the Fourth Week after Easter
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Daily Devotionals
Day by Day Devotional - Year 2 of 5
2 Chronicles 20:1-13
Three enemies at once are advancing against the small kingdom of Judah. They are her constant enemies: Moab, Ammon and those from Mount Seir in Edom (v. 22). In the face of this threat of invasion, Jehoshaphat seeks the LORD and proclaims a fast. The people gather together. Referring to Solomon’s prayer (2 Chronicles 6:34-35), the king stands before the holy house and calls upon the One who promised to hear and help (vv. 8, 9).
Adding together the military personnel which Jehoshaphat had at his disposal (2 Chronicles 17:14-18), it comes to the impressive figure of one million one hundred and sixty thousand soldiers. Even so, they are to play practically no part in the whole of this long chapter! Jehoshaphat understood that sentence in Psalms 33 "There is no king saved by the multitude of an host: a mighty man is not delivered by much strength . . . Our soul waiteth for the LORD: he is our help and our shield" (Psalms 33:16; Psalms 33:20). So the king recognizes both his lack of strength and lack of wisdom (v. 12). However, he adds, "our eyes are upon thee". And conversely, "the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him" (2 Chronicles 16:9).
