The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing,
majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of
him and what came to my mind and heart in Judges 18: 9-10,
"Come on, let's attack them! We have seen that the land is very good.
Aren't you going to do something? Don't hesitate to go there and take
it over. When you get there, you will find an unsuspecting people and
a spacious land that God has put into your hands, a land that lacks
nothing whatever."
Here is the report of the five spies from Dan when they returned after
spying on Laish. They had been sent out to find a land to call their
own among the inheritance of the other tribes of Israel. After being
assured the city was defenseless and had no peoples nearby to help
defend them and that the land was prosperous, six hundred Danites were
dispatched to take the city, which they did.
Although I see the five spies present the point to their tribe, "that
God has put into your hands, a land that lacks nothing whatever", I
can't help but notice their pursuit of God was through a carved image,
an ephod, other household gods and a cast idol... all sham religious
accouterments of Micah and the sham Levite of a priest that Micah had
installed in his household.
Perhaps I have become somewhat jaded as I have spent time in the book
of Judges, but I also have to note that these Danites picked a land
where they would not have to rely on God for their prosperity - they
were simply going to take the prosperity produced by the hard work of
others. I also note the Danites picked a land where they would not
need God's help in the conquering of it, as they made sure it was a
helpless place. No need to rely on God, in fact no need for God at
all, other than to provide lip-service to.
Previously in the book, I see that when God does get involved, as in
the account of Gideon (perhaps chronologically later than this account
of the Danites) reliance upon God is a key dimension as others faced
their challenges in the promised land. God wanted the Israelites to
know he was the One who could provide the victory, he was the One who
fulfilled the promises he had made to Abraham, he is the One who the
nation can look to for help in danger, he is the One who can bring
prosperity to the land. Such is not going to be the case with these
Danites. They are missing out entirely on the lessons learned by other
Israellites, lessons often learned with a short shelf-life.
Reliance upon God is a lesson he has for us all. Paul speaks to this
in a wonderful passage in 2 Corinthians 1:8-11, "We do not want you to
be uninformed, brothers, about the hardships we suffered in the
province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability
to endure, so that we despaired even of life. Indeed, in our hearts we
felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely
on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. He has delivered us from
such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our
hope that he will continue to deliver us, as you help us by your
prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious
favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many."
God wants us to rely on him. He wants us anxious for nothing but to
place our faith and complete confidence in him, that when we face
challenges, when we face uncertainty and when we all face the
inevitability of our own passing, he can be relied on to provide for
us and will bring us safely into his wonderful family, without any
cause for concern.
I am reminded that whatever challenges I face, we all face, we need to
rely on our God and be assured that in his great love for us, he will
be there and bring about the very best good for each of us, "And we
know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him,
who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew
he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that
he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those he
predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those
he justified, he also glorified. What, then, shall we say in response
to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare
his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along
with him, graciously give us all things?"
How wonderful is that?!
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share
what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to
hear from you!
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
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