The last few weeks, I have been working my way through the Old Testament book of Deuteronomy. If you've ever read the Torah--the first 5 books in the bible--you know that it can be rather difficult to do. Not only is it very repetitive sometimes, but the names and places mentioned are hard to push through to get to the meat of the story.
About a week ago, I read through Deuteronomy chapter 20 and I can honestly say that it was not one of those experiences. In fact, I rather enjoyed what I read and it's had me thinking ever since. Let me give you some context before I jump in.
Deuteronomy is the last book of the Torah; it's the last thing the prophet Moses wrote to the Israelites, the last thing he would ever say to them before he died. He had previously, on God's command, taken them from Egypt into the wilderness to go to the Promised Land. In Deuteronomy, the time had come when Israel would take that land, and God wanted Moses to tell His people what He expected of them once they got there.
Alright, now onto chapter 20. The first thing that I read was the heading in the English Standard Version bible that says "Laws Concerning Warfare." *Internal groan* More laws? I honestly was ready to just skip over my nightly devotion time because I was not ready to hear Moses repeat everything that he'd been saying for the last 19 chapters.
But, then I read what God says through Moses starting in verse 1. “When you go out to war against your enemies, and see horses and chariots and an army larger than your own, you shall not be afraid of them, for the Lord your God is with you, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt. And when you draw near to the battle, the priest shall come forward and speak to the people and shall say to them, ‘Hear, O Israel, today you are drawing near for battle against your enemies: let not your heart faint. Do not fear or panic or be in dread of them, for the Lord your God is he who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies, to give you the victory.’
The rest of that section, which goes for 19 verses, really gets into the laws of war but that isn't what I want to focus on. I want to chew on those first four verses, because it's those four verses that I think are probably the most important part of the whole chapter.
What is the very first thing God tells the Israelites to do when they go to war? Do. Not. Fear.
Woah.
Generally, when people first think of battle, they think of strategies to overcome their enemies and extravagant methods to make themselves the best (or at least, I do, because to be honest I think of Mulan when I think of prepping for battle...).
But not God. God doesn't get the ball rolling with, "Hey, here is the way you need to conduct your men; here is the way you will conquer your enemies." He says, very plain and simply, the most important thing to do when going against an enemy is to not have fear. He tells them to remember that they are not really the ones taking up the fight, and that He will always be with them to give them victory.
Again... Woah.
Imagine if we all went to war with the struggles we face daily with that attitude. What if, instead of charging in unprepared or unwillingly, we found courage in the knowledge that God is with us? What if we rested in his presence, rather than trying to overcome every obstacle ourselves? How much better could our spiritual battle plan be if we followed God's plan for the Israelites?
The truth is, everything would change.
So, let Deuteronomy 20:1-4 give you that courage. Take up the fight, because it is a cause that's worth fighting for. But also remember to never have fear because God has already won the war. Let not your heart faint. Do not fear or panic or be in dread of them, for the Lord your God is he who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies, to give you the victory.
Can I get an amen?
