Battle of the Kingless – Ch. 22 | KT OLLA

 XARXUS made an announcement within his kingdom. That announcement was a decree which sealed the fate of every Ammonite man. 

As soon as the king of Ammon returned to his nation, he passed a verdict that every grown male be drafted into the army. Then a series of rigorous training ensued for those recruited.

All these were done for the coming battle against Israel.

Jephthah’s spies in Ammon – Baddok, Simone, Gilkar and Sham, were about to sneak out of Xarxus’s cities when that decree was made.

Those four had spent quite a few days in Ammon spying out the nation’s weaknesses. Yet they’d found nothing they were looking for.

But just as they were about to leave, they hit gold.

At first, when those spies saw Xarxus return to Ammon, they’d thought Jephthah’s diplomatic talks with him had worked out.

But no, they knew the fighter so well. His acclaim went before him.

They knew the Tamer of Dragons had never backed down from a battle he set his heart to fight. No man ever talked the king of Ammon out of war, they told themselves.

So then, those eyes for Jephthah in Ammon decided to lurk around a bit to find out what was going on. And soon enough, their curiosity paid off.

They found that glitter in the rocks. Something that’d worth their dangerous escapade in the dragon’s den.

Now without further delay, the four soldiers sneaked out of Ammon and raced back to Israel. To give the report to their lord and master.

To Jephthah.  

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When the commander of Israel’s army got the report from the spies, a cold chill ran down his spine. For a brief moment he feared what was to come.

But Jephthah didn’t linger long in the apprehension. He left everything and headed for the sanctuary of Yahweh, the God of Israel.

When the broken soldier entered the courts of God’s house, he knelt down before the altar. He feared, he cried, he prayed.

It was a desperate prayer for help that the warrior prayed.

Then like a forceful gust of wind pouring out from the east, God’s Spirit blew on the broken man in that vast courts. So he collapsed to the ground beneath that sweeping wave.

 Right there, as his tears and sweat dried out in the overpowering gale, a knocked-out soldier suddenly came up awake – a new awareness dawning on him at the same time.

And this was the inspiration that struck Jephthah:

The enemy has moved his troop from Gilead already. Yes, Xarxus has just moved his soldiers back to Ammon.

So, all I have to do now is ensure he doesn’t have a chance to come back. That he doesn’t have a chance to return with an attack.

All I have to do is come upon him unawares… while he is still getting ready!

Jephthah rose with that thought and stood up a different man. He knew he wasn’t going against the enemy in the might of his wits like as before. But in the strength of God’s Spirit on him.

Jephthah remembered the last battle he fought against Ammon before he was exiled. He remembered how he slayed Xarxus’s ace fighters with just four warriors, his previous deputies.

So he knew he wouldn’t need the whole army to ambush Ammon now.

Also the commander knew that if his army moved from Mizpah down to Gilead and then out to the Ammonite territory, Xarxus’s soldiers would soon be alerted even before they crossed the borders.

That way they were bound to fail before they ever get to fight, he knew.

Thus Jephthah quickly returned to the Israelite army. Then he prepared them in full drills spanning two nights.

Now by the dawn following the second night, he discreetly but swiftly toured through that region of Gilead. Then through the neighbouring cities of Manasseh.

He combed through those regions to ensure no Ammonite was left nearby spying on them.

So when the war chief had ensured Xarxus didn’t have his eyes in those places near their camp, he could safely conclude that there was no Ammonite soldier left in Israel.

That settled, Jephthah returned to their army base in Mizpah of Gilead. Then he broke up the nation’s army into smaller contingents to station them across border cities all over the nation.

But he directed those contingents to stay put there at the base for two more days. He told them to move swiftly to their posts to defend the borders only after two days are done.

With this said, the battle commander set out towards Xarxus’s domain with his own men – the associates he gained for himself in the land of his exile.

He called Macot, commander over his acquired century, along with that that man’s army who now fights for him.

Then he took with him his standing captains, too – the new Baddok, Simone, Gilkar and Sham.

These, again, were the countrymen he made for himself.

Thus, that giant pack of tigers paced on in a ferocious gait. The walls enclosing Gilead couldn’t hold them; the rivers bordering Israel couldn’t stop them.

Jephthah’s pack matched out of the gates of Gilead. They crossed the Jabbok River opening up to the dangerous realm of the Ammonites.

For they swore to defend the Land of Promise.

From that dragon threatening it.