ESOCS Devotional 29 July 2024 – The Joy and Blessing of Being a Willing Instrument of God
MEMORY VERSE: “The inhabitants of the villages ceased, they ceased in Israel, until that I Deborah arose, that I arose a mother in Israel.”Judges 5:7 KJV
TEXT: JUDGES 5:1-31
On that day Deborah and Barak son of Abinoam sang this song:
2 “Israel’s leaders took charge,
and the people gladly followed.
Praise the Lord!
3 “Listen, you kings!
Pay attention, you mighty rulers!
For I will sing to the Lord.
I will make music to the Lord, the God of Israel.
4 “Lord, when you set out from Seir
and marched across the fields of Edom,
the earth trembled,
and the cloudy skies poured down rain.
5 The mountains quaked in the presence of the Lord,
the God of Mount Sinai—
in the presence of the Lord,
the God of Israel.
6 “In the days of Shamgar son of Anath,
and in the days of Jael,
people avoided the main roads,
and travelers stayed on winding pathways.
7 There were few people left in the villages of Israel—
until Deborah arose as a mother for Israel.
8 When Israel chose new gods,
war erupted at the city gates.
Yet not a shield or spear could be seen
among forty thousand warriors in Israel!
9 My heart is with the commanders of Israel,
with those who volunteered for war.
Praise the Lord!
10 “Consider this, you who ride on fine donkeys,
you who sit on fancy saddle blankets,
and you who walk along the road.
11 Listen to the village musicians[b]
gathered at the watering holes.
They recount the righteous victories of the Lord
and the victories of his villagers in Israel.
Then the people of the Lord
marched down to the city gates.
12 “Wake up, Deborah, wake up!
Wake up, wake up, and sing a song!
Arise, Barak!
Lead your captives away, son of Abinoam!
13 “Down from Tabor marched the few against the nobles.
The people of the Lord marched down against mighty warriors.
14 They came down from Ephraim—
a land that once belonged to the Amalekites;
they followed you, Benjamin, with your troops.
From Makir the commanders marched down;
from Zebulun came those who carry a commander’s staff.
15 The princes of Issachar were with Deborah and Barak.
They followed Barak, rushing into the valley.
But in the tribe of Reuben
there was great indecision.
16 Why did you sit at home among the sheepfolds—
to hear the shepherds whistle for their flocks?
Yes, in the tribe of Reuben
there was great indecision.
17 Gilead remained east of the Jordan.
And why did Dan stay home?
Asher sat unmoved at the seashore,
remaining in his harbors.
18 But Zebulun risked his life,
as did Naphtali, on the heights of the battlefield.
19 “The kings of Canaan came and fought,
at Taanach near Megiddo’s springs,
but they carried off no silver treasures.
20 The stars fought from heaven.
The stars in their orbits fought against Sisera.
21 The Kishon River swept them away—
that ancient torrent, the Kishon.
March on with courage, my soul!
22 Then the horses’ hooves hammered the ground,
the galloping, galloping of Sisera’s mighty steeds.
23 ‘Let the people of Meroz be cursed,’ said the angel of the Lord.
‘Let them be utterly cursed,
because they did not come to help the Lord—
to help the Lord against the mighty warriors.’
24 “Most blessed among women is Jael,
the wife of Heber the Kenite.
May she be blessed above all women who live in tents.
25 Sisera asked for water,
and she gave him milk.
In a bowl fit for nobles,
she brought him yogurt.
26 Then with her left hand she reached for a tent peg,
and with her right hand for the workman’s hammer.
She struck Sisera with the hammer, crushing his head.
With a shattering blow, she pierced his temples.
27 He sank, he fell,
he lay still at her feet.
And where he sank,
there he died.
28 “From the window Sisera’s mother looked out.
Through the window she watched for his return, saying,
‘Why is his chariot so long in coming?
Why don’t we hear the sound of chariot wheels?’
29 “Her wise women answer,
and she repeats these words to herself:
30 ‘They must be dividing the captured plunder—
with a woman or two for every man.
There will be colorful robes for Sisera,
and colorful, embroidered robes for me.
Yes, the plunder will include
colorful robes embroidered on both sides.’
31 “Lord, may all your enemies die like Sisera!
But may those who love you rise like the sun in all its power!”
Then there was peace in the land for forty years.
Read Other ESOCS Devotional here
Leadership is important in any endeavor, and especially, in the work of God. God expects leaders among His people to actually lead, showing there is a genuine need for leaders and their leadership. Leaders are nothing without followers, and it is the job of the people to willingly offer themselves to their leaders.
Not only was life hard under Israel’s oppressors, but they also confiscated all weapons, so the Israelites could not fight (Not a shield or spear was seen among forty thousand in Israel). The land was full of anarchy and confusion, being everywhere infested with banditry. No public road was safe; and in going from place to place, the people were obliged to use unfrequented paths.
Then, Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam sang that day – This song is well within the tradition of other Jewish songs of deliverance and celebration, such as Miriam’s song (Exodus 15:20-21) and the songs celebrating David’s victory over Goliath (1 Samuel 18:7).
Until I, Deborah, arose: This wasn’t necessarily pride on Deborah’s part. She understood that God works through willing individuals, and she was the willing one in this crisis. Deborah stirred up herself and Barak to celebrate this victory in the most solemn manner, to the glory of God and the honour of Israel, for the encouragement of their friends and the greater confusion of their enemies
In verse 2, Deborah spoke of the people offering themselves willingly. Here, she notes that the sacrifices should also be borne by the leaders. They also must offer themselves willingly. She acknowledged the contribution of all and sundry from the 6 tribes of Israel notably Ephraim, West Manasseh, Benjamin, Zebulun, Issachar, and Naphtali. In a nutshell, she did not ascribe the victory to herself alone, but rather recognized that it was a collective effort.
In all these, she never failed to acknowledge divine help, as the battle was fought from the heavens in the sense that God sent rain that made the Canaanite chariots of no use (the torrent of Kishon swept them away). Mention is made of the part played by another woman – Jael. What Jael did would be condemned by many in the days of the Judges. The responsibility to protect and bless a guest was an almost absolute command, and Jael killed a guest. Yet, she was blessed here because her obedience to the cause of God was greater than her obedience to tradition and custom.
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Finally, in reverence to God she said, “Thus let all your enemies perish, O LORD! But let those who love Him be like the sun when it comes out in full strength.” To love God is to hate His enemies. The victory here celebrated with this song was of such happy consequence to Israel that for the best part of one generation, they enjoyed the peace which it opened the way to: The land had rest forty years.
- Are you always inclined to taking all the credit and absolve yourself from blame when failure occurs?
- Lord, make me a willing instrument like Deborah for your own glory and to the praise of your holy name. Amen.
Further Reading: Zechariah 2:1-end; Luke 1:57-66; Acts 6:1-15
ESOCS Devotional 29 July 2024
