Category: Praise

Behold, the Lamb of God!

4/28/2024

Every year Pesach is celebrated, and every year the Jewish nation awaits their Messiah. When we visited Israel two years ago, I was able to speak with a Jew at the Pool of Siloam. He questioned me about Jesus, and told me that the Jewish people are fearfully awaiting the coming of the Messiah, because they are told that he was coming soon, ready or not. To get ready, they are told, they must do enough good works. Sometime between now and the end of the 6000 years of the world, he will come. If they are ready, it will be to set up his kingdom. If they are not, it will be to judge them. He asked me about our Messiah. We talked about how Jesus, a Jew, is the passover lamb, crucified for our sins to bring us back into a relationship with God. We talked about how He is coming again, and all those who place their faith and trust in Him have no fear of His coming, but only joy and anticipation!

It was deeply sad to me that, for many of the Jews, a "veil lies over their hearts," so that they cannot see that their Messiah has come.

Yet hidden in their own Seder meal is the very heart of the gospel. Moses prophesied that a “Prophet like” him would come, One whom God’s people must listen to. The Messiah, a prophet deliverer like Moses has come, was rejected, suffered and died for our sins to reconcile us to the Father and rose again to give us new life! This good news is first for the Jews, then to the Gentiles. Not only that, but the Exodus story is prophesied to repeat itself, when our Messiah returns for His people. On that day, The Suffering Messiah will come as the Triumphant King! God’s people will be delivered and the Enemy we see before us today, we will see no more forever! (Ex. 13:14)

As we meditate on this holy and deeply meaningful feast, I invite you to join us as we discover the meaning behind each element and the incredible hope we have as we await our Messiah, Jesus, who will return again for us!

The week of Pesach, of Passover, begins on Nisan 14th with a Seder meal and concludes with the bringing of the Firstfruits and rituals in readiness for the Harvest.

Yeast Removal

Each household was commanded to examine and remove all leaven from their homes. Ridding all forms of yeast, or leaven, from the whole household was meticulously done for days. All breads with any leaven were abstained from for the entirety of the seven day festival. This represented the close examination of our hearts by the Holy Spirit to remove any sin against God or others. We are to repent of any wrong and remove anything within our homes or families and even throughout our whole church family that causes us to turn away from obedience to God (Exodus 12:8, 15, 13:7, 1 Cor. 5: 11:27-29).

Fast of the Firstborn

Some Jews have the practice that the firstborn in every family fasts on the eve of Passover from sunrise to sunset. This comes from the firstborn son being consecrated to God alone as the Firstfruits of the womb. Instead of sacrifice their firstborn, they would instead redeem him with a sacrifice (Ex. 13:13-16). In addition, it is in memory of their redemption out of Egypt, the house of slavery to dead, unending work. Both Pharaoh and Herod killed all the male Hebrews babies two years old and under, in their attempt to prevent the Messiah/Deliverer from coming (Ex. 1:22; Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, Chapter 9.2; Matt. 2:16). This Deliverer had been prophesied in each instance by wise men who instructed the ruler about the coming Deliverer. In an outstanding reversal, it is God who brings Pharaoh’s second attempt at killing the firstborn back upon him, when the Angel of Death comes to take the Egyptians firstborn, and passes over the firstborn of all under the blood of the sacrificial lamb.

Cessation from Work

During the first two and last two days of Passover observant Jews will abstain from all work, resting in the finished work of God. This symbolizes the finished work of Christ in his life, death and resurrection and how believers are to enter into His work and refrain from any form of trying to earn their own salvation through good works or observance of the Law (Genesis 2:2; John 17:4, 19:28-30; 1 Cor. 5:1-9; Hebrews 4:9-10).

Seder Meal (Last Supper/Communion)

1. Kadesh — Kiddush (“Holy,” or “sanctified”)
The wine is blessed at the start of the meal. This cup of sanctified wine represents the blood of Christ, poured out in death for us. His side was pierced on the cross, blood and water pouring out as He prophesied at the Seder meal (Last Supper)(Luke 22:20-21, John 19:34). There are four cups of wine:

The Cup of Sanctification
The Cup of Deliverance/Judgement (deliverance for those who repent, judgment for those who refuse
The Cup of Redemption
The Cup of Acceptance

2. Urhatz —Wash
Washing is first performed in preparation for eating. A towel is wrapped on the arm of the one serving. This person goes around to each of the participants, pouring water over the hands from a pitcher into a bowl. In Jesus' time, this would have included foot washing because of the many miles of walking through dust with sandaled feet. Jesus represented this washing when He wrapped a towel on himself and washed the feet of His disciples, declaring them fully “clean.” This further signifies how Jesus washes His bride, the Church, with the water of the Word, cleansing her and preparing her for the Wedding Supper of the Lamb when He returns for His Church. (John 13:1-17, Eph. 5:26)

3. Karpas — “wool”
Any vegetable that is not bitter may be eaten. Common vegetables used are celery, parsley, onion, or potato. Dipped in salt water for purification and seasoning, they remind us of the baby boys cast in the Nile and the tears shed by the slaves.
In its meaning of “wool,” it is used in the Hebrew scriptures to demonstrate Christ types, who as a “lamb before His (wool)shearers was silent, so He did not open His mouth” at His trial and crucifixion (Isaiah 53:7:
It is used to describe Esther’s royal robe when she went before the King after three days, risking her life to intercede for her people and gaining their freedom on the day of Passover.
It describes Joseph’s “coat of many colors,” made of wool, torn and dipped in the blood of the goat as his brothers when they sold him into slavery.
It describes Tamar’s torn “coat of many colors” as she was defiled by her brother, her blood being shed.
Finally, they remind us of Jesus’ command to rejoice at our own persecution as believers, stating that we are the salt of the earth in order to bring the purification of Christ to others. Though we are favored by our Father, just as Esther, Joseph, Tamar and Jesus, and wear the royal robes of righteousness, through suffering, we allow others to “taste and see that the Lord is good!” (Matt 5:10-16, Psalm 34:8)

4. Yahatz — “Divide”
Three matzahs (unleavened breads) are used in the ceremony, represented the triune nature of God. The middle matzah is broken and the larger part saved for the conclusion of the meal, signifying Jesus’ body, broken for His people (Luke 22:19). The saved portion signifies the return of the Messiah at the end of time. The matzah is unleavened, representing the innocent and sinlessness of Christ. It is pierced through many times, representing the piercing with the spear by the soldier at Christ’s death as well as the flogging He received in order to save us from our sins: 5But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. (Isaiah 53:5

5. Magid — Narration of the Exodus story of redemption from slavery

The plate of affliction. The plate with the symbols of affliction is lifted up.
The shankbone of the Paschal lamb or kid: the zero’a of the paschal sacrifice is included because the word zero’a literally means “arm,” alluding to the verse which states, “I will redeem you with an outstretched arm . . .”;

Boiled egg: In Aramaic (spoken by Jews at the time of Jesus), an egg is called bey’a, which also means “pray” or “please.” Thus, the foods silently plead, “May it please the Merciful God to redeem us with an outstretched arm.”

Bitter herbs: These signify the bitterness of the death. The word bitter in Hebrew is “marah,” and was included in the names of the women, three different Marys, who attended Jesus’ cross, burial and witnessed to His resurrection.

Invitation to the nations. An invitation to the stranger and foreigners is to join the Seder meal, signifying the invitation to the world, including Gentiles, to become part of the Body or Church of Jesus.

The wine cups are refilled.
The youngest person at the seder asks the Four Questions and responses are given.

The Four Children
These signify four kinds of people who respond to the gospel: wise, wicked, simple, and one who does not know how to ask. Jesus’ parable of the farmer who sows his seed represents the gospel being shared with people. There are four kinds of people who receive His Word: 1) Those who hear, but Satan comes and takes it away so they will not believe to salvation; 2) those who receive it with joy, but because they do not press onto maturity through a deeper understanding and relationship with God, only persevere in the faith for a time until they give into temptation; 3) those that are consumed by the cares, riches and pleasures of this world and bring no fruit of the Spirit because they never reach in maturity in God; and 4) those who are honest and good in heart, who having heard the Word, hold tightly to it and bring much fruit with persevering patience (Luke 8:5-15).

The Ten Plagues. The word “plague” is also the word “stricken.” Just as Jesus was stricken, so also the evil of the world will be stricken at the end of time as the Lamb of God avenges and delivers His holy people who have suffered at the hands of those who refuse to repent (Rev. 15).

Cup of Suffering. Since our “cup of salvation” cannot be regarded as full when we recall the suffering of the Egyptians, a drop of wine is removed from the cup with the mention of each plague. This signifies the remainder of the suffering which we as believers will endure as we also drink the Cup of Suffering given us by our Father (Mark 10:38-40, John 18:11, Col. 1:24)

Dayenu (It Would Have Been Enough). Let all present join in the refrain thanking God for all the miracles he bestowed upon the Israelites.

The cup is again lifted in joy, thankful for God’s deliverance, ready to praise Him with the first word of the Psalm of praise (Hallel). Two Psalms of the Hallel, Psalms 113-118
Drink the wine, with the blessing of salvation.

6. Rohtza — WashReady to eat, the hands are washed before the meal, as is required at any meal. It is similar to the previous hand-washing, but now all wash with the usual benediction as the hands are dried.

7. Motzi Matzah — Eating MatzahThe first food at the meal is the matzah, the unleavened bread. It is blessed before being eaten.

8. Maror — Bitter HerbsSmall pieces of horseradish are dipped into haroset (a sweet paste symbolic of mortar) to indicate that overemphasis on material things results in bitterness.

9. Korekh —The Passover lamb or kid (young goat) was sacrificed in memory of the blood of the lamb or goat that was put on the doorframe of the houses of Egypt in order for the angel of death, which was bringing judgment, to pass over them and spare their families. In ancient times, the Talmudic scholar Hillel ate the three symbolic foods (lamb, matzah, and bitter herbs) together so that each mouthful contained all three. Thus, the symbols of slavery and liberation were intermingled.

10. Shulhan Orekh — MealThe joyous feasting gives us the feeling of human fellowship in harmony with God.

11. Tzafun — DessertNow the afikomen. Either someone has “stolen” it, or parents can hide the afikoman when it is first put aside (Step 4) and let the children look for it during the meal to win a prize. The larger piece of matzah, the unleavened bread which was broken and hidden is now found and shared among those present. This represents how the body of Jesus was hidden from the sight of His disciples as he ascended into the clouds, with the promise that He will return one day in the same way He ascended and that every eye will see Him on that day! Those who pierced Him will mourn for Him as for an only, beloved son (Acts 1:9-11, Rev. 1:7). Just as the matzah is hidden, it is found by the children and they are rewarded, so also Jesus is coming soon, and says to us, “My reward is with Me!” (Rev. 22:12)

12. Barekh — “Let us praise!”This is the usual “bentschen,” grace after meals, including, of course, thankfulness for the Passover holiday. Fill the cup before this grace and drink the third cup at its conclusion, with the usual “bore p’ri hagafen” blessing.

Door for Elijah. At this point in the seder, they open the door for Elijah, who by tradition is the forerunner of the Messiah, the harbinger of hope, and sing “Eliyahu Ha-navi.” At Jesus’ transfiguration, there was both Moses and Elijah who came and talked with Him. Moses represents the 5 books of the Law that witness against our sin, while Elijah represents the Prophets who prophesied of the Messiah’s coming. Afterward, the disciples asked Him about this, and Jesus declared that Elijah would come, but also had come in the form of John the Baptist, the forerunner of the Messiah. Malachi 4 prophesies of the Judgment Day of the Lord, the second coming of the Messiah, wherein Moses’ Law would testify to our guilt and the prophets would testify to whether we have received the Messiah. Elijah would come again, and if the hearts were not restored, would “strike” the land with a decree to bring them all under the curse of those devoted to destruction.
This is prophesied for completion at the end of time, when the two witnesses will stand and strike the earth with plagues before being martyred and resurrected (2 Kings 2:11, Jude 1:9, Matt 17:1-12, Malachi 4:1-6, Rev. 11:3-13, Zechariah 4:11, John 6:30-46, Luke 16).

13. Hallel — Psalms of PraiseThe rest of the evening is given over to hymns and songs. The Hallel is sung, including Psalm 118, a messianic prophecy of the rejection of Messiah by the leaders of Israel, the Messiah’s death and resurrection and how He becomes the gateway to God for His people (Matt 26:30, Psalm 118).

14. Nirtzah — “Accepted”Nirtzah means to be accepted. Because of the Lamb’s sacrifice, we are included in the righteousness of Jesus when He offered the payment for our redemption price in the form of His life. God accepted us in His Beloved and we are also to accept one another in Jesus in the same way. At this conclusion, they sing L’Shana HaBa’ah B’Y’rushalayim [Next Year in Jerusalem] (Eph. 1:6, Rom. 15:7).

Bringing the Firstfruits (Bikkurim)

By law, the Israelites were commanded to bring the first of their crops and the firstborn of their children or animals to the temple (Ex. 23:19; 34:26, Num. 15:17–21; 18:12–13; Deut. 26:1–11). If it was a crop, it was given to the Levites. If it was an animal or a child, it was redeemed. All firstfruits, however, belonged to God. Jesus became the firstfruits, the firstborn from among the dead in order to redeem all other firstborns (Col 1:18). Just as the firstborns were redeemed before the Exodus from death by the blood of the sacrificial lamb, so when Christ became our Lamb He redeemed us and became the firstborn among many brothers and sisters (Rom. 8:29).

The Resurrection of Christ would begin the first day of the counting of the Omer--on Nisan 16. This harvest counting would give time for the harvest to be fully brought in and completed.

As we continue our studies into the Book of Acts and the work of the Holy Spirit in beginning the Harvest of all souls, let's prayerfully consider how we can follow Jesus, our forerunner.

Isaiah 53

Who has believed what he has heard from us? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
2For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground;
he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him.
3He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief;
and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
4Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.
5But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.
6All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
7He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth;
like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent,
so he opened not his mouth.
8By oppression and judgment he was taken away;
and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people?
9And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death,
although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth.
10Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him; he has put him to grief;
when his soul makesh an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.
11Out of the anguish of his soul he shall seei and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous,
and he shall bear their iniquities.
12Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many,
and makes intercession for the transgressors.

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The Power of Praise

2/28/2024

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Many of you probably remember the week of Labor Day, 2020. A haze of smoke covered our valley. Fires sprang up all around the state. An eerie, yellow-orange light saturated the air, causing the indoor lights to seem blue in contrast. Ash rained continuously and many suffered from the poor air quality.
Like many, we had to be evacuated from our home up in Gates because the wildfires surrounded it, burning down many homes and leaving everything temporarily uninhabitable. While we were safely evacuated with our family, our home suffered damage.
Our kitchen was destroyed and the smoke entering in from left-open windows covered every square inch. The mattresses, clothing and furniture were permeated with the stench. Thankfully, unlike some, we have homeowners’ insurance. Unfortunately, like many, our insurance didn’t want to pay for all that we believe are the damages. They delayed, made excuses and finally just fell far short of the cost of repair, in our opinion. Finally, after much wasted negotiation, we found an attorney who specializes in bringing insurance companies to court and started the next part of the process.
We have finished the arduous process of compiling evidence and are now waiting in queue to bring our evidence to the judge.
We hope he will see things the way we see them. We hope that he will hear us out and be a fair and experienced judge, able to discern and distinguish between arguments and evidence.
We hope that he is impartial, not showing favoritism to anyone, and above reproach and corruption.
It is how our story today starts as well. In 2 Chronicles 19, we find that King Jehoshaphat very righteously has been about the business of setting up judges to sort through every case, civil and criminal, to judge in the fear of the Lord. They were to carefully examine the evidence, only giving out consequences to those who had committed a crime against another, and in civil cases to make sure that property continued to be disbursed to those to whom it belonged.
After remonstrating with the newly appointed judges, King Jehoshaphat exhorts them:

“Behave courageously, and the Lord will be with the good.” v. 11

Little did he know how those words would portend his future and the future of his country!
Immediately after those days, as the enemy is wont to do when they find that order and righteousness are being restored to God’s people, the enemy joined forces to descend upon all of Judah under King Jehoshaphat:

It happened after this that the people of Moab with the people of Ammon, and others with them besides the Ammonites, came to battle against Jehoshaphat. Then some came and told Jehoshaphat, saying, “A great multitude is coming against you from beyond the sea, from Syria; and they are in Hazazon Tamar” (which is En Gedi). And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. So Judah gathered together to ask help from the Lord; and from all the cities of Judah they came to seek the Lord.
Then Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the Lord, before the new court, and said: “O Lord God of our fathers, are You not God in heaven, and do You not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations, and in Your hand is there not power and might, so that no one is able to withstand You? Are You not our God, who drove out the inhabitants of this land before Your people Israel, and gave it to the descendants of Abraham Your friend forever? And they dwell in it, and have built You a sanctuary in it for Your name, saying, ‘If disaster comes upon us—sword, judgment, pestilence, or famine—we will stand before this temple and in Your presence (for Your name is in this temple), and cry out to You in our affliction, and You will hear and save.’ And now, here are the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir—whom You would not let Israel invade when they came out of the land of Egypt, but they turned from them and did not destroy them— here they are, rewarding us by coming to throw us out of Your possession which You have given us to inherit. O our God, will You not judge them? For we have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon You.”

The Ammonites and Moabites, those nations descended from Lot, Abraham’s nephew, came against them en masse. Now God had strictly forbidden the Israelites from messing with their relatives’ land as they came to the Promised Land: God had apportioned the Moabites their country, and the Ammonites their country. It was their allotment from God just as the Promised Land was the Israelites’ allotment. So, on their way from Egypt, the Israelites were not allowed to fight with their neighbors because they were their fellow relatives descended from Lot.
At this juncture, however, it is the Ammonites and Moabites who are coming to try to remove the Israelites from their land, repaying evil for good.
The only time someone could legitimately be removed from their land and property was 1) if they had illegally taken possession of it or 2) it could be temporarily given away as consequence to pay off a debt or sin of the people for a specified period of time.
So, in effect, the Moabites and Ammonites were making a claim that the people of the land of Judah had violated God’s law so much that they would have to be removed as consequence of their sin just as the Canaanites had been removed. This would, in fact, happen eventually. God often used other nations to bring judgment upon one another for their national sin. Eventually, Judah’s sin would increase so much that they would be exiled for a time.
So, just as the people were to gather in the previous chapter to seek the judgment of the judges for any disputes, now Jehoshaphat and all of Judah, small and great, were called to come to the judgment of God in order to plead their case and defense against this accusation and hostile trespass. (v. 9)

We must act in justice as a community: loving God and people.

Sometimes the enemy threatens what God has given us to steward.
Satan’s first tactic is to try to get us to worship idols, to worship what people have; to be obedient to what we have created with our own hands.
But Jehoshaphat, in chapter 17, had removed the idols from the land and caused the people to worship God alone. They were loving the Lord their God with all their heart, soul, mind and strength.
In chapter 19, we found King Jehoshaphat establishing justice and morality throughout the land, making sure that people were held accountable for treating one another right. They were loving their neighbors as themselves.
They were walking in obedience to the two greatest commands of God!
The Bible tells us that we are not unaware of the enemy’s schemes (1 Cor. 2:11). While he has several, he reuses them. They are identifiable and repetitive.
When the enemy cannot get us to worship our own desires and works, his next scheme is to accuse us falsely as if we have.
He comes against us, our constant legal adversary to the Father, as the Accuser which accuses us night and day before our God (Rev. 12:10). However, if we have been walking in righteousness, he has no legal right or authority because we have done nothing wrong.
Now, if we have been unfaithful to God, if we have allowed other things to be first in our heart and life, if we have wronged our brother or sister, then the enemy has a legal standing to take issue with us before our Judge. In such a case, if we find that we have sin in our hearts, 1 John 2:1 tells us, we have an advocate, an attorney who pleads our case for us: Jesus Christ, The Righteous who always lives to make intercession for us. If we repent from sins and cry out to Jesus for forgiveness, we have peace with God and the blood of Christ cleanses us from all sin so that we can once again come boldly to the throne of grace and find help in time of need.
If, when examining our hearts with the help of the Holy Spirit, we find that we have kept faithfully to walk in obedience to the Spirit, then, in our legal system, the case becomes what is called a “frivolous lawsuit,” one intended to distract and use up our resources and attention in order to deplete us in an attempt to wear us out and keep us from being successful.
These kinds of earthly lawsuits can be demoralizing, because even if we know that, given a good Judge, we should ultimately win, the case will be so costly that it could bankrupt us.
In Jehoshaphat’s case, this was a class action lawsuit. It involved the entire nation being dispossessed.
We saw from Jonathan’s story that if we act in righteousness and boldly walk in the Lord’s victory, there will be a victory accomplished for us. But if we want not only victory for ourselves, for our families—if we want victory for our communities and our nation and our world, then there must be a turning back to God corporately by God’s people.
1 Peter 4:17 tells us that “the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God.” If the enemy were to come against our nation, could we as believers, declare boldly to the Lord that His Church here in America has been faithful? Could we say with confidence that we have turned away from sin, that we have worshiped him above everything and that we have treated all alike with the love of Jesus Christ?

We must send the call out.

Here in America our land is under siege. Our children, our neighbors, our communities are being threatened. There is so much coming against our nation from the enemy that it is countless. A couple of weeks ago we talked about what we should be personally doing, in our own lives about spiritual battles.
I want to bring us to this corporate battle. It is the whole church of God around the world, in our nation, against the enemy who wants to dispossess us from being God’s people.
King Jehoshaphat called everyone: rich, poor, slave, free, men, women and children. There was no one who was not necessary to come seek the Lord together. Every, single person from every walk and class of life was essential and valuable in the commission.
God declares in 2 Chron 7:14 that: “If my people will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked way, then I will hear from heaven and heal their land.”
We, the people of God, must call all to humble repentance. We, the people of God, must call all to come to seek the Lord with us: small and great, men, women, children and families.
We do this by setting an example in front of them of holy, loving lifestyles and by repeatedly inviting and calling out to them to follow us as we follow Christ. At school, at work, in our neighborhoods, in our families: it’s not a private thing. It’s not enough to just go into our closets and work out our private, personal salvation. Yes, that is first. Yes, that it right. But if we want to see revival, if we care enough and love our neighbors enough, we will reach out to them to call them back to seek God.

We must humble ourselves in unity.

King Jehoshaphat calls all of Judah out to fast. This is a humbling thing. To fast and to present themselves in worship to the Lord makes a clear statement: God is over them as Judge and they are pleading for His mercy. They are not assuming that they are good enough to be heard for what they have done. They are throwing themselves at His feet in humble petition, and the King is the one leading this!
In a court, what happens if you do not show up to the case? You automatically lose your case. Whoever shows up and stays there for the duration can be heard out.
Fasting puts us in a vulnerable, weak state. It declares our subsistence, not on physical bread, but on every word that proceeds from the mouth of our God, the Judge of all. When we fast, we deny our own appetites, our own desires, and fully focus every part of ourselves, spirit, soul and body, for a season so that nothing distracts us from waiting on God for His answer.
We don’t allow anything to prevent us from coming boldly to the throne room to petition our God. We don't allow our case to be thrown out by our failure to appear before the Judge.
Corporately, fasting together creates a unity of purpose that focuses our prayer powerfully and effectively.

Now all Judah, with their little ones, their wives, and their children, stood before the Lord.
Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, in the midst of the assembly. And he said, “Listen, all you of Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you, King Jehoshaphat! Thus says the Lord to you: ‘Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s. Tomorrow go down against them. They will surely come up by the Ascent of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the brook before the Wilderness of Jeruel. You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem!’ Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, for the Lord is with you.”

God answered with a musical prophet. These musicians, both men and women, the Bible tells us, would “prophesy” with their instruments and voices in corporate, temple worship (1 Chron 25:1). It is one of these musical prophets that God comes upon to give them their word from the Lord.
The wilderness of Yeruel is where God would fight this battle with them. Yeruel comes from the Hebrew word, “yara,” and means to be unified together and established based upon many, many small substances being brought together in unification. It has the idea of raindrops converging together to form one substance of a mighty body of water all focused in one direction together.

Yara-El: Founded by God in Unity.

Their corporate fasting and worship had created a unity among them that was powerful and effective before the throne and would soon lead them to a powerful victory through praise!

We must praise the beauty of God’s holiness--Rejoice!

And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem bowed before the Lord, worshiping the Lord. Then the Levites of the children of the Kohathites and of the children of the Korahites stood up to praise the Lord God of Israel with voices loud and high.
So they rose early in the morning and went out into the Wilderness of Tekoa; and as they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Hear me, O Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem: Believe in the Lord your God, and you shall be established; believe His prophets, and you shall prosper.” And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed those who should sing to the Lord, and who should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army and were saying:
“Praise the Lord,
For His mercy endures forever.”
Now when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushes against the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; and they were defeated. For the people of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of Mount Seir to utterly kill and destroy them. And when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, they helped to destroy one another.
So when Judah came to a place overlooking the wilderness, they looked toward the multitude; and there were their dead bodies, fallen on the earth. No one had escaped.

A lot of times we think of worship as music and praise. While it really incorporates the entirety of ourselves as a living sacrifice walking in obedience to the Spirit, there is a huge element of worship including fasting, prayer, psalms, hymns, spiritual songs, singing and making melody in our hearts to the Lord, both personally and corporately.
King Jehoshaphat did a noteworthy thing: He consulted with all the people. They helped to choose who would bravely go before them: those who were unafraid and courageously walking in faith by God's command. They put the musicians before the soldiers. These worshipping musicians must have walked in a mighty act of faith, voluntarily weaponless except for the Almighty God who went before them!
The word, “Rejoice” is built on the word for grace, for the favor that God gives a humble petitioner, already thanking and rejoicing that they know that they will be given what they need before they even ask. It is a huge act of faith and such an honor to God that His people would rejoice in His goodness to them in front of the world!
They rejoiced before they won as an act of faith because they fully believed that God’s promise was true. They rejoiced as if it had already happened.
Jehoshaphat knew that he could appeal to God in this way, because he understood God’s nature as a just and holy Judge. You see, Jehoshaphat’s name means: the Lord is Judge. He meditated in this concept of righteous judgment and trusted fully in His vindication of judgment from God alone.
Jehoshaphat knew personally the importance of a judge being just and holy in his judgments. If a judge was corrupt, then corruption would spread through the land.
Meeting together in the Valley of Tekoa, or the Valley of the Trumpet, they praised God for His holiness, high and loud, lifting up their voice and sounding out the proclamation —God is Holy! God is not a corruptible Judge. He cannot be bribed. He will not err in judgment. God will be faithful to His promise unwaveringly. He is both absolutely, stunningly holy and as well as abounding in love and mercy.
It is this kind of wholehearted, unified abandonment to praise that touches the heart of God.
In Ephesians we are told that the weapons of our warfare are mighty in God. We are told that after we have armed ourselves, having done all, to “Stand”, positioning ourselves, praising God for the mighty work He has already completed on our behalf.
We often get discouraged when we see the enemy mount up against us. We think it will only bring pain and at the most- at best- we will just survive it.
The reality is, that God is intending to use these things for our good. In Romans 8:28, Paul explains to us as believers that “God uses all things for the good of those who love him, who are called according to His purpose.” A good judge throws out any frivolous lawsuits and penalizes the offending party for wasting the court’s time and for trying to harm another person vindictively.
Even more, a good, just judge will also award compensation to those in the right—or as King Jehoshaphat told his judges, “the Lord will be with the good!”
Once again, we see God positioning Himself to fight for His people. It is His battle. He will cause our enemies to destroy themselves. You see, a house divided against itself cannot stand. Satan’s house never has unity, because he is the author of confusion, selfish ambition, jealousy, covetousness and dissension. His own house cannot stay united because true unity comes from God alone. All the enemy can do is create a semblance of fake unity—one focused on a common enemy, while they themselves are also one another’s enemies. In the end they will be routed by the unity of the Church.

We must gather and bless the Lord.

When Jehoshaphat and his people came to take away their spoil, they found among them an abundance of valuables on the dead bodies, and precious jewelry, which they stripped off for themselves, more than they could carry away; and they were three days gathering the spoil because there was so much. And on the fourth day they assembled in the Valley of Berachah, for there they blessed the Lord; therefore the name of that place was called The Valley of Berachah until this day. Then they returned, every man of Judah and Jerusalem, with Jehoshaphat in front of them, to go back to Jerusalem with joy, for the Lord had made them rejoice over their enemies. So they came to Jerusalem, with stringed instruments and harps and trumpets, to the house of the Lord. And the fear of God was on all the kingdoms of those countries when they heard that the Lord had fought against the enemies of Israel. Then the realm of Jehoshaphat was quiet, for his God gave him rest all around.

When we are victorious over our enemy, there are the spoils of war. In a large army camp, they would have had huge flocks of animals to feed the soldiers. They would carry with them other foods, oils, dried fruits, spices. These all carried a significant value. They would carry with them all kinds of jewels and gold and treasures that they had raided or brought from home. They would have massive amounts of weapons and armor and horses and chariots.
Sometimes we think that when the enemy mounts up his forces against us, it is really a lose-lose. Either way, even if we survive, there will be no benefit. We approach these battles with dread, wishing we were never required to go through them. But God intends these things to bring us greater blessing than we could ever imagine!
Jesus echoes this concept in Matthew 5:12: "Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you."
Instead of just surviving, the provision and blessing of God is multiplied for God’s people as a result of these battles.
The people of Judah gathered together in the Valley of Blessing to gather home all that God had just provided for them and to bless His Name together, gratefully acknowledging what God had overabundantly supplied for them.
When we are victorious in spiritual battle, there is provision for our communities. There is provision for our weapons and protection.
Most importantly, the slaves they would have brought as captives to serve them are set free.
If we want to see our communities set free, the Church must walk in love first to God, then in love and justice toward one another. We must send out the call and invite all to seek God in humility with us.
Finally, let’s rejoice together in the beauty of God’s holiness, because He will only render a good verdict for His people as the Judge of all the earth. Let’s praise the Lord as if God’s word is really true! Let’s walk in front, boldly marching ahead, confident in His holiness.

Bless His holy name!