JU5-32: Why You Should NEVER Follow The Majority

I wanna show you something interesting about the Song of Devorah.

In this most recent battle against Canaanite oppression, here’s a list of the Israelite tribes that decided NOT to participate.

They were…

1/2 of Manasseh 
Reuben
Gad 
Asher
Dan…

…and…
 
…Judah.

Keep in mind that Manasseh was called Makhir and Gad was called Gilead in the Song of Devorah.

Also, let’s not forget that 1/2 of Manasseh, Reuben and Gad represented the Trans-Jordanian tribes (those tribes who decided to NOT cross over westwards into the Promised Land).

Now the point I wanna make is notice how it was more than half of the tribes who decided NOT to obey God’s call to holy war.

And why?

Because they preferred CONVENIENCE over OBEDIENCE.

They wanted to maintain their profitability with the pagans rather than help out their own Hebrew brethren.

This wasn’t really any different than the 10 out of the 12 spies who decided against attacking Canaan per the Lord’s command.

Caleb, representing the distinct minority, said…

“We ought to go up immediately and take possession of it;
there is no question that we can conquer it.”

However, the vast majority said…

^“However the people living in the land are fierce, and the cities are fortified and very large. Moreover, we saw the ‘Anakim there.  ‘Amalek lives in the area of the Negev; the Hitti, the Y’vusi and the Emori live in the hills; and the Kena‘ani live by the sea and alongside the Yarden.”

Do you notice the huge difference in both attitude and faith between the minority and majority here?

The faithless majority have always made excuses for their lack of obedience.

“I’ll lose my job if I do this”.

“That was only for Old Testament times”.

“I need to go bury my dead father first”.

“My parents will disown me if I stand for Yeshua”.

Blah, blah blah and on and on.

For those of you who are handcuffed by fear instead of allowing yourself to be liberated by faith, I submit this to you.

Look at what happened to those who chose the path of security, profitability and stability instead of the path of taking up their crosses and obeying God no matter what.

The faithless disobedience of the majority angered the Lord and caused them to wander around in the wilderness for another 40 years until they perished.

On the other hand, what happened to the faithful minority?

Both Joshua and Caleb in spite of their advanced years made it into the Promised Land.

Let’s bring this full circle back to the Song of Devorah.

What happened to the tribes who were obedient and fought the good fight against their Canaanite oppressors?

To put it simply, miracles!

Miracles is what happened homies.

What was usually a semi-dry and placid Kishon River was supernaturally transformed into a raging beast of a thunderstorm that rendered the Canaanites’ fearsome chariots useless.

As I mentioned yesterday, the Lord instantly turned His People’s biggest disadvantage into their biggest advantage…in an instant!!!

And He’ll do the same for you.

But you’ve gotta trust and obey man!

Don’t judge things by surface appearances…which is another whole sermon in itself.

Over and out.

CONNECTING THIS TEACHING TO THE NEW TESTAMENT

“Enter through the narrow gate.
For wide is the gate
and broad is the road that
leads to destruction,
and many enter through it.”
-Matthew 7:13