2 Chronicles 20:22-24 "Now when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushes against the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; and they were defeated. For the people of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of Mount Seir to utterly kill and destroy them. And when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, they helped to destroy one another. So when Judah came to a place overlooking the wilderness, they looked toward the multitude; and there were their dead bodies, fallen on the earth. No one had escaped."
The turning point in Jehoshaphat's dilemma came when God's people acted upon the divine revelation they were given. Faith is a fact that always involves an act:
-You received the "word of faith " for salvation, you acted upon it by responding, and you were saved. -Noah acted upon a word received from God concerning a forthcoming flood and built an ark to preserve life on the earth.
-Moses received a commission to deliver Israel and acted upon it by returning to Egypt to petition Pharaoh in their behalf.
-Blind men saw, the lame walked, and the deaf heard as they acted in response to the words of Jesus.
Faith is not just passive believing or wishful hoping. Faith is acting on the fact of God's Word. Jehoshaphat was instructed by God:
2 Chronicles 20:15-17 "Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God's. Tomorrow go down against them. They will surely come up by the Ascent of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the brook before the Wilderness of Jeruel. You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, standstill and see the salvation of the Lord, who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem! Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, for the Lord is with you."
Jehoshaphat had a word from God and acted in faith on it. The next day he positioned himself for victory and watched God work in his behalf. What does it mean to "position" yourself for victory? The answer is given in this passage: And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed those who should sing to the Lord, and who should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army and were saying:
2 Chronicles 20:21, 22 "Praise the Lord, for His mercy endures forever." Now when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushes against the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; and they were defeated."
When you position yourself in praise and worship, God will move in your behalf. Israel began to sing and praise God and ambushes were set by the Lord against the advancing enemy. God moved in their behalf "when they began" to sing and praise, not when they finished. The enemy was "ambushed" by God and when Israel arrived on the battle field, instead of finding living men to contend with they found only the carcasses of the enemy. There they were in full battle array, armed with shields and spears, but there was no life in them. Their deadly potential was eliminated when God's people began to praise and worship.
Repeatedly in Old Testament conflicts God directs Israel to send the tribe of Judah into battle first. The name Judah means "praise," so whenever you see that name used, substitute the word "praise." Praise is the purpose for which we are ordained:
2 Chronicle 29:11 "My sons, do not be negligent now, for the Lord has chosen you to stand before Him, to serve Him, and that you should minister to Him and burn incense."
The first of the ten commandments is to worship God and the Bible reveals that God actively seeks those who will worship and praise Him:
John 4:23 "But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him."
God created us to praise Him:
Isaiah 43:21 "This people I have formed for Myself; they shall declare My praise."
The Bible is filled with commands for us to praise God:
1 Peter 2:5 "You also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ."
1 Peter 2:9 "But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light."
Psalms 147:1 AMP "Praise the Lord, for it is good..praise is becoming and appropriate."
Praise involves worship and thanksgiving. To worship means "to do reverence, to kiss, do homage towards, revere, stand in awe of, show devotion, bow down and honor." Worship is an acknowledgment of God, His nature, attributes, ways, and worth.
We thank God by acknowledging our gratitude for His works. We praise him by blessing Him, celebrating, and boasting of what He has done. Actually the word "praise" has eight different meanings, two of which are quite interesting. They are to "release before the Lord" and to be "clamorously foolish." Other words related to praise and worship are:
-Glorify: To give honor to, rank, beauty.
-Honor: To exalt and show preference.
-Magnify: To ascribe greatness, glorify.
There is no sharp dividing line between praise, worship, and thanksgiving. As you worship, you can flow easily from one to another, as demonstrated in the book of Psalms. Many of us are conditioned to being led into worship, but God directs says "you enter" and "you offer a sacrifice" of praise:
Hebrews 13:15 "Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name."
PRAISING GOD IN SPIRIT AND TRUTH
Jesus said in John 4:23, 24 these words:
"But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth."
What does it mean to worship in spirit and truth? Turn to John 4 in your Bible which summarizes the encounter of Jesus with a Samaritan woman. Jesus was resting by a well when a woman came to draw water. She was obviously poor materially since she had no servant to draw water for her, but she was even poorer spiritually. Jesus told the woman, "If you knew", indicating that you must worship from a position of knowing. Knowledge (or truth) results in understand who the Lord is and results in worship. Jesus said, "If you knew, you would ask." Knowledge (truth) always requires a response.
The woman told Jesus, "You have nothing to draw with to give me this water." Like this woman, many of us focus on the impossibilities of life, while we are in the presence of the Source of miracles. The life Jesus gives results in worship, a spiritual stream that quenches your thirst by springing up from deep inside your spirit. When you face impossible situations and you begin to worship, then the miracle worker is present because God inhabits the praises of His people (Psalm 22:3).
Jesus said the Samaritans worshiped with spirit, but without truth (verses 19-24). In the time of Ezra and Nehemiah when the Samaritans were not allowed to help Israel rebuild the temple, they built their own temple on Mount Gerizim. This was the site where they believed Abraham offered Isaac and Jacob had his dream of the ladder extending to Heaven. The Samaritans climbed this mountain often and worshiped, but they did not know what they worshiped. They were enthusiastic in their worship, but without the truth of the Gospel.
The Jews worshiped in truth (law) but with no spirit. Jesus, who was a Jew, said "We know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews." The Jews understood the truth, but they were cold, legalistic, hypocritical, and ritualistic. They went through the motions of worship but their hearts were not in it. God is to be worshiped as both "Father" and "Spirit." Spirit is nature while Father is relationship. The issue of true worship is not where and when it is done as much as who and how. If you are a true worshiper you do not have to try finding God. God comes looking for you because He seeks those who worship Him in spirit and truth.
Man is a triune being composed of a body which is visible and an invisible soul and spirit. The soul is the "soulish" nature of man, the mind, will, and emotions. The spirit is the spiritual inner man and your spirit has emotional responses like the soul. Soul and spirit are closely related but are separate, because the Bible tells us the Word of God is sharp and can divide them.
You cannot really worship with your spirit unless it is energized by His Spirit, so worshiping in spirit involves the Holy Spirit also. As you worship, God's Spirit bears witness with your spirit according to Romans 8:16. Since man is a triune being, when you worship with your spirit you must also worship with your soul and body.
The word "truth" means to uncover, open up, and not hide. Worship is to be based on truth which is information gained in meditation which results from time spent with God in discovery. If you are going to truly worship, you must be committed to the Word of God, not just some emotional feeling.
To worship in spirit is to allow the Holy Spirit to move upon your redeemed spirit, causing love, adoration, devotion, honor, and respect to ascend to God who is a spirit. To worship in truth is to worship according to the Word of God and to properly respond to the truth of God.
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