II Chronicles 20
From Jehoshaphat's Scrolls
We waited.
Standing in the presence of God at the temple.
Then--the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jahaziel, the son of Zechariah the priest. Jahaziel was a Levite, a descendant of Asaph whose clan was to provide the praise and musical part of the worship.
He stepped forward and said, "Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem. this is what the Lord says to you. 'Do not be afraid or discouraged because of the vast army marching against you. For the battle is not yours, but God's.
"'Tomorrow, march down against them. They will be climbing up by the Jeruel. You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions. Stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you.
"'Do not be afraid. Do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you."
I fell to the ground with my face toward the earth in worship before the Lord. All the people of Judah and Jerusalem did the same. Suddenly I heard singing. Some of the Levites stood up and praised the Lord, the God of Israel, singing loud and strong. My heart was stirred and I sang with them. Soon the entire kingdom sang praises to God.
Early the next morning the army gathered. Before signaling the army to move forward I reminded the men. "Remember, have faith in the Lord your God and you will be upheld. Have faith in his prophets and you will be successful." I appointed a few men to sing to the Lord and to praise Him for His holiness as we marched toward the Desert of Tekoa.
The men sang:
Give thanks to the Lord for his love endures forever.
We did not know at the time, but found out later, that as the men sang, the Lord set ambushes against the men of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, and they were defeated.
Hah! The men from Ammon and Moab ended up rising against the men from Mount Seir to destroy and wipe them out completely. When they finished their work, the army of Ammon turned against the Moabites. The two armies fought against each other. What an amazing sight.
When we arrived at the place that overlooks the dessert and looked toward the vast army, we saw only dead bodies. Not one man could be seen running away to escape. I had never seen such a thing before in my life!
We cautiously marched to the valley and saw it was true. Every soldier lay dead.
"Gather the plunder men, take back any equipment, clothing, and article of value." There was so much plunder it took us three days to haul all of it back to Jerusalem. On the fourth day we returned to the battlefield and sang praises to the Lord.
We marched back to Jerusalem with such joy, because God had given us a reason to rejoice over our enemies. We marched straight to the temple singing, playing harps, lutes, and trumpets. What a grand celebration!
My messengers informed me of the growing fear in those who live in countries nearby when they heard how the Lord had fought against the enemies of Israel.
It was a glorious day.
The kingdom of Judah rest at peace, and suffered no war.
It thrilled my heart to tell you of this event. The priests have long reported to our people during Sabbath worship that the Lord will fight our battles for us.
Today, I saw it happen.
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1. After Jehoshaphat finished his prayer what did the people do?
2. Jahaziel, the son of the priest Zechariah, told the people what message from God?
3. What did Jehoshaphat and the people do when Jahaziel finished his message?
4. Early the next morning what did the army do?
5. What happened in the Desert of Tekoa?
6. What did Jehoshaphat and his men do after the battle?
The battle belongs to __________
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