EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)
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Art not thou God in heaven.—So
Psalm 115:2-3. Jehovah, the Worship of Israel, is no limited local or tribal deity, but
God over all. (Comp. also the first clause of the Lord’s Prayer.)
And rulest not thou over all the kingdoms?—Comp.1Chronicles 29:12 (David’s prayer), “and Thou reignest (rulest) over all; and in Thine hand is power and might.” This and next sentence should be rendered affirmatively, as in that place. (Comp. alsoPsalm 47:8 : “God reigneth over the heathen.”)
So that none is able to withstand thee.—Vulg., “nec quisquam tibi potest resistere;” LXX.,καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν πρὸς σὲ ἀντιστῆναι. Literally,and there is none against thee to stand up. For this construction, comp.Psalm 94:16 : “Who willstand up for mewith (i.e., against) workers of wickedness. (Comp. alsoPsalm 2:2; and the last words of Asa’s Prayer,2Chronicles 14:11.) Syr. and Arab., “and I am standing and praying before thee.”
2 Chronicles 20:6-7.
And said, O Lord God,&c. — Jehoshaphat himself was the mouth of the congregation to God, and did not devolve the work upon his chaplains. For though the kings were forbidden to burn incense, they were allowed to pray and preach.
Art thou not God in heaven,&c. — Which none of the gods of the heathen are. Is not thy dominion supreme, over
kingdomsthemselves, and universal, over
allkingdoms, even those of the heathen, that know thee not
? Art thou not our God? —In covenant with us? To whom should we seek, to whom should we trust for relief, but to him whom we have chosen for our God, and who has chosen us for his people?
Who gavest it to the seed of Abraham thy friend —To whom thou didst engage thyself to be his friend, and the friend of his seed for ever, and therefore we trust thou wilt not forsake us, his posterity.
20:1-13 In all dangers, public or personal, our first business should be to seek help from God. Hence the advantage of days for national fasting and prayer. From the first to the last of our seeking the Lord, we must approach him with humiliation for our sins, trusting only in his mercy and power. Jehoshaphat acknowledges the sovereign dominion of the Divine Providence. Lord, exert it on our behalf. Whom should we seek to, whom should we trust to for relief, but the God we have chosen and served. Those that use what they have for God, may comfortably hope he will secure it to them. Every true believer is a son of Abraham, a friend of God; with such the everlasting covenant is established, to such every promise belongs. We are assured of God's love, by his dwelling in human nature in the person of the Saviour. Jehoshaphat mentions the temple, as a token of God's favourable presence. He pleads the injustice of his enemies. We may well appeal to God against those that render us evil for good. Though he had a great army, he said, We have no might without thee; we rely upon thee.
Jehoshaphat's appeal is threefold:
(1) to God omnipotent2 Chronicles 20:6;
(2) to "our God;"
(3) the God especially "of this house" the temple.
6-12. And said, O Lord God of our fathers—This earnest and impressive prayer embraces every topic and argument which, as king and representative of the chosen people, he could urge. Then it concludes with an earnest appeal to the justice of God to protect those who, without provocation, were attacked and who were unable to defend themselves against overwhelming numbers.
No text from Poole on this verse.
And said, O Lord God of our fathers,.... Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, whose covenant God he was:
art not thou God in heaven? that dwellest and rulest there, and dost whatever thou pleasest in the armies of it:
and rulest not thou over all the kingdoms of the Heathens? being King of kings, and Lord of lords, all the world over:
and in thine hand is there not power and might, so that none is able to withstand thee? his power being infinite, unlimited, and uncontrollable, and so not resistible by finite creatures, at least not so as to be stopped and overcome.
And said, O LORD God of our fathers, art not thou God in heaven? and rulest not thou over all the kingdoms of the heathen? and in thine hand is there not power and might, so that none is able to withstand thee?
