2 Chronicles 20:4-5
So Judah gathered together to ask help from the Lord; and from all the cities of Judah they came to seek the Lord. Then Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the Lord, before the new court.
1. Jehoshaphat stood up, but he didn’t pick just any place to make his stand.
He stood in the house of the Lord before the new court because it was there
that God had promised to hear the cry of His people.
• Jehoshaphat reminded God saying:
...and (you) have built You a sanctuary in it for Your name, saying, “If disaster comes upon us-- sword, judgment, pestilence, or famine-- we will stand before this temple and in Your presence (for Your name is in this temple), and cry out to You in our affliction, and You will hear and save.” (2 Chronicles 20:8-9)
2. Jehoshaphat’s request was based on an appeal made by King Solomon at the
Dedication of Israel’s temple.
• You have heard me often times make the same appeal to God based upon His word to us to place the altars back into the church….and when we dedicated these altars we did so based upon 2 Chronicles 6:20, 28-30
• Turn with me and follow me as I read
• Solomon asked that God’s...
“...eyes may be open toward this temple day and night, toward the place where You said You would put Your name, that You may hear the prayer which Your servant prays toward this place. When there is famine in the land, pestilence or blight or mildew, locusts or grasshoppers; when their enemies besiege them in the land of their cities; whatever plague or whatever sickness there is; whatever prayer, whatever supplication is made by anyone, or by all Your people Israel, when each one knows his own burden and his own grief, and spreads out his hands to this temple: then hear from heaven Your dwelling place, and forgive, and give to everyone according to all his ways, whose heart You know (for You alone know the hearts of the sons of men).”
• It was not just any prayer voiced by anyone in any place that gained God’s attention.
• The Lord’s eyes and ears were fixed upon the temple where His Name was exalted
by His people.
• God promised that no matter what type of evil afflicted them, He would hear and save those who appealed to Him from His temple.
4. If you have ever studied the different categories of affliction itemized in this
passage you will have noticed that they are inclusive of every type of
situation you might be could ever possibly be facing:
“The sword” -speaks of direct Satanic attacks, unexpected, cutting, and wounding.
“Judgment” - refers to false accusations, stereo-typing, and evil judgments raised
against you by others as well as recompense for sinful conduct.
“Pestilence” represents lingering, aggravating, destructive circumstances.
“Famine” - refers to the dry, desolate times of life when God seems far away and
you feel forsaken by everyone.
The sword, judgment, pestilence, famine--whatever your disaster--God hears and answers prayer when you take your stand in the right place.
II. A PLACE CALLED “THERE”
1. The Biblical record is filled with accounts of how God directed people to
specific locations for spiritual purposes:
• God told Ezekiel to arise and go to the plain and he would talk with him there
(Ezekiel 3:22).
• Jeremiah was told to go to the potter’s house and there God would cause him to
hear His words (Jeremiah 18:2).
• Elijah was told to go to a widow in Zerephath and there God would sustain him
(1 Kings 17:9).
• Jacob was instructed to go to Egypt and there God would provide for him during
the famine (Genesis 45:11).
• Moses was told to come into the mount and there receive God’s law (Exodus
24:12).
• It was there, in the tabernacle, that God promised to meet with the children of
Israel (Exodus 29:43).
• God told Moses to stand there--in the cleft of the rock--and He would reveal
Himself to him (Exodus 33:21; 34:5).
• It was there--on mount Zion--that the Lord commanded blessings forevermore
(Psalms 133:3).
• The Prophet Hosea said that there--at Bethel--God spoke to His people
(Hosea 12:4).
• Joseph was told to take Mary and Jesus to Egypt and wait there until God gave
him further direction (Matthew 2:13).
• Jesus told His followers to go to Galilee after His death and there they would see
Him (Matthew 28:10).
2. Jehoshaphat made his appeal to God from an actual physical location. He
stood there- before the temple, in the presence of the Lord--where God had
placed His Name. ….And he sought the Lord
III. So then …The question is, where is our “there?” Where is that special place
we must stand in the presence of the Lord and make our appeal with
confidence that He will hear and answer?
• Jehoshaphat, stood before an actual temple in God’s presence to make his appeal, but the New Testament teaches that you are the temple of God:
1 Cor 3:16
Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?
• As the temple of God, your spiritual being is inhabited by the Holy Spirit:
1 Cor 6:19
Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?
4. Your inner being is where you stand up against the enemy--the spiritual man
that is regenerated by the Holy Spirit through the born again experience—
the soul and spirit portion of your triune nature.
• As long as you allow the enemy to threaten and intimidate, he will do it.
• Paul warned, “Do not give place to the devil” because he knew whenever you give
place to Satan he always takes it!
5. Listen carefully …..You are God’s temple and His presence dwells in you
(Ephesians 2:22).
• Because His Name is there your deliverance from the enemy is assured:
• Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My name. (Psalm 91:14)
• You do not have to go to a physical place to gain God’s attention, for you are the temple of God, inhabited by His presence. ….Let your spirit man rise up there—where that?.... ….within you-- to face your enemy. Tell God your specific need and then make this declaration:
“I am the temple of God and your presence dwells within me because your Name is written upon my heart. You said your eyes would be open toward this temple day and night, toward the place where You said You would put Your name. You said when there were disasters of the sword, judgment, pestilence, or famine that you would hear the prayer made in this place. I stand there spiritually--in that place--boldly claiming your promises to hear and save me. In Jesus Name, Amen!”
IV. AFTER YOU PRAY……
1. When Jehoshaphat stood up in the place where God commanded, there was
no divine light from heaven.
• There were no angels, no audible voice from God, nothing supernatural happened--but Jehoshaphat was strategically positioned to receive an answer from God.
• Since he didn’t know what to do about his problem, Jehoshaphat did the only thing he knew to do. He began to pray:
2. Listen to His prayer ….it contains 8 elements that our own intercession should
Include when we face difficult circumstances. They are declarations that change our
focus from self to God,
“O Lord God of our fathers, are You not God in heaven,
1. Jehoshaphat focused on Who God is, proclaiming His royalty and divine
attributes.
• “Are you not our God?” It was a declaration rather than a question...
• Despite the marching feet of the enemy sounding in the distance...He declares
Are you not our God?”
• We don’t know what to do, but...“Are You not our God?”
2. Do You not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations, and in Your hand is
there not power and might, so that no one is able to withstand You?
• Next, Jehoshaphat confessed God’s authority over every circumstance of life:
• Some of us readily see the hand of God in the good things of life, but do we really believe He is in control of negative circumstances?
• Do we see Him ruling in power and might in the routine, hum-drum days of life?
• Can we see God’s hand at work when all around seems to be falling apart?
• Can we declare with Job, “Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him?” (Job 13:15).
3. 3rd Jehoshaphat’s prayer focused on God’s past record of faithfulness:
“Are You not our God, who drove out the inhabitants of this land before Your people Israel...”
• When we face hard circumstances, how quickly we forget all God did for us in the
past. ……….Did He not provide in time of need? Wasn’t God faithful when you were
faithless?
• Didn’t God stand beside you in times of grief and financial hardship?
• When you face situations for which there seems to be no answer, focus your attention on God’s track record.
• As you declare the faithfulness of God in the past, it encourages faith that
He will move in your present circumstances
4. Jehoshaphat appealed on the basis of a friendship relationship with God:
“Are You not our God, who drove out the inhabitants of this land before Your people Israel, and gave it to the descendants of Abraham Your friend forever?”
• A covenant was established between God and Abraham that extended to you and to me
• Jehoshaphat appealed for help on the basis of this relationship.
• There is a level of intimacy with God that is cultivated only through the difficulties of life.
• The Apostle Paul cried out, “That I might know Him--in the power of His
resurrection and the fellowship of His suffering!”
• It is exciting to experience God in resurrection power, when prayers are answered, the sick are healed, and your finances are blessed.
• But there is another dimension of relationship discovered only in the fellowship of His suffering when bad reports and great multitudes are bombarding you. It is then you learn to love God for Who He is, not only for what He has done.
5. Next, Jehoshaphat confessed God’s promises:
“Here they are, rewarding us by coming to throw us out of Your possession which You have given us to inherit.”
• Jehoshaphat declared, “This is Your land and You gave it to us as an inheritance!
………This is your promise to us!”
• God’s promises aid in times of trouble. He pledges salvation,..healing, and
deliverance.
• He said your household can be saved and your children be strong in the Lord. ……When you face impossible situations, appeal to God on the basis of His promises because when God moves it is always in response to His covenant with man.
6. Jehoshaphat reminded God of His responsibility to deliver His people:
“If disaster comes upon us--sword, judgment, pestilence, or famine--we will stand before this temple and in Your presence (for Your name is in this temple), and cry out to You in our affliction, and You will hear and save.”
• Jehoshaphat did not deny the problem. …Some people claim that acknowledging a
problem is a negative confession that aborts
faith….that’s nonsense and not true
• When Christ’s disciples thought Lazarus was sleeping, Jesus corrected them. “Lazarus is dead,” …….Talk about a negative confession! But in the next breath Jesus said, “But I go to raise Him!”
• If you do not acknowledge a problem, how can you deal with it?
• When deliverance comes, how can God receive glory if you refuse to admit there was a problem in the first place?
• Acknowledge the problem, but at the same time proclaim your confidence in God’s promise to help.
7. Jehoshaphat appealed to God on the basis of His righteousness judgment
asking, “O Our God, will You not judge them?”
• Jehoshaphat did not rant and rail against the enemy. He did not start a negative
propaganda campaign against the enemy or call the elders together to rehearse
their sinful acts.
• He committed his enemy to the righteous judgment of God.
8. Finally, Jehoshaphat declared absolute reliance on God:
“ For we have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon You.”
• No mention is made of Jehoshaphat calling up the military, although if you read you will discover he had a great army.
• Instead of relying on his army, he declared his complete dependence on God. He used “thou, thy, and thee” a total of 18 times in his prayer (King James Version), changing his focus from the problem to the solution,
• Where do you place your confidence in times of crisis? Is your trust in other people?
• Do you rely on your own natural abilities to solve the problem? Do you trust in your finances, …or position, ….or education--or do you, like Jehoshaphat, declare your absolute reliance on God?
Lastly Jehoshaphat’s enemy was advancing rapidly, yet this man stood where God commanded and prayed.
• Your enemy is advancing also with his forces and his threats are fearsome.
• Will you focus on the problem or the promises?
• Don’t deny the problem, just change your focus from “me”--your problems and circumstances…………..to “Thee”--God’s unlimited resources.
Say: “My enemy is advancing and I don’t know what to do, but You are my God and You have proven faithful in times past. You are my only hope! I have no power or might, but my eyes are upon You!”
