In 2 Chronicles 20, the Bible tells us about a time when a vast army of Moabites, Ammonites and Meunites came to wage war against the Israelites, when Jehoshaphat was their king (sometime between 873 to 848 BC). The army must have been substantial because Jehoshaphat became afraid and he decided to seek the Lord for advice (a great move, by the way). Before doing so, he decreed that all of Judah should observe a fast. The people complied and they gathered "from all of the cities of Judah" to join Jehoshaphat in asking for the Lord's help.
Jehoshaphat stood before the assembly of Judahites who had assembled and he petitioned God for help. His request was answered when the Spirit of the Lord came up Jahaziel son of Zechariah, a Levite, who gave them the best possible news. Not only would God give Judah victory over the attackers, but they wouldn't even have to fight! God would fight for them. They were still required to assemble an army the next day, and meet the attackers by the Pass of Ziz to witness God deliverance, but the outcome was assured:
2 Chronicles 20:17: 'You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you.'
There are many important spiritual truths to be learned from this story, but the one that stands out to me today is what happens when the army is assembled - it's not the army in the front, it's singers:
2 Chronicles 20:20 Early in the morning they [the army/people of Judah] left for the Desert of Tekoa. As they set out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Listen to me, Judah and people of Jerusalem! Have faith in the Lord your God and you will be upheld; have faith in his prophets and you will be successful.” 21 After consulting the people, Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the Lord and to praise him for the splendor of his holiness as they went out at the head of the army, saying:
“Give thanks to the Lord,
for his love endures forever.”
Normally, kings put their army out in front, and everyone else stays safely behind, but not in this case. In this story, God's the army. He's doing the fighting. The army of Judah is onlyi there to watch so they stand safely in the back. It's the singers - the worshippers - who boldly go out in front. The Lord clearly approves because we see in verse 22:
2 Chronicles 20:22 As they began to sing and praise, the Lord set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated.
The worshippers, and the army, marched into a hostile situation, but when the worshipping starts, so does God. He confuses Judah's enemies, who destroy themselves.
May every Christian remember that we have a father in heaven who will fight for us. We only need to worship and watch.