Neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon thee (Quality: Good)

[0:01] So needing divine help, all I can venture to do this evening is to read to you verse 12 in the 20th chapter in the second book of Chronicles.

[0:22] The second book of Chronicles chapter 20 and I'd venture to read verse 12. O our God, wilt thou not judge them?

[0:40] For we have no might against this great company that cometh against us.

[0:53] But really the Lord has brought me to this. He has a few times over the years, but I feel that I've been brought here again this evening.

[1:06] It's really this, neither know we what to do. Our eyes are upon thee.

[1:26] It's very solemnly true, I feel to say this, that in the Lord's dealings with his dear people, they're often brought into this very place.

[1:45] And really it contains the very burden of their soul. And because I am having to venture in this way here this evening, the Lord alone knows if there should be anyone that has come to the service this evening and whether you would be able to say that this clause, neither know we what to do, could be the very feeling of your heart, your mind and your soul.

[2:30] What I was going to add was this. There are certainly many times in the life of a child of God when the Lord will bring them to this.

[2:43] But we cannot always claim, can we? We can also continue with those last few words.

[2:56] But our eyes are upon thee. Well, it is indeed are there.

[3:08] And I hope that there could be those that feel that they are there, even this evening. And if you are living under and walking in, the experience of the first clause in the last part of the verse, neither know we what to do.

[3:32] I hope, and if any of you have come with the very feelings, the very burden of your soul, and the Lord knows what it may be, and the Lord knows what may be going on in any of our lives.

[3:52] But I feel this, what a far greater mercy it is when we can most sincerely join together the last few words in the verse.

[4:06] I hope there are those here tonight who can say yes to this, but our eyes are upon thee.

[4:17] Now, as the Lord then may help me to speak to you, neither know we what to do.

[4:30] and I must, and I must, of course, join the other part together, but our eyes are upon thee.

[4:45] Well, there are two very clear sides to this subject.

[4:56] what I mean is this, King Jehoshaphat well knew that he himself had brought this trouble upon his own head.

[5:16] You only have to look back a few chapters to prove this. When, and I would add this thought, King Jehoshaphat, we know from the record of God's word that he was a very godly man.

[5:40] He was a very gracious man. And as a grace was given to him, he was found continually walking very close to his guard.

[5:57] I might just go back a chapter or two to try that we might first of all set this part first of all before us.

[6:12] When I said that King Jehoshaphat well knew that he had brought this solemn trouble upon his own head.

[6:24] Well dear friends, I'm sure there are those here tonight who understand this and have there not been times? Are there not times in our lives when we do bring trouble upon our own heads?

[6:42] peace. And we know regarding King Jehoshaphat how all this came about because he'd been left and you can find this in chapter 18 in this same second book of Chronicles.

[7:04] And that 18th chapter begins like this. Now Jehoshaphat had riches and honour in abundance.

[7:17] God had granted it to him. He'd been very favoured. He'd been very blessed. And yet we find that he had a particular weakness and I wonder how many of us here tonight have been made very aware of what the Apostle Paul tells us in his epistle to the Hebrews.

[7:51] What does he tell us? I'll just turn over to it for a moment and read this to you when he conveyed this in that epistle to the Hebrews in these words Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses let us lay aside every weight and the sin which doth so easily beset us.

[8:30] I wonder how many of us here tonight have been made solemnly aware of this in our own life and in our own experience. The sin which doth so easily beset us and do we not find have we not found how these besetting sins cling to us and how the Lord has had to deal with us over and over again regarding them.

[9:09] Now I mentioned at the beginning that there are two very clear sides to the subject and I must just first of all begin with the first.

[9:22] And what was it when King Ahab said unto Jehoshaphat king of Judah would thou go with me to Rome of Gilead here we find his weakness here we find I believe can rightly say this besetting sin that took hold of King Jehoshaphat more than once.

[9:49] you can read on and you can prove it from God's word. When we think about it his sin in the first place was this and after certain years he joined in affinity with a very ungodly king and when this king said to King Jehoshaphat wilt thou go with me to Rome of Gilead and he answered him I am as thou art and my people as thy people and we will be with thee in the war.

[10:42] You know we have a hymn that says this I wonder how many of us have had to prove it from time to time in our own life. We oft bring mischief on our head by some unwary step and oh the trouble that it brought into King Jehoshaphat's life.

[11:08] Surely then there are there is a need for words of warning here for all of us again tonight. don't we need to be careful what we do?

[11:21] Don't we need to be careful in our lives lest we too get carried away with first one thing and then another?

[11:31] I think it perhaps could be said that King Jehoshaphat was a very kind hearted man and if people are very very kind hearted they will always find it harder to stand out and to stand up and to resist anyway I'll just leave that with you and when we think of what happened and when we think of what King Ahab said to King Jehoshaphat and the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat I'll disguise myself you know King Ahab had been told that he was going to die by God's servant Michal oh he'd been told very clearly what would happen to him you see how his mind was working and what he thought he would do and the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat

[12:32] I will disguise myself and will go to the battle what did he say to King Jehoshaphat but put thou on thy robes so the king of Israel disguised himself and they went to the battle and we know what happened now the king of Syria had commanded the captains of the chariots that were with him saying fight ye not with small or great save only with the king of Israel see the Lord oh the solemnity of the whole matter and then we find what happens to Jehoshaphat it came to pass when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat that they said it is the king of Israel therefore they compassed about him to fight and here is this dear king

[13:34] I think we can call him that here he is what can he now do but Jehoshaphat cried out and the Lord helped him oh the Lord's mercy the Lord's mercy to him and I wonder how many of us here tonight have also proved the mercy of God to us when we may have been left to take a wrong step act in a wrong way do something wrong and yet the Lord's overruling mercy surrounded him but Jehoshaphat cried out and the Lord helped him and God moved them to depart from him well this is one side of the subject and then just to try to bring it home upon our hearts you find in chapter 19 what happens and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah returned to his house in peace to Jerusalem land oh the

[14:45] Lord's mercy the Lord's mercy I wonder how many of us have had to prove through mercy the mercy of God to us as well and Jehu the son of Hanani the seer went out to meet him and said to king Jehoshaphat shouldest thou help the ungodly and love them that hate the Lord therefore is wrath upon thee from before the Lord nevertheless there are good things found in thee in that thou hast taken away the groves out of the land and hast prepared thine heart to seek God well that's one side of the subject I do not feel I would be faithful as before God if we do not seek to set these things before us

[15:45] I'm sure that the near pastor here will understand me in this thought how continually we stand in the pulpit and first of all we're preaching really to our own hearts now we come then to this word the Lord the judgment fell upon King Joshua that because of it be sure your sin will find you out I wonder how many of us have had to prove that be sure your sin will find you out and the Lord saw that it must find him out and yet in the midst of it all he was still surrounded with mercy the mercy of God was still with him and so we have it in this chapter and we have these opening words in chapter 20 and it came to pass after this also what coming to pass after all this it certainly was there were the children of Moab and the children of

[17:09] Ammon and Mount Seir they rolled in a mess and Jehoshaphat receives this message then there came some that told Jehoshaphat saying there cometh a great multitude against thee from beyond the sea on this side Syria and behold they be in Hazazan Temar which is En-Gedi now what does Jehoshaphat do well he fears and he set himself to seek the Lord and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah you see the mercy of God interwoven with it I wonder how many of us here tonight have seen something of this the mercy of God interwoven in our lives and then we have it perhaps summed up in that beautiful hymn with mercy and with judgment my web of time he woe and hey the deers of sorrow were lusted with his love we'll bless the hand that guided we'll bless the heart that planned enthroned where glory dwelleth in Emmanuel's land well what a response then he was favoured to have and we're told in verse 13 where God brought them brought their king first of all as he stood as he comes into

[18:51] God's house as we read it to you if when evil cometh upon us as the sword judgment or pestilence or famine we stand before this house and in thy presence for thy name is in this house he returns into the house of God with it all and isn't that how it is with the Lord's people still I wonder if there are any of you here tonight and the Lord knows what may be going on in your life and the Lord knows if any of you have come to the service tonight feeling that what I've had to venture with it just it describes your very feelings your very case neither know we what to do have any of you and your feelings come to the end of everything you just do not know what to do and then you will have cried out with

[19:53] Jacob when he said all these things are against me well I may never know but the Lord knows if there's anyone or more than one that have come to the service tonight and you will know and I'll tell you how you will have come you will have brought all this that may be in your path your life you will have come with all of it and you may have come into this house of God with it all I'm sure you have even this evening and how have you come with it you may have been praying something like this Lord the servant who I hope I am but the servant of God doesn't know anything about me he doesn't know anything about my life my path my case well the Lord knows if that is so now then here first of all the king is and here he stands and we stand before this house and in thy presence for thy name is in this house and cry unto thee in our affliction then thou wilt hear and how have any of you been favored even today in spreading your burden before the

[21:17] Lord the Lord knows what a day you may have had I've had a day today and you may have had a day and if through mercy the Lord is using it sanctifying it that we might come together tonight in the word of God what a mercy it will be I hope it will be and then you see there are two more things I want to convey he comes to this and now behold the children of Moab the children of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir whom thou wouldest not let Israel invade when they came out of the land of Egypt but they turned from them and destroyed them not behold I say how they reward us are they not times in the life of the Lord's people when very difficult things can arise we may meet with opposition in ways that we may never have thought we would and it can be very very trying opposition difficulty and the

[22:36] Lord can stir up he can do things and yet he says behold I say how they reward us to come to cast us out of thy possession which thou hast given us to inherit do we have any hope then that this is like that with us you may have been saying Lord don't know it's all about this and all this that has come against me come against us and then there was one more particular thing I wanted to mention and it's this you see the Lord unites the king together with his people what a mercy when this happens what a mercy when this happens when we may find that we are surrounded we are favoured and we have those who surround us join with us and as the

[23:39] Lord enables there is united prayer going up united cries going up but surely it was so when we read this in verse 13 in this chapter and all Judah do you think of it here the dear king was in very real trouble mighty enemies approaching all of it too much too great far beyond him and his people and yet he has this privilege he has this pleasure and all Judah stood before the Lord with their little ones and their wives and their children now I want with the Lord's help to come to the other side of the subject and friend where does it begin if you have your Bibles open you just look for a moment at verse 14 verse 14 you have a look at it here the king is and he's united in it with his people and surely there's something very blessed in this and all

[24:59] Judah stood before the Lord with their little ones and their wives and their children you know when the Lord wants blessing like this how it can be the forerunner of deliverance how it can be the forerunner of the Lord appearing so it's this really that open those opening words in verse 14 then then upon Jehaziel came the spirit of the Lord in the midst of the congregation I'm sure it's right for me to say this that until that moment Jehaziel was as filled with fear as his king and with all of them but what a transformation and oh how blessed it is when this happens still in our gatherings together for worship when the

[26:03] Lord grants this then upon Jehaziel came the spirit of the Lord in the midst of the congregation the Lord in that moment he transformed Jehaziel from a poor fearful man and he transforms him in a moment into his servant and it's the other side then of the subject may the Lord just help me to convey to you and may it be for us here this evening then upon Jehaziel came the spirit of the Lord in the midst of the congregation you know I'm sure of this that your dear pastor is not a stranger to this and to the experience of it oh when it's known how blessed how precious when it's known in our gatherings and when we know something of what we read about

[27:10] God's servant who said or where it is recorded then spake Haggai the Lord's messenger in the Lord's message I hope that I might be made that even here this evening well how does it begin here is this dear servant of God the spirit of the Lord comes upon him and the Lord gives him a message to deliver to this poor burdened troubled king and his people and let us forget this King Jehoshaphat was well aware of his own part in it and doesn't it make the whole thing even more wonderful and when we can say it is the Lord enthroned in light whose claims are all divine who has an undisputed right to govern me and mine well here then is the message from heaven and he said this is how he began his sermon and he said how can ye all do and what a mercy it is when we are favoured to be granted a real spirit of hearing when we find that the Lord puts our soul in tune and we're favoured to listen we don't always have that blessing do we we're not always favoured in our hearing but how good when we are well I can only hope that this may prove to be an answer to prayer here this evening

[28:59] I hope it will be and he said hearken ye all Judah and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem and thou king Jehoshaphat thus saith the Lord unto you thus saith the Lord unto you oh I hope you'll lose sight completely of the poor man that stands in this pulpit here this evening I hope you will thus saith the Lord unto you be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude for the battle is not yours but God's I venture to add this this truth we rejoice in the Lord will appear the Lord knows how it may be with anyone that is here tonight but here is a message from heaven be not afraid nor dismayed for the battle is not yours and friends don't forget the enemy was still approaching this vast enemy was still approaching there was still all this that was building up and yet the Lord tells them be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude for the battle is not yours but God's oh what a difference when the

[30:37] Lord favours us to hear such words as this friend the battle is not yours it's God's it's in the Lord's hand you may have impossible things that are going on in your path your life and you'll understand and you'll say yes well it's just how I feel neither know we what to do and what a very real place that is but then there was more to this message than that tomorrow tomorrow go ye down against them tomorrow the Lord only knows if this may be a word for someone or even more than one the Lord knows if any that are here tonight and the Lord knows what may be in front of you what may be in your path and what a very real thing sometimes a tomorrow is a tomorrow well if any of you here tonight have a tomorrow that fills your poor mind with fear trembling wondering where the scene will end wondering what will happen when your fears run high when perhaps you may feel may even fear what will happen and yet the Lord goes on tomorrow go ye down against them you can't get out of it you can't run round it you can't get over it there's something to be confronted there's something to be entered into you can't get away from it and you can't get out of it but tomorrow go ye down against them behold they come up by the cliff of Zez and ye shall find them at the end of the brook before the wilderness of Europe the Lord tells them exactly what is going to happen and sometimes the Lord does this he he he enlightens the understanding he he grants a a revelation of his will sometimes and when we're favoured to see it and to understand it but it means this there's no way back there's no way back whatever it is that may be before you there's no way round it there's no way over it well then tomorrow go ye down against them behold they clung up by the cliff of Zez and ye shall find them at the end of the brook before the wilderness of Jerul but then what else does the

[33:53] Lord tell them ye shall not need to fight in this battle ye shall not need to fight in this battle set yourselves stand ye still and see the salvation of the Lord with you see the salvation of the Lord with you and you think of what the Lord is telling them set yourselves stand ye still and see the salvation of the Lord with you oh Judah and Jerusalem fear not nor be dismayed tomorrow go out against them for the Lord will be with you I can only hope it's this is a word from the

[34:55] Lord I can only hope that it is let me repeat it ye shall not need to fight in this battle set yourselves stand ye still and see the salvation of the Lord with you oh Judah and Jerusalem fear not nor be dismayed tomorrow go out against them for the Lord will be with you now I may never know but I'm venturing with God's word and the Lord has dealt with me in such a way today that's all I could do here tonight I've known it a few times over the years but I've known it again today but then it doesn't end there either in the first place what did it do for

[36:04] King Jehoshaphat where did it bring him and Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground you think of it and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell before the Lord worshipping the Lord you see the Lord these words of sacred promise it had such an effect upon them that there they were it doesn't mean to say their enemies were still approaching there was still this yet to be if I may put it in such words there is still this that you must go through to prove the Lord's mercy to prove his goodness well it brings the king and his people to the feet of Jesus but it doesn't end there either what else are we told and the

[37:05] Levites of the children of the Kohathites and of the children of the Kohathites stood up to praise the Lord the Lord God of Israel with a loud voice on high what a thought this is their deliverance began with praise and thanksgiving and that was before the Lord had dealt with their enemies but they began to praise God in anticipation of his mercy and of his goodness and then it goes on and they rose early in the morning and went forth into the wilderness of Tikal and as they went forth Jehoshaphat stood and said hear me oh Judah and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem believe in the Lord your

[38:05] God so shall ye be established believe his prophets so shall ye prosper who still in need of deliverance but this was the effect upon us have we ever known a little of this when the Lord has favoured us and we've been favoured to know a little of what we read about Manoah and his wife we're told this aren't we about them they looked on while the angel of the Lord did wondrously now finally then this evening and when he had consulted with the people he appointed singers unto the Lord and that should praise the beauty of holiness as they went out before the army and to say praise the

[39:07] Lord for his mercy he endureth forever and then what do we read and when they began to sing and to praise the Lord set ambushments notice the wording and when they began to sing and to praise the Lord set ambushments against the children of Ammon Moab and Mount Seir which came which were come against Judah and they were smitten their deliverance began with praise and thanksgiving why because the Lord had given them words of divine promise ye shall not need to fight in this battle set yourselves stand ye still and see the salvation the Lord with you O Judah and Jerusalem for the

[40:09] Lord will be with you I could only hope that that might be a final word for us here tonight for the Lord will be with you for the Lord will be with you fear thou not neither be dismayed the battle is not yours it's God's Amen let us conclude with hymn 695 695 to the tune 80th 461 blessed comforter appear to thy waiting children here bless us with a solemn frame magnify the saviour's name raise our souls from earth and sin let us feel thy power within make the blessings of free grace unctuously suit every case hymn 695 qué eso

[42:25] THE END THE END THE END

[43:55] THE END THE END THE END THE END THE END THE END THE END THE END THE END THE END THE END THE END THE END THE END THE END THE END THE END THE END THE END THE END THE END THE END THE END

[44:59] THE END THE END THE END THE END Amen.

[45:31] Lord, what a hymn we have had to close with here tonight. Lord, sometimes one has to add this.

[45:44] Oh, what a tune as well. Oh, Lord, if anyone has sung ear for music, there are times when we can really appreciate a tune.

[46:03] And especially when it seems to go so well. Lord, with a hymn. So, Lord, this poor sinner has ventured once more in the only way that we could here tonight.

[46:23] We could venture with nothing else, Lord. Neither know we what to do, but our eyes are upon thee.

[46:35] And oh, what? Lord, what a blessed outcome to the whole subject. May it prove to be from thee, Lord, if it could please thee.

[46:47] Oh, what a reward. I feel that would be, Lord, to me after what I have had to go through today, to come with it.

[47:01] Now, Lord, do bless thy word to us. Take us to our homes in peace and in safety. And may the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God the Father with the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

[47:26] Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.