The battle is not yours, but God's - 2 Chronicles 16-20

2 Chronicles 20:6 – “O Lord, God of our fathers, are you not God in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations.  In your hand are power and might, so that none is able to withstand you.”

“The brief account of Ahab's last battle that we read about [in Chapter 18] leaves us with a few questions about the involvement and survival of King Jehoshaphat. 
[Chapter 20] makes no further mention of the ill-fated battle. It notes only some of the positive accomplishments of Jehoshaphat's reign. [As we read in previous chapters] this man was one of the good kings of Judah, and these verses confirm that. Jehoshaphat enjoyed God's favor for the steps he took to rid Judah of perversion and idolatry.

But the questions linger. If Ahab was wrong in defying the prophet Micaiah's warning from God and going into battle, wasn't Jehoshaphat guilty of disobeying God too? And what was this good king doing linking up with Ahab in the first place? 

We find some answers in 2 Chronicles, where more details of Jehoshaphat's reign are recorded. He had allied himself with Ahab through marriage (2 Chron.18:1)-a very common diplomatic tactic in that day. So the occasion at which Ahab persuaded Jehoshaphat to help him take back Ramoth was a visit to the ""in-laws"" (18:2). 

But God was not pleased with this alliance, and Jehoshaphat was rebuked by a prophet when he returned to Jerusalem after barely escaping from the battle with his life (2 Chron. 19:1-3). 

But aside from this piece of bad judgment, Jehoshaphat was a religious reformer and a king who wanted his people to know and obey the Scriptures. He sent teachers with God's Law in their hands to the various towns of Judah (2 Chron. 17:7-9), and God honored the king for his devotion. 

And much like Joshua before him, Jehoshaphat once won a great battle without ever firing an arrow (2 Chron. 20:1-30). An invasion by the Moabites and Ammonites, two traditional enemies of God's people, may have been part of the discipline God brought on Jehoshaphat for his alliance with Ahab.

But the king and people of Judah humbly sought the Lord. God promised that the battle would be His, and the people were told to take their positions and watch what God would do. As they sang and praised, God Himself wiped out their enemies. Jehoshaphat's reign was largely a time of revival and peace (2 Chron. 20:30).

What a great word God gave Jehoshaphat and the people of Judah as the battle loomed: ""The battle is not yours, but God's"" (2 Chron. 20:15).  Is that a word you need to hear today? If you are facing something that seems overwhelming right now, give it to the Lord. Praise Him for His care, and watch Him work. If you know someone else who is going through a hard time, take time to share this encouraging verse with that person.”

- FB Meyer “Our Daily Homily”