“…but Benjamin did not know that disaster was close to them.” (Judges 20:26-48, NIV)

Why does God allow the unrighteous to win? This is what the Israelites must have been thinking and feeling. With God’s assurance of victory, the Israelites attacked the Benjamites at Gibeah for the third time. Though they had experienced repeated defeat by the evildoers, the Israelites were able to defeat them as God struck them down at the height of their pride. However, before they experienced victory, they were beaten twice on the battlefield, became discouraged, and cried out to the Lord. Verses 26-28 say,

“Then all the Israelites, the whole army, went up to Bethel, and there they sat weeping before the Lord. They fasted that day until evening and presented burnt offerings and fellowship offerings to the Lord. And the Israelites inquired of the Lord. (In those days the ark of the covenant of God was there, with Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, ministering before it.) They asked, “Shall we go up again to fight against the Benjamites, our fellow Israelites, or not?”

Sometimes, as believers, it’s hard to take it in when we see the unrighteous prosper in their way. It makes us feel uneasy and frustrated, and we wonder if we are making any difference in the world. You can feel the frustration in the Israelites’ prayer today. They believed that they had gathered for a righteous cause, and they even had God’s assurance that this was the right thing to do. Yet, when they encountered the Benjamites on the battlefield, they experienced humiliating defeat not once but twice before them. As a result, they were confused, frustrated, and angry, and they fasted and wept before God all day long.

Their prayer, “Shall we go up again to battle with Benjamin our brother, or not?” is a prayer of frustration with God. We pray similar kinds of prayers when we face defeat before our enemies. Aren’t we on the good side? Shouldn’t we be the ones winning? Why are we being defeated by the enemies of God? Why does God allow them to succeed and prosper? Shall we go up again or not? Be encouraged. The Bible makes it clear that when God allows the enemy to prosper, it is because He is setting them up for a big fall. Don’t become discouraged when you see your enemies winning and flourishing. Appearances can be deceiving. It may appear that they are winning, but this is far from the truth. Verses 32 and 34 say it all,

“The sons of Benjamin said, ‘They are struck down before us, as at first…’”

“The battle became fierce; but Benjamin did not know that disaster was close to them.”

The Benjamites believed they were winning because they had twice before experienced victory, and they would win on this day. They were proud and didn’t see disaster around the corner! Pride can be your worst enemy. Pride of the Benjamites was the cause of their downfall. The Bible says, “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall” (Prov.16:18, NIV). God allowed them to have the two victories so that they would become proud and careless. It’s not the first time God has done this. Remember the Pharaoh of Egypt. God said, “But I have raised you up for this very purpose, that I might show you my power and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth” (Ex.9:16, NIV). Do not fret when you see unrighteous prospering. Continue fighting the good fight of faith, knowing that in due time God will bring the downfall of the enemy.

• Why do you think God allowed the Benjamites to win the battle twice before handing them defeat in the third battle?
• How do you feel when you see God allowing evil people to prosper, and how should we respond to His plan?