the battle is the lord’s!

The Battle Is The The Battle Is The Lord’s!Lord’s!

Pastor Timothy HinklePastor Timothy Hinkle

August 15, 2010August 15, 2010

2 Chronicles 202 Chronicles 201 It happened after this 1 It happened after this thatthat the people the people of Moab with the people of Ammon, and of Moab with the people of Ammon, and othersothers with them besides the with them besides the Ammonites, came to battle against Ammonites, came to battle against Jehoshaphat. 2 Then some came and Jehoshaphat. 2 Then some came and told Jehoshaphat, saying, “A great told Jehoshaphat, saying, “A great multitude is coming against you from multitude is coming against you from beyond the sea, from Syria; and they are beyond the sea, from Syria; and they are in Hazazon Tamar” (which in Hazazon Tamar” (which isis En Gedi). En Gedi). 3 And Jehoshaphat feared, and set 3 And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the LORD, and himself to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. 4 proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. 4 So Judah gathered together to ask So Judah gathered together to ask helphelp from the LORD; and from all the cities of from the LORD; and from all the cities of Judah they came to seek the LORD.Judah they came to seek the LORD.

Look at Verses 2 & 3Look at Verses 2 & 3

People will always bring you a People will always bring you a negative report! What will your negative report! What will your response be? response be?

Look at Jehoshaphat’s response!Look at Jehoshaphat’s response!– Although he was afraid, he knew Although he was afraid, he knew

where to turn—to the LORD. where to turn—to the LORD. – He called the people of God to join He called the people of God to join

himhim The people responded and The people responded and

ANSWERED THE CALL!ANSWERED THE CALL!

2 Chronicles 202 Chronicles 20

5 Then Jehoshaphat stood in the 5 Then Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem, in assembly of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the LORD, before the new the house of the LORD, before the new court, 6 and said: “O LORD God of our court, 6 and said: “O LORD God of our fathers, fathers, areare You not God in heaven, and You not God in heaven, and do You do You notnot rule over all the kingdoms of rule over all the kingdoms of the nations, and in Your hand the nations, and in Your hand is there is there notnot power and might, so that no one is power and might, so that no one is able to withstand You? 7 able to withstand You? 7 AreAre You not You not our God, our God, whowho drove out the inhabitants drove out the inhabitants of this land before Your people Israel, of this land before Your people Israel, and gave it to the descendants of and gave it to the descendants of Abraham Your friend forever? Abraham Your friend forever?


8 And they dwell in it, and have 8 And they dwell in it, and have built You a sanctuary in it for Your built You a sanctuary in it for Your name, saying, 9 ‘If disaster comes name, saying, 9 ‘If disaster comes upon us—sword, judgment, upon us—sword, judgment, pestilence, or famine—we will pestilence, or famine—we will stand before this temple and in stand before this temple and in Your presence (for Your name Your presence (for Your name isis in in this temple), and cry out to You in this temple), and cry out to You in our affliction, and You will hear our affliction, and You will hear and save.’ 10 And now, here are and save.’ 10 And now, here are the people of Ammon, Moab, and the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount SeirMount Seir


——whom You would not let Israel whom You would not let Israel invade when they came out of the land invade when they came out of the land of Egypt, but they turned from them of Egypt, but they turned from them and did not destroy them— 11 here and did not destroy them— 11 here they are, rewarding us by coming to they are, rewarding us by coming to throw us out of Your possession which throw us out of Your possession which You have given us to inherit. 12 O our You have given us to inherit. 12 O our God, will You not judge them? For we God, will You not judge them? For we have no power against this great have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us; multitude that is coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our nor do we know what to do, but our eyes eyes areare upon You.” upon You.”

Stir up the Gift!Stir up the Gift!

Notice that the first thing Notice that the first thing Jehoshaphat does in his prayer is Jehoshaphat does in his prayer is to declare to greatness and to declare to greatness and goodness of God and declared goodness of God and declared God’s past deeds! Besides God’s past deeds! Besides glorifying God, this stirred up the glorifying God, this stirred up the GIFT of FAITH that was in him and GIFT of FAITH that was in him and it also stirred up the GIFT of FAITH it also stirred up the GIFT of FAITH that was in the people.that was in the people.

Stir up the Gift!Stir up the Gift!

2 Timothy 1:5-7 (King James Version)2 Timothy 1:5-7 (King James Version)

5 when I call to remembrance the genuine 5 when I call to remembrance the genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt first in faith that is in you, which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am persuaded is in you also. Eunice, and I am persuaded is in you also.

6 Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift 6 Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. 7 For God has not given on of my hands. 7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. love and of a sound mind.

Remember—Each of us has Remember—Each of us has been given a measure of been given a measure of FAITH….but it comes from God!FAITH….but it comes from God!

Romans 12:3 Romans 12:3

For I say, through the grace given For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think you, not to think of himselfof himself more more highly than he ought to think, but highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.to each one a measure of faith.


13 Now all Judah, with their little 13 Now all Judah, with their little ones, their wives, and their ones, their wives, and their children, stood before the LORD. children, stood before the LORD. 14 Then the Spirit of the LORD 14 Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jahaziel the son of came upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, in the midst of the Asaph, in the midst of the assembly. assembly.


15 And he said, “Listen, all you of 15 And he said, “Listen, all you of Judah and you inhabitants of Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you, King Jerusalem, and you, King Jehoshaphat! Thus says the LORD Jehoshaphat! Thus says the LORD to you: ‘Do not be afraid nor to you: ‘Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle multitude, for the battle isis not not yours, but God’s. yours, but God’s.


16 Tomorrow go down against 16 Tomorrow go down against them. They will surely come up by them. They will surely come up by the Ascent of Ziz, and you will the Ascent of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the brook find them at the end of the brook before the Wilderness of Jeruel. before the Wilderness of Jeruel. 17 You will not 17 You will not needneed to fight in to fight in this this battle.battle. Position yourselves, Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of stand still and see the salvation of the LORD, who is with you, O the LORD, who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem!’ Do not fear Judah and Jerusalem!’ Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, for the LORD against them, for the LORD isis with you.” with you.”

God Uses Whom He God Uses Whom He Chooses!Chooses!14 Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon 14 Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon

Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, in the midst of the assembly. Asaph, in the midst of the assembly.

IT IS A BODY MINISTRY! Are you IT IS A BODY MINISTRY! Are you available for God to use you? available for God to use you?

Will you SPEAK OUT when God tells you Will you SPEAK OUT when God tells you to?to?

God used Jahaziel when he was God used Jahaziel when he was obedient to the Spirit of the Lord. He obedient to the Spirit of the Lord. He encouraged the King and the people! encouraged the King and the people! He told them…He told them…

The Battle is the The Battle is the Lord’s!Lord’s!

““Do not be afraid nor Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of dismayed because of this great multitude, this great multitude, for the battle is not for the battle is not yours, but God’s”yours, but God’s”


18 And Jehoshaphat bowed his 18 And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with head with hishis face to the ground, face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem bowed before the of Jerusalem bowed before the LORD, worshiping the LORD. 19 LORD, worshiping the LORD. 19 Then the Levites of the children of Then the Levites of the children of the Kohathites and of the children the Kohathites and of the children of the Korahites stood up to of the Korahites stood up to praise the LORD God of Israel praise the LORD God of Israel with voices loud and high. with voices loud and high.

Thank God In Advance!Thank God In Advance!

Immediately the King and the Immediately the King and the people humbled themselves in people humbled themselves in the sight of the Lord and the sight of the Lord and Worshipped Him! Worshipped Him!

Then they praised God for what Then they praised God for what He promised to do!He promised to do!

Look what God says to Look what God says to another King…another King…

2 Kings 22:19 2 Kings 22:19

because your heart was tender, and because your heart was tender, and you humbled yourself before the LORD you humbled yourself before the LORD when you heard what I spoke against when you heard what I spoke against this place and against its inhabitants, this place and against its inhabitants, that they would become a desolation that they would become a desolation and a curse, and you tore your clothes and a curse, and you tore your clothes and wept before Me, I also have heard and wept before Me, I also have heard you,you,” says the LORD.” says the LORD.

2 Chronicles 202 Chronicles 2020 So they rose early in the morning 20 So they rose early in the morning and went out into the Wilderness of and went out into the Wilderness of Tekoa; and as they went out, Tekoa; and as they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Hear me, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Hear me, O Judah and you inhabitants of O Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem: Believe in the LORD your Jerusalem: Believe in the LORD your God, and you shall be established; God, and you shall be established; believe His prophets, and you shall believe His prophets, and you shall prosper.” 21 And when he had prosper.” 21 And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed consulted with the people, he appointed those who should sing to the LORD, and those who should sing to the LORD, and who should praise the beauty of who should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the holiness, as they went out before the army and were saying: army and were saying:


“ “Praise the LORD, Praise the LORD, For His mercy For His mercy enduresendures forever.”forever.”22 Now when they began to sing 22 Now when they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set and to praise, the LORD set ambushes against the people of ambushes against the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; and who had come against Judah; and they were defeated. they were defeated.


23 For the people of Ammon and 23 For the people of Ammon and Moab stood up against the Moab stood up against the inhabitants of Mount Seir to utterly inhabitants of Mount Seir to utterly kill and destroy kill and destroy them.them. And when they And when they had made an end of the inhabitants had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, they helped to destroy one of Seir, they helped to destroy one another. 24 So when Judah came to another. 24 So when Judah came to a place overlooking the wilderness, a place overlooking the wilderness, they looked toward the multitude; they looked toward the multitude; and there and there werewere their dead bodies, their dead bodies, fallen on the earth. No one had fallen on the earth. No one had escaped. escaped.


25 When Jehoshaphat and his 25 When Jehoshaphat and his people came to take away their people came to take away their spoil, they found among them an spoil, they found among them an abundance of valuables on the abundance of valuables on the dead bodies, and precious dead bodies, and precious jewelry, which they stripped off jewelry, which they stripped off for themselves, more than they for themselves, more than they could carry away; and they were could carry away; and they were three days gathering the spoil three days gathering the spoil because there was so much. because there was so much.

2 Chronicles 202 Chronicles 2026 And on the fourth day they 26 And on the fourth day they assembled in the Valley of assembled in the Valley of Berachah, for there they blessed Berachah, for there they blessed the LORD; therefore the name of the LORD; therefore the name of that place was called The Valley of that place was called The Valley of Berachah until this day. 27 Then Berachah until this day. 27 Then they returned, every man of Judah they returned, every man of Judah and Jerusalem, with Jehoshaphat in and Jerusalem, with Jehoshaphat in front of them, to go back to front of them, to go back to Jerusalem with joy, for the LORD Jerusalem with joy, for the LORD had made them rejoice over their had made them rejoice over their enemies. enemies.


28 So they came to Jerusalem, 28 So they came to Jerusalem, with stringed instruments and with stringed instruments and harps and trumpets, to the house harps and trumpets, to the house of the LORD. 29 And the fear of of the LORD. 29 And the fear of God was on all the kingdoms of God was on all the kingdoms of thosethose countries when they heard countries when they heard that the LORD had fought against that the LORD had fought against the enemies of Israel. 30 Then the the enemies of Israel. 30 Then the realm of Jehoshaphat was quiet, realm of Jehoshaphat was quiet, for his God gave him rest all for his God gave him rest all around. around.

You can have RESTYou can have REST

Psalm 119:165 Psalm 119:165

Great peace have Great peace have those who love Your those who love Your law, And nothing law, And nothing causes them to causes them to stumble.stumble.

the battle is the lord’s!

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