128
Prophets and Kings
[201]
As the people joined with their king in humbling themselves before
God, and asking Him for help, the Spirit of the Lord came upon
Jahaziel, “a Levite of the sons of Asaph,” 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. Tomorrow 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; tomorrow go
out against them: for the Lord will be with you.”
“Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground: and all
Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell before the Lord, worshiping
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.”
Early in the morning they rose and went into the wilderness of
Tekoa. As they advanced to the battle, Jehoshaphat 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 the beauty of holiness.”
2 Chronicles
20:14-21
. These singers went before the army, lifting their voices in
praise to God for the promise of victory.
[202]
It was a singular way of going to battle against the enemy’s army—
praising the Lord with singing, and exalting the God of Israel. This
was their battle song. They possessed the beauty of holiness. If more
praising of God were engaged in now, hope and courage and faith
would steadily increase. And would not this strengthen the hands of
the valiant soldiers who today are standing in defense of truth?
“The Lord set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab,
and Mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smit-
ten. For the children of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhab-
itants of Mount Seir, utterly to slay and destroy them: and when they
had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, everyone helped to destroy
another.