Scripture:
Judges 20:26-28 ESV
[26] 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. [27] And the people of Israel inquired of the Lord (for the ark of the covenant of God was there in those days, [28] 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.”
Observation:
A heinous crime had been committed. Devious men from the tribe of Benjamin had treated a concubine shamefully and left her for dead. When the men of Israel heard of it they were unwilling to just sweep it under the carpet. They set up came against the tribe of Benjamin inquired of the LORD and gone to battle twice already only to experience loss. However, they were still unwilling to let this sin just remain. Deciding not to give up they inquired of the LORD one more time and got the green light. Go and I will give them into your hands. Developing a plan to draw the men away from their town by making it look like they were being defeated once again, the ambush circled around the back and set their town on fire. When the men of the tribe of Benjamin saw that what they thought was a victory was really a complete defeat they turned and ran for their lives. Only to lose them, and victory was given to Israel.
Application:
Don’t just give up. There is an old saying. If at first, you don’t succeed. Try and try again. If you really want sins out of your life don’t stop. Every time you face it draw up your battle line. The book of James, tells us to submit to GOD resist the devil and he will flee. I need to tell you a little bit about my life. I was 7 years old when my dad gave me my first joint. Addiction became a battle I would fight for years after that. In fact, I’m 49 now, and only 6 years ago did I really start to experience victory over it. It has been a long hard battle, and there have been setbacks and disappointments. But I never gave up and I believe that I have finally been set free. Please listen to not just what I am telling you, but what the Bible says… don’t give up…just don’t GOD will give you victory. Whatever sin you are battling keep bringing it up to GOD don’t stop. I started my road to recovery at the age of 15… Yes by the time I was 15 I was a full-fledged addict. Stealing running away from home and doing burglaries to support a meth addiction. The state put me in a treatment program called Y.E.S. House. Youth entering sobriety. I would love to tell you that I found victory that day and never looked back. I can’t say that. The truth is I found a way to get kicked out and would have to come back 2 years later to complete the program. Only to fall back into addiction again a year and a half later. I did not give up though. It’s been many years and lots of treatment centers. But GOD finally got my attention. So listen closely to what this scripture says…AND DON’T GIVE UP. Get back up and bring your sin to God. HE is the one who WILL give you victory. Not me, not this SOAP, not your mom…nothing else but GOD draw near to HIM and do not accept defeat.
Prayer:
Father, you know I could go on and on about the failure in my life. But you have been there to pick me up every time. I don’t know who it is that is reading this but they need to hear what you have spoken this morning in this SOAP. YOUR WORD tells us a righteous man falls 7 times…but he gets up 8 we will fall short but it’s what happens when we do that expresses righteousness. Not that we fell but what we do when we fall. Father I pray for those reading this who may be in a battle. With a sin that keeps kicking their tail. I pray that today would be the day that they would pick that sin up and run to the cross with it. Throwing at the foot of the cross. Where the ground is level, and where victory is found. Father, I know how good you are. You will not leave us the way you found us, and you will not start something you do not finish. Your success rate is 1000%. You don’t give up on us. Let us not give up on ourselves. Let us remember that Jesus thinks we are to die for. In the mighty name of Jesus, I pray amen.