“And the children of Israel arose, and went up to the house of God, and asked counsel of God, and said, Which of us shall go up first to the battle against the children of Benjamin? And the LORD said, Judah shall go up first.”
Judg.20.18;
Discussion
"If it was God that sent you, you will surely succeed!". "If God is in it, success is sure." These are the kinds of statements we make without proper explanation of what we mean. These statements sound spiritual and powerful, but without proper understanding, they'll set you up for much disappointment in life. If you're to be truthful with yourself, you'll notice that there are marriages for example where each couple claim to have heard God clearly before they decided to get married to each other. Yet, they have huge problems in the marriage today. Many have started a business because they heard God, but that business is dead today, or at best struggling. Other examples abound. There is something vital we're missing concerning these matters. That God sent you does not exempt you from the battles ahead. God freely gave the land of Canaan to the Israelites, but they had to go in and fight the inhabiting giants. We find another account referenced in our opening verse where the other tribes of Israel went to battle against the single tribe of Benjamin. Israel enquired of the Lord and the Lord said "Go!" Infact the Lord gave them a battle strategy that required the tribe of Judah to lead the army of Israel. Israel advanced with an army of 400,000 soldiers against Benjamin's army of 26,700 soldiers. Backed by God's instruction and a large army they went and they were defeated mercilessly. Read: Judg.20.21-28; "But Benjamin's warriors, who were defending the town, came out and killed twenty-two thousand Israelites in the field that day. But the Israelites took courage and assembled at the same place they had fought the previous day. (For they had gone up to Bethel and wept in the presence of the LORD until evening. Then they asked the LORD, "Should we fight against our relatives from Benjamin again?" And the LORD said, "Go out and fight against them.") So, they went out to fight against the warriors of Benjamin, but the men of Benjamin killed another eighteen thousand Israelites, all of whom were experienced with a sword. Then all the Israelites went up to Bethel and wept in the presence of the LORD and fasted until evening. They also brought burnt offerings and peace offerings to the LORD. And the Israelites went up seeking direction from the LORD...The Israelites asked the LORD, "Should we fight against our relatives from Benjamin again or should we stop?" The LORD said, "Go! Tomorrow I will give you victory over them.". They went again and finally defeated Benjamin. What's the lesson here? They prayed consistently, they trusted God's word even in the midst of failure, and they never stopped trying. Even when you have God's word, you may still encounter difficulties and challenges. Victory comes by holding on and never giving up. Get up and try again. The one who does not quit will see the fulfilment of God's word.
Shalom Uvracha!