At Your Wit's End (Part 3)

 2 Chronicles 20:2 "Then some came and told Jehoshaphat, saying, "A great multitude is coming against you from beyond the seas, from Syria; and they are in Hazazon Tamar"..."

The multitude that came against Jehoshaphat was a formidable alliance consisting of the  Moabites, Ammonites, and others with them. To really understand who these people were, we need to look at a bit of their history.

The Moabites were descendants of Moab, the grandson of Lot who was conceived by incest with his eldest daughter in Genesis 19:30-38.  Their territory was situated along the eastern border of the Dead Sea, on the plateau between the Dead Sea and the Arabian desert. To the south and west of Moab was the nation of Edom and to the north was Ammon. It was a fertile area for crops and herds and a major trade route ran from Syria to the Gulf of Aqabah, bringing wealth and culture to the Moabites.

When the Israelites camped in Moab just prior to crossing the Jordan River, the women of Moab enticed the Israelites into ritual sexual immorality which resulted in God's judgment against Israel in Numbers 25:1-9.

 The tribes of Reuben and Gad settled in northern Moab according to Numbers 32:1-37. When the nation of  Israel became morally corrupt during the period of the judges, Eglon, a king of Moab,  oppressed Israel and captured territory east of the Jordan River as far as Jericho. Ehud, the judge, delivered Israel from Eglon’s control in Judges 3:12-30.

The Moabites also threatened Israel when Saul was king in 1 Samuel 14:47. David eventually conquered Moab and the nation remained subject to Israel until after Solomon's death as recorded in 2 Samuel 8:2. Omri, king of Israel from 885-874 B. C., kept Moab under his control, as did his son Ahab (874-853 B. C.) until he became preoccupied with wars against Syria and Assyria and Moab broke free.

King Jehoram of Israel, the King of Edom, and King Jehoshaphat joined forces to attack Moab about 849 B. C.  They failed to conquer the Moabites because of a superstitious act when the king of Moab sacrificed his own son to show how deeply he believed in his cause (2 Kings 3:1-27).  Given this brief historical background, you can readily see why Jehoshaphat feared the Moabites.

The “great multitude” Jehoshaphat faced was composed not only of Moabites, however.  Joining them were the Ammonites, a nomadic race descended from Lot’s son, Ammon. During the days of the Exodus, the Israelites were instructed by God not to associate with the Ammonites in Deuteronomy. 23:3. No reason is given in the Bible for the hostility between the two nations, but the rift continued for several centuries.

In the days of the judges, Eglon, king of Moab, enlisted the aid of the Ammonites in taking Jericho from Israel in Judges 3:13. In King Saul's time, Nahash, the Ammonite king, planned an attack against the Israelites living in Jabesh Gilead, threatening to put out the right eyes of all the men and disable them for warfare.  King Saul responded to their call for help and saved them from this fate in 1 Samuel 11:1-11. 

The chief god of the Ammonites was “Molech” to whom they offered human sacrifices in gruesome orgies where his image was heated and the bodies of living children were placed into his arms according to 1 Kings 11:7.

The Ammonites and Moabites created a powerful alliance, but they also enlisted the aid of the Edomites. These people were descendants of Edom (Esau) who made his home in Mt. Seir and disposed the original inhabitants as we read in Deuteronomy 2:12 .    

After the years of wilderness wandering when Moses wanted to lead Israel northward to Canaan across Edom, the king of Edom refused them passage forcing them to take a more lengthy and difficult route through the desert to the east-Read this account in Numbers 20:14-21 and Judges 11:17,18.

During the reign of King Saul, Israel fought against Edom-1 Samuel 14:47-and later King  David conquered Edom, along with a number of other adjacent countries in 2 Samuel 8:13-14. During the time of the Divided Kingdom, a number of hostile encounters occurred between God’s people and Edom and the evil Edomites were the only neighbor of Israel not promised mercy from God in Isaiah 34:5-6 and 63:1.

These three nations-the Moabites, Ammonites, and Edomites-were fierce by nature, hostile towards God’s people, cruel, and idolatrous. This was the composition of the “great multitude”  Jehoshaphat faced!

Now think for a moment...What is the composition of the “great multitude” you face?   You may think your “multitude” is a person who is making your life miserable. If you are a pastor controlled by a carnal church board, you may consider them to be your great multitude.   Children out of control, abusive mates, hostile co-workers? Who do you think composes the great multitude generating your bad report?

If you identified any of the above you are wrong. Your enemy is not those rising up against you. Your real foes are only disguised in “flesh and blood” and as long as you perceive your battle to be on a natural level you will continue to be terrorized by the enemy.  

 Behind every “great multitude” and every “bad report” there are spiritual causes.  The Apostle Paul explains in Ephesians 6:12 that:

 "We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places."

Your enemy is not your mate, your co-worker, or your abuser. Your enemy is the controlling power behind the great multitude, the forces of Satan and his demonic hosts.   Their strategy is similar to the enemy alliance Jehoshaphat faced, because “the thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy” in John 10:10.

You must face a spiritual enemy with spiritual strategies. This is why the Apostle Paul declares in 1 Corinthians 4:10, “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds."

The first time God’s people came to the borders of their promised land they faced a great multitude.  There were giants in the land and the majority of Israel were terrorized by them.  Intimidated by the multitude, Israel turned back to wander in the wilderness another 40 years. 

On another occasion, the Prophet Elisha’s servant, Gehazi, was intimidated by a multitude of warriors encamped around the city of Gothan. The prophet prayed that Gehazi’s eyes would be opened so he could see into the spirit world, enabling him to recognize that the forces of God were greater than those of the great multitude.   

If you are to confront your great multitude successfully, then your spiritual eyes must be opened.  Begin by making this declaration:

 2 Chronicles 14:11 “Lord, it is nothing for You to help, whether with many or with those who have no power; help us, O Lord our God, for we rest on You, and in Your name we go against this multitude. O Lord, You are our God; do not let man prevail against You!"

“Your enemy is coming,” they warned Jehoshaphat. “They have already forded the waters and are encamped nearby.”  What do you think will happen to Jehoshaphat as he faces his great multitude of enemy forces?

“I don’t know what to do!”is Jehoshaphat’s immediate response.  He freezes.  He is rendered completely immobile with spiritual paralysis. If Jehoshaphat is to prevail against the enemy, then he must look beyond the clouds of dust kicked up by their horses and the threatening glimmer of their armor in the late afternoon sun. He must see beyond the immediate crisis into the spirit world and view his battle with spiritual perception.

 What about your great multitude? Your enemy is also encamped nearby.  You can hear the intimidating sound of advancing footsteps. Like Jehoshaphat, you may not know what to do so you have to learn that out of something bad can come something good. You've got to believe that when you don't know what to do.