I Will Not Give Them Over

Judges 19:19-47

v. 19-21  So the Israelites left early the next morning and camped near Gibeah. Then they advanced toward Gibeah to attack the men of Benjamin. But Benjamin’s warriors, who were defending the town, came out and killed 22,000 Israelites on the battlefield that day. 

v. 24-25 So the next day they went out again to fight against the men of Benjamin, but the man of Benjamin killed another 18,000 Israelites, all of whom were experienced with the sword. 

v. 28-29 The Israelites asked the Lord, “Should we fight against Benjamin again, or should we stop?” The Lord said, “Go! Tomorrow I will hand them over to you.”

v. 46-47 So that day the tribe of Benjamin lost 25,000 strong warriors armed with swords, leaving only 600 men who escaped to the rock of Rimmon, where they lived for four months.

You see don’t you? And it makes your heart sad. I understand. Battling evil requires loss. Battling evil cannot be done without losing lives. Warriors die. Today’s warriors do not necessarily hold conventional weapons. All of my warriors, however, do hold one weapon – Truth. I am the weapon. I am what they seek to destroy. I am everything they hate in you. You have my strength. You have my wisdom. You have my discernment – all available to you through the Holy Spirit who lives inside of you. I cannot say your human life is protected fully. But I can say that what is truly important – your eternal soul – that is protected and cannot be defeated or taken from you. For I hold it in my care. You turned it over to me when you accepted me as your God, as your Lord, as your Savior. It is mine. And that is why you are at war. Your enemy – my enemy – wants your souls. And I will not give them over. (2022)