Sing Your Way to Victory

“He appointed singers unto the Lord, and that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise the Lord; for his mercy endureth for ever.” (II Chronicles 20:21)

What do you do when you are under attack and greatly outnumbered by the enemy? King Jehoshaphat found himself and the people of Judah in just such a situation. They were outnumbered and he knew it. Worse still, he had no answer. He called for the entire nation to come together and fast as he did the only thing possible—seek God.

“For we have no might against this great company that cometh against us: neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon thee.” (II Chronicles 20:12)

The battle plan as given by God was not for the faint of heart. It did not involve vast numbers of highly trained forces or the latest in weaponry. In those days there was certainly no air force, tanks, or missiles. What God asked Jehoshaphat to do would be considered foolhardy and suicidal by any military leader today.

Jehoshaphat called out the choir! The people were to sing their way to victory.

No, the choir did not just stand on the sidelines, setting the beat as the army marched past. They led the way! God’s secret weapon was worship. The people just marched straight ahead, singing and praising God with their whole being. They were to praise, not fight.

“Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the Lord with you.” (verse 17)

With God setting the ambushes, none of the enemy escaped alive. They destroyed each other. The spoil left behind took three days for the people of Judah to gather up and bring home. The name of the place where all of this happened? The valley of Berachah, or the valley of blessing.

Do you wonder what song they sang? We don’t know the melody; we don’t know the verses. We do know what it was about. They sang praise of the beauty of holiness. Perhaps they sang the words of Exodus 15:11.

“Who is like unto thee, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?”

Do you have some enemies that need defeated? Have you ever felt backed in the corner, an overwhelming force coming at you, and you felt powerless to defend yourself? If so, perhaps it is time to take a lesson from King Jehoshaphat. Don’t look at the enemy. Turn your eyes to God. Worship Him in the beauty of holiness.

“That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear, In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life” (Luke 1:74-75).

Remember, the battle is not yours, but God’s. You can sing—praise—worship your way to victory. You, too, can enjoy your valley of blessing.