When God doesn’t fit into our boxes
One of the most beneficial things I learned in the hospitality industry was to build and maintain efficient systems, whether it was for the daily routine in the restaurant or creating something new for a unique event. The systems we built made task execution a lot easier. Even when we ran into problems, the system made it easier to navigate. I love systems and build them into my daily life. The problem is, I try to fit God into my systems, and He’s not into that.
I’m not saying God thinks systems are bad. I’m saying He’s such a multifaceted God, and we cannot stuff Him into our neat little boxes. He doesn’t lead us exactly the same way every single time. The other day I was reading Judges 20, which had me thinking about how we expect God to show up versus how He shows up. If you’re familiar with this portion of scripture, it’s gruesome.
Judges 19 sets the context for Judges 20 with the story of the Levite’s concubine, who died after a fatal attack in Gibeah, a Benjaminite town. Judges 20 addresses how the Israelites held the tribe of Benjamin accountable for the atrocity that happened in Gibeah. After they gathered before the Lord at Mizpah, the Israelites collectively decided to attack Gibeah by lot. They approached Gibeah and asked for the men who had committed the atrocity, but Benjamin refused to turn the men over. Instead, Gibeah rallied 26,000 Benjaminites to fight Israel. We pick up the story from here.
The Israelites, apart from Benjamin, mobilized four hundred thousand armed men, every one an experienced warrior. 18 They set out, went to Bethel, and inquired of God. The Israelites asked, “Who is to go first to fight for us against the Benjaminites?”
And the Lord answered, “Judah will be first.”
In the morning, the Israelites set out and camped near Gibeah. The men of Israel went out to fight against Benjamin and took their battle positions against Gibeah. The Benjaminites came out of Gibeah and slaughtered twenty-two thousand men of Israel on the field that day.
– Judges 20:17-21 CSB
The Israelites asked the Lord who should go first. He said Judah. They went into battle, and 22,000 men were slaughtered. 22,000 men! That was a major loss! Though devastated, they take up their positions again, and go back to the Lord.
22 But the Israelite troops rallied and again took their battle positions in the same place where they positioned themselves on the first day. 23 They went up, wept before the Lord until evening, and inquired of him, “Should we again attack our brothers the Benjaminites?”
And the Lord answered, “Fight against them.”
24 On the second day the Israelites advanced against the Benjaminites. 25 That same day the Benjaminites came out from Gibeah to meet them and slaughtered an additional eighteen thousand Israelites on the field; all were armed.
– Judge 20:22-25 CSB
Did you see that? The Lord told them to fight again and 18,000 Israelites died. Their losses were up 40,000 men in two days!
The whole Israelite army went to Bethel where they wept and sat before the Lord. They fasted that day until evening and offered burnt offerings and fellowship offerings to the Lord. Then the Israelites inquired of the Lord. In those days, the ark of the covenant of God was there, and Phinehas son of Eleazar, son of Aaron, was serving before it. The Israelites asked, “Should we again fight against our brothers the Benjaminites or should we stop?”
The Lord answered, “Fight, because I will hand them over to you tomorrow.” So Israel set up an ambush around Gibeah. On the third day the Israelites fought against the Benjaminites and took their battle positions against Gibeah as before.
– Judges 20:26-29
They went back to the Lord again and asked whether they should fight or stop. The Lord told them to fight because this time the Israelites would defeat Benjamin. And guess what? This time they did! They killed 25,100 Benjaminite men, and 30 Israelite soldiers died. But the Benjaminites finally lost the war.
Now, here’s where my little system does not work. I expect that if God has told me to do something that it will certainly be successful. For the Israelites to lose the battle twice with heavy losses, after the first loss I would have taken it as a sign that God’s not with me.
Interestingly enough, there were other battles the Israelites lost that were because God was not with them (Joshua 7). Further confirming that God does not fit into a box. He does not lead us exactly the same way in similar scenarios. For me, this punctuates the importance of staying close enough for Him to direct me with His eye (Psalm 32:8).
Reading this account in Judges 20 had me asking myself, “Where have I tried to make God fit into my routine, my system, my box?” When He’s leading me differently than I’ve experienced before.
Friend, what about you? What’s your take on this portion of scripture? Do you try to fit God into a box? What do you do when something God asked you to do fails?
Reply to this email or comment below.
Until next week …
Miracles + Blessings!
Brenda
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