Posted to Beer Lahai Roi by Lisa Laree
Our next mention of 'desert' is in 2 Chronicles 8: 4 -- and it, like 1 Kings 9:18, is purely geographical...
He [Solomon] also built up Tadmore in the desert and all the store cities he had built in Hamath. So, like I did w/ the verse in 1 Kings, we'll just point out that it indicates that Solomon was a builder and move on.
The next time we encounter the word 'desert' is in chapter 20...and there is a kind of interesting thing that happened here.
First, a little scene-setting. Jehoshaphat had fought alongside Ahab in the battle in which Ahab died. After he returned home, an alliance of Moab, Ammon and apparently also some men from Mt. Seir took up arms to attack Judah; marching through Edom (20: 1- 2). The invading army was at En Gedi, on the northwest shore of the Dead Sea, before Jehoshaphat got word of them.
Jehoshaphat immediately called a national fast and prayer service (20: 3-4). He stood up before the people and prayed, concluding, "O our God, will you not judge them? For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon you." (v.12).
After the prayer, the whole assembly...men, women and children...stood silently, waiting for a word from the Lord.
And...here's the interesting thing...as they all stood there, someone standing amongst the people, in the midst of the assembly, began to speak. Verse 14 tells us
'Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jahaziel son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite and descendant of Asaph, as he stood in the assembly.'
This guy was just one of the choir members (a Levite who was descended from Asaph). He wasn't a worship leader, he wasn't on the platform with the leaders, he wasn't anyone of note. He didn't have a lot of clout. But the Spirit of God came on him...not someone who had a recognized position of authority.
"Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the LORD says to you: 'Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God's. Tomorrow march down against them. They will be climbing up by the Pass of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the gorge in the Desert of Jeruel. You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the LORD will be with you." (vs. 15-17) .
And here's the amazing thing...no one shushed him, no one pulled him aside so he could deliver his word more privately...they let him make his declaration in front of the entire assembly. They all listened to this guy.
Not only did they let him speak, they all believed that God had spoken through him. The whole assembly bowed down in worship, and then entered into a praise service. And then, they actually did what he said.
Early in the morning they left for the Desert of Tekoa. As they set out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, "Listen to me, Judah and the people of Jerusalem! Have faith in the LORD your God and you will be upheld; have faith in his prophets and you will be successful." (v. 20).
Jehoshaphat then appointed men to sing praise to God as they went. And, as they praised God, something happened over on the enemy's side. 'The LORD set ambushes' is what v. 22 relates; whatever it was, it caused a rift in the alliance. The men of Ammon and Moab turned against the men of Mount Seir and destroyed them, and when they'd done that, then they began fighting each other.
When the men of Judah came to the place that overlooks the desert and looked toward the vast army, they only saw dead bodies lying on the ground; no one had escaped. (v. 24)
Not only had God protected them from the attacking army, but he left all the weapons and supplies and equipment there for the men to collect and take back.
It took them three days to haul all of the plunder away. When they got it all back to Jerusalem, they had a praise service to thank God for what he'd done for them...and the story went around the nations in the area,putting them all in fear of Judah's God so that Jehoshaphat reigned in peace.
There are several things that hit me from this story. Firstly....look at what they did when they needed to know what to do. They fasted...they prayed...and they waited on a word from God. They didn't fast and pray for God to bless their action, or make them successful, or destroy their enemies...they declared their helplessness before God and humbly asked for his guidance. Then they waited. They didn't assume that He would aid them as they did what made sense to them...they waited for HIS instructions.
They didn't pre-determine who would have the answer; they received it through a minor temple servant. They didn't second guess him or try to reason his answer away. They did what had been revealed to him...the minor temple servant. Whoa. Finally, God didn't require them to do ANYTHING that removed the threat. HE DID IT ALL. Because they had enough faith to wait...receive...and obey. He just sent them into the desert so they could see their enemy destroyed and collect the plunder..
Do we have the humility now, in our exceedingly confusing and hazardous season, to declare that we really don't know what to do, and we don't have the ability to fix anything...and fast and pray and wait for God to release his strategy? Would we be willing to receive that word from some unexpected and unproven source? Could we discipline ourselves to be completely obedient and just praise God for what he would do? Do we really believe God will deliver his people? Are we willing to go to the desert, if it means we will see God work and give us a blessing there?
Just some things that struck me reading this little passage...
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