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!