UBF Daily Bread

OUR EYES ARE ON YOU

Passage: 2_Chronicles 20:1~13

Key verse: 12

Jehoshaphat Defeats Moab and Ammon

20 After this, the Moabites^(A) and Ammonites with some of the Meunites^[a]^(B) came to wage war against Jehoshaphat.

²Some people came and told Jehoshaphat, “A vast army^(C) is coming against you from Edom,^[b] from the other side of the Dead Sea. It is already in Hazezon Tamar^(D)” (that is, En Gedi).^(E) ³Alarmed, Jehoshaphat resolved to inquire of the Lord, and he proclaimed a fast^(F) for all Judah. ⁴The people of Judah^(G) came together to seek help from the Lord; indeed, they came from every town in Judah to seek him.

⁵Then Jehoshaphat stood up in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem at the temple of the Lord in the front of the new courtyard ⁶and said:

“Lord, the God of our ancestors,^(H) are you not the God who is in heaven?^(I) You rule over all the kingdoms^(J) of the nations. Power and might are in your hand, and no one can withstand you.^(K) ⁷Our God, did you not drive out the inhabitants of this land^(L) before your people Israel and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham your friend?^(M) ⁸They have lived in it and have built in it a sanctuary^(N) for your Name, saying, ⁹‘If calamity comes upon us, whether the sword of judgment, or plague or famine,^(O) we will stand in your presence before this temple that bears your Name and will cry out to you in our distress, and you will hear us and save us.’

¹⁰“But now here are men from Ammon, Moab and Mount Seir, whose territory you would not allow Israel to invade when they came from Egypt;^(P) so they turned away from them and did not destroy them. ¹¹See how they are repaying us by coming to drive us out of the possession^(Q) you gave us as an inheritance. ¹²Our God, will you not judge them?^(R) For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.^(S)”

¹³All the men of Judah, with their wives and children and little ones, stood there before the Lord.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

2 Chronicles 20:1 Some Septuagint manuscripts; Hebrew Ammonites
2 Chronicles 20:2 One Hebrew manuscript; most Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint and Vulgate Aram

1. A vast army is coming (1-3)

Three armies teamed up with an unstoppable force to go up against Judah and were already on their way. When word came to king Jehoshaphat there was not much time to do anything. Jehoshaphat did what he thought best at that moment; he resolved to inquire of the LORD, and he proclaimed a fast for all Judah.

2. The people came together to seek God (3-13)

Jehoshaphat stood and spoke to God in the presence of all who came from throughout Judah and Jerusalem including men, women, and children. Jehoshaphat and the people of Judah entrusted the fate of their nation and lives in the hands of God almighty. Sometimes, all we can do is surrender to the hope that God exists, that he knows us, and is willing to save us, and wait in faith.

Prayer: Lord, our attention is often at whatever problem is before us, not knowing what to do. May we turn our eyes to you and seek you with our hearts and minds and believe in your deliverance.

One Word: Turn your eyes to the Lord.