Day: July 9, 2020

In the book of Judges, there was a Judge who happened to be a woman. She was before Gideon and she was given her position by God. Her name was Deborah. The story starts in Judges 4. God’s people the Israelites are once again looking inward instead of instead of upward. They did not obey God’s laws, they in fact, did evil in the sight of the same God that delivered them from Egypt where they had been in bondage for many years. They decided they knew more than God and refused to turn from their wicked ways. So, God did what God does when his people refuse to obey him, he sold them into the hands of Jabin, King of Canaan. They were oppressed for twenty years. They finally woke up and one more time cried out to God asking for his help. Beginning in Verse 4 through the end of the chapter
” 4 Now Deborah, a prophet, the wife of Lappidoth, was leading[a] Israel at that time. 5 She held court under the Palm of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites went up to her to have their disputes decided. 6 She sent for Barak son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali and said to him, “The Lord, the God of Israel, commands you: ‘Go, take with you ten thousand men of Naphtali and Zebulun and lead them up to Mount Tabor. 7 I will lead Sisera, the commander of Jabin’s army, with his chariots and his troops to the Kishon River and give him into your hands.’”
8 Barak said to her, “If you go with me, I will go; but if you don’t go with me, I won’t go.”
9 “Certainly I will go with you,” said Deborah. “But because of the course you are taking, the honor will not be yours, for the Lord will deliver Sisera into the hands of a woman.” So Deborah went with Barak to Kedesh. 10 There Barak summoned Zebulun and Naphtali, and ten thousand men went up under his command. Deborah also went up with him.
11 Now Heber the Kenite had left the other Kenites, the descendants of Hobab, Moses’ brother-in-law,[b] and pitched his tent by the great tree in Zaanannim near Kedesh.
12 When they told Sisera that Barak son of Abinoam had gone up to Mount Tabor, 13 Sisera summoned from Harosheth Haggoyim to the Kishon River all his men and his nine hundred chariots fitted with iron.
14 Then Deborah said to Barak, “Go! This is the day the Lord has given Sisera into your hands. Has not the Lord gone ahead of you?” So Barak went down Mount Tabor, with ten thousand men following him. 15 At Barak’s advance, the Lord routed Sisera and all his chariots and army by the sword, and Sisera got down from his chariot and fled on foot.
16 Barak pursued the chariots and army as far as Harosheth Haggoyim, and all Sisera’s troops fell by the sword; not a man was left. 17 Sisera, meanwhile, fled on foot to the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, because there was an alliance between Jabin king of Hazor and the family of Heber the Kenite.
18 Jael went out to meet Sisera and said to him, “Come, my lord, come right in. Don’t be afraid.” So he entered her tent, and she covered him with a blanket.
19 “I’m thirsty,” he said. “Please give me some water.” She opened a skin of milk, gave him a drink, and covered him up.
20 “Stand in the doorway of the tent,” he told her. “If someone comes by and asks you, ‘Is anyone in there?’ say ‘No.’”
21 But Jael, Heber’s wife, picked up a tent peg and a hammer and went quietly to him while he lay fast asleep, exhausted. She drove the peg through his temple into the ground, and he died.
22 Just then Barak came by in pursuit of Sisera, and Jael went out to meet him. “Come,” she said, “I will show you the man you’re looking for.” So he went in with her, and there lay Sisera with the tent peg through his temple—dead.
23 On that day God subdued Jabin king of Canaan before the Israelites. 24 And the hand of the Israelites pressed harder and harder against Jabin king of Canaan until they destroyed him.”
The back story is this, Deborah was the only woman Judge. She was part of God’s plan. Deborah, sent for Barak and told him what to do in order to save God’s people. But, he did not want to listen. He did not believe that God would be with him and win the battle for him. So, he told Deborah he would only go, if she went with him. Deborah, having more character and courage than this mighty warrior with an army behind him went. However, before she went she told him that he would never be given credit for the victory. That a woman would be given the credit. This in itself was an insult as women in general were not considered any better than livestock. They had no say in matters of goverment, or business. They pitched tents and raised kids. Off to the battle they go. Barak with his ten thousand men headed into a battle against Sisera with his men and nine hundred chariots of iron. The battle raged with God at the helm and Sisera fled. He found himself exhausted at the tent of Heber who had remained neutral during this entire exchange. Heber’s wife Jael, however had not remained neutral. She invited Sisera inside. He thought she was hiding him because women did not invite a man who was not their husband into their tents.Jael offered the exhausted Sisera a drink of milk after which he lay down and fell asleep. She covered him up. As soon as he was in a deep sleep. Jael took a tent peg and a mallet in her hands. When it was all over, Jael had driven the tent peg through the temple of her enemy. When Barak arrived she showed him the now deceased Sisera. There as once again several lessons in the this story. The first lesson is when God chooses to use someone for his endevours, it matters not what sex they are. What matters is the character of the person. Deborah was made a judge by God because of her character. She led the army into battle because of her courage and her faith in God. The second lesson is She believed God would do what he said he would do. Barak on the other hand was weak and refused to believe that God would do what he said he would do. As a leader of a vast army- the ultimate insult was Jael getting the credit for killing the enemy. This mighty warrior got nothing. Again, God did what he said he would do.- Ladies and gentlemen, we are living in troubled times. The enemy that is the Devil, is walking to and fro seeking whom he may devour. We are in his bondage. We are walking in the ways that are evil. Are we ready to be sold into even more bondage? It is not too late to cry out to God to deliver this country from destruction. When we do cry out, God will provide a strong leader who has faith and courage. The question is do each of you have the faith,courage and the character it takes to stand up and be counted. To go into the spiritual war we are facing. Are you strong enough to sustain your faith with God at the helm? If not, then there is a storm coming. I think it is time for another Deborah, and Jael. #judges,#jael,#deborah, #bible,#godsplan