2 Chronicles 20
The Marching Band Takes the Field
We love underdogs—the guys with little chance attacking the game with all their might against impossible odds. It’s the Rudy Ruettiger or 1980 US Olympic Hockey team, encouraging us to strive for our dreams. In short, we love hope. What if the underdog is more than a long shot? The underdog has no shot. Instead of sending out the football team, the coach makes the extreme choice to send out the marching band. What happens when the marching band goes up against padded angry football players?
King Jehoshaphat of Judah finds himself in this predicament when multiple armies are marching against Israel. A recent loss leaves his severely weakened forces with no way to defend his kingdom. His devoutness and faith borders on extreme and would be considered negligence in any government today. Turning to the only “arsenal” he has left, he begins preparing for spiritual warfare. Beginning with an entire kingdom fast, then a huge corporate meeting for prayers and worship. God’s response is a prophecy by one of the priestly families, telling the congregation, “You won’t be fighting in this battle. Take your stand, but stand still, and watch the Lord’s salvation on your behalf, Judah and Jerusalem! Never fear and never be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, since the Lord is with you.’” (2 Chron 20:17). This sounds ridiculous. Picture the White House’s Situation Room with all of the Security Council deliberating and the chaplain stands up assuring everyone God’s got this one!
The Kingdom of Judah believes this prophet. The following day, instead of sending out a bunch of soldiers, they send out the marching band. The marching band strikes up a crowd favorite “Give thanks to the Lord, whose love endures forever” and immediately the opposing armies turn on each other! By the time the king’s people arrive to the battle site it’s awash in blood and carnage. Only the wagon trains full of loot are left. It takes them a full three days to haul the spoils off and everyone is a bit freaked out.
The takeaways are all over on this story. We can easily point to the power of spiritual warfare and see how impactful they can be in our lives. Fasting, prayer, corporate meetings, worship, and prophecy are all tools God uses to bring us closer to Him. We can look at the Kingdom of Judah’s faithful obedience and apply it to our lives as well. Every worship leader should use this story, trying to win an argument for more stage time! (Alright, maybe not.) All of these are solid lessons to be learned and applied to our lives.
This story shows us something more about God’s heart and explains why Christ hanging on the cross is called a victory. God is not just the God of the long-shot; He is the God of the “no-shot.” He showed the people of Judah that despite armies rising against them, and a victory would be seemingly impossible, He was there. When the followers of Christ saw His limp body buried, all of their hopes of a Messiah were buried too. But God was still there. In our life when your wife leaves you, when your child is sick, when you lose your job, God is there. Our story of Judah is personified in Christ and his victory through death on the cross.
I don’t know why God makes it so difficult at times. What I do know, is when all that is left is the marching band, you send them out in full anthem to the field.
Dad Devotional 