In case you haven\u2019t noticed, the ground is shaking here in St. Louis. The time for intercessors to arise in our region is NOW. The time for the warring tribe of Gad to take their place on the front lines has arrived.<\/p>\n
More than once in our region’s history we\u2019ve avoided the difficult battles. In 1820 while trying to maintain a \u201cbalance\u201d the Missouri Compromise was minted. At a Jordan River moment in our nation\u2019s history, we looked and saw that the giants were too frightening to battle with. Again in the 1960\u2019s, while most other major metropolitan areas had race riots, St. Louis was one of only a handful that had none. After wandering a while longer, we find ourselves again facing a Jordan River crossing in history and we must fearlessly face down the giants of the land. We are presented once again in our region an opportunity to fight for justice, what will we do?<\/p>\n
In Numbers 32 the leaders of the tribe of Gad and Ruben have a meeting with Moses and ask him to allow them to have the land on the near side of the Jordan River. Moses, remembering the last time they were ready to cross the Jordan 40 years prior, and not wanting to wander in the wilderness for another 40 years confronts them saying in verses 7-9:<\/p>\n
\u201cNow why will you discourage the heard of the children of Israel from going over in the land which the Lord has given them? Thus your fathers did when I sent them away from Kadesh Barnea to see the land. For when they went up to the Valley of Eshcol and saw the land, they discouraged the heart of the children of Israel, so that they did not go into the land which the Lord had given them.\u201d<\/em> (NKJV)<\/p>\n Recognizing their previous cowardice and lack of faith in the promises of the Lord, the two tribes vow to lead the charge in battle and fight on the front lines for the land designated for the other tribes before returning to receive their own land inheritance, saying in verses 17-18:<\/p>\n \u201cbut we ourselves will be armed, ready to go before the children of Israel until we have brought them to their place; and our little ones will dwell in the fortified cities because of the inhabitants of the land. We will not return to our homes until every one of the children of Israel has received his inheritance.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n After conquering the Promised Land, the tribe of Gad became well known as a tribe of fearless warriors.<\/p>\n On January 13 the cases for Arkansas\u2019 12 week abortion ban and North Dakota\u2019s 6 week abortion ban will be before the Eight Circuit Court here in St. Louis. Some legal experts have labeled these as the most significant cases on abortion since Roe v Wade itself. So here we are again at the banks of the Jordan River, are we willing to war in prayer for justice to be established in our nation or will we declare the \u201cthe timing isn\u2019t right\u201d, or \u201cthe Supreme Court isn\u2019t stacked right\u201d, or other giants are just too formidable? It is the time for the tribe of Gad to arise and fight. We will war in prayer for the inheritance of our sister states Arkansas and North Dakota on the front lines at the eighth circuit court here in St. Louis.<\/p>\n