Verse 1-4, “When you go out to battle against your enemies, and see horses and chariots and people more numerous than you, do not be afraid of them; for the Lord your God is with you, who brought you up from the land of Egypt. So it shall be, when you are on the verge of battle, that the priest shall approach and speak to the people. And he shall say to them, ‘Hear, O Israel: Today you are on the verge of battle with your enemies. Do not let your heart faint, do not be afraid, and do not tremble or be terrified because of them; for the Lord your God is He who goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.’ ” The command for the Israelites was to trust in God...walking by faith, not by sight. Just because their enemies had size or strength or numbers, did not mean that they were any match for God. When you have big armies and lots of horses (or posessions and worldly power), you can put your trust in your own strength and forget that it is God who allowed you to have those things in the first place. Psalms 20:7, “Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; But we will remember the name of the Lord our God.”
Verses 5-9, “Then the officers shall speak to the people, saying: ‘What man is there who has built a new house and has not dedicated it? Let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the battle and another man dedicate it. Also what man is there who has planted a vineyard and has not eaten of it? Let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the battle and another man eat of it. And what man is there who is betrothed to a woman and has not married her? Let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the battle and another man marry her.’ The officers shall speak further to the people, and say, ‘What man is there who is fearful and fainthearted? Let him go and return to his house, lest the heart of his brethren faint like his heart.’ And so it shall be, when the officers have finished speaking to the people, that they shall make captains of the armies to lead the people.”
The officers were told to send home men whose hearts were at home...those who had undedicated homes, unharvested vineyards, and betrothed women yet to marry. Those who were fearful and fainthearted were sent home also. The reason is, if their hearts were not fully in the battle, they would be ineffective. The same goes for us in the spiritual battle we embark upon when we get saved, which can render us ineffective for the kingdom. We cannot be divided and wholly follow the Lord at the same time. Luke 9:62, “But Jesus said to him, ‘No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.’ ” We must look ahead, having an eternal focus with our eyes on Him. It is not about how smart, strong, or capable we are...because He IS all that and more! Gideon's army was widdled down to three hundred men, with trumpets instead of weapons, no less. Judges 7:2, “And the Lord said to Gideon, ‘The people who are with you are too many for Me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel claim glory for itself against Me, saying, “My own hand has saved me.” ’ ” When we find ourselves in impossible situations, God can get the glory when we are delivered; but it will require faith on our parts.
Verses 10-15, “When you go near a city to fight against it, then proclaim an offer of peace to it. And it shall be that if they accept your offer of peace, and open to you, then all the people who are found in it shall be placed under tribute to you, and serve you. Now if the city will not make peace with you, but makes war against you, then you shall besiege it. And when the Lord your God delivers it into your hands, you shall strike every male in it with the edge of the sword. But the women, the little ones, the livestock, and all that is in the city, all its spoil, you shall plunder for yourself; and you shall eat the enemies’ plunder which the Lord your God gives you. Thus you shall do to all the cities which are very far from you, which are not of the cities of these nations.”
As a general rule, Israel would only fight against those cities that would not accept their offer of peace. The inhabitants of the city would be subject to and serve the Jews. But if they made war against them instead, all the males in the city were to be killed by the sword. As Christians we are called to peace. Romans 12:18, “If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.” There are times, however, that peace just is not possible. God knows these things, because He sees the heart of man and can judge rightly. He determined that those currently dwelling in their inherited land needed to be utterly destroyed for the Jews' own good. Dwelling among them would only bring their abominations into the Jewish camp.
Verses 16-18, “But of the cities of these peoples which the Lord your God gives you as an inheritance, you shall let nothing that breathes remain alive, but you shall utterly destroy them: the Hittite and the Amorite and the Canaanite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite, just as the Lord your God has commanded you, lest they teach you to do according to all their abominations which they have done for their gods, and you sin against the Lord your God.”
We may think we can dwell among those with wicked and ungoldly practices and not be affected, but God knows what is best for us and what we can handle. They simply should not be permitted within the church body. II Corinthians 6:17, “Come out from among them And be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you.” If it were possible for the Jews to dwell with the ungodly and stand in their faith, God would have allowed for it. You and I have been warned about the same dangers today. I Corinthians 5:11-13, “But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner— not even to eat with such a person. For what have I to do with judging those also who are outside? Do you not judge those who are inside? But those who are outside God judges. Therefore 'put away from yourselves the evil person.' ”
When you go out to battle against your enemies, and see horses and chariots and people more numerous than you, do not be afraid of them; for the Lord your God is with you, who brought you up from the land of Egypt. Deuteronomy 20:1
ReplyDeleteWhen the Israelites were to go into battle, they were not to afraid. For God was on their side. Even, when from a worldly standpoint it looked impossible because of their numbers, they were still not to be afraid, but rather have faith in God, that He would delivery the enemy into the hands of the Israelites.
We as christians should not be afraid of any man can do to us. If we find ourselves in a situation, that we become afraid, we need to pray and trust that God will protect us. It is very easy to look at a situation that looks impossible and not want to do it and fight with what God wants you to do. However, God will not let anything happen if it isn't ment to be. Even when things look impossible to get out of, God can find a way out. We should not be afraid of what man can do to us, but rather of what God can do. Nomater what, we need to put our trust in God.