Judges 20:18-22
The people of Israel arose and went up to Bethel and inquired of God, “Who shall go up first for us to fight against the people of Benjamin?” And the Lord said, “Judah shall go up first.”
Then the people of Israel rose in the morning and encamped against Gibeah. And the men of Israel went out to fight against Benjamin, and the men of Israel drew up the battle line against them at Gibeah. The people of Benjamin came out of Gibeah and destroyed on that day 22,000 men of the Israelites. But the people, the men of Israel, took courage, and again formed the battle line in the same place where they had formed it on the first day.
Tag: Trusting God in Defeat
In the above passage we have the first of three inquires by Israel concerning going to war. The tribe of Benjamin had done a wicked thing in Israel so all the other eleven tribes sought to destroy them for this wickedness. Israel muster up 400,000 soldiers to crush Benjamin, who had 26,000 supreme soldiers. Benjamin's force had superior skill, while Israel had superiority of numbers. Israel, in the above passage, would inquire of God whether they should go to war. God, on this occasion and two others, would say, "Yes! Go to war!" However, on the first two occasions, despite asking God and getting His permission, Benjamin would do great harm to Israel. It would only be on the third occasion that God would give the nation of Israel victory. The lesson here is that sometimes God allows us to go to war and knows we will lose. In the end the victory will be Gods. But, along the way we may lose battles. The first two losses to Benjamin were costly to Israel. The first attack would cost them 22,000 warriors and the second attack 18,000. Yet, God had a purpose to draw out this conflict. God may give permission to war, but not give the victory in the first battles. When we go up against the enemy we might see defeat. That doesn't mean that God is not in the war, it just means God has something bigger in store. In the third conflict Israel gets certain and catastrophic victory over Benjamin. We may have to keep fighting, by faith, despite the obvious loss in the beginning.
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