A Complete History and Mystery of the Old and New Testament, Volume 3 · Commentary on 1 and 2 Kings · Chapter 20
2 Chron. CHAP. XX.
THIS Chapter Lavater calls a truly Golden Chapter, which contains in it many and great matters; nor is there any Chapter in this whole Book of Chronicles, wherein (ſaith he) more may be learned. It conſiſts of two general parts; Firſt, The Felicity of Jehoſaphat in his waging War victoriouſly with the Ammonites, &c. The ſecond is his Infelicity, in falling into his old ſins again, &c.
In the firſt part there be Antecedents, Concomitants and Conſequents.
Remarks Firſt upon the Antecedents, are, 1. The beſt of men muſt not count it ſtrange that they fall into divers Tryals and Temptations, James 1.2, 3. Here God ſuffers a potent Enemy to ſet upon good Jehoſaphat, after his great care to reform and to ſet all to the right throughout his Kingdom, chap. 19. After all this, ver. 1, 2. the men of Moab, of Ammon, &c. (moved with envy at his growing greatneſs, and ſtirred up by the Syrians, againſt whom he had lately joyned with Ahab) were let looſe upon him, this was that wrath of God which Jehu the Prophet denounced againſt him for his loving thoſe that hated the Lord, chap. 19.2. yet becauſe good things were found in him, as well as evil, v. 3. therefore in wrath God remembred mercy, Hab. 3.2. Tho' God ſuffered him to be tryed (notwithſtanding the good in him) yet his tryal turns to his greater glory, and ſo God deals with all his Servants.
Remark the Second; This ſudden Invaſion by ſo vaſt a multitude (ſo far as Engedi) put Jehoſaphat into a panick fear, tho' he was alway well prepared, chap. 17.14, 19. yet was this an unexpected ſurprize. N. B. Hereupon he proclaimed a Faſt, that they might the better fit themſelves for prayer; plenus venter non orat ardenter, the full belly prays dully, ver. 3. Faſting gives wings to praying; all his Subjects are ſummoned up Armed to Jeruſalem to faſt and pray in the Temple, ver. 4. Jehoſaphat ſtands up upon the Scaffold in the great Court, to be the mouth of the People unto God, ver. 5. as Solomon had been before him, 1 Kings 8.22. 'Tis called the New Court, becauſe newly repaired, chap. 15.8. Ora, labora, pray firſt, then fight, &c.
Remark the Third; Jehoſaphat's prayer, from ver. 6, to 13. wherein,
Mark 1. He maketh theſe two Attributes of God (his might and his mercy) to be the two main Pillars of his prayer of faith, ver. 6, 7. as Jachin and Boaz were the ſtability and ſtrength of the Temple. N. B. Choice of fit Attributes to repreſent God in prayer, helps faith, and cauſes fervency.
Mark 2. He is God's Remembrancer, ver. 8, 9. as God commands, Iſa 62.6. Thus he argues with God [Lord, thou didſt favour Abraham as thy friend, and gaveſt him this Land; his Seed hath dwelt in it, and hath built thee a Sanctuary, and Solomon prayed in it, that thou would turn away the evil of the Sword, &c. 1 Kings 8.37, &c. We are ſtill thy Tenants, wilt thou, oh our great Landlord, defend us? Surely thou wilt, &c.
Mark 3. He ſpreads before the Lord the injurious Ingratitude of Moab and Ammon, whom we moleſted not at thy command, when we came out of Egypt, Deut. 2.5, 9, 19. Numb. 20.21. yet now do they come to diſpoſſeſs us, whom God hath put into poſſeſſion of that good Land promiſed to Abraham, and performed to his Poſterity. Didſt thou, Lord, accept of Solomon's prayer by fire from Heaven, and ſhall theſe Enemies now caſt us out, &c? ver. 10, 11, 12. Thus he engaged God in his Cauſe, &c.
Mark 4. All Judah ſtood before the Lord with their little ones, v. 13. at Jehoſaphat's prayer; N. B. Not only the Jews, but even the Gentiles did this in great diſtreſs, as Jonah 3.4, 5. (ſaith Sanctius) partly to promote their hearts to more fervent Devotion, having their Eyes upon their harmleſs Children, &c. and partly to move God's compaſſion; not as if God were changeable at ſuch ſights, but becauſe he had declared ſuch means and methods ſhould prevail with him, Deut. 29.11. and 31.12. Joel 2.16. ſuch an holy violence is well pleaſing to God, ſaith Tertullian.
Remark the Fourth; Is God's Anſwer to Jehoſaphat's powerful Prayer.
Mark 1. Jahaziel a Levite, was immediately inſpired by God, ver. 14 a man famous (ſaith Piſcator) therefore is his Genealogy ſo diſtinctly deſcribed; he ſtood up in the midſt to declare God's Meſſage to them.
Mark 2. In his comfortable Meſſage from God, Regem poſt Plebem nominat, he nameth the King after the People, ver. 15. Grotius ſaith, he did it as Chriſt named Peter after the Diſciples, Mark 16.7. tho' Peter was moſt concerned in the comfort. N. B. Jehoſaphat is not diſpleaſed with it, yet the Pope is highly affronted, if he be once named after the greateſt Kings and Emperours.
Mark 3. This inſpired Levite foretells them, their God would fight for them, and he alone will do the work, they ſhall not need to ſtrike one ſtroke, therefore fear not their vaſt multitudes.
Mark 4. He foretells them (for the better confirming their Faith againſt their Fear) the very Motion of their Enemy, ver. 16.17. they are marching to Ziz, which ſignifies a Pot or Caldron, becauſe (ſaith the Gloſs) this was the place in which God did cut the Enemy in pieces, and made them (as it were) meat for the Pot: And he bids them [go down to morrow] and ye ſhall only be Spectators, ſaith Vatablus.
Remark the Fifth, Is the marvelous Influence this Levite's Prophecy had upon both the Prince and the People, ver. 18, 19.
Mark 1. Jehoſaphat bows his head to the ground, making a low obeyſance in token of his due Veneration to God (for this gracious Anſwer to his Prayer) of his belief of it, and of his thankfulneſs for it.
Mark 2. The People did likewiſe proſtrate themſelves with their faces towards the Moſt Holy Place, where the Ark of God was.
Mark 3. The former part of this night was ſpent in Doxologies and ſolemn Thankſgiving to God for his exceeding great and precious Promiſe. The Levites in general at Jehoſaphat's Appointment ſtood up to ſing praiſes to the Lord, with loud voices, and with lifted up hearts too, they ſang a Triumphant Song, their Faith enſuring the Victory.
Secondly, The Concomitants of the firſt part, ver. 20, 21, 22, 23, 24.
Remarks are, 1. Jehoſaphat's Oration to his People riſing up early the next morning to march againſt the Enemy, ver. 20. This was not a Speech ſo much Military as from a General of an Army, but alſo truly Divine as from a Profeſſor of Divinity [Believe in the Lord &c. ſo ſhall ye be eſtabliſhed, &c.] Vetè amenu, Hebr. that is, ſay the Amen to this Divine Promiſe and Prophecy; believe God, and believe his Prophet Jahaziel, ſo God will ſtabliſh your Faith, he will perform his Promiſe, and your preſent March againſt this formidable multitude ſhall be marvelouſly proſperous. This ſenſe Maluenda puts upon this Sentence of Iehoſaphat. N.B. Faith is a ſpecial means to obtain the benefit of God's Promiſe, Iſa. 7.9. Heb. 6.12. there God is concerned for his Glory, but Unbelief fruſtrates all, &c. This golden Sentence [Believe and proſper] ver. 20. may not be omitted without ſome ſhort Animadverſions.
Mark the firſt is, Faith in God's Word of Promiſe, is the beſt ſtay in Evil Times: The more we reſt and rely upon God's Power and Providence, the more we engage God to perform his Promiſes. Herein Rules are to be regarded to regulate our Faith.
Mark the ſecond; Theſe Rules are reducible to three Heads.
The firſt Rule is, We muſt rightly underſtand the Nature of the Promiſes, which are the Object of our believing. Chriſt's Diſciples ſtaggered at the Promiſe (which Abraham did not by the ſtrength of his Faith, Rom. 4.20.) [we truſted it had been he, &c.] Luke 24. v. 21. the reaſon of their ſtaggering thus, was their want of a right underſtanding the nature of God's Promiſe; they dream'd of a Carnal Kingdom, wherein they expected promotions at Chriſt's right hand and left, whereas it was Spiritual only.
Remark the Second; The ſecond Rule is, We muſt obſerve the Order of God's Providence in performing his Promiſes; wherein three things muſt be well underſtood: The firſt is, God oft delays to do, what he hath declared he intends to do, both in 1. Puniſhing the wicked: Eccleſ. 8.11. Iſa. 10.12. Pſal. 107.42. and 1 Sam. 2.9. God delays to ſtop the mouth of the wicked, only till they have done their work, and till their ſins be full, Gen. 15.16. 2. In rewarding the godly, he delays, alſo; for, (1.) He will be truſted; he could have caſt down the Walls of Jericho the firſt day; yet muſt Iſrael truſt him till the ſeventh day. (2.) He will have us to find out the accurſed thing, &c. Joſh. 7.11. The continuance of the Captivity made them ſearch their ways, Lam. 3.40. (3.) It makes Mercy more ſweet when it comes after a little delay; had Abraham got his Iſaac in the firſt year of his Marriage, his Son would not have been ſuch a laughter of Faith to him. (4.) Tho' God ſeem to delay quoad nos, as to us, as we are ſhort ſpirited, yet is he not ſlack concerning his Promiſe, 2 Pet. 3.9. but haſtens it as faſt as the Heavens haſten in their Revolution, which (as Bellarmin affirmeth) run ſix thouſand Miles in every hour.
Remark the Third; Conſider alſo, as God ſometimes ſeems unto us to delay in his Promiſes to the godly, and in his Threatnings to the wicked; ſo ſometimes he doth act quite contrary to them both. God threatens to wound the hairy ſcalp of the wicked, Pſal. 68.21. yet lets he them alone a long time to flouriſh, but all is, that the Sun-ſhine of God's favour may but ripen them the better for God's Sickle, Gen. 15.16. Pſal. 37.2. and 52.5, 6. and 92.7. Rev. 14.15, 18. Haman and other wicked men have been ſpared a while, that they might become fitter fewel for the fire of God's Judgments, Mal. 3.15. and 4.1. and thus likewiſe God ſeems to do with his Promiſes, quite contrary to them by his Providences; ſo that 'tis oft a work of great difficulty to reconcile God's Promiſes and his Providences together: Great things God hath promiſed, and Faith turns Promiſes into Prayers, yet ſometimes God caſts thoſe Prayers (ſeemingly by his Providence) as dung in the faces of his praying People, Pſal. 80.4. This is a great Tryal, eſpecially when God ſays [I will deliver you no more] Judg. 10.13. N.B. And conſider (3.) God ſometimes begins to perform what he hath purpoſed and promiſed, yet afterwards draws back his hand as if he would never-perform it. This may be inſtanced, (1.) In his Threatnings, as in the caſe of Sodom, whoſe Sin did continually cry to Heaven for Vengeance; they were led away captive, yet delivered by Abraham from that Captivity, as if they had not been ſuch groſs God-provoking Sinners, Gen. 14. Notwithſtanding this, Divine Vengeance (after this ſtepping backward) ſteps forward again, and deſtroy'd them by Hell-fire from Heaven, Gen. 19. (2.) In his Promiſes, God ſteps back likewiſe from what he had promiſed, as in David's caſe; God had promiſed by his Prophet Samuel, that he ſhould be King, &c. In order hereunto God by his Providence brought David to the Court, from his Sheep-coat to be King Saul's Muſician, to cure him of his Melancholy (as above), this ſeem'd a fair ſtep: Yet afterward God's Providence ſteps backwards, and David is ſent back from the King's Court to keep his Father's Sheep again, notwithſtanding this, God's Providence ſteps forward again, Saul is ſlain, and David came to the Crown according to God's Promiſe.
The Third Rule of Direction is, As we muſt, 1ſt. underſtand aright the Nature of Divine Promiſes, and 2dly, the Order of Divine Providence, in performing a Divine Promiſe; ſo 3dly, we muſt remember how faithful God hath been in fulfilling what he had promiſed in former Ages to the Patriarchs, to the Prophets, and to his People, both before, under, and after the Law: God would not break his word of Promiſe with them, ſo much as one Day in four hundred and thirty Years, Exod. 12.41. in the caſe of their Egyptian Bondage, nor did God break his word with his People, ſo much as one Night in the ſeventy Years of their Babyloniſh Captivity, but in that very night when the term of Seventy Years was expired, Belſhazzar expired alſo, being ſlain by Cyrus who ſet them at Liberty, Dan. 5.30. Ezra 1.1. N.B. This muſt needs corroborate our Faith, to conſider how punctual God hath been in Times paſt to perform his Promiſes; he who is unchangeable in himſelf, and hath ſo preciſely perform'd old Promiſes that are paſt, he will be no leſs poſitive in performing thoſe Promiſes that are yet behind unperformed; becauſe he is the ſame yeſterday, and to day, and for ever, Hebr. 13.8. He that hath delivered, doth ſtill deliver, and we truſt alſo he will deliver, 2 Cor. 1.10. Though there be a Damp upon our Hopes, and a Death upon our Helps, yet will he revive his Work again, Heb. 3.2. and therefore in the failure of all Creature-Comforts, that Prophet reſolves to rejoice in the Lord, ver. 17, 18. and Job hangs on a killing God, Job 13.15.
Now after this neceſſary Digreſſion, I return to the Concomitants of Jehoſaphat's Expedition againſt the Enemy, and to the Second Remark thereupon, which is, His Marſhalling of his Army, ver. 21. He conſults with the Elders how to order his Matters; this gained him much Honour among them, not acting Tyrant-like with [ſic volo, ſic jubeo] So I Will and Command, without asking Counſel or Conſent. [He appointed Singers unto the Lord,] being ſure of the Victory before hand, his Faith had a certainty of it lodged in his Soul, believing God upon his bare Promiſe, and that againſt Senſe in things inviſible, and againſt Reaſon in things incredible, for as to God, ſo to true Faith, all things are preſent, Hebr. 11.1. and all things are poſſible, Iſa. 45.11, 19, &c. N. B. He ſet thoſe Singers (ſaith Vatablus) in their Sacred Habits, as if they had not been at Battle, but in the very Temple it ſelf; and he placed them before the fighting Men of the Army, as if no need of ſtriking one stroke; but it ſhould ſuffice (ſaith Piſcator) to ſing the 136 Pſalm, which they ſang throughout as they marched along, and which (ſaith he) was ſeemingly ridiculous to humane Reaſon, in their marching againſt a mighty Multitude of a potent Adverſary with a muſical Pomp, &c. but Jehoſaphat did thus by divine Direction, and it had anſwerable Succeſs. Oſiander obſerveth here, that God oft begins his moſt glorious Actions after a childiſh manner. God chuſeth fooliſh things to confound the wiſe, and baſe, deſpiſed means to do great things, 1 Cor. 1.27, 28.
Remark the Third upon the Concomitants, is, upon this holy ſinging Praiſes to the Beauty of Holineſs, God ſent ſuch a frantick Fury into the Enemy, that they ſheathed their Swords in one anothers Bowels, ver. 22. Where 'tis ſaid, [The Lord ſet Ambuſhments againſt them.] Piſcator ſaith, This was an Ambuſhment of Angels, whoſe ſervice God makes uſe of to ſlay the Enemies of his People, as 2 Kings 19.35. Vatablus, &c. ſay, Thoſe Angels appeared in the Viſage of Ammonites, and riſing as out of an Ambuſh, ſet upon and ſlew the Moabites; they thus miſtaking the matter, and thinking it had been done by their own Men, they furiouſly break forth into mutual ſlaughters one of another. N.B. The Dutch Annotations ſay, God ſent ſuch a Spirit of Confuſion among them, that they took one another to be their Enemies; ſo vain are all Attempts of Men againſt God, who needs no other means to deſtroy his Enemies, but themſelves, their own Miſtakes and Paſſions, which he can (when he pleaſeth) arm againſt themſelves: So cauſe Sedition, &c. Oſiander, Maſius, Menochius, &c. ſay, It was an Ambuſh of their own Army deſign'd to fall upon the Jews by a Surprize, but finding ſo many of the Ammonites and Moabites ſlain by the Angels, they verily thought (God overruling the Matter) that it was done by the Edomites, ſo they utterly deſtroyed them, ver. 23. and then fell foul one upon another.
Remark the Fourth: When Judah came to the Watch-Tower (upon the Cliff of Ziz ver. 16.) they ſaw the Enemy cut in pieces like meat to the Pot (as Ziz ſignifies) ver. 24. and all this being done by their own Hands, and by the Hands of Angels (as the great God had ordered it) before Jehoſaphat or any of the Jews could come up to ſtrike one ſtroke. N. B. Oh who would not fear thee, thou King of Nations, Jer. 10.7. Learn hence how we may be freed from our ſpiritual Enemies, not by our own might and merits, but by Faith in Chriſt, who hath made us more than Conquerors, Rom. 8.37. that is, Triumphers, 2 Cor. 2.14.
The Third Particular is the Conſequents hereof, which are Four.
Remark upon the Firſt, is, The Jews taking the Spoil of their ſlain Enemies, ver. 25. who came againſt them more like to a Triumph than to a Battle, bringing with them Gold Rings, Gold Chains, Chains of Pearl, Precious Stones, Jewels, &c. (poſſibly, ſay ſome, to corrupt ſome of Jehoſaphat's Officers, &c.) Such was their ſelf-confidence in their Multitudes, yea ſo much was their [Rechuſh, Hebr.] which ſounds like Riches, that they were three days in gathering the Spoils, and found more than they could carry away; and all this they got (ſaith Grotius) without either Sweat or Blood in Battle.
Remark upon the Second, is, Jehoſaphat's Thanksgiving for this Rich yet eaſie and bloodleſs Victory, ver. 26. This he did upon the fourth day, while the mercy was yet freſh, our praiſing God ought to be haſtned, no part of the Thank-offering might be kept till the third day, Levit. 19.6, 7. and 7.15, 17, 18. Eaten Bread is ſoon forgotten: David pays his Vows Juſt now, Pſal. 116.14. and Jehoſaphat gave thanks upon the very ground where he had the Victory, calling it Beruchah, ſignifying, there he bleſt the Lord, called the Valley of Jehoſaphat ever after, Joel 3.2, 12. for a memorial of this great Mercy.
Remark upon the Third, is, His Triumph, ver. 27, 28. Jehoſaphat in the forefront returns with joy to Jeruſalem, and thought it not enough he had bleſt God once at the firſt upon the very place, but three days after doth he it more ſolemnly the ſecond time in the Temple at Jeruſalem. There they had poured forth their ſolemn Prayers, and at Jeruſalem alſo they would render and return their ſolemn Praiſes unto God for hearing their Prayers.
Remark upon the Fourth, is, His Tranquillity after this Triumph, ver. 29, 30. the report of this glorious Deliverance made all ſorts of Enemies far and near to fear Jehoſaphat, as had been done to fear Joſhua, Joſh. 2.10, 11. So his God gave him reſt round about, Reigning above Four Years after this, but was not able to remove the high places, the People by long Cuſtom being ſo wedded to them, ver. 31, 32, 33. Tho' (as Junius obſerves) this good King did his utmoſt to reclaim them, 2 Chron. 19.4, &c.
The Second Part of this Chapter, is, Jehoſaphat's Infelicity, after all this wonderful Felicity; He falls into his former faults again, ver. 34, 35, 36, 37.
Mark 1. His Father Aſa was a good Man, but this Son of his was better; for he Repented when he was reproved, 2 Chron. 19.3, 4, 5, &c. but his Father raged at the Reprover, and put the Prophet into Priſon, as is above obſerved.
Mark 2. Yet this good King relapſes into the ſame Sin for which he had been ſo ſharply Reproved, Chap. 19.2. in joyning himſelf with Ahaziah, who is ſtigmatiz'd for doing very wickedly; probably, this he yielded unto, 1. From his facile Temper, unable to withſtand the Solicitations of his near Relations. 2. This was only in a Caſe of Commerce and Trade, and not in a War, as with Ahab; therefore he might look upon it as a little more lawful, yet for this he was ſmartly reproved, both by God's Prophet, ver. 37. and by God's Providence, 2 Kings 22.48. which Navy the Lord broke by a Storm out of Faithfulneſs to Jehoſaphat, Pſal. 119.75. For at firſt he conſented that his Ships ſhould go with Ahaziah's to Ophir for Gold; but (as ſome ſay) they miſcarrying, he therefore would not hearken to a ſecond Motion, 1 Kings 22.48, 49. whereby he ſhew'd the Truth of his Repentance.
Mark 3. Theſe Three Branches. Firſt, Jehoſaphat's Sin in aſſociating himſelf with ſo notorious a Sinner, had this aggravation, that it was ſo ſoon after ſuch a glorious Deliverance, as Ezra 9.13, 14. The Second, is, How good Men may fall once and again into the ſame fault, as Gen. 12.13. and 20.2, Abraham ſaid twice, [She is my Siſter.] The Third, is, God will not proſper the evil Projects of his own People. Peter Martyr ſaith, God proſper'd Solomon's Voyage for Gold, 1 Kings 9.28. becauſe his Temple was then to be Built; but not ſo Jehoſaphat's, for there was no neceſſity then, 'twas only for Curioſity, &c.