Judges 7:15-18 – Faith requires action

All of us would cherish the fact that we can go into a project assured of victory. It is always a blessed thing to know that ahead of time. So, when Gideon heard of the account of the Midianite’s dream and its interpretation, he bowed before God and worshipped Him. A high spirit is contagious. Hence, we see Gideon returned to the camp and inspired his men. He told them to “Arise, for the Lord has given the camp of Midian into your hands.” It is one thing to be assured of victory but quite another to have a plan that would endure victory. Gideon still had to come out with a strategy to win the battle. His 300 men needed to know what they ought to do to secure the victory. In wisdom, Gideon shared his strategy.

What was Gideon’s plan and how would it work? His plan was to bring panic to the enemy camp and made it look as if they were attacking them from three angles. He divided the 3o0 men that he had into three groups. Every man was equipped with a trumpet, a pitcher and a touch. The torches would be placed within the pitcher to shield the light. All of the two groups of men were to take the cue from the group that Gideon would lead. When he and his group blew the trumpet in their hands, all were to do the same. Then they would shout the battle cry “For the Lord and for Gideon.” 

Bear in mind that like Gideon, we are on victory ground in our spiritual journey. However, we cannot stay passive and have no strategy for our advancement. There must be a plan that we need to adopt by the help of the Holy Spirit. Once we are sure of what we need to do, we must go about executing the plan diligently. We do all that we need to do and the grace of God will undergird what we have put into action and bring about the growth we need. Praise God for His unfailing help as we advance in our walk with Him!     

Judges 7:9-14 - God has a way to see us through

We serve an all-knowing God, who knows exactly where we are, what assurance we need, and how to bring us into victory. He certainly knew all about Gideon who was still struggling with trepidation. The task assigned to him to do was not a small one. So, God made a provision to help him overcome his anxiety. He knew that he needed someone to go with him to spy out the enemy camp. God told him to take his servant Purah along to the enemy camp where He was ready to do something to allay his fear. The accompaniment of Purah reminds us of Ecclesiastes 4:9-12. We are told by Solomon that “Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labour. For if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to the one who falls when there is not another to lift him up. Furthermore, if two lies down together they keep warm, but how can one be warm alone? And if one can overpower him who is alone, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart.” God knew it all along so He gave him Purah to support him.

So that night, Gideon and Purah made their journey into the camp of the Midianites. God wanted him to hear an account of a man who had a dream that would strengthen his servant’s resolve and give him confidence. God made allowance for our frailty. Psalm 103:14 tells us that “He Himself knows our frame; He is mindful that we are but dust.” So, He would deal with us not according to our flaws but according to His mercy towards us.  Of course, Gideon on his part had to be honest with himself. He knew he needed assurance and should not act as if he was fearless. He must have considered the fact that he had only 300 men while the enemy had a very huge force.

Taking Purah with him, Gideon came to one of the outposts of the Midianites in the valley of Jezreel. An unusual event took place when he came within earshot. One Midianite was recounting to another about a dream that he had. In that dream, he said, “Behold, I had a dream; a loaf of barley bread was tumbling into the camp of Midian, and it came to the tent and struck it so that it fell, and turned it upside down so that the tent lay flat.” And his friend interpreted the dream for him saying, “This is nothing less than the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel; God has given Midian and all the camp into his hand.”

Just imagine how specific the interpretation was. Even Gideon’s name was mentioned. God has a way to help us to quell our anxiety. Remember, God is faithful. With every trial, he has already made provision so that we will not be defeated in a single score. Hallelujah!

Judges 7:1-8 – Quality believers matter

One key lesson we need to deeply edge in our heart is that success in our spiritual life has to do with absolute trust in God. While skills, knowledge and people would help in the progress we desire, it is our absolute faith and trust in the Lord that must be the pre-eminence. Hebrews 11:6 rightly says, “Without faith, it is impossible to please God, He that comes to God must believe that He is and that He is the rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.” God wants us to depend on Him absolutely. We see this principle demonstrated in Judges 7:1-8. In this passage, we see how God taught Gideon to trust in Him and not in the number of people who would fight with him. God literally got him to reduce his force of fighting men from 32,000 to 300. God wanted Gideon to know that having 32,000 nonchalant and careless men to make up the number was no advantage. What he needed to secure victory in the conflict could be achieved with much lesser but quality soldiers. God gave him a process to select the men that would be ready for the battle. The huge number means nothing if they were not serious-minded and quality people, who understood the mission and were ready for the battle.

Here we see Gideon and his 32,000 men stationed at the spring of Harod to confront the Midianites who were camped at the valley of Jezreel. Just the day before Gideon launched into battle, the Lord told him that his army was too large. In fact, they were far too many for them to be an effective force in the mission. Besides, if they were victorious in the battle, they would conclude that the victory they had secured was because of their own power. It is so true that people do have the tendency to attribute success to their own ingenuity, thinking that they are successful because of their own inventiveness. That would take away the praise that is due to God alone.

So, in verse 2, God instructed Gideon to use the same principle prescribed in Deuteronomy 20:8, used in the time of Moses. That verse says “Then the officers shall speak further to the people and say, ‘Who is the man that is afraid and fainthearted? Let him depart and return to his house so that he might not make his brothers’ hearts melt like his heart.’” Gideon did what he was instructed to do and immediately 22,000 men left, leaving him only with 10,000 men to face the Midianites stationed in the valley of Jezreel. Gideon, of course, was apprehensive. Who would not when two-third of one’s force was reduced? As if that reduction was not enough, God told him that the remaining 10,000 in his fighting force was still far too many. He then gave him a way to select the appropriate people who would be effective.  God told him to put those 10,000 men to a test to check on their battle readiness.

In verses 4-8 we see the prescribed test. Gideon was to take the 10,000 men to the water and he was to separate those who knelt down and lapped water like a dog from those who stood, scooped the water from the stream and brought it close to their mouth to drink it. Nine thousand and seven hundred of them knelt down and lapped the water from the stream like a dog. But 300 remained standing, scooped the water with the cupped hand and drank it. This was an indication that they were alert even when they were drinking the water. So the 9,700 were dismissed and only 300 were selected for the battle. More than just about the way they drank the water, the purpose of the account is to tell us that number would count for nothing if they were not serious and quality fighters. It is better to have fewer but quality people than a huge number but not serious one. The principle we learn here is that number would count for nothing if they are not serious and mission-minded people. It is better to have fewer people who meant business with God. We also learn that the selection of people for the mission is needful. No point having people that would make up the number. Few but quality people is far better than many that would just make up the crowd.  

Judges 6:33-40 – Leaning on God in our spiritual journey

There are times in our spiritual journey where after sensing God wanting us to do something, yet we need to stay still and wait for the right moment to act. This must be what Gideon had felt. God had called him for a mission and even assured him of His presence. Then there seems to be a pause. Gideon did not hear anything further from the Lord. Then, lo and behold, the Midianites and the Amalekites and their allies came into the land for their yearly raid. They came and camped at the valley of Jezreel. It was then that Gideon was stirred by the Spirit of the Lord who came upon him. He was empowered for leadership. No one can assume the mantle of leadership effectively without the empowering of the Spirit of God. This was certainly seen in Gideon’s situation. Fortified with boldness, he blew a trumpet and the Abiezrites came forward to follow his lead into the battle. Who were the Abiezrites? They came from the tribe of Manasseh where Gideon’s family hailed from. These were the first respondents who answered the trumpet call of Gideon and came to join him in the battle against the marauding Midianites and their allies.  

Gideon also sent messengers throughout the tribes of Manasseh and the tribes allocated near them, namely, the tribes of Asher, Zebulun and Naphtali, to join them in the battle. They responded and thousands came forward to join them in fighting the allied forces of the Midianites. This underscores for us as people of God to avail ourselves and identify with what God wants to do through His people. We must heed the call for help when our brethren call for help in the ministry. As committed people of God, we cannot stand aloof and stand idly by as passengers in God’s work and watch them struggle. Remember unity is great strength!

Verses 36-40, give us an account that shows Gideon needing divine confirmation for battle. What he did was not a sign of unbelief but a sign of being cautious. Gideon wanted to be very sure that God would be with him. This tells us that we cannot presume on the Lord. It does pay to be sure. He wanted to be sure that God would deliver Israel through him. Here we see two signs he requested the Lord to do for him. First, he would put some fleece on the field and asked that God would only cause the dew to drench it while the field remained dry. God did as he had requested. Then to be doubly sure, he requested for the reverse to happen. This time he asked for the fleece to remain dry while the field around it be drenched. Both the signs that Gideon requested could only happen because God was behind it all. Gideon knew that no one could do what he had requested except God. The fact that God granted both his requests tells us that Gideon didn’t act in unbelief. The Lord knows our heart and He will give us the assurance that we need. It is better for us to engage in our spiritual journey with assurance than to go into it presuming on God. This experience of Gideon helps us to see that in our journey with God, we need his guidance and that we should not act presumptuously.     

Judges 6:25-32 – Be totally committed to God

Being assured that it was God whom he had encountered, Gideon was now ready to serve Him. And for service to be effective, there is a need for him to set his home aright. Real commitment is not just giving verbal consent to serve God but one that is demonstrated by action. The very first thing God required Gideon to show his commitment was by destroying the altar of Baal and the pole of Asherah that his father had built. He was required to set his house in order. Gideon was told to take his father’s bull and a second bull seven years old, and pull down the altar of Baal and the Asherah pole with it. This was probably the family altar built by his father to serve Baal. In its place, he was to “…build an altar to the Lord your God on the top of this stronghold in an orderly manner….” After he had built the altar to the Lord, he was to offer the seven-year-old bull to the LORD. The altar that he would build for God cannot co-exist alongside with the altar of Baal. This reason is obvious. God deserves our total allegiance in life. For no one can expect to be effective when he is not wholehearted in his surrender. The Lord Jesus in the Gospel reminds us that “…no man can serve two masters.” Truly, it is hard to be faithful to God when we have another master whom we feel obligated to serve at the same time. So, Gideon was rightly directed to destroy the altar made to serve another god.

To destroy the altar which his father had built for Baal was a big issue. Gideon was not sure how his father would react. It would certainly be a task that would be attended to by some trepidation. To do it in the day time would invite needless interference. So wisely, Gideon did it in the night. He did exactly what was instructed by the LORD. On the next day, when the people went about their business, they discovered that the altar of Baal in its usual place was destroyed. They also realized that in its place an altar was built and a fresh offering had been made to Jehovah God. Soon it was revealed that Gideon was the one who had destroyed the altar and offered the sacrifice. Without a doubt, contending with the Midianites also meant that the Israelites had to contend with their foreign gods.

In verse 30 we see the people of the city demanded Joash, Gideon’s father, to turn his son over to be executed for his violation. Of course, Joash was not about to surrender his son, whose courageous act must have inspired him to take a stand for the LORD as well. He reasoned with them saying if Baal was truly a god he would not need their assistance. He could fight for himself. Joash was suggesting that they should let Baal defend himself and contend with Gideon if he was the powerful god they supposed him to be. Gideon came to be nicknamed Jerubaal meaning “Let Baal contend against him.”   

God demands our allegiance. Like Gideon, we owe Him our commitment. He is the only one who will make a total difference in life. In our journey in life, our allegiance to God will be tested time and again. A lesser commitment would cause us to live a vacillating life hovering between God and the lesser things of life. Our love for God demands that we make a quality decision to serve only Him and then stick to it committedly come what may. Nothing short of a hundred percent commitment to God will be an appropriate response for Him. Be sure to give Him all your total commitment!     

Judges 6:19-24 – God grants grace and gives peace

The Angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon while he was threshing wheat in secret. He did so to preserve the precious grain he had harvested to prevent the marauding and menacing Midianites from taking them away. Anyway, Gideon had shown himself to be a cautious person. Even when the Angel of the Lord visited him, he wanted to be very sure that it was truly an experience from the Lord. In verses 17-18 we learn that he wanted to bring an offering to the Angel. In reality, he wanted to test the Angel whom he was encountering to ensure that he was indeed the Angel of Yahweh. In a sense, Gideon was seeking verification. In his mind, he must have thought that bringing an offering to the Lord would present the perfect situation for the Angel to demonstrate his power in some way and so authenticate himself. So, he left to get the offering while the angel agreed to wait.  

Gideon returned with the prepared meat of a young goat and a great amount of unleavened bread to offer to the Angel. Putting the meat and the broth in a pot in a basket, he brought them to the Angel who was waiting patiently underneath the oak tree where they spoke. At the instruction of the angel, Gideon placed the meat of the goat and the unleavened bread on a rock, an improvised altar. Then he was told to pour the broth out, presumably on the offering. When he had done that, the Angel of the Lord stretched out the staff in his hand and with the end touched the offering. Immediately fire came forth and consumed the meat and the unleavened bread. And with that, the Angel disappeared from his sight immediately.  

At once Gideon was convinced that he had indeed spoken to the Angel of Yahweh. He realized that God had graciously shown Himself in a way to him. He was overcome with fear and awe. The exclamation “Alas” was an expression of shock that he had truly encountered God. Suddenly, he realized how unworthy he was and yet the Lord in His grace had given him the privilege to encounter Him. He must have realized how close he was to be struck dead for no one has seen God and live. In shock that he was still alive, Gideon was grateful at the same time. He must have realized that he could have been struck dead for what seems like his brazen disrespect in testing the Lord. Just imagine Gideon trembling with fear and disbelief that he was still standing and alive. Then the Lord spoke with calming words of deep assurance saying, “Peace to you, do not fear; you shall not die.”  Gideon then did what was best in the light of that supernatural encounter.  He built an altar and named it “The Lord is Peace.” For he had experienced an encounter with the Lord face to face and was spared. The altar remained there at Oprah.

This episode in the life of Gideon tells us that it is okay to test our experience in life. Like Gideon who wanted to make sure that the experience is of the Lord is not wrong. In our days where there is a proliferation of all sorts of claims purported to be from the Lord, to test if what we have encountered is from the Lord is a wise thing to do. We are reminded by the Apostle Paul in his letter to the Corinthians to test every prophecy. It is better to be safe than sorry. The Lord knows our heart and He will honour our sincerity and honesty. Secondly, we know that Jehovah Shalom is our peace. He is the source of all our peace. He will grant us peace in the most trying circumstance of our life if we abandon ourselves and trust Him totally. He will not only grant us His grace but also give us His peace. What a God! Alleluia! 

Judges 6:11-18 - Be available to God

In this passage we come to the fifth deliverer God used to rescue His people. He was none other than Gideon. In the account of Gideon, we learn that God demonstrated His power and might through human weakness. We’ll see how his story affirm what Paul said in the Corinthians epistles that “God uses the weak things of this world to confound the wise.” Besides, His strength is made perfect through human weakness. That means that God will demonstrate His strength through human weakness.  

The appearance of the angel of the Lord is a phenomenon that we often see in the Old Testament narratives. This is referred to as Theophany or Christophany. They are the appearances of God or the pre-incarnate appearance of Christ to people in the Old Testament. The angel of Yahweh usually come to announce the mission that God has for an instrument that He had chosen. One such example is seen when the angel of Yahweh appeared to Moses in a burning bush. In Exodus 3:2 we are told that – “The angel of the LORD (Yahweh) appeared to him (Moses) in a blazing fire from the midst of a bush, and he (Moses) looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, yet the bush was not consumed.” In the call of Gideon, verse 11 tells us that the angel of Yahweh first came and stationed Himself under a well-known oak tree in the property that belonged to Joash from the tribe of Manasseh. At this time Gideon, the son of Joash was beating out wheat in a winepress. What he was doing was to try to avoid the marauding Midianites from taking away his harvest.  

The opening statement of the angel was, “The Lord is with you, O valiant warrior.” Gideon was here called a “valiant warrior.” In his condition, Gideon was in no mood for the niceties. How could he be considered a valiant warrior if he and the Israelites were cowering in fear of the Midianites? In his heart of hearts, Gideon knew that it would make a difference if the Lord was truly with His people. He challenged the assumption of the angel asking, “O my lord, if the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us?” Gideon’s question suggests that they would not be in such a state if Yahweh was with them. For in the past God had acted on their behalf. The former generation of Israelites had experienced His wonderful miraculous deliverance. And since those wonders were no longer experienced, Gideon concluded that God had abandoned them, leaving them at the mercy of the Midianites.  

In verse 14, we see God revealed more of Himself to Gideon till he realized that the angel of the Lord whom he was talking to, was not an ordinary person. The Lord then revealed the purpose of His appearance to him. Here he was commissioning Gideon to be His instrument to deliver His people from the hand of the Midianites. But Gideon felt inadequate. He felt he had an insignificant history. His family was small and he was the youngest, suggesting that he lacked the influence and maturity demanded by the task. But the Lord called his attention to the fact that He would be with him. His ability would not rest in himself but in the Lord. God would be the source of His strength. This ought to be his confidence. At this point, Gideon wanted to test the calling to be sure. He requested that the angel of the Lord wait while he went and prepare an offering to the Lord.  Amazingly, the angel agreed to wait for his return.

These verses tell us that God is fully aware of the plight of His people. He is ever ready to come to their rescue. He initiated the rescue operation by selecting a man and prepared him for the task. The victory we can experience in life is not ourselves. He wants us for His service. He will be with us in the task. The critical issue is not about our ability but our availability to Him. Are we willing?     

Judges 6:1-10 – Knowing the cause is needful for a lasting solution.

The defeat of Jabin and Sisera brought forty years of rest to the Israelites. Sadly, somewhere along the forty years, they again “did evil in the sight of God.” So, God allowed the Midianites to harass them for seven years. Who were the Midianites? According to Genesis 25:1 we see that Abraham took another wife. More exactly she was Abraham’s concubine. Her name was Keturah. Then Genesis 25:2 tells us that she bore to him six sons and one of them was Midian. Genesis 25: 6 said that Abraham sent them to the land in the east. Since then they had been dessert people. In a way, the Midianites had some relationship with the Israelites. Since they were related by blood because of Abraham, the oppression that came from them would be a burdensome one. Each year during harvest time, they would come with their allies, the Amalekites and some others, and would intrude into the land of Israel. They would come like a huge deluge of locust and cleaned up the possessions of the Israelites. These oppressors would impound all the grain and carry them away leaving none. They would even take away their sheep, ox, and donkeys. The Israelites were left with nothing for sustenance. So, the people of God were driven to hide in dens and caves which they made for themselves in the mountains to preserve whatever precious little they could recoup.

The annual intrusions of the Midianites and the allies were so discouraging to the Israelites. So, they cried to the Lord. The rescue of the Lord did not come immediately. Instead of sending a deliverer to them straight away, God sent them a prophet. Why? God wanted them to understand what brought about their problem. They need to know the cause of their problem. Often the solution to our problem is not giving what we want but what we need. Understanding what causes a problem is often more critical than having a solution. Knowing why we are encountering a certain problem can help prevent us from making a similar mistake in the future. Understanding the heart of God is more important than having His intervention without knowing His anger.

Obviously, the people of God had forgotten the goodness showered on them in the past. God had been gracious to them and brought their forefathers out of their bondage in Egypt. The Red Sea was a mighty deliverance no one but God had given to them. Not only that but along the route they took, God also helped them to dispose of the enemy forces that stood in their way into the promised land. The Lord had given them the land of all their enemies. He also reminded them of the covenant relationship He had initiated with them promising to be their God. The Israelites had not kept their part of the bargain. They failed to obey Him according to the terms of the covenant. They had gravitated to serve other gods. They had worshipped the gods of the Amorites. Here, God gave them the reason for their oppression by the Midianites. The purpose of the prophet was obvious. He came to prepare the heart of the people and lead them to repentance and get them ready for the coming deliverance. So, in these first ten verses of Judges 6, God helps the people of Israel to realize the cause of their plight before He would send them His solution. From what God did, we realize that the first step to any lasting solution in any difficult situation we encounter is to know why we are in a certain predicament. It behooves us to seek to understand the cause of our problem and what led us to them so that with God we can then adequately deal with that problem.   

Judges 5:28-31 – Lasting victory is experienced only in God

In these closing verses of Judges 5, we see the rejoicing of Israel at the expense of one woman. She is no other than the mother of Sisera. Here we see Deborah imagining the anxiety she must have, waiting for the return of her son from battle. She wondered what was taking Sisera so long to return home. Usually, by that time she would have heard the sound of the thudding of horses returning, and her son returning home with the victory report. Deborah imagined how Sisera’s mother must have felt when her son did not return as usual. She imagined her pacing up and down, peering through the window time and again wondering what’s taking Sisera so long to return.

In verse 29, Deborah imagined her being assured by “the wise princesses” providing explanation and hope for Sisera’s delay. They gave her three false explanations to bolster her hope of her son’s return. Firstly, they suggested to her that perhaps the spoil of the war was so much that he needed time to sort them out. Secondly, perhaps he and the soldiers were having a wild time with the women captured in the war. Thirdly, maybe he was busy sorting out what he had taken from the war that he could give as a gift to his mother. These explanations brought some hope to her, even though they gave her false hope. She seemed to be convinced that what they told her could be true. But she had no idea that the real situation was furthest from the imagination given her. For Sisera, her precious son laid motionless and dead in a tent at the feet of an ordinary woman.

This poem concluded with a prayer to God for all His enemies to be destroyed, defeated, and obliterated. Her desire was to see the Kingdom of God take dominion and the people who loved Him experience a bright day of rest that had been secured. Her prayer was that as the light of the morning sun, God’s people would dispel the darkness of defeat. The victory that God granted to Israel through Deborah and Barak brought 40 years of peace and rest. This victory is an illustration of the triumph of God’s people. It suggests that the forces that come against us have no chance of overthrowing us. Whatever emotional pain experienced by the mother of Sisera need not be ours when we trust the Lord who will bring us the victory. Be reminded that our victory is secured only in God. It may not come instantly but it will last longer to bring the rest we desire. After everything has been said and done, one thing is clear, it is only in God can we have an enduring victory. Thanks be to our mighty God! 

Judges 5:24-27 – God uses ordinary vessel

In Judges 5:24-27, we see Jael being complimented. She was acknowledged and praised for the part she played in the victory that Deborah and Barak had secured for Israel. This wife of Heber had shown great courage in the most crucial time. The people of Meroz were closer in terms of kinship to the Israelites than Jael. Yet they did not lift a finger to help. Whereas Jael, though further in terms of kinship, availed herself to God’s people to help in securing the victory. Hence, she stood in stark contrast to the curse pronounced on Meroz. She is the most blessed of women. Jael was not only courageous but was also resourceful. When Sisera asked for water she gave him milk instead, which hastened his ability to fall asleep. With wisdom and all the strength she had, she took a peg and drove it into the sleeping commander without considering her own safety. And between her knelt knees laid helplessly dead was the once-great tyrant, who terrorized the people of God

Here we see Jael’s courage, resourcefulness and strength celebrated. She was an ordinary woman who was receptive to what God was doing. She took the initiative and wisdom and acted to alleviate God’s people from their plight. In these few verses, we see how an ordinary person can avail herself to the plan of God. Many of us do not have the extra-ordinary skill, and so may think that we cannot contribute to the work of the Kingdom. This is flawed thinking. God uses ordinary people for His extra-ordinary work. We can all be candidates for greatness in God's Kingdom by availing ourselves to what He is doing in and through the church today. So, the question to ask is not, “Will God use me for what He is doing in the church today?” It should be how and where can I give myself to what God is doing today. Let’s avail ourselves to the advancement of His Kingdom!     

  

Judges 5:19-23– God’s people have His backing

The Canaanites had a formidable force. Several kings in alliance joined forces and fought the make-shift army of the Israelites. Though the people of Israel had 10,00o men they all came, because they were oppressed. With the rallying cry of Deborah and led by Barak, the oppressed Israelites came from the different tribes as we have discovered in the previous verses. They came to him and joined in the fray with him. Remember, Sisera had 900 iron chariots. The force that Israel was up against was an impressive force. How could mere flesh and blood come up against an intimidating coalition of armies with 900 iron chariots? However, at Taanach near the waters of Maggido and in the valley of Esdraelon, they fought. And the Canaanites with the formidable force could not plunder the Israelites. They took nothing, not a single silver. Why? The Lord intervened on His people’s behalf. Poetically verses 20-21: tells us how. These two verses say:   

“The stars fought from heaven,
From their courses, they fought against Sisera.

“The torrent of Kishon swept them away,
The ancient torrent, the torrent Kishon.

What happened was the Lord had sent a mighty torrent. A huge rainstorm occurred and turned the normally calm and non-turbulent river Kishon into a mighty violent flow and surge of water. As a result, the horses pulling the 900 iron chariots failed in their struggle to beat the chaos caught by the rainstorm. That was when the Israelites came and routed the forces led by Sisera until he had to flee on foot. We know that the commander finally came to the tent of Jael, where he was murdered. The hand of God was fighting on His people’s behalf. This time, He used the force of nature to save His people. No one can predict what the Lord can do just to rescue His people. This should encourage us to trust the Lord and know that He can take care of us when we cast our care upon Him.

However, we find here a group whose failure was highlighted. They did not come to assist in the battle that the Israelites were engaged in. They were the people located in Meroz, a city near the battle scene. Here the angel of the Lord put a curse on them. Like the Reubenites, like the tribe Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh who were located west of Jordan and like the coastal tribes of Dan and Asher, the Israelites living in Meroz did nothing to assist in the fight against the Canaanites. They remained nonchalant in the fray that their brethren were engaged in. They did not avail themselves to God and did not help their fellow brethren with their difficult encounters. This is a timely reminder that whatever our brethren are encountering, we cannot stay passive and not help. God will hold us accountable.  

Again, we are so privileged to be under the protection of our mighty God. Truly when He is for us, nothing can come victoriously against us. The unseen forces of God are at His behest to bring about our victory. Praise His name!

Judges 5:12-18 – Kingdom advancement demands everyone's participation

As Barak took the lead and responded to the summon of Deborah, others who survived the oppression of the enemies then began to follow suit. As warriors, many went to join Deborah and Barak in the battle against the enemies. The tribes of Ephraim, Benjamin, and those residing in Machir (this is referring to a part of the tribe of Manasseh that were settled in the promised land), Zebulun and Issachar all came down to join in the Deborah-led battle. They all followed Barak into the valley of Esdraelon. Sadly, in verse 15b to verses 17, we are told of those who did not show interest to join in the fight against Sisera to free the people. One such tribe was the tribe of Reuben. They had good intention but not the gumption. They never got down to act. Their hearts were stirred but their feet did not move. Haven’t we been there sometimes? We felt the challenge and our hearts were stirred but then we stayed passive and did nothing about it. Needless to say, it’s one thing to be challenged and quite another to act on the challenge. In the mission that the church is called to do, we cannot have armchair supporters. We need active participants to answer the call of Christ if we are to achieve the Great Commission. However, we know that there will always be those who will not move and they seem to have their excuses.

Here we see introduced to such people. First, the Reubenites who did not act despite their great resolve. They were too busy attending to their sheep. Secondly, we have the tribes that settled in Gilead. They were part of the tribe of Manasseh and the tribe of Gad. They were comfortably nestled on the other side of Jordan and did not move to join Deborah. Thirdly, there were the tribes settled along the coast - the tribes of Dan and Asher. They were too caught up in the maritime trade and did not respond to Deborah’s call to join in the battle. Corporate unity is important. The Bible tells us that we are not to consider just our own interest. We should consider the interest of the community. In church work, always remember that the whole is more important than the parts. Priority must always be given to the corporate mission.

Thankfully, verse 18 rounds-up very positively. Zebulun and Naphtali gave themselves sacrificially to the fray. The tribe of Zebulun was described as people “who despised their lives even to death.” In other words, they have such a strong resolution that they were not afraid to die for the mission. They just did their best even if it meant their death. They gave of themselves sacrificially. Personal interest became secondary. How blessed the Kingdom of God would be, if we have people of such resolve. Then there was the tribe of Naphtali who remained resolute in the field. When it comes to advancing God’s kingdom, let us pray that we will be like the tribe of Zebulun and Naphtali. We must have a strong resolve and then actively participate with our very best. The Lord deserves it! 

Judges 5:1-11 – To be on victory ground, we need God

God desires that we live an oppression-free life. To enjoy such a life, it requires that we pay careful attention to what He says and to do it. We are to be obedient to His instructions. However, God knows that we do need to be disciplined time and again to get on the right track, especially when we have meandered into the wrong path. Whenever we realize our wrong, repent, and cry out for His intervention, He is ever ready to help. The natural outcome of being delivered by Him is to celebrate, rejoice and sing His praise. This was exactly what Deborah and Barak did. Judges 5 is a wonderful song of victory and praise that Deborah and Barak sang. They were recounting the nation’s deliverance and the victory they experienced with the help of God. It is a poem that lauded their freedom from the oppression and extolled the Lord who fought for them.

This poem begins praising Yahweh, the Jehovah God. The song recognized that it was a combination of courageous leaders and willing followers with the help of God that had brought the victory. This was the case in the victory that Deborah and Barak experienced. To experience victory, having God is critical but we also need great leaders and willing followers. It is said that a leader should lead and a follower should follow. If we are unwilling to lead or to follow, just get out of the way. Secondly, in this poem, they praised Yahweh for His presence. The earth, the sky and the mountain were all seen to be responding to His awesome presence. The God who came down to Mount Sinai and demonstrated His awesome power had now come to the assistance of His people. He granted them the victory over Sisera and his menacing force.

God’s people cannot do without His presence. Without His presence, life would be miserable. This was seen in the desperate time of Shamgar and Jael. The Israelites suffered much oppression. They had to make long journeys in a round-about way. Highways were in the control of their oppressors.  Joy and civility were depleted among God’s people. New gods were being venerated. They were oppressed. Among the forty thousand men of Israel, no one had the courage to fight Sisera, until Deborah arose. She, however, realized that without the leaders taking their position, she alone would not be able to secure such a victory. Hence, she praises the Lord for them. Verses 10-11 call upon the different segments of people: (1) those who ride on white donkeys, probably referring to those who rule, (2) those who travel on the road, the business people, and (3) the shepherds. Every class of society had reason to celebrate and praise the righteous deeds of the Lord for the victory. There is no question that without God success cannot be attained. Defeat need not be our experience when leaders and followers choose to walk with God and obey Him diligently. Let’s do it!

Judges 4:17-24 – Every engineers our experiences to shape us for our destiny

In these verses, we now know the reason why Heber and his family relocated to the north. They were part of the Kenites, descendants of Moses’ father-in-law. For years they joined Israel. According to Joshua 1:16, they were dwelling in the south with Judah. Then in Judges 4:11, we are told that Heber, part of the Kenites, separated from them and moved up north and pitched his tent as far as the oak in Zaanannim, which is near Kedesh where the conflict between Israel and Jabin, the Canaanite king took place. No reason was given for why Heber moved up north. Now in verses 17-24 of Judges 4, we finally find out why they were relocated here near Kadesh. God had a mission for Jael, Heber’s wife. God wanted to use her to help Barak in the destruction of Sisera who had been terrorising the Israelites on behalf of Jabin.

The account progresses to the point where Sisera’s 900 iron chariots and his men were routed and he had to flee on foot. He came to the tent of Jael and trusted her because the Kenites and the king of Hazor were not at enmity. Unsuspectingly, when Jael met him, he sought sanctuary in her tent. When he asked for a cup of water to drink, Jael even gave him a cup of goat’s milk. She then allowed him to seek shelter in her tent and covered him with a rug. Sisera also requested that Jael kept guard at the entrance of her tent to turn away Barak or any Israelite who was after him. At this point, he had been running and was in need of a rest from his exhaustion. Soon he was fast asleep.

Jael who had a strong relationship with the Israelites, then took the initiative to destroy Sisera who was fast asleep. She took a tent peg, and with a hammer, drove the peg through the temper of the sleeping commander and killed him. When Barak came near to her tent, she called to him and brought him to the dead Sisera. In the tent, Barak saw Sisera lying motionless with blood oozing from his head and the tent peg still intact and embedded in the commander’s skull. With his commander dead, soon Jabin and the Canaanites were subdued. Again, God had fought on His people’s behalf. He had engineered circumstances and brought Jael where she was, to do His bidding. Like Esther, Jael was also brought to where she was for a such a time as this.

As people whom God has called into a journey with Him, we all have a destiny. He has a plan for us. He is perfecting us in the journey to fulfil our destiny. He will arrange people, circumstances and events to bring us closer to where He has destined for us. Experiences, whether positive or negative, are part and parcel of what He has allowed so that we can be shaped and formed incrementally. Next time when our circumstances seem unexplainable, we will trust and know that God’s unseen hand is working on our behalf, to bring us nearer to His destiny for us. Never lose sight of God’s mighty hand upon us!    

Judges 4:12-16 – Be sure the Lord is onboard

Nothing should intimidate us when we have the Lord on our side. No matter how strong our opposition may be, they are no match for the Lord God who will fight on His people’s behalf. This is what we can see from the battle fought between Barak of Israel and Sisera, the commander of King Jabin’s army. Barak only had the word of the Lord, 10,000 men, and the help of the prophetic direction given by Deborah. Whereas Sisera had heavy military machinery. He had 900 iron chariots. The odd was stacked against Barak and the Israelites. What chance had the power of man, no matter how many, could stand against the might of iron chariots?

However, the right question to ask should be: what chance has 900 iron chariots have against an ordinary army whose God fights for them? So, with the Lord’s help, the army of Sisera was routed until he had to flee on foot. When the Lord is on our side, we form the majority. In any battle, we must learn not to be intimidated by the might of what is opposing us. We must learn to look up and look to the Lord who fights for us. This being said, we also need to consider the timing and the direction given by the Lord. Barak had the advantage of having Deborah with him, she is the prophetic voice he needed to listen to. When she said “Arise! For this is the day in which the Lord has given Sisera into your hands; behold, the Lord has gone out before you." Imagine if Barak chose not to take action, victory would not be secured. But he did. He heard the prophetic direction, he knew that the moment had come, he and his men then went forward into the battle. Every one of Sisera’s men was obliterated, none was left standing from that onslaught. This also meant that the iron chariots were either captured or destroyed.  

Three things we must remember in any battle we are engaged in. We need the Lord on our side. Or better still always be on the Lord’s side. Secondly, timing is important. We should not rush hastily into a situation without weighing it carefully. Thirdly, we certainly need to know what’s the Lord’s direction. When we know the timing and have His approval and direction, we know that we are on the right course. Then take action!

Judges 4:11 – Divine providence

In Judges 1:16 we read about the Kenites. It says, “The descendants of the Kenite, Moses’ father-in-law, went up from the city of palms with the sons of Judah, to the wilderness of Judah which is in the south of Arad; and they went and lived with the people.” Now in Judges 4:11 we find a parenthetical statement that says that Heber who separated himself from the Kenites in the southern part of Judah to the north. We are told he pitched his tent as far away as the oak in Zaanannim, which is near Kedesh.

Why did this “appendix” appear here now? This is to prepare us for the introduction of Jael, the wife of Heber. She would soon be the instrument God would use to kill Sisera, the commander of Jabin. What she did would relief the Israelites from the oppression brought about that oppressor. Here we are led to think about divine providence. God had moved a family and separated them from their people and be relocated somewhere so that they could be at the disposal of God. We shall learn of her exploit in the later verses of Judges 4.   

This little parenthetical verse points us to this: God is in control. In His providence, anyone and everyone, anything and everything is at God’s disposal to fulfil His plan. He used a Gentile named Shamgar. He also used a woman named Deborah to guide Barak. And He would soon use, Jael, the wife of Heber to kill Sisera. God truly arranges circumstances, people and events. And in His providence, nothing happens by coincidence. When we are in His hand, nothing happens incidentally to us. He knows our name. He guides us with His eyes upon us. As Psalm 139 so poignantly tells us: He knows our thoughts from afar. Yes, and before a word is on our lips, He already knows it all. What a wonderful God we serve. Let us be thankful to God for His unfailing faithfulness!    

Judges 4:1-10 – God uses woman in leadership too

The deliverance brought by Ehud did not bring lasting commitment. When he died, the people of Israel again reneged and did evil in God’s sight. They only fell in line because of the oppression of the external forces that God had allowed to come upon them. When the oppression was relieved, they returned to their apostate state again. Hence a time of reckoning was needed. God once again sold them into the hand of Jabin, a Canaanite king from Hazor. This king had a commander by the name of Sisera who was located at Haroseth-hagoyim. He was in command of a strong army with 900 iron chariots. Verse 3 tells us that Sisera controlled and oppressed the Israelites for 20 years.

Judges 4:4-11 describe for us the judge whom God used to start their deliverance. She was a woman by the name of Deborah, the wife of an unknown person by the name of Lappidoth. In our previous reflection, we said that God could use anyone and everyone to fulfill His purpose, and that would include any gender. So, we see God using a woman to deliver Israel. It was rare in those days to see a woman in spiritual and political leadership. But we know that God is no respecter of persons. He uses both capable men and women. Deborah was already serving God as a Prophetess long before the oppression of Sisera. Verse 5 tells us that she was located “…between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim...” where she would sit under the palm tree and the sons of Israel would come to her for judgment.

In verse 6 we are told that she summoned for Barak the son of Abinoam from Kedesh-Naphtali and gave him a prophetic direction to take 10,000 men from the sons of Naphtali and Zebulun and march to Mount Tabor.  God promised to give Sisera into his hand. However, Barak only consented to go if Deborah would accompany him in this mission. This request was not an indication that he was a coward. For he was already told that Sisera would be given into his hand. Hence, it was more likely that he valued the prophetic vision given by Deborah. Besides, Deborah was quite willing to accompany him. She, however, forewarned him that if she went with him, he would not be honored for the victory. So, in verse 10, he gathered the tribes of Naphtali and Zebulun in Kadesh and raised the 10,000 men needed. Deborah kept her word and went with him to Kadesh.  

The mention of the oppressive forces of Jabin led by Sisera who had 900 iron chariots suggest that the enemy Barak was coming up against was intimidating. The notion of such a foreboding force would have frightened anyone. However, no army, no matter how great, will be able to withstand the plan of God. In any spiritual battle, we need not fear who we are up against, we need to stay confident in the God who will fight for us. With God, we always form the majority. Praise His name!  

Judges 3:31 – Everyone is at God’s disposal to fulfil His purpose

In just this one verse in Judges 3:31, we see a brief description of how God used a gentile as a deliverer to rescue Israel from some oppression that came from the Philistines. The encounter by this third deliverer of Israel may seem small, but it was actually a huge success. Just imagine one person with an ordinary ox-goad destroying 600 Philistines.

His name we are told is Shamgar. From the name of his parent, we surmise that He was probably not an Israelite. We are told that he was the son of Anath, the name of a female sex goddess and war. Anath was said to be the sister and helpmate of Baal, the Canaanite deity. Why God chose to use him is not revealed but His choice of Shamgar tells us that God can even use a gentile to deliver His people. Besides, what Shamgar used to kill 600 Philistines was not a special weapon but an ordinary ox-goad. It was only a wooden sharp-pointed stick that was used to poke, nudge and move oxen.  

This incidence tells us three things. Firstly, that God is sovereign and nothing is out of His control. Secondly, regardless of what affiliation a person may have, he or she is at God’s disposal to bring about the fulfilment of His purpose. If God can use a non-believer to fulfil His purpose surely, He will use us if we willingly yield ourselves to serve His purpose. Thirdly an ordinary weapon, as simple as an ox-goad, could be wielded as an instrument to save God’s people. In carrying out God’s work, an ordinary instrument can be used. What we truly need is divine wisdom and creativity. These come by connecting with God. No one can say he/she has nothing good enough for God to use.   

Judges 2:12-30 – Don’t be restricted by your personal limitation

The second oppression the Israelites suffered came from Moab. The intervention of Othniel lasted 40 years and now a new generation arose. As usual in the comfort, they again became errant and lived contrary to the will of God. They failed to learn from the suffering of their fathers. This time the Lord used Eglon of Moab as His instrument to deal with them. This king, in alliance with the Amorites and Amalekites, captured the city of the palm. From there he oppressed the Israelites for as long as 18 years.

The gracious Lord came to their rescue. He didn’t ignore their cry even though He was angry with them. He heard the agonizing plead of His people who cried out to Him. In response to their cries, He raised Ehud the son of Gera from the tribe of Benjamin to deliver them. Ehud was a left-hander and was considered a stigma. Interestingly, in Judges 20:16 we are told that among the Benjamites there were 600 warriors who were left-handers. Ehud was a leader of a group of Israelites sending tribute to Eglon. His task allowed him the opportunity to study the surroundings of Eglon and how he would operate. That enabled him to come up with a plan to assassinate and eliminate the oppression brought about by this king of Moab. Ehud quietly designed a plan to assassinate Eglon. He made a sharp two-edged sword and had it strapped to his right leg. His must have observed that each time he brought the tributes to Eglon, the guard would only check his left side. Hence, he was able to smuggle in his weapon concealed by his long flowing robe.  

Verses 17-22 describe how he executed his plan. He first presented the tribute to the fat king. Then he and his other messengers went as far as Gilgal and were safely away from the Moabites. He alone returned to Eglon purporting to have a message from God for him. Being a pagan and accustomed to many gods, the king had no problem receiving a message from God. Ehud must have sufficiently gained the confidence of the king. So, unsuspectingly, Eglon dismissed his bodyguards and had the door shut after them. Before the king could raise an alarm or shout for help, Ehud reached out for the sword, hidden and strapped to his right thigh. He then quickly plunged the sword into the belly of the king. He thrust the sword into the belly of the king so hard that even the handle of the sword was totally embedded causing the king’s guts to spill out. It must have been messy.

Ehud then quietly left the palace locking the inner chamber of the king. When the guards came they thought that the king was doing his business and did not do a thing. But a duration had elapsed and when they suspected something was wrong, they found the king dead and the assailant long gone. In verses 27-29, when Ehud reached Seirah, he blew the trumpet throughout the hill country of Ephraim. He was able to rally the people and led them to exterminate the Moabites. They were able to kill 10,000 robust, valiant and fighting men of Moab and secured rest for the people. We are told in verse 30, that from this conquest, Israel was not disturbed for 80 years.   

Like Ehud, we must learn to adapt. Though he was a left-hander, he took advantage of his makeup and designed a plan to deliver his people. In the same way, we must also use whatever makeup we have to advance God’s kingdom. We must not feel intimidated by our limitation. We can think out of the box and come up with a plan that will put God’s purpose first, regardless of our makeups, talents and giftings. We have a creative God who can give us creative ideas!                   

Judges 3:7-11 – We need the Spirit of God

Othniel was the first judge that set the ball rolling. We will see a repetitive pattern where the people would sin against the Lord. Then in His anger, the Lord would allow them to be oppressed by a hostile force. And when they were overwhelmed by pressure and couldn’t stand the hardship, they would cry out to God for help. God in His grace would raise up a deliverer to free them from their oppression

The problem the Israelites had, started because they did what was evil in God’s sight. They would forget the Lord and all that He had done for them. And began to serve the gods of the Canaanites, especially Baal and Asheroth, his women counterparts. Their waywardness triggered the anger of the Lord. The reason God was angry was that He could not stand idly by and watch His people gravitate further and further into sin. God is a jealous God. So in this account, we see that God allowed them to fall into the hand of Cushan-rishathaim, king of Mesopotamia. They were oppressed for eight years.

In verse 9 we see the display of God’s grace. When the Israelites couldn’t stand the oppression any longer, they cried out to God and moved Him to send them a deliverer. God commissioned and gave Othniel the power to bring about their deliverance. He was first introduced to us in the opening chapter of Judges. His name means the “lion of God”. He was Caleb’s nephew, the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother. Many years had passed since Othniel had captured Debir. At this point, he would be fairly advanced in age. Yet he arose to deliver Israel. With the empowerment of the Spirit of God, he overcame Cushan-rishathaim. He was able to do it because the Spirit of the Lord was upon him. We need to know that like Othniel, we need the empowerment of the Spirit of God. It is He who will give us the strength to be overcomers. No matter what age we may be, we must learn to rely on the power of the Spirit of God to overcome the forces that would come against us. What Othniel did, brought 40 years of rest to God’s people.  

The experience of the Israelites left us with a lesson on the bountiful grace of God. He is merciful when we call upon Him. Yet we must not take His mercy for granted. We also need to learn that it is the empowerment of the Spirit who will enable us to be victorious in life. Finally, it is still God who is working in us to give us the victory!

  

Judges 3:1-6 – Working hand in hand with God

God left “…the five lords of the Philistines and all the Canaanites and the Sidonians and the Hivites who lived in Mount Lebanon, from Mount Baal-hermon as far as Lebo-hamath” in the promised land to develop the skills of the Israelites who were untrained in war. In so doing, He was also using them to assess His people’s capacity to obey and walk uprightly with Him. Hence, the Israelites were made to live among “the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites.” What happened was sad. They began to syncretize with the Canaanites and those different tribes. They married their women and allowed their children to marry the daughters of those hostile Canaanites. They departed from their covenant promise and served their gods.    

Since they did to do their part to clear the land of Canaan of the enemy forces, they would have to fight many battles and solve many problems. The enemies relentlessly came against them. God permitted the enemies to pressurize them in order to train them. If they had actively done their part and stay focused on God, they would find God’s enablement to overcome and eradicate the hostile forces. But they didn’t. Yet God in His grace used the enemies to discipline and train His people, especially those who were not yet accustomed to warfare.  

In the Christian life, if we do our part and grow in discipleship, we find strength when we encounter difficulties and challenges in life. When we fail to progress in the Lord, we will feel overwhelmed by the tough circumstances of life. In walking closely with God, we will find His grace of God sufficient to see us through. Tough circumstances are there to help us redirect our focus in life. Every believer wants a life that is smooth and trouble free. And we know that the only way to ensure that is to live a life of obedience to God. When we remain faithful to God and His Word, there will be no necessity to subject us to discipline. When we fail to live according to His instruction, God will need to correct us. God will have to do whatever is needful to turn us back in the right way. We see this clearly in the life of the Israelites. The problem with them began when they failed to obey God’s instruction to drive out the Canaanites from the land allocated to them. While God promised to help them drive out the hostile forces, they on their part had to actively collaborate with God.

Meanwhile, we need to bear in mind that victory in our spiritual life is always a divine-human effort. It is always God working through us. Success is never gained through passivity. Just like footprints on the sand cannot be made by sitting in an armchair. That’s why the Bible tells us to work out our salvation while God works in us to fulfil His will in our life. Where the Israelites had clearly failed was their passivity. In Christian life, we must actively work with God to progress. Difficult encounters are there to train us and prove our obedience. If we stay focused even in those times, we will be perfected incrementally in our walk with God. We must actively work with God to deal with our propensity. Learn to keep our eyes riveted on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.

Judges 2:20-23 – Be true to God

Disappointed with the people of Israel, the Lord manifested through an angel in Judges 1-5 and announced to them that He would no longer drive out the Canaanites. Following that announcement, we saw the reason why God did not drive hostile forces out from before them. They did not keep their covenant obligation but instead reneged on the pledge to remain faithful to the Lord. They had provoked the Lord to anger. Judges 2:20 -23 further explain for us the reason for God’s anger toward His people. They had transgressed and disobeyed God by tolerating the Canaanites. Even when God assured them that He would be with them, they failed to do their part to actively exterminate the hostile forces from among them. In their toleration, they had unwittingly assimilated the worship of the gods of the land into their community. Before long, they were found serving Baal.

They had contravened the direct commandment of God. The promise of God through Joshua to them was that every place where the feet of His people shall tread upon shall be their land. But now their unfaithfulness had freed God from keeping His commitment to destroy the Canaanites before them. Instead of totally driving the enemy forces out, God would now use then to test His people. We can see the deep desire of God for His people to walk in His ways faithfully. If they had been faithful, they would have richly inherited all that God had promised them. So whatever land that should have been theirs to possess was put on hold. God was showing His patience. He was still using the enemies to test His people with the hope to get them to return to their covenant faithfulness.

From the experiences of the Israelites here, we can tell that God is faithful. What Paul said in 2 Timothy 2:13 is proven to be true. He said, “If we are faithless, He (God) remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself.” God does not renege on His Word. Even in His anger, He still cherished the day His people would return to Him. The intention of God is never to crush us with tough circumstances but instead to use them to draw us back to Himself. Tough circumstances are there in our lives to help us make a decision for Him. Don’t frown on them and waste those moments, seize them instead and draw near to God. He is good all the time!