The Singers Went First

An army marches out at dawn. But at the front there are no soldiers with spears. There are singers. And they are singing: give thanks to the LORD, for his love endures for ever.

Jehoshaphat is king of Judah, son of King Asa. He has tried to lead his people in God's ways. Then one day messengers run into Jerusalem with terrible news. A vast army is coming against you, from beyond the Dead Sea. The Moabites, the Ammonites, and others with them. They are already at Hazazon-tamar, that is, En-gedi, on the shore of the Dead Sea, only a day or two's march away. Jehoshaphat is afraid. Who wouldn't be? But notice what he does with his fear. He sets himself to seek the LORD. He calls a fast throughout all Judah. And people pour in from every town to ask the LORD for help.

Jehoshaphat stands up in the temple courtyard, before the whole crowd, and prays out loud. O LORD, God of our ancestors, are you not God in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. Power and might are in your hand, and no one can stand against you. You gave this land to the descendants of Abraham, your friend. And now these armies are coming to drive us out. Then he finishes with words that are breathtakingly honest. O our God, will you not judge them? For we have no power against this great army that is coming against us. We do not know what to do. But our eyes are on you. And all of Judah stands there before the LORD, with their wives and their children and their little ones. Waiting.

Then, in the middle of the crowd, the Spirit of the LORD comes on a man called Jahaziel, a Levite, one of the descendants of Asaph the musician. And he calls out. Listen, all Judah, and you people of Jerusalem, and King Jehoshaphat! This is what the LORD says to you. Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this great army. For the battle is not yours, but God's. Tomorrow, go down against them. You will not need to fight this battle. Take your positions, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD. Do not be afraid. Go out tomorrow, and the LORD will be with you. Jehoshaphat bows down with his face to the ground. All the people fall down and worship. And the Levites stand up and praise the LORD, the God of Israel, with a very loud voice.

Early next morning they set out for the wilderness of Tekoa. As they go, Jehoshaphat stands and calls out. Believe in the LORD your God, and you will be established. Believe his prophets, and you will succeed. Then he does something no general had ever done. He appoints singers to go out in front of the army, praising God in holy splendour and singing: give thanks to the LORD, for his love endures for ever. And as they begin to sing and praise, the LORD sets ambushes against the invaders. The armies of Ammon and Moab turn on their allies from Mount Seir, and then on each other. When Judah reaches the lookout point over the wilderness, the battle is already over. No one has escaped. There is so much plunder that it takes three days to gather. On the fourth day they gather in a valley and bless the LORD, and they name it the Valley of Beracah, which means blessing. Then they march home to Jerusalem with harps and lyres and trumpets, rejoicing. And Jehoshaphat's kingdom has peace.

En-gedi, where the invaders camped, is a real oasis on the western shore of the Dead Sea. In the middle of a hot, bare desert, fresh springs tumble down the cliffs into pools, and plants grow green around them. It was the hiding place David had used when he fled from King Saul. The Song of Songs mentions the vineyards of En-gedi. Today it is a nature reserve, still fed by those same springs.

The singers went first. You'll find this story in Second Chronicles chapter twenty, verses one to thirty. A frightened king who prayed, we don't know what to do, but our eyes are on you, and a choir that marched out in front. So here is a question to carry with you. When you don't know what to do, where will you fix your eyes?