Contemplative Bible Reading

Deuteronomy 20:5-7 (New Living Translation)

5 “Then the officers of the army must address the troops and say, ‘Has anyone here just built a new house but not yet dedicated it? If so, you may go home! You might be killed in the battle, and someone else would dedicate your house. 6 Has anyone here just planted a vineyard but not yet eaten any of its fruit? If so, you may go home! You might die in battle, and someone else would eat the first fruit. 7 Has anyone here just become engaged to a woman but not yet married her? Well, you may go home and get married! You might die in the battle, and someone else would marry her.’

These sentences are about raising an army from the people to serve God. “Wait,” says God, “there are some fellas who shouldn’t be in the army just yet.” The sentences list those who can stay home this year. There will be a next year.

HOLD IT! There are too many loopholes. I mean, I can just go out and plant a new vineyard and skip the army. And there is that loophole about getting engaged. I can get engaged, skip the army, break the engagement, and do it all again next year and never serve in the army. I am so clever, right?

This entire thing is not practical. How can anyone have an effective army with all these loopholes?

That’s the point. From a human perspective, this just isn’t practical. This just won’t work. It would be a miracle for such a thing… Ooooops. Miracle. That would mean divine intervention in recruitment and execution of military operations. That would mean God would be…

Wait a minute! You think? Really? Yes, really. Of course God creates an impractical situation. It would take faith in God to use such a situation and have an effective fighting force. Perhaps that is the point of the entire set of loopholes. Faith in God is required. This was yet another situation in which God said, “I know this won’t work, but believe in Me and it will work.”

Believe in God, and it will work. Gee whiz. I would rather have some practical and provable situations so I don’t have to stretch so much. Gee whiz. No.

God wants faith, instead. Please God, help me in my unbelief.