Right now, there are a lot of people who are afraid. Afraid of catching the coronavirus. Afraid of a loved one getting sick and dying. Afraid they can’t pay their bills because they’ve lost their job. Afraid because they may not have food for their family. Just afraid. We are battling an unseen enemy, one that does not reveal its attack until days or even weeks later. How can you effectively fight an enemy you can’t see? Our fears reveal something about us though, just like it revealed something about the Israelites thousands of years ago. Let’s dive in and see if we can find exactly what our fears show us.
Read Deuteronomy 20:1-4.
What we see can sometimes bring fear. What things did Moses say they would see?
Moses said, “Do not be afraid of them.” Why not?
What were the priests to tell the Israelites?
Read Deuteronomy 20:5-9.
The officers were to speak to the men next. What 4 conditions did they allow for a man to leave and not fight?
Verse 8 gives the reason God allows them to leave. What is that reason?
What does this say about God that He would make allowances for these men?
Read Deuteronomy 20:10-18.
What were they instructed to do before they besieged a city?
List the two options for the city.
What were they to do for the cities the LORD was giving to them as an inheritance?
What two reasons were they given to totally destroy these cities?
Read Deuteronomy 20:19-20.
What were they instructed to NOT do in these verses? Why?
Moses asks a rhetorical question: “For is the tree of the field a man, that it should be besieged by you?” What does this question reveal about the expected attitude of war?
While the Israelites are reminded that God will be with them in battle, God, in His grace, understands that some will be afraid regardless. He understands this fear can be contagious. Isn’t that the truth? You cannot have the slightest qualms about something and someone in their fear can plant those seeds in your mind, water them with continued discussion, and before long, you are afraid as well. That’s exactly what happened when the Israelites first scouted the Promised Land 40 years before this scene in Deuteronomy. Ten men voiced their fear and it spread like a contagious disease. That fear proved the majority of the Israelites were not ready to rely on the LORD even though He promised to go before them and make the way possible.
Have you ever been influenced by someone else’s fears? If so, how did it affect you?
How did you overcome those fears?
Likewise, have you ever influenced someone else with your fears? If so, how did it affect them?
What do you think would have made your fears subside?
We see a similar fear in the disciples in the disciples in Mark chapter 4. Jesus was teaching to the multitudes by the sea. When he was finished, he instructed the disciples to get into the boat and go over to the other side of the lake.
Read Mark 4:35-38.
What kind of weather did they encounter?
What was happening to the boat?
Where was Jesus and what was He doing?
My brother has always love a sail boat. He has owned some kind of sailing vessel since he was a young man, and has held his captain’s license for many years now. One day he invited my husband and I for an afternoon sail in the Charleston harbor. It was summertime, and as is normal on a Charleston summer afternoon, a thunderstorm arose. It was bad. Lightning popping. Wind whipping. Waves crashing. It was not your normal storm my brother said later. We were heading straight for the jetties, which is not a good thing. My brother went into captain mode very quickly, barking out orders. My husband was a great help since his brother had owned a shrimp boat when my husband was younger. He knew just what to do. I was no help, so my brother ordered me below deck.
Have you ever been in a boat cabin during a huge storm? There is absolutely no way you could sleep. The boat pitches from one side to the other so quickly and with such force that you are thrown around inside like a marble in a jar. So I find it interesting that Jesus is sleeping during this storm that was so bad the disciples thought they would die. They were afraid and went to wake Jesus.
Most of the commentaries I read on this declare the sleeping Jesus is a great picture of his humanity, that he was so tired even this violent storm didn’t wake him. To this I have two things to say. First, these commentary writers have obviously never been in a boat during a storm. They would know otherwise, if they had. Second, I agree that this does show us the mortal limitations of Jesus, but let’s remember, he is also God with us. I’m wondering if Christ in his deity didn’t have more at play here. I’m sure he knew the storm would arise, and he did point them in the direction of the other shore. Perhaps their sudden situation was a test of their faith. Perhaps it was designed to show them where their faith was lacking. Perhaps Jesus wanted them to know him more, to know who he really is.
Read Mark 4:39-41.
How did the storm calm?
What did Jesus ask them?
What happened to the disciples then?
What question did they ask?
What is the answer?
John MacArthur says, “The only thing more terrifying than having the storm outside the boat was having God in the boat!” Isn’t that the truth? Calming the sea with the simple words, “Hush, be still,” revealed to them exactly the power and authority of Jesus. Imagine. He spoke and suddenly the storm was gone. He controlled nature! That’s huge! But, the situation also revealed their lack of faith. “Do you still have no faith?” Jesus asked them. Still? After they had walked with him, listened to his teaching, watched him perform miracles – did they still lack faith?
It makes me wonder, where do I still lack faith? For sure, our fears will reveal where our faith is small.
What are your greatest fears, the ones that keep you up at night and make you anxious?
What fears do you have now because of the coronavirus situation we are living through right now?
What do these fears reveal about your faith?
What are you not trusting the LORD for?
You might have a battle in front of you that is of your own choosing, or you might have a storm that appears suddenly. Either way, He’ll let you feel the fear so that you can see right where your faith is lacking. Fear is a faith meter! Sometimes you might feel like God isn’t there and doesn’t care. You might even be like the disciples and think, “Do you not care that I am perishing?” But He is right there with you. He just wants you to see what it is you need to give over to Him.
Read 2 Corinthians 12:7-10.
What did Paul beg of God?
Did God take this “thorn” away from him? Why not?
What does “My grace is sufficient for you” mean?
Is Paul upset by this? Why or why not?
Paul is forced to rely on his Lord to overcome the “thorn” that makes him weak. It is only in this weakness that he is strong. He is strong because he is relying on the Lord’s strength and not his own. Scripture never promises that life will be smooth sailing for us. No. In fact, we are promised that we will have battles to face, we’ll walk through some fires, and that we will have troubles, maybe even our own “thorns” that make us weak. But, we are also promised that our Lord will be with us and will give us strength. Immanuel, God with us, promises “lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20). Let us place our faith in Him and sail on, fight on, and “grow in our grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18). To God be the glory! Amen!
Lesson to Remember: God gives us strength in our weaknesses when we give our fears to Him.
A Way to Walk: Remember to let your fears reveal where your faith is small, then give those fears to the Lord. In Him alone, you will find the strength you need.
