THE PROPHETIC WORD (1)

“Believe in the Lord your God, and you shall be established; BELIEVE HIS PROPHETS, and you shall PROSPER” – 2 Chronicles 20:20b

Two fundamental purposes of the PROPHETIC WORD are Establishment and Prosperity: “So they rose early in the morning and went out into the Wilderness of Tekoa; and as they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Hear me, O Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem: Believe in the Lord your God, and you shall be established; BELIEVE HIS PROPHETS, and you shall PROSPER” (2 Chr.20:20). In response to a significant threat against Jehoshaphat and his kingdom, the nation gathered to seek God together to ask for help, fasting and praying (2Chr.20: 1-12). God answered Jehoshaphat’s prayer through a prophet – Jahaziel, who buoyed their faith by declaring: ‘Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s” (v.15b).

God knew the plans of the attacking armies precisely and He relayed the information to the king and people of Judah: “...They will surely come up by the Ascent of Ziz..” (v.16a). He therefore commanded Jehoshaphat and Judah to go out to battle against the enemies, not in their own power, but trusting in His Presence: “You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem!’ Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, for the Lord is with you” (v.17b). The nation simply needed to stand firm in faith – believe the Lord and believe His Prophetic Word, and be established to prosper.

Judah had to work in Faith-partnership with God; and that’s the characteristic nature of the prophetic. Both king and people received the prophetic word through Jahaziel was a true message from God, and they worshipped the Him who promised to save His people against this terrible threat (vv.18-19). Early in the morning, prompted by the prophetic, the army was led by worshippers. Jehoshaphat’s exhortation showed that he equated believing the prophets of God with believing the LORD your God Himself. Indeed, to believe God’s Word is to believe God Himself! The outcomes: divine ambushes; implosion and in-fighting among the enemies; and their total defeat (vv.22-24).

The Prophetic is linked to Faith. To believe is to have a strong conviction that something will happen even though one hasn’t seen it. This is the essence of Faith (Heb.11:1). The prophetic produces establishment and prosperity. To be established is to be upheld and well-known. To prosper is to succeed, flourish, and be fruitful. People who follow God become established and succeed. Establishment always precedes Prosperity. Prospering before establishment carries a great danger of backsliding. Many people are seeking prosperity without establishment! The key to prosperity is in being established in our faith first. The key to establishment is to be connected to the Source – the Lord God!

Jehoshaphat exemplified how we should respond to life’s challenges by connecting to the Prophetic for Divine Intervention.