2 Chronicles 20 Summary - 5 Minute Bible Study

2 Chronicles 20 Short Summary:

The armies of the Moabites, Ammonites, and Edomites marched against Judah. King Jehoshaphat proclaimed a fast and cried out to the Lord, acknowledging their powerlessness against the vast army. The Spirit of the Lord came upon Jahaziel, who prophesied that God would give Judah victory. When Judah met their enemies for battle, God caused their enemies to turn on each other. Judah found themselves victorious without ever having to draw their swords.

2 Chronicles 20 Extended Summary

WHEN:

• Jehoshaphat reigned over Judah for 25 years. His reign fits within the window of 920-890 B.C.

KEY CHARACTERS:

• Jehoshaphat – The son of King Asa of Judah. He took the throne of Judah after his father’s death.

• Jahaziel – The son of Zechariah. He was filled with the Spirit of the Lord and prophesied God’s deliverance of His people.

• The Ammonites, Moabites, Meunites, and the Edomites – These nations banded together to attack Judah.

WHERE:

• Jerusalem – The capital of the Kingdom of Judah.

• Engedi and Ziz – Locations on the west coast of the Dead Sea that Judah’s enemies passed through on their way to attack Judah.

OUTLINE:

• THE MOABITES, AMMONITES, AND EDOMITES ATTACK JUDAH (20:1-13):

  • A large army of Edomites, Ammonites, and Moabites came up from the south to attack Jehoshaphat and Judah.

  • The messengers who reported the threat to Jehoshaphat told him the enemy army was at Engedi.

  • Jehoshaphat was afraid. He announced a fast in Judah and had all the people assemble at the Temple in Jerusalem.  

  • Jehoshaphat called out to the Lord while in the middle of the assembly.

  • He acknowledged that God ruled over the nations and had the power to withstand the enemy force that was coming against them.

  • Jehoshaphat was clear that Judah needed God’s help to win the battle. He asked God to hear His people’s prayer and defend them.

  • He said, “We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you” (20:12).

• THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD FALLS ON JAHAZIEL (20:14-19):

  • The Spirit of the Lord fell on a man named Jahaziel who was at the assembly.

  • He prophesied that the Lord would save Judah and defeat their enemies for them.

  • The army of Judah was supposed to go our and meet their enemies, but God was going to give them the victory without them ever having to fight.

  • When they heard Jahaziel’s words, the king and all Judah bowed down and worshiped God.

• GOD GIVES JEHOSHAPHAT AND JUDAH VICTORY (20:20-30):

  • The next morning, the army set out to meet their enemies.

  • Jehoshaphat appointed men to dress in “holy attire” and to go in front of the army to sing praises to God.

  • When they met their enemies on the battlefield, the singers began their praise, and God went to work against the enemies of Judah.

  • God set an ambush for the enemy army. Some scholars theorize this was an ambush of angels who took on the form of men.  

  • The ambush caused confusion amongst the enemy ranks, and they started fighting with one another until they had destroyed one another.

  • It took the people of Judah 3 days to collect all the spoils. On the 4th day they blessed the Lord and returned to Jerusalem with hearts full of joy.

• THE END OF JEHOSHAPHAT’S REIGN (20:31-37):

  • A few of Jehoshaphat’s faults are mentioned at the end of chapter 20, including his unwise alliance with evil Ahaziah of Israel (son of Ahab), but overall, he was a man who tried to serve God.

  • Jehoshaphat did “what was right in the sight of the Lord” during his 25-year reign (20:33).
    

APPLICATION:

• Its possible that God puts us in situations where we are in-over-our-heads to teach us to trust Him.

• Jehoshaphat didn’t have the manpower to fight against his enemies, and he wasn’t hesitant to acknowledge his insufficient power.

• He immediately called out to the Lord for help.

• Maybe stories like this are in the Bible to teach us how to respond when we encounter situations too difficult for us to handle.