2 Chronicles 20:1-30

2 Chronicles 20:1-30

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.

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.

And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.

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.

And 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 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?

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 forever?

And they dwelt therein, and have built thee a sanctuary 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 thou wilt hear and help.

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;

Behold, I say, how they reward us, to come to cast us out of thy possession, which thou hast given us to inherit.

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.

And all Judah stood before the LORD, with their little ones, their wives, and their children.

Then upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, came the Spirit of the LORD in the midst of the congregation;

And he said, Hearken ye, all Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou king Jehoshaphat, Thus saith the LORD unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God's.

To morrow go ye 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 Jeruel.

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; to morrow go out against them: for the LORD will be with you.

And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground: and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell before the LORD, worshipping the LORD.

And the Levites, of the children of the Kohathites, and of the children of the Korhites, stood up to praise the LORD God of Israel with a loud voice on high.

And they rose early in the morning, and went forth into the wilderness of Tekoa: 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 ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper.

And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the LORD, and that should praise [1984 * halal] the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise [3034 * yada] the LORD; for his mercy endureth for ever.

And when they began to sing  [rinnah * 7440] and to praise [8416 * tehillah], the LORD set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten.

For 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, every one helped to destroy another.

And when Judah came toward the watch tower in the wilderness, they looked unto the multitude, and, behold, they were dead bodies fallen to the earth, and none escaped.

And when Jehoshaphat and his people came to take away the spoil of them, they found among them in abundance both riches with the dead bodies, and precious jewels, which they stripped off for themselves, more than they could carry away: and they were three days in gathering of the spoil, it was so much.

And on the fourth day they assembled themselves in the valley of Berachah; for there they blessed the LORD: therefore the name of the same place was called, The valley of Berachah, unto this day.

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 psalteries and harps and trumpets unto the house of the LORD.

And the fear of God was on all the kingdoms of those countries, when they had heard that the LORD fought against the enemies of Israel.

So the realm of Jehoshaphat was quiet: for his God gave him rest round about.

a. In 2 Chronicles 20:21, 22 there are three different Hebrew words used to describe the praise that would be obeyed.

1). In verse 21 the first Hebrew word for praise is halal [1984][Strong: a primitive root; to be clear (orig. of sound, but usually of color); to shine; hence, to make a show, to boast; and thus to be (clamorously-noisy) foolish; to rave; causatively, to celebrate; also to stultify:--(make) boast (self), celebrate, commend, (deal, make), fool(- ish, -ly), glory, give (light), be (make, feign self) mad (against), give in marriage, (sing, be worthy of) praise, rage, renowned, shine.][to be clamorously foolish about your adoration of God.]

2). Also in verse 21 the second Hebrew word for praise is  yadah [3034] [Strongs: a primitive root; literally, to use (i.e. hold out) the hand; physically, to throw (a stone, an arrow) at or away; especially to revere or worship (with extended hands); intensively, to bemoan (by wringing the hands):--cast (out), (make) confess(-ion), praise, shoot, (give) thank(-ful, -s, -sgiving).][hold out the hand, to revere or worship (with extended hands,]

3). In verse 22 the Hebrew word for praise is tehillah [8416] [Strong:  from 1984; laudation; specifically (concretely) a hymn:--praise.] [Gesenius: praise, song or hymn of praise,  praise, adoration, thanksgiving (paid to God), act of general or public praise, praise-song (as title), praise (demanded by qualities or deeds or attributes of God), renown, fame, glory, of Damascus, God, object of praise, possessor of renown (fig), celebrate]

4). Also used in verse 22 is the word sing, as “when they began to sing and to praise”. The word for “sing” is [rinnah * 7440][Strong: properly, a creaking (or shrill sound), i.e. shout (of joy or grief):--cry, gladness, joy, proclamation, rejoicing, shouting, sing(-ing), triumph.]

5). These people were shouting loudly, praise, thanksgiving, throwing their hands into the air in praise and joy.

b. Praise as revealed here can be militaristic, used as an offensive spiritual weapon. A powerful explanation is given after combining the content of a verse in Psalm 8 and Matthew 15.

1). Psalm 8:2 Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger.

2). Matthew 21:15, 16 And when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the Son of David; they were sore displeased,

And said unto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?

3). Praise will still the enemy. It stops the devil in his tracks!

c. There are at least two verses in the Word that compliment this truth.

1). Psalm 22:3 But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.

a). inhabitest [3427 * yashab][Gesenius: to dwell, remain, sit, abide.][Strong: a primitive root; properly, to sit down (specifically as judge. in ambush, in quiet); by implication, to dwell, to remain; causatively, to settle, to marry:--(make to) abide(-ing), continue, (cause to, make to) dwell(-ing), ease self, endure, establish, X fail, habitation, haunt, (make to) inhabit(-ant), make to keep (house), lurking, X marry(-ing), (bring again to) place, remain, return, seat, set(- tle), (down-)sit(-down, still, -ting down, -ting (place) -uate), take, tarry.

b). praises [8416 * tehillah] [Strong:  from 1984; laudation; specifically (concretely) a hymn:--praise.] [Gesenius: praise, song or hymn of praise,  praise, adoration, thanksgiving (paid to God), act of general or public praise, praise-song (as title), praise (demanded by qualities or deeds or attributes of God), renown, fame, glory, of Damascus, God, object of praise, possessor of renown (fig), celebrate]

2). Psalm 22:22 I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee.

a). a. praise [1984 * halal] Strong: to be clear (orig. of sound, but usually of color); to shine; hence, to make a show, to boast; and thus to be (clamorously-noisy) foolish; to rave; causatively, to celebrate; also to stultify:--(make) boast (self), celebrate, commend, (deal, make), fool(- ish, -ly), glory, give (light), be (make, feign self) mad (against), give in marriage, (sing, be worthy of) praise, rage, renowned, shine.]

b). We must remember that this is a Messianic psalm, it prophetically speaks about Christ Jesus. So what we have here is the pre-incarnate Christ speaking prophetically to God, that He, Christ Jesus would praise God in the midst of the congregation. What he is saying is I [Jesus] will in a noisy and apparently foolish manner, rave, celebrate, boast, commend, rage and praise you Father God. This same verse is quoted by the writer of Hebrews and applied to the New Testament church.

c). Hebrews 2:11, 12 For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren,

Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee.

d). How is this going to play out? Let’s first look at John 15:4, 5 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.

I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.”

e). Next look at Matthew 18:20 “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” And Colossians 1:27 To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:

f). The bottom line in this: Psalm 22:22 and Hebrews 2:11, 12 will be fulfilled when Jesus praises God through and in us!