How many times have we first hand witnessed the mighty works of God, only to fear the very next time we were faced with another impossible circumstance? It seems as though each time it happens we can hear the Lord Jesus Christ tell us, "Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith?" and rise, rebuke the wind and sea and bring about a great calm (Matthew 8:26).
To the best of my knowledge, twice in Scripture our Sovereign God (once through Moses in Exodus 14:13; and once through Jahaziel, a Levite of the sons of Asaph in 2 Chronicles 20:17) told His people to "stand ye still, and see the salvation of the Lord."
Exodus 14:13-14 And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you today: for the Egyptians who yea have seen today, ye shall see them again no more forever. The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.
2 Chronicles 20:17 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.
The story behind the words of Moses in Exodus 14 are more familiar to us. We see Moses speaking those words, standing on the edge of the Red Sea, with the Egyptian army pressing in upon them from behind. We know the end result… God parted the Red Sea, the Israelites passed across on dry land, the Egyptian army pursued and was wiped out when God caused the Red Sea to close in upon them. God saved His people!
The story behind the words of Jahaziel are not so well known. I would venture to say that most don't know who Jahaziel was or the circumstances surrounding his words in 2 Chronicles 20:17.
It would do us well to not only read 2 Chronicles 20, but to meditate on it. It begins with the armies of the Moabites, the Ammonites and others coming against Israel while under the rule of King Jehoshaphat.
Jehoshaphat was given the bleak report from some of his men that the armies of their enemies were set close by and ready to destroy them. He feared their armies, set himself to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast. All the people of Judah came together to ask help of the LORD…they came to seek the LORD.
I love the prayer of Jehoshaphat which is recorded in 2 Chronicles 20:5-12. He said, (this is my paraphrase of what he said) Lord God, aren't you God in heaven who rules over all kingdoms of the heathen…and are all powerful so that none can withstand you? If when evil comes upon us and we cry out to you in our affliction, you will hear us and help.
He went on to tell the LORD what He already knew (because He is omniscient), how the armies of Moab and Ammon and Mount Seir had gathered against Israel. He asked God to destroy their enemies because they had no strength to fight against them, neither did they know what to do…but their eyes were on God.
While Jehoshaphat prayed, everyone was standing before the LORD. Then something happened…
The Spirit of the LORD came upon Jahaziel, a Levite of the sons of Asaph and he said…(more paraphrasing on my part) "Listen to me all you of Judah and you who live in Jerusalem, and you king Jehoshaphat, I will tell you what the LORD has said. Do not be afraid or dismayed because of these armies. The battle is not yours. It is God's! Tomorrow go down against them, you will find them by the cliff of Ziz at the end of the brook before the wilderness of Jeruel. You will not need to fight this battle. Set yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the LORD. Do not be afraid, the Lord will be with you."
The Bible says they fell before the LORD in worship. Then they stood up and with a loud voice praised the LORD. I assume they sang praises to Him as loudly as they could with joyful hearts.
The next morning, they arose early and King Jehoshaphat told the people, "Believe in the LORD your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper." He then appointed singers unto the Lord who were to sing praises to the beauty of God's holiness as they went out in front of the army. They were so sing, "Praise the LORD; for His mercy endureth forever."
The LORD God fought for Israel destroyed the armies of Moab, Ammon and Mount Seir. Not one soldier of those armies lived. The army of Israel, led by King Jehoshaphat, returned to Jerusalem praising the LORD for He had delivered them.
I love what verse 29 says! "The fear of God was on all the kingdoms of those countries, when they had heard that the LORD fought against the enemies of Israel." When God saves His people, their enemies fear Him.
In the end it says the realm of Jehoshaphat was quiet: for God gave him rest round about…and he walked in the way of Asa his father, and departed not from it, doing that which was right in the sight of the LORD.
My mother is facing cancer again. The LORD has healed her before of cancer, yet it has pleased Him to allow her to get cancer again. Some will say that she was never really healed before, that the cancer was in hiding and has come back… I don't believe that. I believe the LORD completely healed her last time. He delivered her.
So now she once again faces the armies of stage 4 cancer. Once again the report is bleak. So, once again we set ourselves to seek the LORD. The LORD our God is in heaven and rules over every one of us. None can withstand Him! The evil of this cancer has come against her body. We have cried out in her affliction and God will hear our prayer and help her.
She has no strength in and of herself to fight against this cancer and she doesn't know what to do, but her eyes are on the LORD. I have asked the LORD to destroy her cancer…to heal her body again. It is time to set ourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the LORD. We do not need to be afraid, the LORD is with her. The battle with cancer is not hers…it is God's.
The last time my mother had cancer the Lord took me to Mark 2:1-12. This time He has brought me to 2 Chronicles 20:1-32. Whatever God has chosen, He chose before the foundation of the world and I can't change that. He will accomplish His purpose. He will do all His good pleasure. I have set myself, I am standing still, waiting to see the salvation of the Lord…her physical healing.
To Him be glory, both now and forever more!
