Success Is Not the Measure of Success (Judges 20)

Judges 20

In this chapter, a tragic event takes place. The united tribes of Israel rise up as one against the tribe of Benjamin. It is a heartbreaking civil war. This happened because the wicked men of Gibeah, men of Benjamin, attacked and raped the concubine of a Levite who was passing through their town (see chapter 19). The people of Benjamin were not willing to turn the wicked men of the city over to the rest of the nation for judgment, and so they drew up battle lines and fought.

What caught my attention in this section was that it took three attacks from the people of Israel to defeat the army of Benjamin. Even though Israel was doing what God wanted them to do and purging the evil men from the land, they lost the first two battles. Over 40,000 men of Israel, 10% or so of the army, fell in the first two days in which they were routed by the men of Benjamin. It was on the third attempt that the men of Israel finally overcame the men of Benjamin.

Often, we fall into the temptation to believe that success is the only true indicator that something was God’s will. We assume that, if we try something and it works, God wanted us to do it. We also assume that, if we try something and it does not work, God must not have been in it. If Israel had applied this seemingly logical test, they would have never done what God called them to do in continuing the battle to the third day.

In contrast to human logic, the fact is that the way to know if something is God’s will is that it is God’s will. God may want us to try something that does not succeed. Success is not the measure of the will of God. Righteous living, following the scriptures, obeying the leading of the Spirit are how we know that we are doing the will of God. God may very well call us to do things that do not succeed, because he wants to demonstrate the unrighteousness of others who do not respond rightly to our obedience to God. He may want us to have the privilege of suffering for the sake of his name. He may want us to learn perseverance. Whatever the reason, we measure the will of God by the word of God, not by the success of the Endeavour.

Lord, I pray that you will help me to remember that I must do your will, and that success is up to you. Earthly success is not my measure of whether or not something is right, your will is the measure. Please help me to always do what you desire, and not to only do what feels easy and comfortable. I entrust myself to you. I long to do your will. I leave success to your power and will.