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Bible story · 2 Chronicles 20:1–30
Singers at the Front
Read it yourself in the King James Bible: 2 Chronicles 20:1–30 ↗
“O our God, wilt thou not judge them? for 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 Chronicles 20:12 (KJV)The Story
Messengers rushed in to King Jehoshaphat of Judah with terrible news. A huge army of Moabites, Ammonites, and their allies was marching toward them, and it was already close.
Jehoshaphat was afraid, and he did the right thing with his fear. He called the whole nation to fast and pray. Men, women, and even little children stood before the Lord as the king prayed. He admitted the truth: “We have no power against this great army. We don’t know what to do. But our eyes are on You.”
God answered through a man named Jahaziel: “Be not afraid… for the battle is not yours, but God’s. Ye shall not need to fight in this battle.”
The next morning, Jehoshaphat did something no general would ever do. He put singers at the front of the army, ahead of the soldiers, singing, “Praise the LORD; for his mercy endureth for ever.” As they began to sing, God set ambushes against the enemy armies, and they turned on each other. By the time Judah arrived, the battle was over. It took them three days just to carry home the goods left behind. They named the place the Valley of Blessing.
Reflection
Jehoshaphat’s prayer is one of the most honest in the Bible: “We don’t know what to do.” He didn’t pretend to have a plan. He simply turned his eyes in the right direction.
More Bible stories from 2 Chronicles. More about: Prayer
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Day 21 of Book 1
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