King Jehoshaphat Asks For God's Help

by Mary Vee
II Chronicles 20

From Jehoshaphat's Scrolls

The messenger ran into my chamber. He didn't wait for permission. The man was out of breath but intent in giving his message. "A vast army is coming against you from Edom, from the other side of the Sea. It is already in En Gedi."

My heart nearly stopped with those words. We had worked as a kingdom to bring ourselves back to following God's commands and worshiping Him as we ought. I did not expect to hear such news.

I closed my eyes and thought. The only solution was to seek God's help. We could not fight this vast army by ourselves. I raised my scepter. "Send messengers throughout the kingdom. Every man, woman, and child is to fast. Go to every corner, every house and speak my words."

It wasn't long before a messenger reported what he saw. The people did not stay at their homes and fast. They journeyed to the temple, to be together and to seek help from the Lord. They came from every town in Judah to participate in prayer and fasting as a nation.

I stood before the people gathered in Jerusalem at the temple of the Lord and in the front of the new courtyard. I led them in this prayer: 

"O Lord God, God of our fathers, are you not the God who is in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. Power and might are in your hand, and no one can withstand you. O our God, did you not drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham your friend? They have lived in it and have built in it a sanctuary for your Name, saying 'If calamity comes on us, whether the sword of judgement, or plague or famine, we will stand in your presence before this temple that bears your Name and will cry out to you in our distress and you will hear us and save us.'

"But now here are men from Amon, Moab, and Mt. Seir, whose territory You would not allow Israel to invade when they came from Egypt; so they turned away from them and did not destroy them. See how they are repaying us by coming to drive us out of the possession You gave us as an inheritance. O our God, will You not judge them? For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon you."

I will tell you what happened in the next post.

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1. Jehoshaphat sent a messenger throughout the kingdom to tell the people to _______
2. The people came to ________________
3. When seeing all the people, Jehoshaphat led the people in ____________
4. What did Jehoshaphat say to God?