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Bible reading: 2
Chronicles 20:1-13
1 It
came to pass after this also, that the children of Moab,
and the children of Ammon, and with them other beside the
Ammonites, came against Jehoshaphat to battle. 2 Then
there came some that told Jehoshaphat, saying, There cometh a
great multitude against thee from beyond the sea on this side
Syria; and, behold, they be in Hazazontamar, which is
Engedi. 3 And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself
to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all
Judah. 4 And Judah gathered themselves together, to
ask help of the LORD: even out of all the cities of Judah
they came to seek the LORD. 5 And Jehoshaphat stood
in the congregation of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the
LORD, before the new court, 6 And said, O LORD God
of our fathers, art not thou God in heaven? and rulest 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? 7 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? 8 And they dwelt therein, and have built thee
a sanctuary therein for thy name, saying, 9 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 thou wilt hear and help. 10
And now, behold, the children of Ammon and Moab and mount
Seir, whom thou wouldest not let Israel invade, when they came
out of the land of Egypt, but they turned from them, and
destroyed them not; 11 Behold, I say, how
they reward us, to come to cast us out of thy possession, which
thou hast given us to inherit. 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. 13 And all Judah
stood before the LORD, with their little ones, their wives, and
their children.
In all dangers,
public or personal, our first business should be to seek help from
God. Hence the advantage of days for national fasting and prayer.
From the first to the last of our seeking the Lord, we must
approach him with humiliation for our sins, trusting only in his
mercy and power. Jehoshaphat acknowledges the sovereign dominion
of the Divine Providence.
Lord, exert it on our behalf. Whom should we seek to, whom should
we trust to for relief, but the God we have chosen and served.
Those that use what they have for God, may comfortably hope he
will secure it to them.
Every true believer is a son of Abraham, a friend of God; with
such the everlasting covenant is established, to such every
promise belongs. We are assured of God's love, by his dwelling in
human nature in the person of the Savior. Jehoshaphat mentions the
temple, as a token of God's favorable presence. He pleads the
injustice of his enemies.
We may well appeal to God against those that render us evil for
good. Though he had a great army, he said, We have no might
without thee; we rely upon thee.
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