I Will Fight No More Forever
But if it is from God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You may even find yourselves fighting against God. – Acts 5:39
Hosea 12:3-5
3 Even in the womb, Jacob struggled with his brother; when he became a man, he even fought with God.
4 Yes, he wrestled with the angel and won. He wept and pleaded for a blessing from him. There at Bethel, he met God face to face, and God spoke to him –
5 the LORD God of Heaven’s Armies, the LORD is his name!
“I Will Fight No More Forever” is a 1975 made-for-television Western film starring James Whitmore as General Oliver O. Howard, Ned Romero as Chief Joseph, and Sam Elliott as Captain Wood. It tells the story of Chief Joseph’s resistance to the U.S. government’s forcible removal of his Nez Perce Indian tribe, from their tribal lands.
This story is set in 1877, when President Ulysses S. Grant permitted white settlers to enter Nez Perce territory. They resisted, and the U.S. Army was sent to push the tribe out. Chief Joseph retreats and attempts to escape to Canada.
His father, Tuekakas, converted to Christianity and was baptized in 1838, taking the Christian name Joseph. He became known as Joseph the Elder or Old Chief Joseph. In 1855, he negotiated a peace treaty that created a new reservation for the Nez Perce. Everything went well until gold was discovered in their territory.
Due to the tragic and unconscionable governmental policies at the time, the government of the United States reneged on its treaty. It forcibly took back approximately six million acres of land promised to the Nez Perce. Joseph the Elder was infuriated. He denounced the government of the United States, slashed the American flag, and destroyed his Bible. With the death of in 1871, Chief Joseph took over as tribal leader.
The tribe was forcibly relocated. Chief Joseph made a heroic attempt to lead his people (800 strong) to political asylum in Canada. The retreat was an 1170-mile trip, which came to be called the Nez Perce War. Over 2000 soldiers constantly hounded them. The tribe skillfully evaded and engaged with their pursuers. They were led by Gen. Oliver Otis Howard, known as the “Christian General” or “Old Prayer Book.” Howard based his policy decisions on his deep, evangelical piety.
The skill with which the Nez Perce fought under Chief Joseph in the face of adverse conditions and overwhelming military superiority earned them the respect and admiration of the military and the American public. Chief Joseph was named the “Red Napoleon.”
However, by the fall of 1877, his people were exhausted, cold, and starving. Only 87 fighting men were still alive. Just 40 miles from the Canadian border, they surrendered. He made a now-famous speech where he said, “I am tired. My heart is sick and sad. From where the sun now stands, I will fight no more forever.”
REFLECT & PRAY
Job 42:3-6
3 You asked, “Who is this that questions my wisdom with such ignorance?” It is I – and I was talking about things I knew nothing about, things far too wonderful for me.
5 I had only heard about you before, but now I have seen you with my own eyes.
6 I take back everything I said, and I sit in dust and ashes to show my repentance.
Father I have chosen, “I will fight no more forever.” Strengthen me to keep my pledge.
INSIGHT
Throughout history, there have been many brave warriors. But inevitably, there comes a time to stop fighting, hang up swords, clubs, and gloves, and lay aside combative inclinations. Chief Joseph was such a man. He was willing, ready, and able to fight for and defend his homeland and his people.
Old Chief Joseph, his father, said right before his death, “Inside this boundary, all our people were born. It circles the graves of our fathers, and we will never give up these graves to any man. . .. This country holds your father’s body. Never sell the bones of your father and your mother.”
Chief Joseph clasped his father’s hand and promised to do as he asked. He said, “A man who would not defend his father’s grave is worse than a wild beast.” Yet, in the end, Chief Joseph relented and surrendered. He would struggle and fight no more.
There comes a time for people to cease fighting with each other and for nations to do the same.
Isaiah 2:4 The LORD will mediate between nations and settle international disputes. They will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will no longer fight against nation, nor train for war.
But another kind of war is raging, far worse than people against people or nations against nations. People are at war with God. Many people reject the Father outrightly. Some eventually come to Him. History is replete with examples. “Amazing Grace” was written by John Newton. It is the story of his personal transformation from a slave trader to a Christian minister and abolitionist.
But there’s a secret war going on inside every child of the King. We fight and resist the living God. We wrestle to maintain independence, autonomy, self-determination, self-reliance, and control. We want to chart our own destiny without external influence.
Yet throughout the Scriptures, this effort is revealed for its futility and consequences. When we choose not to resist but surrender, a transformative power is released. For those who have experienced it, it is unparalleled. Where there was darkness, there was light. Where there was fear, there was confidence. Where there was sadness, there was joy. The Father’s overall plan encompasses and transcends human rebellion. Even our opposition and resistance serve His ultimate purpose.
While most of us wrestle with our thoughts, emotions, and choices, some have actually wrestled with the living God to their own harm. Such a man was Jacob. Jacob was exceedingly strong, robust, and resilient. Yet, ultimately, he was no match for the living God.
Genesis 32:24-30
24 This left Jacob all alone in the camp, and a man came and wrestled with him until the dawn began to break.
25 When the man saw that he would not win the match, he touched Jacob’s hip and wrenched it out of its socket.
26 Then the man said, “Let me go, for the dawn is breaking!” But Jacob said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.”
27 “What is your name?” the man asked. He replied, “Jacob.”
28 “Your name will no longer be Jacob,” the man told him. “From now on you will be called Israel, because you have fought with God and with men and have won.”
30 Jacob named the place Peniel (which means “face of God”), for he said, “I have seen God face to face, yet my life has been spared.”
The ineffectiveness and consequences of resisting God’s plans are highlighted in Acts 5:39. Efforts to counteract divine purposes ultimately prove futile.
Acts 5:39 But if it is from God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You may even find yourselves fighting against God.
The judicious person who yields. They sacrifice what cannot be retained to acquire what cannot be taken away. Jim Elliott shows us the way, “He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.”
Is it not wise to emulate Chief Joseph’s path? To follow his example, verbalizing your choice might sound like this: “Oh, Father, I am tired. My heart is sick and sad. I will fight my God no more forever.”
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
© Dr. H 2024
Dr H Reflections 