May it please Almighty God to bless us together this morning as we meditate in His Holy Word. Let's turn to the second book of the Chronicles, chapter 20, and we'll read verse 12. The second book of the Chronicles, chapter 20, and reading verse 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.

This account demonstrates to us very clearly the wonderful blessing of having faith in Almighty God. Believing that he is able to do far more exceedingly abundantly than we can ask or even think. We have a God who is able, and what a blessing when that great God is willing to hear our prayers, to hear our cries. We should be very thankful that we have such an account recorded in the Word of God of Jehoshaphat's difficult situation and how the Lord wonderfully appeared for him. And we may think in our lives, you and I may have difficult situations, situations which seem impossible. But here, as we read in this text, was the secret that Jehoshaphat was able to come to God with and say, neither know we what to do, but our eyes are upon thee.

May we always remember such a statement like that. To always be found looking unto the Lord. because he is high and mighty. He is able to do great things for us. It's a very beautiful psalm, Psalm 141, which directs us very similarly in these wonderful truths.

And it starts off with these words, Lord, I cry unto thee. Psalm of David. He was in a great difficulty. Make haste unto me, give ear unto my voice when I cry unto thee. Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice. David had experienced the mercy of God. David had experienced God answering his prayers And therefore we have this quoted and this recorded for our encouragement. And as we come down to the end of this short psalm, in verse 8 he tells us, But mine eyes are unto thee, O God the Lord. In thee is my trust, leave not my soul destitute.

Well we can see that here his great concern was about his spiritual life. And what a blessing that is for you and me if our great concern is for our spiritual life. We have this case here in Chronicles in Jehoshaphat's day which was for the natural scene which existed in him. But we have the same realization of the need as David comes and speaks about his personal desire, his soul's desire.

What a blessing if it is the same for you and me. He says, keep me from the snares which they have laid for me and the jinns are the workers of iniquity. The devil is very cunning, he's very clever. And you see, he often lays snares for us. And we can quickly fall into his traps. And what we find is we're ensnared. And it's not very easy then to get out of those snares which Satan has brought us into. And that's why he comes and he prays like this, keep me. from thy snares, which they have laid for me, and the djinns, and the workers of iniquity."

Well we're thankful that we have a testimony of David to encourage us, but here we have this morning really principally in this 12th verse the situation which confronted Jehoshaphat and the Israelites and he's very honest and he comes and he says to God we have no might against this great company that cometh against us and it was a great company as we read in the first verses of this 20th chapter that the children of Moab and the children of Ammon with them other beside the Ammonites came against Jehoshaphat to battle then there came some that told Jehoshaphat saying there cometh a great multitude against thee beyond the sea on this side Syria and behold they be in Hazion Tamar which is in Gedi.

So what was the effect upon Jehoshaphat? We're told Jehoshaphat feared. Not unnatural was it? he feared sometimes we may have in our lives great things that come against us and we may fear what the future is going to be how it's going to work out Jehoshaphat didn't know and yet we're told what he did it's good for us to realize the testimony and example we have in the Word of God. And so we're told, Jehoshaphat feared.

And what did he do? He set himself to seek the Lord and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. What a blessing it is if God gives us the understanding that when we have enemies rise up to fill us with dismay, what are we to do? What are we to do? Well, here is the example. Jehoshaphat set himself to seek the Lord. It would seem therefore he took time out to do this. He no doubt was a busy man and yet He realised he had a great need.

Sometimes we have great needs and we need to realise that the greatest favour that we can enjoy is to come to our God, to seek the Lord. What a blessing if God gives us a desire and an understanding and faith to believe that this God is able to do for us far more exceedingly abundantly than we can ask or even think. This is the great God we have. We should never underestimate the power and ability of Almighty God.

And as we look at this account this morning, we'll see how the Lord God appeared in a most remarkable way. Sometimes we look at ourselves and we look at the problems and we look at the difficulties and we perhaps try and work out a way of escape or work out a plan how we can get around this problem and difficulty.

Well, what did Jehoshaphat do? He set himself to seek the Lord, and I think it's lovely to be able to realize, and Judah gathered themselves together to ask help of the Lord. Even out of all the citizens of Judah, they came to seek the Lord. Jehoshaphat stood in the congregation of Judah and Jerusalem in the house of the Lord before the new court and said, O Lord God of our fathers, art not thou God in heaven? And ruinest 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. 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?

And they dwelt therein, and had built thee a sanctuary, the temple, therein for thy name saying 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 they would hear and help well it's a wonderful truth and it's good that we have here Jehoshaphat really bringing before God the prayer of Solomon and the dedication of the temple And how he came really and spoke to God in humbleness and yet faithfulness desiring that the Lord would turn upon them and have mercy upon them. And as we read at the end of this prayer, and all Judah stood before the Lord with their little ones, their wives and their children.

Must have been a wonderful scene, wasn't it? And we should remember this. We shouldn't think, well, of course, we've got a problem with difficulty. This must be reserved for the older ones. Not at all. Everyone, the little ones, their wives and their children, came and stood before the Lord. What a good testimony for you and me today. What a good example for us. We know not what the future holds for us as a nation. We know not what the future holds for us individually. But what a blessing to come like this and to bring all our cases before God.

Now we must realize that here Jehoshaphat didn't know what the solution was. He didn't know how God would appear. He didn't know at all. No doubt he probably thought he might get some instructions on how to organize the battle and fight, but there was a completely different plan that Almighty God was to bring about from an unexpected quarter in an unexpected way.

And that means that you and I should never limit God. We should never try and plan for God. We should come to God with a very open mind and leave the result and the issue with Almighty God because He knows how He will deal with situations and how you will be successful you and I might have what we think are some good ideas they may never be successful what a blessing is to cast all our care upon our God that's really what Jehoshaphat did here when he came and said neither know we what to do but our eyes are upon thee that's a safe place you know to come to God like that and so he he comes and He says, well sorry, Jehaziel, the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asa. God called Jehaziel.

And upon Jehaziel came the spirit of the Lord in the midst of the congregation. Now Jehoshaphat could never have anticipated that this would have occurred but nonetheless it did and the clear reason is that in this wonderful deliverance God was going to get all the honor and all the glory. Yes it's a wonderful account to encourage us in our day and age in which we live. So Jehoshaphat was given this spirit of the Lord in the midst of the congregation and he was forthright and bold in what he said, hearken ye all Judah and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem and thou King Jehoshaphat. He didn't leave the king out. Everyone was to listen because God had given him a message. What a blessing that was. Faithful man that he was. And therefore he was able to come and say, be not afraid, nor dismayed. He said, thus saith the Lord unto you. He didn't say his words, this is my words.

No, it was from the Lord God. And isn't that good when we must always be concerned to give the honour and glory to God and not pretend that anything is our ideas or our skills. It emanates from Almighty God and so he's able to come and speak in this way. Thus saith the Lord unto you, be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude. And then he gives the reason.

For the battle is not yours, but God's. It's a wonderful statement, wonderful faith that this man had. God has spoken to him, and he was clear in the position, and we're able to come straight away and tell them, for the battle is not yours, but God's. And it is so in our lives today. We may have difficulties, we may have trials, we may have temptations, we may have many enemies, and then they rise up against us.

Don't try and fight them yourself. Come to the Lord. Pray to the Lord. Commit everything to the Lord. And realise that He it is that can appear. Thus saith the Lord unto you. Oh, my friends, what a blessing it is. Be not afraid, nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God's. What a mercy to have a view like that and faith to believe. It's the same in your and my little life. You know, we have these battles and so often we try and fight them ourselves. But what a good thing it is to come and commit our way unto the Lord and to trust in Him.

And then Jahaziel explains it a bit more. He tells them, Tomorrow go 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 Jerul. And then he makes an amazing statement. See, God does great things. And this is what he tells them. Remember, here they were, geared up for battle. And what does Jehoshua say?

Ye shall not need to fight in this battle. Ye shall not need to fight in this battle. Now, the Israelites needed faith to believe that, didn't they? How was this going to happen? Not fight. It was the enemy. Well, says Jehuziel, 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. he laid it on the line didn't he very clearly what a blessing my friends perhaps when we have trials and difficulties and things that we don't know how to deal with we come in a similar way to that which Jehoshaphat was able to do having said we neither know we what to do but our eyes are upon thee Obviously he prayed in faith and he committed his way to the Lord. And it's good for us today to remember the same pattern that we have here. And so he's told them now, you won't need to fight in the battle.

Stand you still and see the salvation of the Lord with you. It means that God was going to get the honor and the glory. It's good if you and I have a view like that. And if our concern is in our little lives, that in problems when God appears, that he will have the honor and the glory. And so he tells them to stand still because they will, and see the salvation of the Lord with you. Oh, Judah and Jerusalem, fear not, nor be dismayed. How encouraging were such words as that. But the people still needed faith, didn't they?

And God gave them faith to believe that what this prophet was speaking to them would come to pass. And that it wasn't the words of man, it was the words of Almighty God. He was just the mouthpiece speaking for God. And so what a mercy it was when he says this, fear not. nor be dismayed. They had been dismayed, they were fearing. And yet here is this man raised up to speak as God's messenger, as God caused him, caused the Spirit of God to come upon him. And he was able to speak in this way.

And so he comes and tells them, fear not for the Lord will be with you. What a blessing that is, surely. If we have a promise like that, the Lord will be with us. We can go, go in the strength of the Lord God, not looking to ourselves, depending upon God, depending upon Him, that He will guide us, that He will direct us. And what a blessing. to come with such faith like this. Fear not, nor be dismayed. Tomorrow, go out against them, for the Lord will be with you. See, they weren't going to just sit down and do nothing. They weren't going to just stay and say, well, we didn't do anything. They still had to go out. They still had to go out.

Go out against them. for the Lord will be with you. And so he had spoken directly, very clearly, and Jehoshaphat came and bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell before the Lord, worshipping the Lord. Must have been a wonderful occasion, wasn't it? To see a great multitude bowing down before the Lord. And led by the king himself, acknowledging the words they heard, and accepting the words they heard, and were given faith to believe the words they heard.

Again, sometimes we're tempted to discount words which God may give to us. And we may think, well, I don't think that's going to happen. It's just impossible. Don't forget, the things which are impossible with man are possible with God. Never doubt the greatness of God. never doubt the ability of Almighty God. And so here was Jehoshaphat setting the example, bowing his head with his face to the ground, and all Judah, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, fell before the Lord, worshipping the Lord. And the Levites, and the children of the Kohathites, and the children of the Korhites stood up to praise the Lord God of Israel with a loud voice on high.

There'd be no victory. There'd be no success. And yet you see what had happened. God had given them faith, living faith, to believe. there would therefore be a mighty and glorious victory and therefore how wonderful it is surely to be able to read this thing they stood up to praise the Lord God of Israel with a loud voice on high they didn't mumble they didn't kind of do something half-hearted as though they weren't too sure no they blessed with living faith and therefore that which they have been told to sing here they came and they praised the Lord God of Israel there was no victory yet but they had anticipation their faith their trust was in God It's a wonderful and glorious picture, isn't it, for us today to realise such a great and wonderful truth.

And so they praised the Lord God of Israel with a loud voice on high. So how was this going to succeed? God had said they wouldn't need a fight in the battle. They'd believed it. They'd praised God. They'd sung the hymn. How was it going to be achieved? I didn't know, did I? But they had faith in God. You and I may not always understand how things are going to work out. But it's good to have faith in God.

And we're told, and they rose early in the morning and went forth into the wilderness of Tikoa. 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 you be established believe his prophets so shall ye prosper well we see the faith don't we of Jehoshaphat we see the example he's setting we see what he's saying to the people and how necessary it was and what a blessing it was that he was able to come with his confidence and speak to the people and say believe in the Lord your God oh my friends may you and I be given faith to believe in the Lord our God to believe that he it is that goes before us. He it is that guides and directs us. He it is that has said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. Therefore we may boldly say, the Lord is my help. I will not fear what man should do unto me.

No, we have a great God. How we fail. so often to recognize and believe the greatness of our God. Sometimes we seem as though we're almost bowing down to a little God. And yet here we have the Almighty God, the Ruler, the Creator of all things. And so what blessing it is when God gives you and me faith to believe in the Lord our God. Believe in the Lord our God. So shall ye be established, so shall we be established. This wonderful peace when you and I are able to commit all our way unto the Lord, trusting also in him that he indeed will bring it to pass. Believe in the Lord your God, so shall ye be established. and leave his prophets, so shall ye prosper.

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 forever. What a wonderful Simple statement, wasn't it? Simple statement, and yet how we need to follow such a pattern. Praise the Lord, for His mercy endureth forever. It's true, God hasn't dealt with you and me as we deserve. It's because His mercy endureth forever. And then, what follows? the outworking now of what the Prophet had said. No need to fight in this battle.

When they began to sing, not before, when they began to sing, faith to believe, when they began to sing and to praise the Lord, praise the Lord set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, which were come against Judah, and they were smitten. 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, everyone helped to destroy another. And here we see the complete decimation of all these people. They didn't need to fight in the battle, did they? No, God had appeared.

What a mercy. And what a blessing. And what a mercy, therefore, to see the pattern, because as we go on, on the fourth day, they assembled themselves in the valley of Barakar. For there they blessed the Lord. All my friends, how often we fail, don't we? To bless the Lord. But here was this glorious victory. And what do they do? The next available time, they'd been collecting the spoil before, and now, the first available time, what do they do? They gather together in the valley of Barakah.

For there they bless the Lord. what a mercy, what a blessing if you and I follow a pattern like that when the Lord appears for us in our little lives the first thing we should do is to praise the Lord and to bless Him for what He's done and for all His goodness and for all His mercy and then of course they return 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 I suppose it's really not a greater victory than we have in this account here how God was so gracious and we see how it commenced it commenced with Jehoshaphat praying to God the people joining in.

Oh my friends may you and I follow such a great and glorious pattern as we have here. 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. And they came to Jerusalem with psalterers and harps and trumpets unto the house of the Lord. And the fear of God was in all the kingdoms of their countries, when they had heard that the Lord fought against the enemies of Israel. Well, it was a great and glorious victory, wasn't it? And we can surely praise our God for such a wonderful account and an encouraging account for us, the fulfilment.

And remember what Jehoshaphat's prayer was, 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 here was the secret. But our eyes are upon thee. My friends, may our eyes be on the Lord. May we be found looking unto Jesus, the author and the finisher of our faith. Here we have many problems, often many spiritual problems. We fear perhaps the future, we fear how things will work out.

Let us remember the great and glorious truths in God's Word. So that's why the Apostle Paul, when he has given that grand list in the 11th chapter of the Hebrews of all those who walk by faith and the glorious faith they were blessed with. He then comes down, chapter 12, wherefore, having therefore recorded the wonderful blessings which God had done to so many of the saints, wherefore, seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, Let us, you and me, lay aside every weight and the sin which does so easily beset us. You know, we talk perhaps sometimes foolishly about besetting sins and make it an excuse. Well, it's no excuse really. Let us lay aside every weight and the sin which does so easily beset us and let us run with patience the race that is set before us.

And then here we have the secret again. Looking unto Jesus, the author and the finisher of our faith. That should be an encouraging word, shouldn't it? The blessed Saviour who's begun the work in our soul. He will finish the work. He won't dump us halfway. No, he's begun it, he'll finish it. Ho for looking unto Jesus the author and the finisher of our faith.

Ho for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him, what a blessing when you and I have difficulties and trials and problems, never forget to be found looking unto Jesus. Never forget to consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself. lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. This is a wonderful remedy for you and me to look to Jesus, to consider Him, to realise the cost of our salvation, the enormous cost of our salvation. He gave His life. He was willing to be crucified on that cross at Calvary. to take away all the sins of all his church. And may you and I today recognise the glory of this wonderful favour, this same Jesus, alive forevermore, and the Father's right hand there to intercede for us today and every day.

Yes, this is the God, my friends, that Jehoshaphat came to. We have the same God today that you and I can come to. But oh, let us not fail to follow the glorious pattern that we have set before us in the Word of God. And remember this great statement, looking unto Jesus, the Author, and the finisher of our faith, who, for the joy that was set before him.

It's amazing, isn't it? The joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down on the right hand of God, on the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your mind. Sometimes we may think, oh, I've got such a hard path. Well, if you think of that, just look to Jesus. Let's compare it with what Jesus endured. 33 years in this sinful world, having left his throne in glory, in that wonderful place, and now willing to spend those years And what a life he lived. Didn't go about pleasing himself. He did the will of his father. He pleased his God.

Well, may the Lord direct us and help us and bless us and encourage us to realize that we have glorious accounts in the Word of God to strengthen us and to bless us. And so may we come in these words of Jehoshaphat, O our God, Wilt thou not judge them, those who are against us? 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, and may our eyes be upon the blessed Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.