As the Lord sent imperfect people to save Israel during the time of Judges, so He is commissioning us as His judges in the end-times to restore justice, truth and righteousness in the nations.
The judges were His answer to a nation who became wayward and far-removed from their God. Israel did whatever they wanted, pursued evil and completely abandoned Yahweh. There is a clear pattern of God’s workings with His people. He isn’t in a hurry to deliver them from evil, but when their hearts would be shattered and broken with repentance before Him, He would swiftly release His chosen instrument: an imperfect, faithful candidate of His choosing, to deliver Israel from their God-ordained oppressor. Great blessing and protection is the portion of those who run into the arms of God with humble, obedient and contrite hearts.
When reading the story of the Levite in Judges 19 and 20, we see many lessons that we can learn and apply to our current situation within the nations. Recognising the evil of our times and showcasing the horror of what has been done, is the only way to cause an immediate awakening that will lead to action. Our responsibility is to uproot the evil and restore the nations back to righteousness and justice, which is the foundation of God’s throne.
Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; steadfast love and faithfulness go before you. (Ps. 89:14)
It isn’t easy to look and see the horror, however, it is necessary. For it sets in motion a vital process that involves shock/awakening, processing/understanding, courage/anger, resolve/pursuit, victory/rejoicing, and also sorrow and mourning over the loss and brutality. Staying silent in order to keep peace, is a crime when the blood of those slain are crying out for justice. We must speak for those who cannot, we must stand against the evildoers who have ripped our babies from the wombs, stolen and sacrificed our children, poisoned our youth through drugs and sex-trafficking, and have injected our people with toxic substances causing illness and death on an unprecedented scale, amongst others. It’s time to showcase and exhibit the horror so that we will awaken and stand against this evil, as one.
And when he entered his house, he took a knife, and taking hold of his concubine he divided her, limb by limb, into twelve pieces, and sent her throughout all the territory of Israel. And all who saw it said, “Such a thing has never happened or been seen from the day that the people of Israel came up out of the land of Egypt until this day; consider it, take counsel, and speak.” (Judges 19:29-30)
So all the men of Israel gathered against the city, united as one man. (Judges 20:11)
When Israel came against the Benjamite tribe, asking them to release the wicked men who have committed the horrific crime against the Levite’s mistress, they refused and placed their loyalty with wickedness. Their own Benjamite tribe became their enemy. There are traitors in the nations who have chosen to stand with wickedness against the welfare, livelihood and survival of the people they have sworn to protect.
However, victory is ours! The Lord loves righteousness and justice, and when we stand against evil, He goes before us. The enemy’s mighty men of war might be impressive, but our God is greater and mightier than they! Israel went into battle against the Benjamites three times. Each time they enquired of the Lord, ‘should we go against the Benjamites?’. Obediently, they attacked each time after God gave the ‘go-ahead’. The first time, they lost 22 000 men to the Benjamites, the second time they lost 18 000. Weeping before the Lord, they enquired again, ‘should we go to attack, or should we give up?’. The Lord said, ‘Go again! For tomorrow I will give you victory!’.
Then all the people of Israel, the whole army, went up and came to Bethel and wept. They sat there before the Lord and fasted that day until evening, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the Lord . And the people of Israel inquired of the Lord (for the ark of the covenant of God was there in those days, and Phinehas the son of Eleazar, son of Aaron, ministered before it in those days), saying, “Shall we go out once more to battle against our brothers, the people of Benjamin, or shall we cease?” And the Lord said, “Go up, for tomorrow I will give them into your hand.” (Judges 20:26-28)
The Lord is calling us to courage! You might have gone into battle once and twice, but get up again and go in. For victory is won on the third day! Both in our personal lives and corporately as the Body of Christ within the nations, we will see our day of victory where the enemy is slain and justice is restored. This is a very exciting time for the Bride of Christ. We are called to uproot evil, plant Godly foundations and steward the nations in righteousness. It is the Great Harvest Time where we will reap the nations for our King, and we will also reap the harvest of our own land.
The Benjamite tribe was blinded by pride when the Israelites attacked the third time. They were convinced it will be a quick and easy victory. They didn’t notice that an ambush had been laid and a trap had been set. God caught them through their pride.
Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. (Prov. 16:18)
Whenever the judges restored Israel back to justice, they entered a period of peace. God is speaking peace and blessing to you. He is bringing us into a time of great fruitfulness as we reap The Great Harvest of souls and promise. What stands before us might be a big giant, but what stands behind that one giant, is a harvest that no one can withhold from the Beloved of the Lord. The giant, that hindering spirit, will be slain, clearing the way for us to run into our inheritance with great zeal and joy. Remember, this is an era of conquest and new territory, and we will reap the nations with Christ, our King, who is the Head of all things.
Judges 2:11-23
And the people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord and served the Baals. And they abandoned the Lord , the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt. They went after other gods, from among the gods of the peoples who were around them, and bowed down to them. And they provoked the Lord to anger. They abandoned the Lord and served the Baals and the Ashtaroth.
So the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he gave them over to plunderers, who plundered them. And he sold them into the hand of their surrounding enemies, so that they could no longer withstand their enemies. Whenever they marched out, the hand of the Lord was against them for harm, as the Lord had warned, and as the Lord had sworn to them. And they were in terrible distress.
Then the Lord raised up judges, who saved them out of the hand of those who plundered them. Yet they did not listen to their judges, for they whored after other gods and bowed down to them. They soon turned aside from the way in which their fathers had walked, who had obeyed the commandments of the Lord , and they did not do so.
Whenever the Lord raised up judges for them, the Lord was with the judge, and he saved them from the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge. For the Lord was moved to pity by their groaning because of those who afflicted and oppressed them. But whenever the judge died, they turned back and were more corrupt than their fathers, going after other gods, serving them and bowing down to them.
They did not drop any of their practices or their stubborn ways. So the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he said, “Because this people have transgressed my covenant that I commanded their fathers and have not obeyed my voice, I will no longer drive out before them any of the nations that Joshua left when he died, in order to test Israel by them, whether they will take care to walk in the way of the Lord as their fathers did, or not.” So the Lord left those nations, not driving them out quickly, and he did not give them into the hand of Joshua.
4 thoughts on “We will go into battle until justice is restored!”
The story from Judges 19 and 20 was sort of “one of those stories that made no good sense … and one day I may understand,” Kirsten has opened it up for me. I am a health educator and as in many areas of life in SA and all the developed Nations “Truth” has lost it’s meaning. The simple truth that our bodies (all our bodies with few exceptions) are designed to be primarily fueled by natural fats and not grains and sugars seems to be ignored by even the medical profession. How do I communicate this so effectively as the Levite did in Judges 19 and 20? There are other truths that have been so smudged over and we have as a Western society as sick sick sick! It is possibly because of lack of fear of God.
Thank you so much, Yorke. Yes, this is the time for health educators to speak the truth, and I believe, the closed eyes will be opened by the Lord. God is exposing all the wickedness, and for those who have been faithful to speak and declare truth, like that Levite, will be rewarded by the fruit of their faithfulness. The older generation who have walked a long road without seeing fruit, will come to see the fruit in this time, and that which you have sown will pass on from generation to generation. Be encouraged and keep being faithful with what the Lord has called you.
Blessings 🙂
Great day it nice to hear the words of the Lord for the Nations of the world especially for South Africa at this critical time where so many witchdocters and doom and gloom prophets are prophesying and foretelling civil war and economic destruction. With the division and soon coming fall of the ANC , So many false voices predicting that South Africa will go the same route as Zimbabwe , I am grateful to find an authentic voice of the Lord that would prophesy and preserve the Nation.
Thank you so much, Lethabo. The Word of the Lord is bright and full of life for South Africa and Africa. We can just shake the dust off our feet when we encounter those negative words, and run the race the Lord has set before us… for it is going to be one of great victory and power as He pours His Spirit out on our land. The prayers of our beautiful people have become weighty in the Heavenlies. We have faithful mothers and fathers who have sown many seeds into the soil of our land. It’s the time to reap! Africa’s best years are here.
Bless you 🙂