2 chronicles 20 and 21

Read 2 Chronicles 20 and 21 at Bible Gateway.

The Hebrew paragraph divisions:

2 Chr 20:1-13 {s} Moab + Ammon + Edom join forces against Judah/ Jehoshaphat + all Judah seek the LORD
2 Chr 20:14-30 {p} The praisers before the army/ the coalition destroyed themselves + Jehoshaphat had rest
2 Chr 20:31-21:3 {p} The reign of Jehoshaphat/ expedition to Tarshish wrecked, for he allied himself with Ahaziah
2 Chr 21:4-11 {p} Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat did evil in YHVH’s sight for he had the daughter of Ahab to wife
2 Chr 21:12-22:1 {p} Elijah: because you have done this, evil destined against you/his house destroyed + his death

The strong themes:

2 Chr 20:1-30 {s+p} Jehoshaphat’s stood still while the LORD fought for him against his enemies + he had rest

The chiasitc structure for chapter 20:

1a) 2 Chr 20:1-2, Moab + Ammon + Edom allied together to fight against Jehoshaphat, a great multitude;

1b) 2 Chr 20:3a, And Jehoshaphat feared;

1c) 2 Chr 20:3b-13 {s} Jehoshaphat + all Judah stood before the Lord’s house + cried out in their affliction;

1a) 2 Chr 20:3b-5, He + all Judah with him sought the Lord/ he stood in the assembly in the house of the Lord;
1b) 2 Chr 20:6, O Lord, You rule over the kingdoms/ in Your hand is power + might;
1c) 2 Chr 20:7-8, You are our God, who gave us this land/ we dwell in it + built You this sanctuary for Your name;
1d) 2 Chr 20:9a If disaster comes upon us, we stand before You + cry out to You in our affliction;
central axis) 2 Chr 20:9b, And You will hear and save;
2d) 2 Chr 20:10, Our affliction: Ammon + Moab + Edom, whom we turned from + did not destroy at Your word;
2c) 2 Chr 20:11, They reward us by coming to throw us out of Your possession which You have given us;
2b) 2 Chr 20:12, O God, judge them/ We have no power against this multitude but our eyes are upon You;
2a) 2 Chr 20:13 {s} All Judah with their little ones + wives + children, stood before the Lord.

1d) 2 Chr 20:14-17, The Spirit of the Lord: Do not fear, for the battle is God’s + you will see His salvation;

1a) 2 Chr 20:14-16, The Spirit of God: Do not be afraid + dismayed/ tomorrow go down against them;
1b) 2 Chr 20:17a, You will not need to fight in this battle;
central axis) 2 Chr 20:17b, Position yourselves + stand still;
2b) 2 Chr 20:17c, See the salvation of the Lord, who is with you;
2a) 2 Chr 20:17d, Do not fear + be dismayed/ tomorrow go out against them, for the Lord is with you;

central axis) 2 Chr 20:18-19, Jehoshaphat + all Judah bowed, worshiping/ Levites stood up to praise;

2d) 2 Chr 20:20-26, They went according to the Lord’s word, praising in front of the army + God’s great deliverance;

1a) 2 Chr 20:20a, They rose early in the morning + went out into the Wilderness of Tekoa;
1b) 2 Chr 20:20b-21, Believe the Lord, He will establish + prosper you/ praisers appointed before the army;
central axis) 2 Chr 20:22-24, The Lord’s deliverance: He set ambushes/ they destroyed themselves;
2b) 2 Chr 20:25-26, 3 days to carry away the spoil/ they assembled in the valley and blessed the Lord;
2a) 2 Chr 20:27a, They returned to Jerusalem;

2c) 2 Chr 20:27b-28, They went back to the house of the Lord with joy, for the Lord had made them rejoice;

2b) 2 Chr 20:29, The fear of God was on those kingdoms when they heard YHVH had fought for Israel;

2a) 2 Chr 20:30 {p} Then the realm of Jehoshaphat was quiet, for his God gave him rest all around.

A single phrase stood out to me today: “position yourselves.” The word is Strong’s H3320, yatsab, יָצַב, yud + tsadey + bet. The ancient Hebrew pictographs are of the arm and closed hand or work, throw; + the man lying on his side, or a trail, therefore journey, chase, hunt; + the house or family. The tsadey + bet together mean, “wall,” as the side (tsadey) of the house (bet) is a wall. A wall is a fastness which stands in the face of weather, elements, and enemies, to protect those therein. I think the story the ancient pictographs are telling of yatsab, is laboring (yud) to stand fast (tsadey + bet). To stand still to see the deliverance of the Lord, when enemies are bearing down on you, does require a labor (it puts me in mind of Heb 4:11, laboring to enter the rest of God); you have to corral the flesh that wants to run or fight, and bring it under subjection, and cause it to wait without moving off your position.

How interesting that the central axis is our worship and praise before the Lord, before anything good or bad has happened! It is true faith, to praise the Lord for His greatness, mercy, and deliverance, before any of it has yet happened. It is prophetic response of worship, to the prophetic promise the prophet declared. We position ourselves to stand fast; we worship; we take the action required (Judah went down to the place of the battle with the praisers in front of the army), all acts of faith, and in response, the Lord brings His deliverance.

You know, if affliction never came upon us, we would never have occasion to cry out to the LORD, and He would never have occasion to bare His mighty right arm on our behalf, and show Himself strong to those whose hearts are loyal to Him. ♥