Asaph Music Co. Newsletter 11

Vol. 3--No. 3--April 30, 2004

(Go easy on your eyes. Print this letter for a more enjoyable read.)

“…he appointed singers…as they went out before the army…” –II Chronicles 20:21

Remember your days with the school yard bully? Maybe you were never personally involved in fighting the bully, but you surely would not want to miss the fight, you know, if there was going to be a fight anyway.

There the two school yard pugilists were, standing chest to chest, hands clenched into ever ready fists waiting to fly, as the rest of the students had already begun to gather round.

Now stop right there!

With that scene vivid in your memory, let’s change the upcoming scene just for a moment. Just before our hero here throws his knockout punch, let’s change the situation to where he’s singing his best note of praise to the Lord instead.

You might be tempted to say, “Well, that’s the end of that fight,” and you might be correct. But that scene is similar to what took place in II Chronicles 20. Only it wasn’t something in our imagination. It really happened.

One of those good kings of Israel’s southern kingdom we mentioned in our last letter was named Jehoshaphat. There came a time in his reign when he was being picked on, only it wasn’t by just one bully: it was by a whole bunch of them. Second Chronicles 20:1 reads, “It came to pass after this also, that the children of Moab, and the children of Ammon, and with them other beside the Ammonites, came against Jehoshaphat to battle.” It is clear that King Jehoshaphat had his hands full.

At this point King Jehoshaphat shows his leadership skills—in spite of his fear, which he had, by the way, according to verse 3. Then the Bible reveals how he set himself to seek the Lord and proclaimed a fast for the whole kingdom. The people followed his leadership, and everyone gathered together in the house of the Lord for the sole purpose of asking the Lord for help.

It is interesting how Jehoshaphat goes about asking, begging, pleading for the Lord’s help. The king is in a bind here. All the kingdom is watching. The enemy is gathering. Jehoshaphat now makes time to ask the Lord for help—by questioning His veracity!

The king requests help from the ultimate Power of the universe with a series of question, which honor God when they are easily and obviously answered.

Aren’t You the God who rules over all heathen nations?

Aren’t You the God who has all power and might so that there is no nation anywhere able to withstand You?

Are You not our God who drove out the inhabitants of the land so that we could live here, and wasn’t it You who gave this land to the family of Your friend Abraham?

Didn’t You allow us to build a house for Thy name’s sake?

And when Solomon built that house, Solomon--the king You said You loved--didn’t he pray a prayer of dedication which You honored which stated that if we were taken in a number of different difficult circumstances, You would deliver us if we would cry unto You?

In his desperation and with this series of questions, King Jehoshaphat lays everything out in the open and then leaves it all with the Lord with this statement in verse 12: “O our God, wilt thou not judge them? for we have no might against this great company that cometh against us; neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon thee.”

What is the Lord going to do with faith like that? Honor it.

Jehoshaphat prayed through, got the Lord’s attention and His help. The Lord sent a special message to Jehoshaphat to meet the enemy, but not to worry, because the Lord would be doing all the fighting.

That brings up an interesting situation. The king was supposed to lead the people into battle but not to plan on any battling, which leaves all the people with some idle time on their hands, and that’s not good. So the king comes up with an idea of what they can do as they wait for the Lord to do all the fighting—sing! Can you believe it? The king leads the people into battle without armor, without battle plans, without any preparation for war, except singing. What a battle plan!

Verses 21 and 22 tell us how quickly this war came to a close in favor of the singers “And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the Lord, and that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise the Lord; for His mercy endureth for ever. And when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten.”

Is it important to sing and praise the Lord? We think so.

NEW FROM ASAPH MUSIC COMPANY…

Carry On the Cause by Sena Rice
http://www.asaphmusic.com/description.asp?Item=BRR-COTC