Scripture

Then all the Israelites were united as one man, from Dan in the north to Beersheba in the south.

Observation

The whole country is united against the terrible crime that has been committed. 100,000 warriors from all over Israel assemble at Mizpah.

The Levite explains what happened. In unity of purpose, the Israelites march on Gibeah. They demand that the townspeople hand over the troublemakers to be put to death.

The people of Benjamin refuse to listen. Instead, they assemble 26,000 of their Fighters.

In the first skirmish, 22,000 Israelites die. The next day, they ask the Lord if they should go out to fight. The Lord tells them to do so, but it is another defeat with 18,000 Israelites killed.

Application

While the Lord always blesses us when we dwell together in unity, there are times when unity is not enough.

The Israelites were one in heart and mind, but they suffered a terrible loss, even after they checked in with the Lord, and even though they were fighting for a righteous cause.

We need to be united in the purposes and methods of God. It is not always enough to be right, we must also be doing God’s will in God’s way.

There is no guarantee that we will not suffer for the Lord, even when fighting for Him. Victory might be assured, but there are times when it is costly.

I believe that the churches in an area should be of one heart and mind, with love and honour being exercised towards one another. But this kind of unity is not enough, in itself, to defeat the enemy. We need to ensure that we show love to the community and must always be preaching the Good News.

Prayer

Lord, I pray that you will increase the unity in your church. Make us a genuine community of faith, serving one Lord and aware that we are one body in you. Amen