January 21, 2014 - Tuesday

Start Time: 5:15 A.M.

End Time: 6:04 A.M.

Title: Laws Concerning War with Distant Enemies

Scripture: Deuteronomy 20:1 – 20

God’s Message / God’s Promise / God’s Commands:

→When they go out to war against other nations, and come face to face with horses and war carriages and armies greater in number than themselves, they are to have no fear of them; for the Lord their God is with them who took them up out of the land of Egypt.  And when they are on the point of attacking, let the priest come forward and say to the people to give ear for they are going forward to the fight; let their heart be strong and not to let uncontrolled fear overcome them because of those who are against them.  For the Lord their God goes with them, fighting for them to give them salvation from those who are against them.  And let the overseers say to the people, if there is any man who has made for himself a new house and has not gone into it, let him go back to his house so that in the event of his death in the fight another may not take his house for himself.  Or if any man has made a vine-garden without taking the firstfruits of it, let him go back to his house, so that in the event of his death in the fight, another may not be the first to make use of the fruit.  Of it any man is newly married and has had no sex relations with his wide, let him go back to his house, so that in the event of his death in the fight, another man may not take her.  And let the overseers fo on to say to the people, if there is any man whose heart is feeble with fear, let him go back to his house before he makes the hearts of his countrymen feeble.  Then after saying these words to the people, let the overseers put captains over the army.  When you come to a town, before attacking it, make an offer of peace.  And if it gives you back an answer of peace, opening its doors to you, then all the people in it may be put to forced work as your servants.  If however it will not make peace with you, but war, then let it be shut in on all sides; And when the Lord their God has given into their hands, let every male in it be put to death without mercy.  But the women and the children and the cattle and everything in the town and all its wealth, they may take for themselves; the wealth of their haters, which the Lord their God has given them, will be their food.  So they are to do to all the towns far away, which are not the towns of these nations.

NOTES:

Ø God is a God who walks and fight with and for us to give us freedom from our enemies completely!  At all times, wherever we are, God walks with us and fight our battles with us.  He continually assures us not to be afraid for in whatever circumstances we are in right now, or whenever we face challenges, God is always ready to go and fight with and for us.  The Lord also warned us not to let “uncontrolled fear” overcome us because of our enemies.  For it is God’s mission to fight for us to give us salvation from these enemies.  So God does not only fight with and for us because we are facing battles in our lives, the truth is God makes it His mission to free us from our enemies, from the bondage of fear of our enemies, attacks of our enemies against us, or any negativity from them.  God’s goal is to ensure we are free from them completely!  So even if they try many times to attack us, it doesn’t hit us anymore because we are free of them!  This is our God!  The God who seeks to free us from the claws of our enemies!

Ø God is a God who doesn’t want what is ours to be taken away! God clearly shows in the passage that in times of war, when a man builds a house and has never gone to it or owned it yet, he must go back so that no man can take his house for himself, and there are also other examples stated in the passage indicating that God doesn’t want anyone else taking away what is ours, what He has given to us!  So we are to take ownership of what belongs to us such as love, forgiveness, peace, blessings, prosperity, health, wealth, joy, etc.  These are all ours, we are to take possession of it so that no man or our enemy will not be able to take it away from us!

→But in the towns of these peoples whose land the Lord their God is giving the Israelites for their heritage, let no living thing be kept from death; they are to give them up to the curse; the Hittite, the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, as the Lord their God has give them orders, so that they may not take them as their example and do all the disgusting thigns which they do in the worship of their gods, so sinning against the Lord their God.  If in war a town is shut in by their armies for a long time, they are not to let the trees be cut down and made waste, for their fruit will be their food; are the trees of the countryside men for them to take up arms against their enemies?  Only those trees which they are certain are not used for food may be cut down and put to destruction and they are to make walls of attack against the town till it is taken. 

NOTES:

Ø God is a God who wipes out our enemies for us!  He does not allow anything that will lead us to sin or taint our purity in His sight so He commanded for every living thing be put to death that is not of them in the land that God promised them.  For us to take possession of the promises of God, we are to make sure that we wiped out everything that is not of God’s, in short we are to clean everything away from sin.  The only time we can take possession of the promises of God is when we rid ourselves of everything that is not of His.  The good news is, God will help us rid of them all!  Because in reality, we cannot get rid of sins in our lives!  Our own efforts are weak and will never be able to defeat sin in us, but in the Grace and Power of Jesus Christ, His Power and Spirit will eliminate, completely obliterate, everything that is of the enemy.  So we need to allow God to wipe out all our enemies in us (any sin or living thing that is against us) so we can enjoy possessing the promises of God for us!

Application / Realization:

Ø God walks and fight for us to give us complete freedom from our enemies.  In this process, He ensures that the enemy is not able to take away anything that is of ours!  What a great God we have!  And during this battle, He also make certain that He wipes out everything that is against us or any living thing that is not of His so we are able to take possession of the Promised Life He made for us!  Hallelujah!

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, Amazing God, wonderful Saviour, Awesome and Loving Father, I am greatly touched for You are a God who ensures that I take possession of Your promises for me.  In many cases, when promises or covenants are made, it usually takes two to complete it and both parties have certain things to accomplish to fulfill the promise.  Yet in our case, You completed both sides Lord.  You accomplish everything in Your part and including what is mine, or what my part should have been, You took care of that too so I can fully enjoy Your promise!  What an amazing God You truly are!  I can’t believe sometimes how gracious and loving You are, that a human like me is worth all the care and love and attention You give.  At times Lord, You just leave me speechless because of Your great and awesome love and favor that pours out everyday in my life.  So thank You Lord, thank You Father, thank You Jesus.  Thank You that You are in charge even in all my “uncontrolled fears”.  Thank You because You walk and fight with and for me and You ensure that my enemies are wiped out so I may take possession of what belongs to me!  The best part is, You also make certain that the enemy can never take away what is mine!  Amazing Jesus!  I love You Lord for You first love me!  In Jesus’ Name, Amen!