The Reluctant Sprit

The Reluctant Spirit.
Judges 5:15b-18

“honorable mentions” and the “dishonorable mentions rebuke towards four and one half tribes whom did not come.
“suppose they gave a war and nobody came?”

Ruben: The tribe that was sentimental but not decisive . . . therefore could not act.
Name meant: I see a son A New beginning” (symbol was a rising sun)
• First glance seems good.
• First reaction was enthusiasm and good intentions
 Quickly deteriorated into questioning analysis and selfish inactivity.

Stages of the development of their reaction:

Among the divisions of Reuben there were great thoughts of heart
Deserve some respect due respect,
o The problem was a good distance away.
o They had settled on the other side of the River Jordan. Yet, in spite of that, they quickly gathered and expressed a responsibility for their brothers.... at least at first.
o The phrase “great resolves” is not necessarily to be taken negatively
 They were expressing deep feelings of the heart.
• But that was also their biggest problem; they were only “of the heart.” When they got together it was most probably with great enthusiasm... at first. But this soon deteriorated into long discussions of the pros and cons and we soon see that good intentions were not enough.

Why abodest thou among the sheepfolds, to hear the bleatings of the flocks?
• they began to hear other sounds
 It was the bleating of their sheep.
• It was all that represented their living and being to them, as they were shepherds.
• Who’s going to pay the bills when we are away?
• Yet, they really do need our help over on the other side, and we really should go. We cannot desert our brothers. What shall we do?”

Among the divisions of Reuben, There was great searchings of heart.
o It has changed from “thoughts of heart” to “searchings of heart.”
o The word “searching” here means a “deeply anxious, searching pondering.”
o They were double minded in this. Yes, they wanted to help. But then again we need to think of ourselves.

The word tells us that for he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways (James 1:6-8).
• The words “double minded” mean a divided interest.

If we are to do anything for God we need to be single minded!

How similar is this situation to the parable of Jesus about the Father who asked his sons to go into the field to work. Immediately one of the boys was taken up with good intentions and said, “I’ll go!”

• To rise to the cost that lay between vision and reality is vital for victory.
• We love vision and people that are excited with that vision, but when it comes to it costing us
• “Rubens” do not say “no,” but rather, “Let me think and pray about it”
o The “Rubens” have good intention but are distracted by the bleating of the sheep so they cannot react decisively.

Basically the “Reubens” were motivated by sentiment, not sacrifice.
• They can be moved to tears over the needs of the church or missions or other needs
o but never to the point of sacrifice to help change that problem.
• The Rubens had a problem and that was how to lift the standard of the Lord and stand as one and try to ease themselves from the risks of war


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