God of the Last Valley

God of the Last Valley.

“Proclaim this among the nations: ‘Prepare for war! Wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war near, let them come up. Beat your plows into swords and your pruning knives into spears… Let the nations be wakened, and come up to the Valley of Jehoshaphat, for there I will sit to judge all the surrounding nations…. Multitudes, multitudes in the Valley of Decision! For the Day of Yahweh is near in the Valley of Decision!” (Joel 3:9-14). 

We have a Lord who is the God of the mountains, and also the God of the valleys, even of the last valley, the Kidron Valley. The Kidron Valley extends from Jerusalem to the Mount of Olives, almost three miles in distance. It is a mountainous ravine that is totally dry except after heavy rains, when it is then called Brook Kidron. The valley has been the site for many biblical battles, most famously the inspiring battle of Jehoshaphat (2 Chronicles 20). The Kidron Valley has been given many nicknames through the centuries, from the Valley of Jehoshaphat, to the Valley of Beracah, to the Valley of Decision.

King Jehoshaphat was one of the most faithful and devoted God-followers in the royal history of Israel. He led a national revival and “brought the people back to the Lord God of their fathers.” (2 Chron. 19:4). At one point he was faced with a threatening coalition of powerful Canaanite forces. It was abundantly clear to everyone that the forces of Judah were vastly outnumbered by this coalition of warriors, that they were helpless against what the Bible called “a multitude, a vast horde” of enemies. Jehoshaphat’s response to this threat was to declare a fast throughout the nation, to seek the help of Yahweh. He stood in the Temple in Jerusalem, and he humbly uttered a prayer that has inspired countless readers ever since. Some of his prayer’s’ highlights: “O Yahweh God of our fathers, are You not God in heaven, and do You not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations, and in Your hand is there not power and might, so that no one is able to withstand You?… If disaster comes upon us – sword, judgment, pestilence, famine – we will stand before this Temple and in Your presence, and cry out to You in our affliction, and You will hear and save… O our God, will You not judge our enemies? For we have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us, nor do we know what to do. But our eyes are upon You.” (2 Chronicles 20:6-12). Jehoshaphat offered these memorable words to God in the presence of the people of Judah. We could all stand to memorize his words… If we meet with affliction, we will cry out to you, Lord, and you will hear us and save us. We don’t know what to do, Father God, but we look to you for help.

After a trusted prophet of Yahweh assured them that the battle was the Lord’s and that He would defeat their enemy, King Jehoshaphat gathered the people again and declared, “Believe in Yahweh your God and you will be able to stand firm! Believe in the Lord’s prophets and you will succeed!” (v. 20). At this point we witness in this passage the spiritual genius and faith of King Jehoshaphat, and we become inspired by the three elements that led to his victory: Worship, Music, and Mercy.

(1.)  Worship. In preparation for battle, Jehoshaphat first appointed a choir, a choir of all things, to approach the battle lines and sing to Yahweh. This choir was to shout their praises and sing to “the beauty of holiness.” (v.21). That phrase has two different translations, depending on the version of the Bible. One version translates it as meaning, to praise the splendor of His holiness, to exalt Him in His beauty, to worship the One majestic in holiness. Or the other translation would be, to worship Him in holy attire, in sacred vestments, in clothing that sets them apart from everyone else in service to God. There is, however, no controversy of the Hebrew word for “praise” in this passage (yadah). To praise Yahweh here means to worship the Lord with hands extended. Setting the stage here in the valley before battle, if you were an enemy of Israel and waiting for the war to begin, what is the first thing you would see on the front lines? Instead of soldiers breathing fire, you would see a marching choir out in front, wearing priestly clothing, with arms extended outward, singing and shouting and praising their God Yahweh! It would seem that the enemies of Judah would be dumbfounded, to say the least.

(2.)  Music. Music on the battlefield? On the first line of defense, the front lines? Actually, what would inspire the troops better than music lifting up the power and love of their God Yahweh? This reminds us of David, “the sweet psalmist of Israel,” singing his songs of victory and deliverance, “You shall surround me with songs of deliverance. You shall encircle me with joyous shouts of victory and rescue. Like garlands of hosannas, you shall enfold me with songs of salvation.”  (Psalm 32:7). This reminds us too of Moses and the people of Israel threatened by the Egyptians at the Red Sea, and he is told “Don’t be afraid, just sit still and watch the Lord rescue you today. The Lord Himself will fight for you today.” Jehoshaphat’s prophet said exactly the same thing. In other words, watch Yahweh do all the heavy lifting in this battle! Sure enough, after crossing the Red Sea, what’s the first thing Moses sang in praise to the Lord? Moses and Miriam referred to God as “Yahweh the Warrior!” Much like David and Moses and countless other biblical heroes, Jehoshaphat believed that God is a conqueror, and He can vanquish the foes of His Chosen People. And there is something about music that inspires the heart, enlivens the mind, and activates the will. Music has an indescribable impact on the human being. Music can’t really be defined, it can only be experienced, loved and lived into. Apart from the Bible’s hymn book, the Psalms, there are well over thirty songs recorded in Scriptures. For the most part, we don’t choose music, music chooses us. We even see a strong connection between music and the works of prophets, confirming the spiritual nature of music. “When you arrive at Gibeah of God, you will meet a band of prophets coming down from the place of worship. They will be playing harp, a tambourine, a flute, and a lyre, and they will be prophesying. At that time the Spirit of the Lord will come powerfully upon you, and you will be prophesying with them. You will be changed into a different person.” (I Samuel 10:5-6). So in light of the nature of music, and its history in Scripture, it is not necessarily surprising that Jehoshaphat chose to put his choir on the front lines, singing about the mercy of Yahweh God.

(3.)  Mercy. And what was the choir singing about as they confidently walked into battle against a fierce foe? What was the most important thing they could think about at that particular time? Yes, they sang what has been called the eternal song of the saints. They lifted their voices and triumphantly sang about Mercy. God’s Mercy. The Hebrew word for mercy in this passage is the rich word hesed. It is a rich feast of a word. Hesed needs to be described, not defined; lived into, not merely thought through.

HESED: completely undeserved mercy and loving-kindness; practical and eager love-in-action; steadfast and loyal compassion; unending favor; the ardent desire to do good for someone; the deep love reserved for someone in an intimate relationship, and if there is no prior relationship to treat someone as if that relationship existed; covenant faithfulness; a merciful generosity that goes above and beyond what is expected.

Hesed, translated as mercy or loving-kindness in most Bibles, is named by many scholars the most important word in the Hebrew Bible. Hesed is used over 250 times in Jewish scriptures (the Old Testament), and rabbinic tradition declares that mercy is the outstanding attribute, the central quality, of our God. Is there any phrase repeated more often in Scripture than “His mercies endure forever,” or more accurately, “His mercy is everlasting.” This soul-changing phrase is repeated at least forty times in the Hebrew Bible. The Hebrew of this phrase doesn’t actually say the word “endure.” It simply says, “mercy everlasting.” In other words, God’s mercy doesn’t simply “endure” by the skin of its teeth, mercy doesn’t just hang in there to survive, it doesn’t have its existence hanging in the balance or threatened in any way. Mercy just is. Mercy is an indispensable, permanent part of the universe, always there like the sky. There has always been mercy. There will always be mercy. Mercy just is. Because God just is. “Beyond all mystery is the mercy of God. It is a love, a mercy, that transcends the world, its value and merit. To live by such a love, to reflect it, however humbly, is the test of religious experience.” (Abraham Joshua Heschel, God In Search of Man).

Victory. As it turned out, the battle of Jehoshaphat wasn’t even close. No contest. It ended before it began. The enemies of Israel didn’t have a chance, because the Lord decided the battle was His to win. The singing, shouting and praising confused the enemy forces, and they somehow, with the Lord’s help, caused them to destroy each other! All the enemy soldiers turned against each other, and completely destroyed each other. “When the army of Judah arrived at the lookout point, all they saw were dead bodies lying on the ground as far as they could see.” (v. 24). The “”vast horde” was defeated, and the army of Judah didn’t have to lift a finger.

Blessing. The Kidron Valley was nicknamed the Valley of Beracah, which means Blessing, because the plunder from the enemy after the defeat was more than they could carry away. There were vast amounts of equipment, clothing, and other valuables, and it took three days just to collect it all. The people of Judah gathered together in that valley after the plunder was taken away, and they thanked the Lord for this unexpected blessing. “It is still called the Valley of Blessing today.” (v. 26).

The Kidron Valley Today. There is a significant prophecy coming out of Zechariah 14:4, “Then the Lord will go out to fight against those nations, as He has fought in times past. On that day, His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem.” Rabbinic tradition interprets this passage to mean that the Messiah will come first to the Chosen People on the Mount of Olives. That is where the Messiah will stand in order to begin the messianic age. This is when there will be a resurrection of the dead, and the Chosen People nearest the Mount of Olives adjoining the Kidron Valley will rise first, because they are nearest. So for many centuries, Kidron Valley has become a gigantic cemetery, a holy place where as many as 150,000 flat tombstones cover the ground. All those graves overlook the Valley, and they await the Messiah’s arrival.

The Final Battle. The prophet Joel had an inspired vision regarding the Last Battle, the war to end all wars. All those nations that have been deceived into rejecting God and His word, who have not responded in any way to the grace of God, will approach Jerusalem to finally and totally destroy it. The battle site according to Joel 3 will be the Valley of Jehoshaphat at the gates of Jerusalem, otherwise known as the Kidron Valley between the Mount of Olives and the city walls. Joel’s mention of Jehoshaphat makes us think of the victorious king of Judah, an historic symbol of God’s final judgment over the enemies of God and His people. Some of the biblical scholars have determined that we should take Joel literally, that the Kidron Valley where Jehoshaphat had his victory over evil, is the actual site of the Last Battle between good and evil. Others maintain that the Valley is simply a symbol of wherever the battle takes place, since Jehoshaphat’s name means “God judges.” Another thought is that the prophecy of Zechariah 14:4 claims that the Messiah will stand on the Mount of Olives and split it, creating a future valley in which the fighting will take place. In the valley of Jehoshaphat, the godless nations will gather at Jerusalem for one last chance to destroy the holy city. Joel then expanded on the theme of this being the Day of the Lord, otherwise known as Judgment Day. He called the battle site the Valley of Decision. This Valley on this day is not referring to the decision needed to choose or reject God. It’s evidently too late for that. The One doing the deciding in the Valley of Decision is the Lord Himself as He judges the nations.

Judgment Day. There are other various peeks at Judgment Day in Scripture. We don’t know of course how all these extraordinary events fit together, and we probably shouldn’t even try to figure it out. In Revelation 19:11-16, Jesus is riding a white horse, waging a “righteous war.” The armies of heaven followed Jesus while riding on their own white horses. Jesus proceeded to strike down the nations with a sharp sword coming out of His mouth, perhaps the Word of God being enough to defeat the enemy. Jesus then releases the fierce wrath of God, “like juice flowing from a winepress.” It’s difficult, if not impossible, to discern what is symbol and what is literal in John’s vision, but we obviously get a picture here of a Holy War. John’s apocalypse in his book of Revelation also appears in chapter 20:7-10. Satan is freed from his prison and immediately he deceives the nations “in every corner of the earth.” He will gather them together for battle, “a mighty army as numberless as the sand along the seashore.” The devil’s forces go up and surround Jerusalem and God’s people. But “fire from heaven” comes down on the attacking armies and consumes them. And then it was the devil who was thrown into the lake of fire, destined to be in torment forever. When will all these events occur? What will it look like? Where exactly will it all happen? We don’t know. God only knows. So let’s trust Him to carry out His plan without consulting us.

Sheep and Goats. Jesus seemed to part the curtain to Judgment Day and give us another version of what that might look like in Matthew 25. This is an entirely different picture, and of course, we don’t know how this fits in with the other glimpses of Judgment Day in Scripture. “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with him, then He will sit upon His glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered in His presence, and He will separate the people as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.” And here Jesus distinguishes between the believers and the unbelievers, the God-followers and the God-rejectors. He seems to be providing for us the criteria in His mind for His coming judgments. We are reminded in this parable/prophecy of that word from earlier… Mercy. Jesus so completely identifies with the unfortunate people in our midst, those who are hungry, thirsty, imprisoned, naked, homeless, the truly needy people around us, that when we show mercy to them, Jesus takes it personally. When we put His love into action for the unfortunate ones, we’re actually loving Jesus as well. When we love the needy, we are loving Jesus, and that is important come judgment day. He calls the merciful people “the righteous ones,” and they are destined to “inherit the Kingdom prepared from the creation of the world.” In this gospel scenario regarding the Last Day, there is no valley, except the Valley of Decision. The decisions of Christ. Any battle must have been waged already. Any clash between good and evil seems to be the internal battles we face as we live our lives each day. Blessed are the merciful…