BibleProject | One Story That Leads to JesusSample

Wars, wadis, and waiting on wins from God: Have we heard this one before? Yes and no.

You might recognize several stories in today’s reading. Jehoshaphat’s military partnership with Ahab. Micaiah slapped in the face by a false prophet. A stray arrow brings Ahab down. These are almost identical repeats of stories told in the book of Kings.

But the chronicler expands the stories with new material. In Kings, we had a hunch that Jehoshaphat’s alliance with Ahab—murderer, idol worshipper, all-around nasty dude—was a bad idea. Chronicles confirms this partnership demonstrated a serious lapse in Jehoshaphat’s judgment. In fact, Yahweh sends a prophet to reprimand the king.

For the most part though, Chronicles spotlights Jehoshaphat’s good decisions. When the Moabites and Ammonites team up to invade Judah, Jehoshaphat brings the whole kingdom to the temple to trust Yahweh through fasting and prayer.

Yahweh responds positively to the king’s desperate cry. The enemies never make it past the wadi, a deep gorge that floods during the rainy season. A miraculous rescue at the water’s edge? We really have heard this one before!

Jehoshaphat’s band of singers and warriors arrives to fight, but the battle is over. They stand at the edge of the wadi and look across a field of dead bodies—just like the Israelites in Moses’ day, who stood beside the Sea of Reeds (or “Red Sea”), watching Pharaoh’s lifeless army wash up on shore.

Chronicles is not merely a retelling of old stories. It reveals patterns of divine commitment to terrified people in grave danger, standing at the edge of a sea or a river, trusting Yahweh for life. (Remember, bodies of water often symbolize chaos and death in the Bible.) The pattern repeats over and over, ultimately including Jesus’ baptism in the Jordan River.

Through impossible danger, Yahweh can be trusted to preserve and restore life. The pattern suggests divine faithfulness, which invites trust rooted in God’s proven and demonstrated character and actions.

Reflection Questions

• Compare 2 Chronicles 20 to Exodus 14. What common images, phrases, and scenes do you notice? Why do you think the chronicler used language from the exodus story to describe the way Yahweh rescued Jehoshaphat?
• Can you think of any other stories where the Israelites pulled off a dramatic military victory with a marching band? (Turn to Joshua 6 for a hint.) How might this hyperlink add to your understanding of today’s reading?