles 20:31-37 – Summary of Jehoshaphat’s reign.

Check out all the content linked below and learn more about Jehoshaphat.

Children’s Bible Stories – Scriptures and Adaptations on Jehoshaphat

The First Four Kings of Judah – A short summary of the events from 2 Chronicles 11 to 20.

 

Children’s Sermons & Lessons on Jehoshaphat

Jehoshaphat: A Good Man Who Tried To Fellowship With Darkness – An Outline for a children’s lesson on Jehoshaphat.

Additional Children’s Resources & Links on Jehoshaphat

Other Old Testament Kings – A few more links to materials on Jehoshaphat

Devotions, Discussions & Sermons and Other Resources About Jehoshaphat

Jumping Jehoshaphat – Praise Works! – A Bible Story Based On 2 Chronicles 20 – A Bible paraphrase covering the defeat of the three invading armies during King Jehoshaphat’s reign. Includes a faith-building exercise and discussion points.

When You Trust God, There Is No Need To Fear – Sermon outline on Jehoshaphat’s victory over the three armies as found in 2 Chronicles 20

The Fast of Jehoshaphat – A sermon by Dr. Neil Chadwick

Is There Not a Prophet of the Lord? – Based on 1 Kings 22 and 2 Chronicles 18 – A sermon by James R Coggins

Jehoshaphat Defeats the Porn Kings – A sermon by Lambert Dolphin which compares modern idolatry with the pagan practices during the reign of Jehoshaphat.

Jehoshaphat – Worldliness – A lengthy discussion about the life of Jehoshaphat by C.H. Mackintosh

Jehoshaphat – Information on Jehoshaphat from The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

Jehoshaphat – A secular look at Jehoshaphat’s reign

Image Source: Sweet Publishing / FreeBibleimages.org

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Suggested Search Terms: Jehoshaphat, Judah, Jahaziel, Ammon, Edom, Moab, Mount Seir

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