Be Still, and Know that I am God # 2

The Valley of Blessing

Another outstanding illustration of this principle was found in the experience of king Jehoshaphat, as described in 2 Chronicles 20. He and his people were in an extremely perilous situation. The king had, on a previous occasion, committed a very grave spiritual error, so grave that a prophet had met him with a stern rebuke, saying: "For this thing wrath is upon thee from the Lord" (2 Chronicles 19:2). Nevertheless, Jehoshaphat had a sincere desire to please God, a thing which the Lord always looks for and appreciates when He finds it. When the news came of the impending great calamity (20:4), the king humbled himself, and called all the people to do the same.

As "All Judah stood before the Lord, with their little ones, their wives, and their children", Jehoshaphat confessed, "We have no might against this great company ... neither know what we to do". How different was this from his earlier impulsive offer to go and fight with Ahab (18:3)! Then he had been full of self-confidence; now he openly admitted his complete inadequacy. Then his eyes had been on himself and on his allies; now he was reduced to bare faith in God, looking only to Him (20:12).

For him there was no hope, except in the utter mercy of God. He had no merits to plead, no advice to offer, no strength to provide. It must be God or nothing. How the Lord delights to bless men when they are reduced to such straits! There, as they stood in lowliness of confessed need, the Spirit of God came on one of their number, and he stood up to give God's answer to Judah, to  Jerusalem and to Jehoshaphat, "Ye shall not need to fight in this battle; set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the Lord with you ..." (20:17).

So it proved. With the king's exhortation to accept this message, and believe in the Lord their God, the people moved out towards their enemies, singing, "Give thanks unto the Lord; for his mercy endureth for ever". They were still, not with frightened paralysis of unbelief, but with quiet confidence in the Lord of hosts who was with them. In their stillness, they proved that He is indeed God.

One of the great lessons of this incident is that we may, and must, hope in God's mercy. If Jehoshaphat had listened to satanic accusations  concerning his past he would either have tried to justify himself or been overwhelmed by despair. He did neither. When we humbly hope in God, then He takes up our case. The battle is not ours, but His, and though we may be both unworthy and inadequate, He is ready to prove His godhead to those who in simple faith obey His revealed Word.

~Harry Foster~

(continued with # 3 - (At Cana of Galilee)