Early in the morning they got up and left for the Wilderness of Tekoa. As they set out, Jehoshaphat stood up and said, "Hear me, O people of Judah and Jerusalem. Believe in the LORD your God, and you will be upheld; believe in His prophets, and you will succeed." Early in the morning they got up and left for the Wilderness of Tekoa.The phrase "early in the morning" indicates a sense of urgency and obedience to God's command. The Wilderness of Tekoa is located near the town of Tekoa, about 12 miles south of Jerusalem. This area is known for its rugged terrain and sparse vegetation, which would have been a strategic location for military movements. Tekoa is also the hometown of the prophet Amos, linking this location to prophetic significance. The early departure signifies readiness and trust in God's guidance. As they set out, Jehoshaphat stood up and said,
Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, demonstrates leadership by addressing the people directly. His action of standing up symbolizes authority and the importance of the message he is about to deliver. This moment is pivotal as it sets the tone for the spiritual and military strategy that follows. Jehoshaphat's leadership is characterized by reliance on God, contrasting with other kings who depended on military alliances. “Hear me, O people of Judah and Jerusalem.
The call to "hear" is a common biblical exhortation, emphasizing the importance of listening to God's word. Judah and Jerusalem represent the southern kingdom, highlighting the unity and collective responsibility of the people. This appeal is reminiscent of the Shema in Deuteronomy 6:4, where hearing is linked to obedience and faithfulness to God. Believe in the LORD your God, and you will be upheld;
The exhortation to "believe" underscores faith as the foundation for divine support and stability. The phrase "you will be upheld" suggests that faith in God provides strength and security, echoing themes found in Psalms and Proverbs. This belief is not merely intellectual assent but involves trust and reliance on God's promises and character. believe in His prophets, and you will succeed.”
The reference to "His prophets" highlights the role of prophetic revelation in guiding the people. Prophets were God's messengers, and their words were to be trusted as divine communication. Success is linked to obedience to prophetic instruction, as seen in the lives of other biblical figures like Moses and Elijah. This statement foreshadows the New Testament emphasis on faith in Christ, the ultimate prophet and fulfillment of God's promises. Persons / Places / Events 1. JehoshaphatThe King of Judah who led the people in seeking God's guidance and deliverance from their enemies. 2. People of Judah and JerusalemThe inhabitants of the southern kingdom who were facing a coalition of enemy forces. 3. Wilderness of TekoaThe location where the people of Judah gathered to confront their enemies, symbolizing a place of testing and faith. 4. The ProphetsGod's messengers who conveyed His will and guidance to the people, emphasizing the importance of divine revelation. 5. The EnemiesThe Moabites, Ammonites, and Meunites who threatened Judah, representing challenges and adversities in life. Teaching Points Faith in God’s SovereigntyTrusting in God's power and plan is essential for overcoming life's challenges. Jehoshaphat's leadership exemplifies reliance on divine strength rather than human ability. The Role of Prophetic GuidanceGod's word, delivered through His prophets, provides direction and assurance. Believers are called to heed and trust in the Scriptures as God's revealed truth. The Power of Community in FaithThe collective faith and action of the people of Judah highlight the importance of communal support and unity in facing adversities. The Importance of ObedienceObedience to God's instructions, as conveyed by His prophets, leads to success and stability. This principle remains vital for believers today. Preparation and ActionRising early and setting out for the Wilderness of Tekoa symbolizes readiness and proactive faith. Believers are encouraged to prepare and act in faith when facing trials. Bible Study Questions 1. How does Jehoshaphat's leadership in 2 Chronicles 20:20 inspire you to trust in God's sovereignty in your own life? 2. In what ways can you seek and apply prophetic guidance from Scripture in your daily decisions? 3. How can the example of the people of Judah encourage you to foster a supportive faith community? 4. What steps can you take to ensure obedience to God's word in your personal and professional life? 5. Reflect on a time when you had to prepare and act in faith. How did this experience strengthen your relationship with God? Connections to Other Scriptures Hebrews 11:6This verse emphasizes the necessity of faith in God, similar to Jehoshaphat's call to believe in the LORD for deliverance. Isaiah 7:9The importance of standing firm in faith is echoed here, reinforcing the message of trust in God's promises. Romans 10:17Highlights the role of hearing God's word through His prophets, aligning with Jehoshaphat's exhortation to believe in the prophets. Psalm 20:7Contrasts trust in human strength with trust in the name of the LORD, paralleling the call to faith in 2 Chronicles 20:20. James 1:5-6Encourages believers to ask God for wisdom with faith, reflecting the need for trust in divine guidance as demonstrated by Jehoshaphat. People Ahaziah, Ammonites, Aram, Asa, Asaph, Azubah, Benaiah, Berachah, Dodavah, Eliezer, Geber, Hanani, Jahaziel, Jehoshaphat, Jehu, Jeiel, Kohathites, Korahites, Korhites, Levites, Maonites, Mattaniah, Meunim, Meunites, Moabites, Seir, Shilhi, Tamar, Tarshish, ZechariahPlaces Ammon, Edom, Egypt, Engedi, Ezion-geber, Hazazon-tamar, Jeruel, Jerusalem, Mareshah, Moab, Mount Seir, Seir, Tarshish, Tekoa, ZizTopics Believe, Desert, Ear, Early, Established, Faith, Forth, Got, Inhabitants, Jehoshaphat, Jehosh'aphat, Jerusalem, Judah, Listen, Morning, O, Prophets, Prosper, Rise, Rose, Safe, Station, Stedfast, Stood, Succeed, Successful, Tekoa, Teko'a, Towards, Trust, Upheld, Waste, WildernessDictionary of Bible Themes 2 Chronicles 20:20 4230 desert
4954 morning
5960 success
8024 faith, and blessings
8412 decisions 2 Chronicles 20:15-24 5607 warfare, examples 2 Chronicles 20:20-24 5612 weapons Library A Strange Battle
'We have no might against this great company that cometh against us; neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon Thee.'--2 CHRON xx. 12. A formidable combination of neighbouring nations, of which Moab and Ammon, the ancestral enemies of Judah, were the chief, was threatening Judah. Jehoshaphat, the king, was panic-stricken when he heard of the heavy war-cloud that was rolling on, ready to burst in thunder on his little kingdom. His first act was to muster the nation, not as a military levy …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy ScriptureHolding Fast and Held Fast
'As they went forth Jehoshaphat stood and said, Believe in the Lord your God, so shall ye be established.'--2 CHRON. xx. 20. Certainly no stronger army ever went forth to victory than these Jews, who poured out of Jerusalem that morning with no weapon in all their ranks, and having for their van, not their picked men, but singers who 'praised the beauty of holiness,' and chanted the old hymn, 'Give thanks unto the Lord, for His mercy endureth for ever.' That was all that men had to do in the battle, …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture Of the Public Fast.
A public fast is when, by the authority of the magistrate (Jonah iii. 7; 2 Chron. xx. 3; Ezra viii. 21), either the whole church within his dominion, or some special congregation, whom it concerneth, assemble themselves together, to perform the fore-mentioned duties of humiliation; either for the removing of some public calamity threatened or already inflicted upon them, as the sword, invasion, famine, pestilence, or other fearful sickness (1 Sam. vii. 5, 6; Joel ii. 15; 2 Chron. xx.; Jonah iii. …
Lewis Bayly—The Practice of Piety The Coast of the Asphaltites, the Essenes. En-Gedi.
"On the western shore" (of the Asphaltites) "dwell the Essenes; whom persons, guilty of any crimes, fly from on every side. A nation it is that lives alone, and of all other nations in the whole world, most to be admired; they are without any woman; all lust banished, &c. Below these, was the town Engadda, the next to Jerusalem for fruitfulness, and groves of palm-trees, now another burying-place. From thence stands Massada, a castle in a rock, and this castle not far from the Asphaltites." Solinus, …
John Lightfoot—From the Talmud and Hebraica "Thou Shall Keep Him in Perfect Peace, Whose Mind is Stayed on Thee, Because He Trusteth in Thee. "
Isaiah xxvi. 3.--"Thou shall keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee, because he trusteth in thee." Christ hath left us his peace, as the great and comprehensive legacy, "My peace I leave you," John xiv. 27. And this was not peace in the world that he enjoyed; you know what his life was, a continual warfare; but a peace above the world, that passeth understanding. "In the world you shall have trouble, but in me you shall have peace," saith Christ,--a peace that shall make trouble …
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning That the Employing Of, and Associating with the Malignant Party, According as is Contained in the Public Resolutions, is Sinful and Unlawful.
That The Employing Of, And Associating With The Malignant Party, According As Is Contained In The Public Resolutions, Is Sinful And Unlawful. If there be in the land a malignant party of power and policy, and the exceptions contained in the Act of Levy do comprehend but few of that party, then there need be no more difficulty to prove, that the present public resolutions and proceedings do import an association and conjunction with a malignant party, than to gather a conclusion from clear premises. …
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning Commerce
The remarkable change which we have noticed in the views of Jewish authorities, from contempt to almost affectation of manual labour, could certainly not have been arbitrary. But as we fail to discover here any religious motive, we can only account for it on the score of altered political and social circumstances. So long as the people were, at least nominally, independent, and in possession of their own land, constant engagement in a trade would probably mark an inferior social stage, and imply …
Alfred Edersheim—Sketches of Jewish Social Life Concerning Peaceableness
Blessed are the peacemakers. Matthew 5:9 This is the seventh step of the golden ladder which leads to blessedness. The name of peace is sweet, and the work of peace is a blessed work. Blessed are the peacemakers'. Observe the connection. The Scripture links these two together, pureness of heart and peaceableness of spirit. The wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable' (James 3:17). Follow peace and holiness' (Hebrews 12:14). And here Christ joins them together pure in heart, and peacemakers', …
Thomas Watson—The Beatitudes: An Exposition of Matthew 5:1-12 Chronicles
The comparative indifference with which Chronicles is regarded in modern times by all but professional scholars seems to have been shared by the ancient Jewish church. Though written by the same hand as wrote Ezra-Nehemiah, and forming, together with these books, a continuous history of Judah, it is placed after them in the Hebrew Bible, of which it forms the concluding book; and this no doubt points to the fact that it attained canonical distinction later than they. Nor is this unnatural. The book …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament Links 2 Chronicles 20:20 NIV2 Chronicles 20:20 NLT2 Chronicles 20:20 ESV2 Chronicles 20:20 NASB2 Chronicles 20:20 KJV
2 Chronicles 20:20 Commentaries
Bible Hub |
