Silent Battlefield

2 Chron 20 tells us of a time in Israel’s history when total annihilation seemed impossible to escape. King Jehoshaphat and the people of God were surrounded on every side by numerous armies. He called a fast. He called a prayer meeting where they literally fell on their face before God as a nation and cried out, “God we don’t know what to do but our eyes are on you.“ God answered. He told them to march out. He told them they would prevail. He told them He would be with them.  The king consulted the people and it was their decision to send out the worshipers first. They chose to let worship lead their warfare … to be their warfare. They chose to lead their entire army with praises to God. They chose to … rather than send out their greatest warriors with their most powerful physical weapons … To send out their trust and faith in God through their loud and vibrant worship. A tactic that in the natural seems almost foolish because it would surely alert the enemy to their approach. Rather than choose to trust in their strength, their strategies or even their might… They chose to trust THE Word of God.

As the Army of Judah marched closer to the enemy’s encampment, their hearts beat faster.  The steps seemed a little heavier.  The praise on their lips a little harder to propel. 

They knew God was on their side.  They knew He had promised victory but .... what would the battle be like.  How many would not march home?  

Nearing the outskirts of the enemy’s encmapment those leading the army (the Praisers, Priests and Musicians) noticed it first.  It was more than silent.  It was eeire and still.  

The absence of “normal” had a piercing screem.  Birds not singing, no voices carried on the wind, no smoke swirling from campfires drifted on the wind.  The clanging and clashing of swords was nonexistent.  Confusion, screams, chaos were expected.  

None were found.  

Entering the battlefield the army paused.  Musicians strummed down.  Marchers paused mid step.  

Every foe lay dead before them.  

Every evil enemy’s body lay slain in front of them.  

24 hours previous these vast armies were mocking their Great God as they indulged in all things evil.  

Today, silence.  

No mocking.  

No evil.  

Complete and total silence.  

Silence on the battlefield.  

The entire (and absurdly) opposite of what they expected, what they knew to be true.  In a supernatural, incomprehensible act, none of their  enemy was left alive.  Their minds could not readily absorb the sight in front of them.  They simply stared ... before wild and sustained rejoicing began.

Unsure of what actually transpired it took a wounded slave to explain.  They had turned on each other.  Each man, every evil member of the enemy’s armies had turned on each other.  No one knew why.  A smiple argument escalated, a misstep turned physical.  No one knew.  all that was sure ...  they were intent on destroying each other, and they did.  

Even when the last two members of the enemy’s forces stood, gazing at their commrades, in shock, and stared down each other ... instaead of declaring “truce” ... they charged ... killing each other.  

What madness.  

Evil in it’s purest form.

The word of God tells us in second Chronicles 20 that, as they worshipped … as they … worshipped, God sent an angel to destroy these vest armies.  An … A … N … An … As in one.  What a mighty God He is!

Life gives us battles.  We can sing, we can dance, we can live in peace.  But, only if we take the faith He has freely given and grow it to victory.  We don’t need to suffer.  Every pain we can (or could) possibly feel Jesus already felt and suffered for our healing.  Living in any pain is making His sacrifice in vain.   I can not do that.  I try not to, Jesus.  I don’t want to, Jesus.   I rest in your victory, Jesus.  

 

Unwavering trust and peace.  Father help us, Your modern day “people”, as we realize and remember ... Our enemies will also be annhiliated, as We rejoice and press on in worship to Your  strength and victory.   My worship (and the trust behind it) is a powerful weapon.

Silence then will reign on our battlefields also.  

Jesus has already fought the fight.

Silence no evil can withstand. 

Jesus has already claimed the victory.

God‘s mighty angelic army will be commanded on our behalf to protect us, to help us to destroy our enemies.   Evil will lay down or be destroyed before we even have to confront it.   Jesus hands that victory to us ... in pure love.  He can’t stand to see us hurt.  He can’t stand to see us struggling.  He can’t stand to see us sick.  He can’t stand to see us poor.  He loves us too much.  

He fought and won, so we don’t have to.

Colossians 2:15 And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.[e] 

The Victor, Christ Jesus, stood ... alone.  

He had defeated them all.  His enemies lay wounded, defeated and dying at His feet ... or slinking away.

Silence on the Battlefield

The fight is over.  

Our one true Champion stands alone.  Invincible!

Now He hands His victory to YOU!

Praise.  

Worship.  

Stay  in praise and worship.   Remember His promises in His Word and to you personally.  Then rest, in peace.  Let worship be your warfare and then see how the victory unfolds in quiet trust.

2 Chronicles 20:1-26 MEV

“After that, the Moabites and the Ammonites, together with some Meu­­nites, came against Jehoshaphat for battle. And some came and declared this to Jehoshaphat, “A large multitude is coming against you from across the Dead Sea from Edom; and observe, they are in Hazezon Tamar” (that is, En Gedi). Then Jehoshaphat was fearful and set himself to seek the Lord, and he called for a fast throughout all Judah. And Judah was assembled to seek the Lord; even from all the cities of Judah, they came to obtain aid from the Lord. And Jehoshaphat stood in the midst of the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem in the house of the Lord before the new courtyard, and he said: “O Lord God of our fathers, are You not God in the heavens? And do You not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations? In Your hand are strength and might, and there is no one who can oppose You. Did You not, our God, drive out those who lived in this land before Your people Israel, and You gave it perpetually to the descendants of Abraham, who was in covenant love with You. And they have dwelled in it and have built in it for You a sanctuary for Your name saying, ‘If disaster comes upon us, the sword, or judgment, or pestilence, or famine, then we will stand before this temple and before You because Your name is in this temple. And we will cry out to You in our distress, and You will hear and deliver.’ “Now here are the sons of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir, whom You did not let Israel invade when they came out of the land of Egypt, when they turned away from them and did not destroy them. See how they are rewarding us by coming to drive us out of Your possession, which You have given us to inherit. O our God, will You not render judgment on them? For we have not strength enough to stand before this great army that is coming against us. And we do not know what we should do, but our eyes are on You.” Now all of Judah was standing before the Lord, even their infants, wives, and children. And in the midst of the assembly the Spirit of the Lord came on Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite from the line of Asaph. And he said, “Pay attention all Judah, and those dwelling in Jerusalem, and King Jehoshaphat: Thus says the Lord to you, ‘Do not fear, nor be dismayed because of this great army, for the battle is not yours, but God’s. Tomorrow, go down against them. They will travel up by the Ascent of Ziz. You will find them at the back of the valley, before the Wilderness of Jeruel. It will not be necessary for you to fight in this conflict. Take your positions, stand, and observe the deliverance of the Lord for you, O Judah and Jerusalem.’ Do not fear or be filled with terror. Tomorrow, go out before them, and the Lord will be with you.” Then Jehoshaphat bowed his face to the ground, and all Judah and those dwelling in Jerusalem fell before the Lord to worship Him. And the Levites from the descendants of the Kohathites and Korahites rose up to praise the Lord God of Israel with a very loud voice. So they rose up early in the morning and went out to the Wilderness of Tekoa. And when they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Listen to me, Judah and those dwelling in Jerusalem. Believe in the Lord your God, and you will be supported. Believe His prophets, and you will succeed.” And he consulted with the people and then appointed singers for the Lord and those praising Him in holy attire as they went before those equipped for battle saying, “Praise the Lord, for His mercy endures forever.” When they began singing and praising, the Lord set ambushes against Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; so they were defeated. Then the Ammonites and Moabites stood up against those dwelling from Mount Seir to destroy and finish them. Then when they made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, each man attacked his companion to destroy each other. And Judah came to the watchtower of the wilderness, and they turned to the vast army and saw only corpses lying on the ground. And no one was spared. Then Jehoshaphat and his people came to gather their plunder, and they found among them an abundance of riches with the corpses, and precious jewelry, which they took for themselves, more than they could carry. They were gathering the plunder for three days because there was so much to carry. On the fourth day they gathered at the Valley of Berakah, because there they blessed the Lord. For this reason people have called the name of this place the Valley of Berakah until this day.”

‭‭2 Chronicles‬ ‭20:1-26‬ ‭MEV‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/1171/2ch.20.1-26.MEV