WHEN BRETHREN FIGHT

Judges 20:12-14,20-21

The Israelites sent messengers to the tribe of Benjamin, saying, “What a terrible thing has been done among you!

Give up those evil men, those troublemakers from Gibeah, so we can execute them and purge Israel of this evil. ”But the people of Benjamin would not listen.

Instead, they came from their towns and gathered at Gibeah to fight the Israelites.

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.

The importance of a united family is not appreciated till when discord and chaos begins. 

It is true that everyone would desire the space to be able to live their lives, however when one is in trouble all others can get very much affected with it.

Recall the sin of Achan after the defeat of Jericho, innocent soldiers died as a result, the first defeat the Israelite incurred after the left Egypt enroute the promised land.

Here we see, the abomination done by some rascals who were supposed to be leaders in Gibeah of Benjamin, this stirred war between brethren.

Let us look at the mistakes:

Firstly, those rascals who gang raped and killed the Levite's concubine ought to have been put in check by the people of Gibeah and the entirety of the tribe of Benjamin, but they did not.

Note that these rascals as they are called were part the leading citizens of Gibeah!

Judges 20:5

That night some of the leading citizens of Gibeah surrounded the house, planning to kill me, and they raped my concubine until she was dead.

Woe unto a nation whose leaders are gangsters and rascals, sin would reign and evil would not be far away. There is need for urgent deliverance!

Secondly, when the rest of Israel came as a family to demand that the people who committed the atrocity be brought to justice, the tribe of Benjamin resisted and instead preferred the war.

I have always said it that tribalism, racism, nepotism, aporophobia and all related attitudes, result in pending doom and God has no part in it.

We cannot be selective in justice. neither should we be quiet when things are going wrong, that evil that seems to be a distance can very well come close to you if you do not join hands to drive it away.

Psalms 133:1

How wonderful and pleasant it is when brothers live together in harmony!

There must be love among brethren and this love must not be the wrong one rooted in joint consent to do evil as we see from the leaders in Gibeah, but a unity that comes from Godly love which produces the fruit of righteousness.

There is no need for brethren to go to war against one another. The real enemy would stay aside and rejoice in their destruction.

We must therefore take care of the little issues on time before they escalate to bring us chaos and destruction.

We must rid out those evil ones that pollute our fellowship if they refuse to repent after continuous reproof.

Jude talked about them:

Jude 1:8,11-13,16

In the same way, these people—who claim authority from their dreams—live immoral lives, defy authority, and scoff at supernatural beings.

What sorrow awaits them! For they follow in the footsteps of Cain, who killed his brother. Like Balaam, they deceive people for money. And like Korah, they perish in their rebellion.

When these people eat with you in your fellowship meals commemorating the Lord’s love, they are like dangerous reefs that can shipwreck you. They are like shameless shepherds who care only for themselves. They are like clouds blowing over the land without giving any rain. They are like trees in autumn that are doubly dead, for they bear no fruit and have been pulled up by the roots.

They are like wild waves of the sea, churning up the foam of their shameful deeds. They are like wandering stars, doomed forever to blackest darkness.

These people are grumblers and complainers, living only to satisfy their desires. They brag loudly about themselves, and they flatter others to get what they want.

Peter also talked about them:

2 Peter 2:13-14,18-19

Their destruction is their reward for the harm they have done. They love to indulge in evil pleasures in broad daylight. They are a disgrace and a stain among you. They delight in deception even as they eat with you in your fellowship meals.

They commit adultery with their eyes, and their desire for sin is never satisfied. They lure unstable people into sin, and they are well trained in greed. They live under God’s curse.

They brag about themselves with empty, foolish boasting. With an appeal to twisted sexual desires, they lure back into sin those who have barely escaped from a lifestyle of deception.

They promise freedom, but they themselves are slaves of sin and corruption. For you are a slave to whatever controls you.

Paul also wrote:

Ephesians 5:3-7

Let there be no sexual immorality, impurity, or greed among you. Such sins have no place among God’s people.

Obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokes—these are not for you. Instead, let there be thankfulness to God.

You can be sure that no immoral, impure, or greedy person will inherit the Kingdom of Christ and of God. For a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world.

Don’t be fooled by those who try to excuse these sins, for the anger of God will fall on all who disobey him.

Don’t participate in the things these people do.

Avoiding all these set of people, we must then build the faith of all who walk in righteousness.

We must maintain fellowship with the faithful, encouraging one another, supporting one another that the enemy would not get the better of any of us.

Reconcile all unnecessary grief, quarrels or malice, come together to ensure that God's righteousness reigns in all homes. Pray for one another.

We must not allow the enemy cause division among us, we must not permit sin.

Ephesians 5:11-13

Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them.

It is shameful even to talk about the things that ungodly people do in secret.

But their evil intentions will be exposed when the light shines on them,

We must not permit sin, instead:

Ephesians 5:9-10

For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true.

Carefully determine what pleases the Lord.

O help us Good Lord.

2 Corinthians 13:14

May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you(us) all.

PRAYER

Dear Heavenly Father bring us together in Your righteousness, let Your love lead and let there be no sin in our lives. We will not destroy one another but bring each other up. Help us Good Lord. Glory to Your name Lord forevermore.

He calls us blessed.

Love

@the watcher.