God’s Call for a New Generation of Fighting Men

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Posted by rfathers on December 8, 2009

God has impressed on me that He is calling for a new generation of fighting men to face the current challenges of the twentieth-first century.

This statement raises several obvious questions such as:

1. What is a generation of fighting men?
2. Why is God calling for a new generation of fighting men for today?
3. What are the characteristics of this new generation of fighting men?

What is a generation of fighting men?

Fourteen months after Israel’s Exodus from the confines of slavery in Egypt, a census showed that there were 603,550 men who were 20 years old or more and could serve in Israel’s army (Number 1:44-46). Twelve of these men were chosen (one of the leading men from each of the 12 tribes) to explore the land of milk and honey that God had promised to Israel. Upon their return after 40 days of spying the land, 10 of the men gave an evil report that characterized the inhabitants as unconquerable giants. Although the land was plentiful and inviting, the 10 spies spread fear that caused most of Israel to long for a return to Egypt.

Only Joshua and Caleb believed in God’s power to deliver the land into Israel’s hands. The whole assembly of Israel wanted to stone Joshua and Caleb. God intervened and threatened to immediately destroy all of the men of Israel. This was the generation of fighting men that God said could not enter the Promised Land and had to die in the dessert (Number 14:29-30). It was not until the last of these men was gone that God told Moses to prepare the people to enter the land of milk and honey.

Thirty-eight years passed from the time we left Kadesh Barnea until we crossed the Zered Valley. By then, that entire generation of fighting men had perished from the camp, as the LORD had sworn to them. The LORD’s hand was against them until he had completely eliminated them from the camp.

Now when the last of these fighting men among the people had died, the LORD said to me, “Today you are to pass by the region of Moab at Ar.
Deuteronomy 2:14-18 NIV

In the next post we will discuss why God is calling for a new generation of fighting men for today.

Please comment on today’s post below. Do you agree with this call?