A vast coalition of Moabites, Ammonites, and Meunites marched against Judah, and Jehoshaphat, afraid, proclaimed a fast throughout Judah and gathered the people to seek the Lord in the temple court. Jehoshaphat prayed recounting God's past deliverance and acknowledging Judah's helplessness, then the Spirit came upon Jahaziel the Levite who prophesied that the battle was God's and Judah need not fight but only watch the Lord's salvation. The next morning Jehoshaphat appointed singers to go before the army praising the Lord for His steadfast love, and when they began singing, the Lord set ambushes causing the enemy forces to destroy each other; Judah arrived to find only corpses, spent three days collecting spoil, and returned to Jerusalem with harps, lyres, and trumpets to the house of the Lord, and the fear of God came on all kingdoms when they heard that the Lord had fought against Israel's enemies.
Read 2 Chronicles Chapter 20 Summary
Characters in This Chapter
Builder of the temple and Israel's most glorious king
Reforming king who restored temple worship and trusted God against Assyria
Young king who led the greatest revival, rediscovered the Law
Godly king known for his prayer and trust in God during battle
Son of Jacob, Ancestor of David and Christ
Father of Many Nations
Prophet of Messianic Visions
Levite Musician and Psalmist
Places in This Chapter
Moab was a region east of the Dead Sea, inhabited by the descendants of Lot's son Moab. Ruth was a Moabite who famously left her homeland to follow Naomi to Bethlehem. Israel often had conflict with Moab, though King David entrusted his parents to the king of Moab for protection.
Egypt plays a significant role throughout the Bible, from the time of Abraham to the flight of the Holy Family. Joseph was sold into slavery there and rose to become second to Pharaoh, saving his family during famine. The Israelites were enslaved in Egypt for 400 years before God delivered them through Moses in the Exodus. Jesus' family fled to Egypt to escape King Herod, fulfilling the prophecy "Out of Egypt I called my son."
The wilderness refers to the desert regions of Sinai and Judea. Israel wandered here for 40 years after the Exodus. John the Baptist preached in the wilderness of Judea, and Jesus was tempted by Satan in the wilderness for 40 days. It represents testing, preparation, and encounter with God.
Position in Book
Alternating faithful and unfaithful kings, with special attention to reformers like Hezekiah and Josiah.