An Incident in the Life of Jehoshaphat. (2 Chron. 20:1-30.)

A Strange element of weakness mars the otherwise fine character of Jehoshaphat-a weakness yielded to, and thus proving a most effectual barrier to blessing. Beginning his reign with evident purpose of heart to walk in God's ways, he solidified the kingdom of Judah, and strengthened it both materially and spiritually. He sent out Levites and priests who instructed the people out of the law. He "waxed great exceedingly; and he built in Judah castles, and cities of store. And he had much business in the cities of Judah:and the men of war, mighty men of valor were in Jerusalem." The fear of God was upon the surrounding nations preventing them from attacking the king. Thus, though shorn of the glory of Solomon's day, when all Israel was one, it was again true there was '' neither adversary, nor evil occurrent."

With all quiet within and without, with no need to tempt him, Jehoshaphat joined affinity with Ahab, and opened the door for all the entangling alliances which were so disastrous during and after his reign; for to this union may be traced largely the subsequent idolatry of the royal house of Judah, while the murderess Athaliah and the vengeance of Jehu were alike inflictions for and results of this mixture of darkness with light.

He must go with king Ahab to war in face of the solemn warning of the only prophet who could or dared tell the truth-a prophet whom he himself had called for-and was only kept from the doom of the wicked king of Israel through God's mercy, reminding us of Lot's escape from Sodom. Later enterprises of a similar character were engaged in, showing that the root of weakness was never fully judged; and so this otherwise good and devoted king left a very crooked path for his successors to walk in.

For this reason too the matter before us is only an incident in his life. It did not give character to the whole, but stands out in contrast with a great part of it.

There can be no doubt that the combined attack of Moab and Ammon was a distinct chastening for his connection with Ahab. Until that time, the fear of God hindered the enmity of these nations. On his return from the campaign to Ramoth-gilead, he met with a solemn reproof from Jehu the son of Hanani, " Shouldest thou help the ungodly, and love them that hate the Lord ? therefore is wrath upon thee from before the Lord." (Chap. 19:2.) There is at the same time a word of approval for the measure of uprightness found in him, which, with continued faithfulness in the internal affairs of the kingdom, foreshadowed tender dealing even in the affliction. But nothing can avert that chastisement. How in all this we see the character of God manifest ! He must reprove unfaithfulness, but He is " not unrighteous to forget your work and labor of love, which ye have showed toward His name." (Heb. 6:10.) He does not love to write bitter things against us; He does love to record the good He can find. His holiness compels Him to send chastening, that we might be partakers of that holiness; but His love is ever ready to come to the succor of His people when chastened.

So the enemy comes in like a flood, and if Jehoshaphat wants war, he shall have it to the full. It was his own choosing. If we are in grievous trial, brought upon us through our unfaithfulness, let us not be surprised, still less let us complain. Let us rather learn from the man before us, for now he reads us a precious lesson.

" It came to pass after this also, that the children of Moab, and the children of Ammon, and with them others besides the Ammonites, came against Jehoshaphat to battle." Moab and Ammon were the children of Lot's shame, marking the depth to which a child of God may fall who forsakes the separate place marked out by grace for faith. Their names describe and interpret them. Moab-"seed of a father;" Ben-Ammi "son of my people." They represent the fruits of self, acting upon and occupied with itself. An intenser self-or flesh, which is the same-is the result. So if Lot was a neutral, a trifler and loiterer in the enemy's country, these his offspring are the pronounced enemies, with nothing but evil in them. "An Ammonite or Moabite shall not enter into the congregation of the Lord; even to their tenth generation shall they not enter into the congregation of the Lord forever." (Deut. 23:3.) If Jehoshaphat had acted as a neutral, he must feel the power of the fruits of neutralism. If we step aside and hold intercourse with God's enemies, we must feel the power of those " fleshly lusts which war against the soul; " of that "carnal mind which is enmity against God." Moab and Ammon then seem to represent more than mere outward enmity; they were related to Israel. So in our own history, there are spiritual foes outside of ourselves, and others as it were related to us-fruits of our own folly and unbelief. It is these who come up to overwhelm us when we have departed from that path of separation which is the only path of peace or power.

There were others joined with these, as Satan knows how and when to marshal his forces and to league even opposing interests against his one object of hatred. So that Jehoshaphat might have said, "They have consulted together with one consent :they are confederate against Thee:the tabernacles of Edom and the Ishmaelites; of Moab and the Hagarenes:Gebal and Ammon and Amalek:they have holpen the children of Lot." (Ps. 83:5-8.) Our enemies rarely come single handed. The Corinthian saints were beset not merely by the pride of party strife, but by a carnality of walk and a looseness of doctrine that were simply appalling.

No wonder that in the face of such a host Jehoshaphat was filled with fear. But that fear drove him where prosperity it seems could not hold him, into the presence of God. "He set himself to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah." " Pride goeth before destruction," and faith is seen in fear. " Noah moved with fear prepared an ark." It is no sign of faith to see one unexercised by the presence of spiritual foes, especially if brought upon him as a result of his own course. "Blessed is the man that feareth always." One of the saddest signs of the day is this lack of fear. The powers of darkness have well-nigh overwhelmed the professing church, but where is that fasting and seeking the Lord which we see in Jehoshaphat ? In place of that how often is the reverse seen-human expedients and self-complacency.

Gathered together and humbled before Him the men of Judah lay the whole case before God. They tell Him of His absolute power as Creator (5:6.) They remind Him of His covenant relationship with Israel and how He gave them the land (5:7.) They remind Him of the sanctuary where His name had been placed, and of the promise of "help from the sanctuary" in the "day of trouble," (10:8, 9.) The fact of the present attack is then laid before Him, and the prayer closes with these words-owning their helplessness, but holding fast to His power:-"We have no might against this great company that cometh against us:neither know we what to do:but our eyes are upon Thee." (5:12.)

How beautiful is this attitude of confessed weakness and ignorance! "All Judah stood before the Lord, with their little ones and their wives, and their children." Utterly weak they are, but who' dare touch them ? They know not what to do, where to go ; but their cause is in other hands. "Be not afraid or dismayed by reason of this great multitude,"- they get an answer from God Himself through His servant-"for the battle is not yours but God's." They have but to go to meet the foe, and stand still and see God work for them, as at the Red Sea. And is not the same path of victory open for us? If in utter weakness, and ignorance of what to do, we but cast ourselves in complete self-abandonment upon God, how soon would we learn that He would undertake for us. He would meet our enemies and we would need but to "stand still and see the salvation of the Lord with us."

Do we believe these things? Will we act upon them ? Will you, child of God, well-nigh overwhelmed by the enemy, with no strength and at a loss which way to turn-will you, in confessed weakness, let God's power work for you ? Will you, feeble company of God's saints, that seem a target for Satan, with weakness within and scoffs without-will you stand before God and let your weakness speak for you? Oh! what a place of power is this ! Creature-resources are swept aside and the living God goes before His people. No wonder that a band of singers is put in the forefront of the battle. "When Israel went out of Egypt, the house of Jacob from a people of strange language; Judah was his sanctuary and Israel his dominion. The sea saw it and fled:Jordan was driven back. The mountains skipped like rams, the little hills like lambs. What ailed thee, O thou sea, that thou fleddest? thou Jordan that thou wast driven back ?Tremble, thou earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob." (Ps. 114:)

God Himself-"The Lord is a man of war"-was the One who was to fight their battle and win their victory. In the majestic sixty-eighth psalm, we have very much the same ring of victory that we can well believe sounded in the hearts of Jehoshaphat's host. "Let God arise, let His enemies be scattered; let them also that hate Him flee before Him . Sing unto God, sing praises to His name:extol Him that rideth upon the heavens by His name Jah, and rejoice before Him. . . Kings of armies did flee apace:and she that tarried at home divided the spoil. . . . The singers went before, the players on instruments followed after."

Two subjects formed the theme of the praises of the people-"the beauty of holiness," and "His
mercy endureth forever." The first celebrates what God is ; the second His acts toward His people. The beauty of holiness-in God it all centered:glimpses of it might be seen in His servants but its fulness and symmetry could only be found in Himself For us who know Him in His Son; who do not see His "back parts" as even Moses was only privileged to do; but who behold "the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ"-for us how much this beauty of holiness should mean. So too " His mercy endureth forever" means so much more for us than it could possibly for that company. For them it was a refrain that could be placed after the mention of each act of His power, from creation to the victories that put them in possession of their land. (Ps. 136:) For us it more particularly means the celebration of that redemption which found us lost, away from God and will not cease to act until we are placed in glory with Christ. Oh! how much does that mean for us-" His mercy endureth forever!" This then is the song with which we face the enemy, and in anticipation celebrate a victory yet to be won; in reality however already won-the person and the work of Christ. "We are more than conquerors through Him that loved us."

Is this the spirit in which we go forth for the conflicts which are pressed upon us ? Then victory is ours. How simple this is; to the world so simple as to be foolish; but to faith a blessed secret of power.

Let us remember that a sense of helplessness and ignorance preceded the song of praise. There was the renunciation of self-no thought of turning to Ahab's house or elsewhere. "Give us help from
trouble, for vain is the help of man." " Our eyes are upon Thee."

How complete the victory was! The patched up truce between hostile tribes was forgotten; and the hidden evil that lurked in all their hearts, ("hateful and hating one another ") turned their swords against one another, and God's people had only to see their enemies slaughtered without lifting an arm themselves. They only followed after to take the spoils. For such victories mean great spoil. If we are brought to the end of our strength and cast upon God and thus go to meet our enemy, we have won a victory that will yield great results; we will have indeed rich spoil. The experience gained, the reality of God's presence, the blessedness of depending upon Him-these and many other results will make our place of victory a valley of Berachah indeed-a valley of blessing. Fresh praises will burst from our hearts. We will settle clown to a quiet which none can disturb; it will be " He " that " giveth quietness."

Let us remember then, if we are utterly weak, if we know not which way to turn-these things, so far from depressing us, should, if used aright, give us confidence of victory. If they but lead us unto God it will be said of us that we were "out of weakness made strong."