Deuteronomy 20:1 "When thou goest out to battle against thine enemies, and seest horses, and chariots, and a people more than thou, be not afraid of them: for the Lord thy God is with thee, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. 2 And it shall be, when ye are come nigh unto the battle, that the priest shall approach and speak unto the people, 3 And shall say unto them, Hear, O Israel, ye approach this day unto battle against your enemies: let not your hearts faint, fear not, and do not tremble, neither be ye terrified because of them; 4 For the Lord your God is he that goeth with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you".

Deuteronomy 20:1–4 commands Israel not to fear military enemies, however superior in numbers, horses, and chariots, because the Lord (their God and our God) fought for them at the time of the Exodus and went along with them in battle.

Before Israel marches to certain military battles, a priest—not a general—steps forward to redirect fear away from the enemy and toward the God who already conquered Egypt. The above scripture discusses laws of war. We learn that when the army of Israel set out for war, it wasn’t the General of the Army who addressed the soldiers, giving them encouragement and guidance as is the case in most armies. Instead, God’s law prescribed that the priest addressed the soldiers.

The reason that God instructed the priests to inspire the fighters before war is because, from a spiritual perspective, the success of any battle is not due to the might or numbers of the army but to the will of God. God can win a battle whether He has many warriors or only a few!” (1Samuel 14:6, where Jonathan says, "Nothing can hinder the Lord from saving, whether by many or by few”),  

The Israelites needed to know this when they went out to battle, and so the priest, the prime link between God and the people, would address the army. He would say, “Hear, Israel: Today you are going into battle against your enemies. Do not be fainthearted or afraid; do not panic or be terrified by them. For the LORD your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory.” – Deuteronomy 20:3-4)

Oh, Wow! What better encouragement than that before a battle? Our battles, whether, spiritual, physical, mental, emotional are not fought alone; God’s presence goes before us, stands with us, and secures outcomes according to His will. Instead of allowing anxiety to dominate when facing scary situations, we are called to anchor our hearts in God’s promises, step forward in obedience, and let courage replace fear, trusting that the same God who fought for Israel is actively working in our lives today.

Deuteronomy 20:3 And shall say unto them, Hear, O Israel, ye approach this day unto battle against your enemies: let not your hearts faint, fear not, and do not tremble, neither be ye terrified because of them; Before combat, the priest issues a fourfold prohibition against - faint hearts, fear, tremble, and anxiety declaring that God goes with Israel to fight and save them from their enemies. Therefore, we should anchor our hearts to God's promises. God will fight against all our enemies and give us victory.  

 

PASTOR ABRAHAM GEORGE