I really thank God that we were able to do His work and be a part of the Hosanna Outreach this year. As I was listening to the different choirs sing, I was reminded of the battle Israel fought against Ammon & Moab in II Chronicle 20:1-30.
I always loved this battle; unlike other battles that were fought by the sword, this one was fought by men's faith and praise in God's power.
In this battle, you can see King Jehoshaphat's complete faith and reliance on God through his prayer. Even though he was a king, he was humble before God. This is how he prayed:
Our God, will you not judge them? For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.” (2 Chr 20:12)
His prayer was not about his glory or his legacy, but about God’s glory before His enemies. It was a prayer in accordance with God’s will.
In this battle, you can also see God's faithfulness to His people and His power. Jahaziel rightly encouraged the Israelites before the battle even started by saying:
"Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s" (2 Chr 20:15)
In many ways, this was the perfect battle. And here’s how it went that day:
Early in the morning [the Israelites] left for the Desert of Tekoa. As they set out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Listen to me, Judah and people of Jerusalem! Have faith in the LORD your God and you will be upheld; have faith in his prophets and you will be successful.” After consulting the people, Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the LORD and to praise him for the splendor of his holiness as they went out at the head of the army, saying:
“Give thanks to the LORD,
for his love endures forever.”
As they began to sing and praise, the LORD set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated. The Ammonites and Moabites rose up against the men from Mount Seir to destroy and annihilate them. After they finished slaughtering the men from Seir, they helped to destroy one another. (1 Chr 20: 20-23)
It was unbelievable how the Israelites won that day! Did you notice that they did not lift one single sword in this battle? The enemies ended up killing one another! All they did was sing to the Lord and praise Him.
Instead of putting soldiers with a weapon in the front of the army, Jehoshaphat put singers who praised God in the front of the army. This shows the importance of praising God with singing. The battle was won by praising God. No fighting was involved – God took care of it all. "'Not by might not by power, but by my Spirit', says the Lord of hosts." (Zech 4:6)
This is how I felt during Hosanna as I was watching the choirs go up one by one to praise God. I feel like the choirs are like army of God -- praising Him wave by wave and fighting the battle to win souls from the hand of Satan. It was such a moving scene and I hope God is pleased and glorified by our praise.
I also thank God that we were able to be a part of this work. It is indeed a great honor.
May we continue to fight for Him with our voices of praise; and may we put our faith in Him, for He is faithful.
Hallelujah. Amen.