An Appeal to Heaven

by Les’a Cole

The history of the United States is not so different from that of Israel. “How?” you might wonder.

Twice a year, we honor YHVH’s intervening and saving the Jewish people:

• At Purim, Queen Esther fasted and prayed. God gave her favor with her husband, the king, and Haman’s evil intent was exposed. But God enabled the Jews to be spared!
• At Hanukkah, in 190 BC, the Syrian-Greeks overtook the Temple: they placed a statue of Zeus in the Temple courtyard  & put a pig on the altar. Circumcision was banned & Shabbat observance was forbidden on pain of death. The enormous Syrian-Greek army of almost 50,000 marched into Israel in attempt to control the uprising among the Jewish people. In 166BC, a handful of Jewish farmers, called the Maccabbees¹, rose up against one of the most powerful armies in the world at that time. After several years, the Maccabees wore down and overcame the Syrian-Greeks. But God enabled the Jews to overcome one of the greatest militaries in the entire world & the Jews were spared.

In 1775, before America was even a nation, the Colonies had to fight the world’s most powerful military, the British. The Colonies had no money; so each person had to purchase their own uniform. It has been said that Gen. George Washington personally funded & commissioned 6 ships so the Colonies might have a presence. (During that time, it was critical for each ship to fly their country’s flag so ship’s would know which ships were their own.) However, since the Colonies did not yet have a flag, Washington’s chose a simple flag with a lone pine tree and the words “An Appeal to Heaven.”

Washington was well aware that all odds were against them. Outside of God’s help, there would be no victory. But God enabled the Americans to overcome & achieve independence!

Are we different today in 2020? Are those of us who are believers a seeming-minority? Is the very  wealthy liberal high tech & powerful liberal media against righteousness? But God will enable Believers to overcome & preserve our country!

These are the kinds of odds our YHVH loves! Where only HE can save the situation!!!

Jehoshaphat’s Prayer (2Chron 20 ESV)

…²Some men came and told Jehoshaphat [the 4^th king of Judah], “A great multitude is coming against you … ³Then Jehoshaphat was afraid and set his face to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. ⁴And Judah assembled to seek help from the LORD; from all the cities of Judah they came to seek the LORD.

⁵And Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the LORD, before the new court, ⁶and said, “O LORD, God of our fathers, are You not God in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. In Your hand are power and might, so that none is able to withstand You. ⁷Did You not, our God, drive out the inhabitants of this land before

Your people Israel, and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham Your friend? ⁸And they have lived in it and have built for You in it a sanctuary for Your name, saying, ⁹‘If disaster comes upon us, the sword, judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we will stand before this house and before You—for Your name is in this house—and cry out to You in our affliction, and You will hear and save.’ … ¹²O our God, will You not execute judgment on them? For we are powerless against this great horde that is coming against us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on You.”

…¹⁴And the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah …. ¹⁵And he said, “Listen, all Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem and King Jehoshaphat: Thus says the LORD to you, ‘Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed at this great horde, for the battle is not yours but God’s. ¹⁶Tomorrow go down against them… ¹⁷You will not need to fight in this battle. Stand firm, hold your position, and see the salvation of the LORD on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem.’ Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed. Tomorrow go out against them, and the LORD will be with you.” [This is what YHVH wants us to do. Be strong. Go forward in our actions and in prayer.]

¹⁸Then Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down before the LORD, worshiping the LORD. ¹⁹And the Levites, of the Kohathites and the Korahites, stood up to praise the LORD, the God of Israel, with a very loud voice.

Let also “appeal to Heaven!” Because like Washington, we know that apart from YHVH, there can be no victory! … as we wrestle not against flesh & blood, but against powers & principalities, we WILL see YHVH’s salvation.

Jehoshaphat’s Prayer (2Chron 20 ESV)

…²Some men came and told Jehoshaphat [the 4^th king of Judah], “A great multitude is coming against you … ³Then Jehoshaphat was afraid and set his face to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. ⁴And Judah assembled to seek help from the LORD; from all the cities of Judah they came to seek the LORD.

⁵And Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the LORD, before the new court, ⁶and said, “O LORD, God of our fathers, are You not God in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. In Your hand are power and might, so that none is able to withstand You. ⁷Did You not, our God, drive out the inhabitants of this land before

Your people Israel, and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham Your friend? ⁸And they have lived in it and have built for You in it a sanctuary for Your name, saying, ⁹‘If disaster comes upon us, the sword, judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we will stand before this house and before You—for Your name is in this house—and cry out to You in our affliction, and You will hear and save.’ … ¹²O our God, will You not execute judgment on them? For we are powerless against this great horde that is coming against us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on You.”

…¹⁴And the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah …. ¹⁵And he said, “Listen, all Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem and King Jehoshaphat: Thus says the LORD to you, ‘Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed at this great horde, for the battle is not yours but God’s. ¹⁶Tomorrow go down against them… ¹⁷You will not need to fight in this battle. Stand firm, hold your position, and see the salvation of the LORD on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem.’ Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed. Tomorrow go out against them, and the LORD will be with you.” [This is what YHVH wants us to do. Be strong. Go forward in our actions and in prayer.]

¹⁸Then Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down before the LORD, worshiping the LORD. ¹⁹And the Levites, of the Kohathites and the Korahites, stood up to praise the LORD, the God of Israel, with a very loud voice.

Let also “appeal to Heaven!” Because like Washington, we know that apart from YHVH, there can be no victory! … as we wrestle not against flesh & blood, but against powers & principalities, we WILL see YHVH’s salvation

¹ ““Maccabaeus” is the Greek word for hammer, but the Jews took it, and made it Jewish by declaring that “Maccabbee” stood for the first four letters in Ex 15:11,

“Who is like You, God?” [Maccabb ee acronym for: מִֽי־כָמֹ֤כָה בָּֽאֵלִם֙ יְהוָ֔ה] which was said by Moses and the people after the miraculous drowning of the Egyptians at the Sea of Reed.”