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Judges 18:11-12 – An Expedition of War

When the five spies report that the city of Laish is vulnerable to attack and that the people there are unsuspecting and have no allies on whom they can call for help, six-hundred men of Dan prepare to leave on an expedition of war. They come from the towns of Zorah and Eshtaol. Between these towns and west of Kiriath-jearim in Judah, they encamp as they make ready to invade Laish. Because of the historical significance of this encampment, the place will be remembered for generations to come a “Mahaneh-dan,” which means “camp of Dan.”

The fact that only six hundred men are needed for this undertaking is not a sign of the LORD’s favor. Gideon only needed three-hundred men because God was proving it was by His strength that Israel would prevail over the multitudes of the Midianites. In this case, by contrast, six hundred is a sufficient number because of the vulnerability of the people of Laish. Six hundred men will be enough to destroy this peaceful city.

The people of Laish live outside the boundaries of the lands allotted to the Israelite tribes. They live nowhere near the land allotted to Dan. They have not wronged or attacked Israel. Consequently, the Danites have no reason to believe this land is rightfully theirs. That they are willing to take it by force shows that they are reasoning as the world does – believing that might makes right – and not as God’s people are to reason.

Scriptures like Mark 8:33, I Corinthians 1 and 2, II Corinthians 10:5, and James 4:4 tell us that we are not to think as those who have no relationship with the LORD think. Rather, we are called to bring every thought into subjection to Christ. May we learn more and more to be obedient, making our decisions based on what God says is right and not on what merely seems good to us.

Questions

  1. Why do the Danites plan to attack Laish?
  2. What is wrong with their reasoning?

Prayer Points

  1. Ask God to bring our thoughts into subjection to Him.
  2. Use prayer points from your congregation.
  3. Pray for family matters.