Editorial August 23, 1924 Issue

"The battle is not your's, but God's"

Albert F. Gilmore

The twentieth chapter of II Chronicles contains the story of a victory of the Jews over their numerous enemies from the East. The account furnishes a marvelous instance of good prevailing over evil, of error destroying itself—a valuable lesson for those seeking to know divine power and to utilize it.

Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, learned that the enemy, including "the children of Ammon and Moab and mount Seir," were about to invade his territory for purposes of pillage and slaughter. Confident of their position as the favored of the Lord, the king, devout and assured, "stood in the congregation of Judah and Jerusalem" and prayed God for protection, frankly acknowledging the inability of his people to protect themselves from so great an enemy as now appeared ready to attack them. And as the congregation worshiped, we read that "the Spirit of the Lord" fell upon Jahaziel, a Levite, who under this heavenly inspiration called upon all, including the king, to hearken to the message of the Lord, which he interpreted in these words: "Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not your's, but God's."

Marvelous words! That they fell upon listening ears is proved by subsequent events; for we further read that the next morning the king and his people, moving out of the city toward the enemy, found that dissension had arisen among them, and that they had destroyed one another; that is, evil had destroyed itself. And the children of Judah and Jerusalem had only to gather up the spoil, everything of value which the enemy had brought within their borders.

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