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Second Sunday After Pentecost
Light of Christ Anglican Church
The Rev. Mike Moffitt, June 14, 2020


The Battle Belongs to the Lord


Text: 2 Chronicles 20:2–9; 12; 14–22

On the afternoon of August 1, 1976, I received a phone call from my father informing me that my cousin Joel had drowned that morning at Wilmington Beach, North Carolina. Joel was ten days older than me and had turned 23 the day before. He was at the beach with his fiancé and her family. They were preparing to be married. Joel had just graduated from the University of North Carolina, Greensboro, that spring with a degree in design. He already had a great job with one of the major furniture manufacturers in the area.

I was crushed. I really loved Joel and could make no sense out of this tragedy. How could any good come from this? I knew my uncle and aunt and Joel’s younger brother, Marc, would be overcome with grief. They were such a tight-knit family and always seemed to me to be the model of what a family should be like. Whenever I watched Leave it to Beaver or Ozzie and Harriet on TV, I thought of them.

Later that week I drove to Greensboro to Joel’s funeral and the place was packed. The funeral home had to open up two large rooms to accommodate the crowd. I looked for my uncle, aunt and cousin. They were with friends who were obviously overcome with grief and my uncle and aunt were praying for them, inviting God to be their comfort. Both of my cousins were talented musicians and played in Christian bands. Marc was in New York preparing for a concert when he received the news of Joel’s death and returned home. The funeral started with a time of prayer and then Marc went to the piano to play and sing a song of praise that he and Joel had written together. There was a glow around him as he looked up and praised the Lord who had blessed the relationship that he and Joel shared in Christ. The whole service was one of praise, honor and glory to the awesome God who blessed them so fully as a family. Hands were raised and eyes looked heavenward to the God who would bear their burden and turn their “mourning into dancing” (Psalm 30:3).

I have no doubt that in their alone times they would cry out to God in the midst of grief, that was unlike any they had ever experienced before. There was such a sense of God’s presence in that service and I later heard that 11 people surrendered their lives to Christ that day. I had never seen the power of praise like that and certainly never under circumstances that tragic. God was being glorified and worshipped in the midst of tremendous sorrow. I don’t think I had ever seen that kind of surrender before. I could not understand how Joel’s family found the inner strength to praise the Lord. It would be many years before I understood what it was like to have a depth of relationship with God that enabled me to feel his power lift me up when my strength was gone.

Shortly before my uncle died in 2010, we sat and talked about that day. He said that it changed their lives and my aunt struggled with Joel’s death until she died 32 years later. However, it gave them more depth in their relationship with God and with each other and enabled them to more fully minister to those who were grieving.

I chose the passages that we read this morning because each one invites us to see how God moves powerfully and wonderfully through the praise of his people, even in the midst of trials and suffering. We will look briefly at each passage and see how each points us heavenward to the God who goes before us into battle and gives us strength to continue the fight.

We’ll begin with our passages from 2 Chronicles 20. In order to see the context of what King Jehoshaphat was confronted with, it’s helpful to look at what had previously happened to him. In chapter 18 Jehoshaphat had allied himself with Israel’s King Ahab when his son married Ahab’s daughter. Ahab was a very wicked king, who rejected the God of Israel and worshipped Baal. You can read about his wickedness in 1 Kings 16, 18–22.

Ahab invites Jehoshaphat to ally the armies of Judah with the armies of Israel to destroy a common enemy. The prophet Micaiah had spoken a word of warning from God that they would not defeat their enemy. Even though they had asked for the word from the prophet, neither Ahab nor Jehoshaphat paid attention to it. King Ahab was killed in the battle and King Jehoshaphat cried out to God and barely escaped. In 2 Chronicles 19:2, Jehu a seer approached and said,

Should you help the wicked and love those who hate the Lord? Because of this, wrath has gone out against you from the Lord. 3 Nevertheless, some good is found in you, for you destroyed the Asheroth out of the land, and have set your heart to seek God.

So, in our passage for this morning, King Jehoshaphat receives word that multiple armies have come together to attack and destroy the armies of Judah. The king knows that he is unable to stand against such a powerful enemy, so he declares a fast and asked all of Judah to assemble in order to petition the Lord for his mercy and protection. He was setting the example for the people of God by his own devotion to God and his promises. His prayer recalled Solomon’s prayer of dedication of the temple built for God’s own dwelling place on earth. In 2 Chronicles 6:34–35 Solomon prayed,

If your people go out to battle against their enemies, by whatever way you shall send them, and they pray to you toward this city that you have chosen and the house that I have built for your name, 35 then hear from heaven their prayer and their plea, and maintain their cause.

When Solomon finished praying fire rained down from heaven and consumed the sacrifices upon the altar and then the glory of the Lord filled the temple with such power and intensity that the priests couldn’t perform their duties. Then the Lord responded to the prayer of Solomon by appearing to him that night in a dream. 2 Chronicles 7:12–14,

I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for myself as a house of sacrifice. 13 When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command the locust to devour the land, or send pestilence among my people, 14 if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

Jehoshaphat models his prayer after the prayer of Solomon and the response from God to him. Look again at 2 Chronicles 20:9,

If disaster comes upon us, the sword, judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we will stand before this house and before you—for your name is in this house—and cry out to you in our affliction, and you will hear and save.

There are two things that King Jehoshaphat does here in this prayer and petition. First, he remembers God’s promise to Solomon and by extension to Judah, and in humility upon his knees reminds God of his own words. Jehoshaphat and Judah fall upon their knees in repentance, crying out for God’s mercy. Then in verse 12–14, he admits that God is their only hope, “O our God,….we are powerless against this great horde that is coming against us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.”

My friends, this was the most perfect place for them to be, upon their knees crying out to their true God (Elohim). Remember last week on Trinity Sunday we spoke of the Holy Spirit, the 3rd person of the Trinity, and his Hebrew name (ruach), meaning the breath, the wind, and life-giving power of God. Well, as soon as King Jehoshaphat finished praying or maybe even before he could finish praying we read that the “And the Spirit of the Lord (ruach) came upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah.” Whenever or wherever the ruach of God shows up there is both the presence and power of God and new life being breathed into the situation.

I can only imagine what it was like for Jehoshaphat and the people of Judah when the prophet Jahaziel spoke the word of the Lord,

And he said, “Listen, all Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem and King Jehoshaphat: Thus says the Lord to you, ‘Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed at this great horde, for the battle is not yours but God’s.’"

Essentially, it was God saying, “I got this.” God was promising that he was acknowledging their faith in his promises and he would answer their prayers by fighting their battle for them. It was no longer between Judah and the vast army arrayed against them, but it was their covenant-keeping, holy, merciful, and powerful creator God against their enemies. However, Jehoshaphat and the people of Judah would have a role to play in this battle. They weren’t just going back to their homes to continue their lives as before. They were going to have to move forward in faith and march toward their enemy as if to engage in battle. God fulfilling his part was predicated on Judah trusting in the word of the Lord and putting themselves in the place that, if God did not follow through, they would be destroyed. God’s promise was clear in 2 Chronicles 20:17,

‘You will not need to fight in this battle. Stand firm, hold your position, and see the salvation of the Lord on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem.’ Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed. Tomorrow go out against them, and the Lord will be with you.

Once again it was the responsibility of Jehoshaphat to act like a king and set an example as to how Judah should reply to the promise of God. Look at verses 18–19,

Then Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down before the Lord, worshiping the Lord. And the Levites, of the Kohathites and the Korahites, stood up to praise the Lord, the God of Israel, with a very loud voice.

I love the picture of that scene of God’s people bowing down to him in worship and praise, especially since the enemy was still out there and all they had to rely on was the promise of God. The battle would begin the following morning and the people probably left for a while and went to get something to eat and attempt a good night’s rest. How do you think that went? How do you think you would have responded in that situation? Would you be questioning the word of God and start looking for a solution that seemed more reasonable and believable? I wonder what was on their minds that night? I can only assume that the real enemy, who is far more dangerous and cunning, was busy whispering in their ear what a foolish battle plan they were to engage in come morning.

What about Jehoshaphat? Did he feel confident that the prophet was right in what he claimed God told him? This was not a situation where an angel showed, but a prophet. I absolutely love the end of the story in 2 Chronicles 20:20–22. Apparently, the king had won the battle with the tempter in the night, because they got up in the morning and again he showed his leadership by following the command of God revealed to him through the prophet, he stood up and said to them,

“Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem! Believe in the Lord your God, and you will be established; believe his prophets, and you will succeed.” And when he had taken counsel with the people, he appointed those who were to sing to the Lord and praise him in holy attire, as they went before the army, and say,

‘Give thanks to the Lord, 
      for his steadfast love endures forever.’

And when they began to sing and praise, the Lord set an ambush against the men of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah, so they were routed.”

Make no mistake about it, Jehoshaphat and the people of Judah were totally engaged in the battle, but it wasn’t against a human enemy but against unbelief and fear. They had a great victory that day and had the joy of a ringside seat when God moved against their human enemy. Basically, the Lord brought confusion in the enemy camp and they turned on one another until they were all dead.

What a wonderful lesson for them and for us today. Laying our fear and unbelief at the feet of Jesus, and crying out to God for help, brings about the ruach—the Holy Spirit who breathes life and refreshment into our lives and enables us to see God moving in mysterious ways against our common enemy. In our epistle reading from 2 Corinthians 10:1–5, Paul is making a similar point to the church in Corinth. Let’s read verses 3–5,

For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ.

The Apostle wasn’t writing these words to the church in Corinth because he had read them elsewhere. He was writing because that was how he lived—depending on the power of prayer, the word, and the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit. He knew that our greatest battles would not be fought as the nations of the world waged war. When the Holy Spirit rained down upon the disciples at Pentecost, it turned ordinary, uneducated men and women into those who were filled with the authority of Christ as they were filled with the promise from the Father, power from on high. They had power to demolish strongholds (fortresses) that Satan set up in opposition to the power of the gospel.

Paul wasn’t afraid because he knew that his opponents in Corinth were servants of Satan. That knowledge did not frighten him because he knew the power of the Holy Spirit within him was even greater. He reminded them that one of the weapons of the enemy was false wisdom and arguments based on lies and innuendo. One of the most troubling problems in our country today is that you seldom know who to believe. Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 1:18–21 and I’m reading from the Message,

The Message that points to Christ on the Cross seems like sheer silliness to those hellbent on destruction, but for those on the way of salvation it makes perfect sense. This is the way God works, and most powerfully as it turns out. It’s written, I’ll turn conventional wisdom on its head, I’ll expose so-called experts as crackpots.

So where can you find someone truly wise, truly educated, truly intelligent in this day and age? Hasn’t God exposed it all as pretentious nonsense? Since the world in all its fancy wisdom never had a clue when it came to knowing God, God in his wisdom took delight in using what the world considered dumb—preaching, of all things!—to bring those who trust him into the way of salvation.

Paul knew the importance of opposing the false wisdom and lies of the enemy the way to do that was to speak the word of God through the power and witness of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of truth. It was equally important to “take every thought captive to obey Christ.” In other words, when the enemy speaks his lies, temptations, and accusations, we are to stop the thought before it gains entry. We should speak to the enemy in Jesus' name and remind him that you have been washed clean through the blood of the lamb. After doing that, I find it very helpful to begin singing praises to God. The enemy will flee temporarily but as we confront him in Jesus' name, he is repelled.

One of the ways of singing to the Lord is through using the Psalms. This morning we read together Psalm 121. The Psalms will help us center our focus on the glory of God and help us see the pain and suffering that those before us experienced. They were written by real people looking for help from their God and finding new and wonderful ways to praise him.

It’s really amazing what God will do when we look to him in times of trouble, asking for mercy, and then being faithful in doing what he says. I love our reading from Psalm 121 this morning. This is called a Psalm of Ascent, which is the name of 15 Psalms from 120 to 134. Tradition has it that they were sung by those traveling on a pilgrimage to the mountain of God (Zion) to worship. In 121 the Psalmist vision is lifted up and set firmly on his goal, Jerusalem, and the hill of God (Zion). The trip could be dangerous, but the Psalmist professes his trust in God and expresses memories of times when God has provided for him and kept him safe. Like Jehoshaphat and the people of Judah found out, praising God changes both the one who is giving praise, as well as inviting God into the middle of whatever you are doing.

Finally, for just a moment let’s consider the Gospel reading from Mark 15:33–39. What I want us to focus on is what happened when Jesus breathed his last.

And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed his last. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!”

In the Synoptic Gospels each writer shares his own memory of what happened when Jesus breathed his last. In Matthew's account, the veil of the temple was torn in two, there was an earthquake and tombs of many of the saints broke open and they went into the holy city revealing themselves to many. In Luke’s account, there was darkness over the land from noon until 3 pm. Not only does the centurion profess, “Truly this man was the Son of God” but those who had come as spectators returned home beating their breasts in grief and probably guilt. Clearly, something unexpected happened that changed the situation from a common crucifixion to a very powerful move of God. Instead of the death of Jesus being a tragic event, it was the most powerful display of God’s resurrection power and love that has ever been recorded. When God showed up in power, those who previously had mocked Jesus and relished in the humility that he suffered, suddenly had their eyes opened and saw what happened through new eyes.

Each of our scripture readings today points us to what happens when God’s people act in obedience to the command of God. The disciples could not fathom what Jesus was telling them about concerning what he would suffer. How could they when what Jesus was suggesting was so unlikely and shameful, that they couldn’t conceive of it. Over and over again in the Bible we read of God requiring his servants to do things that sounded crazy and unreasonable, but when they obeyed, God moved on their behalf and they experienced the miraculous. That’s how God teaches us to put our trust in him, instead of retaining control of things in a way that makes us comfortable, we are to let go of control and invite God to move in us however he wants to. Scary? It can be, but in doing so we will see God move in ways previously not thought possible.

What is God calling us to do that will stretch us? What is calling you to do? King Jehoshaphat found out that God was willing to come to their rescue if they would trust God. We’re living in disconcerting times, but God is well able to move through his people, if they are willing to do what he commands. Remember the promise that God gave to Solomon in 2 Chronicles 7:14,

if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

That, my friends, is our only hope.

Let's pray.

©2020 Rev. Mike Moffitt

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