Solomon says there is “a time of war” (Eccl 3:8) but some people aren’t ready when it comes.
After the priest had rallied the troops, calling them to keep their hopes in God, “Then the officers shall speak to the people” (Deut 20:5). Israel to this day has a very small standing army. When war approaches, university professors and taxi drivers, shopkeepers and medical personnel, all quickly head for their battle stations. So the Lord knew that some people might be caught in the middle of something they needed to finish before they might lay down their lives in battle. There were three compassionate exemptions from front-line fighting that the officers were to offer their men. Someone who had built a house and had not yet lived in it (v 5), someone “who has planted a vineyard and has not eaten of it” (v 6), and someone “who is betrothed to a woman and has not married her” (v 7), these were not obliged to go to battle. If they should die in the war, the fruits of their labor and affection would then be enjoyed by others. In fact, the very purpose of war was to protect these things! To guard one’s home, livelihood, and family were the common reasons a man would risk his life in battle. It would be sad if it was warfare that robbed him of these very things. At the spiritual level, it’s also good to remember this. It would be an empty victory if in my Christian life I made some great conquests against the foe, but in the process I lost my home, my wife, or my spiritual fruitfulness. This is a warning every zealous believer needs. Then there was one other exemption. Someone “who is fearful and fainthearted” was excused, “lest the heart of his brethren faint like his heart” (v 8). Beware a faithless heart that can lead to other fainting hearts. God, keep us from defeating others through doubt even before the enemy shows up.