Day 75
Reading: Judges 19:1- Judges 21:25
We are called by God to serve Him wholly in purity acting in accordance with His will. Walking with God is not a sprint, but a marathon. Serving God brings the greatest joy and delights to the soul. Unless one is fully resigned to live a life that is pleasing to God, peace will never be a reality. The peace of God is not like that of the world. The book of Judges has shown us many times the children of Israel were held in bondage because they didn't worship God wholly. This last 3 chapters of this book deal with another form of battle, which is the battle within. When the battle is not with an enemy whose an outsider, but one who is one of us, its a totally different scope. This kind of battle may also be a personal matter of an addiction, habit that is sinful or division within the family.
The Levite priest has a concubine from Bethlehem. Bethlehem in Hebrew means the House of Bread. Relationships give us food. He sought a relationship that would give him bread to eat however, he didn't get a wife he chose a concubine. This puzzled me and I have been asking God why. Why would a Levite, one who is to keep the law have a concubine and not a wife? It dawned on me that many times we don't commit the whole distance. You see a concubine is a wife with limited access. Many times we treat our spouses like concubines. They are not in the know of the whole picture regarding everything in our lives. I urge all couples to not treat their spouses like concubines.
The Levite priest's concubine played the harlot. Many times people we are in a relationship play the harlot with us. How do we treat such people? The Levite priest went after her, going to the father's place to get her back. Learn to go to the Father to ask for that which is yours. Learn to go to the Father to ask for the restoration of that relationship that is seemingly misplaced or ruined by the actions of another or your own failings. Go to the Father with an offering, not a complaint.
This Levite priest didn't arrive with a complaint to the concubine's father's place. His intention was to be kind, to treat her well and speak well to her. This is the heart of a man who understood mercy. Many relationships today are ruined because we are not willing to extend mercy like God is. How else will the world understand mercy if we the believers are not willing to show mercy to the person who needs it? Show mercy to that person who has wronged you. You both will be the winners not only one of you.
On leaving the father's home with his concubine they stayed in a town called Gibeah. Here an abominable act took place. Men took the concubine and raped her. They had desired the priest but were convinced to spare the man and take the woman. I read this and wondered what was going through the mind of the priest to see his concubine given to save his soul. What anguish he must have been to see her raped and dead at the door. No wonder he did what he did. His cutting up the concubine to pieces was an expression of what he felt the people of Gibeah had done. They had cut up his concubine and his life by the heinous act the men had carried out in Gibeah. Gibeah belonged to the tribe of Benjamin.
The response of the children of Israel was immediate. The people of God didn't take the case against their own to outside forces. They meet in the House of God to find out about the act and understand what had happened. We, believers, need to learn the wisdom of resolving things God's way and not exposing our weaknesses to the outside.
Three times the eleven tribes of Israel faced the children of Benjamin. The children of Israel hadn't fought each other, however, the devilish act had brought this battle. They were not fighting an outsider but one of their own. One of the worst battles you will face in life is the battle within yourself and within the family. These are battles that aren't resolved easily. The eleven tribes asked God who is to go first and the response was Judah. Judah means praise. The first thing you should do in battle is to praise God. Let praise go before you in every endeavour.
They didn't win after Judah went first yet God had sent them. Let me encourage everyone, myself included, who have been praising God yet the battle is seemingly lost. Go back to the One who ordained praise. He will lift you. The children of Israel wept before God and asked again what was to be done. They went to battle and lost again. A mother in the delivery room understands that she must push not once but keep pushing until the birth of the child.
The third time they went to God, He gave them permission to fight the tribe of Benjamin and also gave them victory. This is a secret to learn. Don't just go into battle because God has said go. Don't just ask for permission to battle ask whether victory is yours. Go with the victory assured. Wherever you are in life, whatever you are facing, however crazy the scenario, God is a deliverer.
Learn to wait on God until you have victory assured. This calls for persistence in the battle. Just because you lost the first time, get up and knock on Heaven's doors. God will show up for you. Get up from the place of weeping, God will turn your weeping to rejoicing. For anyone who gave up waiting on God and ran away from the battle, get back on your knees and battle for the victory that is yours. Don't allow the devil to run amok in your life. Battle the enemy and let God deliver you in all that you are dealing within. There is no addiction or situation that God cannot deliver you from.
The eleven tribes after obtaining victory went to a place of intercession for the loss of the tribe. They didn't rejoice that Benjamin was almost exterminated. Instead, they sought to restore. May God send elders or believers who seek to restore not tear apart the lives of those who have done wrong. The heart of the eleven tribes was for the well-being of the tribes. I am not saying punishment is wrong. What is wrong is to leave your brother or sister in the pit and not pick them up tending to their wounds.
Chapter 19 begins with the fact that there was no king over Israel and chapter 21 which is the last chapter ends with the verse stating that there was no king and everyone did as they pleased. When God is not the King of one's life they behave anyhow without any respect for God's laws. Live life with God as the Reigning King. Don't allow frustration, stagnation or losses to deny you the land of promise that God has ordained for you.
Memory verse: Judges 20:28b.
Decree:
Father, I worship You. You are the One who gives victory. I choose to forgive anyone who has acted against me. I choose to love them. I choose to be one who reaches out to those in trouble. I will not leave my fellow brother or sister in the pit of death. I decree that I am a lift of the brethren. I make the choice to stand in the gap for my brethren. I will not talk about their failures but will cry to God for mercy over their lives. I decree that victory is my portion over the battles of the flesh that I may face. Lord, manifest Your glory in all that concerns me for You are My King in Jesus name. Amen
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