Burunche’s Blog

Judges 5:11b – 23 “Then the people of the LORD went down to the gates: ‘Awake, awake, O Deborah! Awake, awake, sing a song! Arise, O Barak, and take hold of your captives, O son of Abinoam!’

Then the survivors came down to the nobles; the people of the LORD came down to me against the mighty. Some came from Ephraim, with their roots in Amalek; Benjamin came with your people after you. The commanders came down from Machir, the bearers of the marshal’s staff from Zebulun. The princes of Issachar were with Deborah, and Issachar was with Barak, rushing into the valley at his heels.

In the clans of Reuben there was great indecision. (Much searching of heart) Why did you sit among the sheepfolds to hear the whistling for the flocks? In the clans of Reuben there was great indecision. Gilead remained beyond the Jordan. Dan, why did you linger by the ships? Asher stayed at the coast and remained in his harbors.

Zebulun was a people who risked their lives; Naphtali, too, on the heights of the battlefield. Kings came and fought; then the kings of Canaan fought at Taanach by the waters of Megiddo, but they took no plunder of silver.

From the heavens the stars fought; from their courses they fought against Sisera. The River Kishon swept them away, the ancient river, the River Kishon. March on, O my soul, in strength! Then the hooves of horses thundered— the mad galloping of his stallions. ‘Curse Meroz,’ says the angel of the LORD. ‘Bitterly curse her inhabitants; for they did not come to help the LORD, to help the LORD against the mighty.’ “

Anybody who thinks God isn’t keeping track of their performance needs to read the Song of Deborah carefully. Ephraim, Benjamin, Machir, Issachar, Zebulon, and Naphtali – all these tribes rushed to the battle, despite a lack of weapons. While Barak might have hesitated in the beginning, he ultimately came through with flying colors. All those who followed Barak and who shared in the victory are commended. And then there were the others…..

When called upon to help defeat Sisera, the men of the clan of Reuben remained in their sheepfolds listening to their sheep. The Gileadites were a tribe who had settled east of the Jordan on the premise that any time the rest of the Israelites needed help, the Gileadites would respond swiftly. But the Gileadites failed to turn up, defaulting on their covenant agreement. The tribes of Dan and Asher remained at their respective sea shores, refusing to budge.

Who or what was Meroz? I had always assumed that Meroz was a place; however, Wikipedia tells us, “According to the Talmud (Moed Katan 16a), Meroz is a certain planet in the stellar sphere, and because the mention of it in Judges 5:23 is preceded by the phrase, “the stars in their course fought against Sisera” (v.20), it thus follows that Meroz must be defined as a celestial body. This mysterious ‘Meroz’ may not only be the name of a star, but also may allude to angels somewhere in the second heaven who have failed in their willingness to assist the righteous in a war against the wicked, and hence cursed by the angel of God.” Anybody familiar with C. S. Lewis’ book The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, will remember that one of the characters in the book is an elderly ruler who was a star until he failed to act righteously. Not only was God holding the Israelites responsible, but He was also holding His angels responsible as well.

APPLICATION: Deborah, Barak, Ephraim, Benjamin, Machir, Issachar, Zebulon, and Naphtali all rushed to the battle. These warriors were so focused that they didn’t even stop to take plunder of silver. The highest praise was given to Zebulon and Naphtali who risked their lives on the heights of the battlefield.

In the last part of the nineteenth century, there was a Scottish Presbyterian missionary to Nigeria named Mary Slessor. At a time when most missionaries were huddled in a few cities on the coast, Mary moved into villages where she was the only white person for miles. Mary lived with the people and learned their languages. The tribesmen revered Mary so much that they called Mary to settle major disputes that would have otherwise sparked warfare. At one point the British government had a choice of either sending Mary Slessor or 4,000 British troops. They chose to send Mary Slessor, who settled the problems quickly. Mary’s favorite saying was that “The post of greatest danger is the post of highest honor.” Deborah the Prophetess would have definitely agreed with Mary Slessor!

At some point in our lives, each of us will be faced with the same choices that confronted the tribes of Israel. If we have made a habit of facing problems and working through them, we will not hesitate when bravery is called for. If we have spent our lives dodging problems and dumping them on others, we will find ourselves lumped together with the Gileadites and Meroz.

PRAYER: Father God, help us to press forward! Help us not to go back when we have promised to help or to run away when things get tough. Thank you for loving us and giving us the strength to do what you have called us to do. In the mighty and precious Name of Jesus. Amen.

Judges 5:1 – 11 “On that day Deborah and Barak son of Abinoam sang this song:

“When the princes take the lead in Israel, when the people volunteer, bless the LORD.

Listen, O kings! Give ear, O princes! I will sing to the LORD; I will sing praise to the LORD, the God of Israel. O LORD, when You went out from Seir, when You marched from the land of Edom, the earth trembled, the heavens poured out rain, and the clouds poured down water. The mountains quaked before the LORD, the One of Sinai, before the LORD, the God of Israel.

In the days of Shamgar son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the highways were deserted and the travelers took the byways. Life in the villages ceased; it ended in Israel, until I, Deborah, arose, a mother in Israel. When they chose new gods, then war came to their gates. Not a shield or spear was found among forty thousand in Israel. My heart is with the princes of Israel, with the volunteers among the people. Bless the LORD!

You who ride white donkeys, who sit on saddle blankets, and you who travel the road, ponder the voices of the singers at the watering places. There they shall recount the righteous acts of the LORD, the righteous deeds of His warriors in Israel.”

Barak is evidently a good loser. Now that Sisera is dead and King Jabin has been defeated, Barak and Deborah together are singing a song of triumph. This song is too important and too entrancing to rush through it. Deborah is sure that even everyone who comes to collect water will be singing this song in the years to come.

In the course of the song we learn a great deal. Village life had ceased because villagers never knew when Sisera and his marauding soldiers would swoop in, seizing everything they could and probably raping as they went. Travelers were afraid to take main roads for fear of attack. There were no weapons among forty thousand men in Israel. This suggests that the Israelites had to use the same sickles they used to harvest grain as weapons. Slingshots are not mentioned; however, slingshots had been used for eons for hunting and for protecting crops. Properly handled, slingshots were fearsome long range weapons – just ask Goliath!

Deborah mentions that she “arose, a mother in Israel.” Ever since this song was first sung, there have been strong faithful women who have held families and churches together by their faith and their loving hearts. The phrase “a mother in Israel” is frequently used to describe such women, who are fitting successors to Deborah the Prophetess.

During the first part of the song, we get an inkling of how God may have helped the Israelites. “O LORD, when You went out from Seir, when You marched from the land of Edom, the earth trembled, the heavens poured out rain, and the clouds poured down water. The mountains quaked before the LORD, the One of Sinai, before the LORD, the God of Israel.” In the Eastern Hemisphere the weather fronts move in from the East. These verses describe torrential rains that moved in from the East. In addition, there were also earthquakes. With all that rain, the River Kishon would certainly have been in flood.

When all those ten thousand Israelites armed only with sickles and slingshots began advancing toward Sisera and his chariots, God evidently cut loose thunder, lightning, floods, and earthquakes. No wonder Sisera’s men were stunned! (In the midst of all this, did God remind Barak that the name “Barak” meant “lightning? Who knows?)

APPLICATION: What did the Israelites think when the thunder, lightning, rain, and earthquakes started? All we know is that the Israelites proceeded to annihilate Sisera and his men. Perhaps as the Israelites killed their enemies, they began collecting swords and spears and shields. By the end of the battle, the Israelites might have been far better armed than they were at the beginning.

Sometimes we enter a situation feeling that we have practically nothing, only for us to receive things we never dreamt of. When our pickup was destroyed by a huge Burkinabe cargo lorry in May 2019, we were in despair. Our insurance company turned out to be nothing but a bunch of cheats and we had no idea how we would replace our vehicle. Then two things happened. A friend of a friend donated a significant amount of money and we were able to locate a three year old pickup that had been a floor sample so it had never been driven. The price was lower than that of the current models because the dealership was in a hurry to sell it. In addition, the dealership was so anxious to sell this vehicle that they added some extra features and even gave us a large flat screen TV as part of the deal.

Do you feel as if you are facing a bunch of heavily armed attackers with nothing but some garden tools? Does life seem overwhelming right now? Ask God for guidance and then ask God to go before you. With God’s help, you can make it. But if thunderstorms, floods, and earthquakes show up, just hang on. Those things are meant to scare your enemies and not to hurt you.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us so much that You are willing to fight our battles if we will only trust You. Help us to look to You for help. In the mighty Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Judges 4:17 – 24 “Meanwhile, Sisera had fled on foot to the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, because there was peace between Jabin king of Hazor and the house of Heber the Kenite. Jael went out to greet Sisera and said to him, “Come in, my lord. Come in with me. Do not be afraid.” So he went into her tent, and she covered him with a blanket. Sisera said to her, “Please give me a little water to drink, for I am thirsty.” So she opened a container of milk, gave him a drink, and covered him again.

“Stand at the entrance to the tent,” he said, “and if anyone comes and asks you, ‘Is there a man here?’ say, ‘No.’”

But as he lay sleeping from exhaustion, Heber’s wife Jael took a tent peg, grabbed a hammer, and went silently to Sisera. She drove the peg through his temple and into the ground, and he died. When Barak arrived in pursuit of Sisera, Jael went out to greet him and said to him, “Come, and I will show you the man you are seeking.” So he went in with her, and there lay Sisera dead, with a tent peg through his temple.

On that day God subdued Jabin king of Canaan before the Israelites. And the hand of the Israelites grew stronger and stronger against Jabin king of Canaan until they destroyed him.”

The name “Jael” means “mountain goat.” What is shocking is Jael’s murder of Sisera. Hospitality to strangers was of paramount importance to Jael’s people, the Kenites. And there was peace between Jabin, Sisera’s king, and Heber, Jael’s husband. Jael does all the traditional things correctly, even giving Sisera milk when he only asks for water and then hiding him in her own tent, not her husband’s tent, and covering him with a blanket. By that point, Sisera probably felt quite safe. The Kenites were descended from Moses’s father – in – law, Jethro and were traditional allies of the Israelites. It was highly unlikely that the Israelites would storm into the camp of the Kenites or that they would search a woman’s tent.

Why did Jael kill Sisera? The Bible is silent; however, King Jabin of Hazor, Sisera’s boss, had been oppressing people and threatening them for twenty years. Perhaps Sisera or some of his men had threatened to rape Jael or some woman she knew; had they done so, Jael couldn’t have said or done anything because she was female and nobody would mind her. Certainly, Heber as a member of a small nomadic group, would certainly have tried to stay on the good side of King Jabin.

When Deborah called Barak and Barak was dragging his feet, Deborah told him that a woman would be the one to win the ultimate victory. Jael struck down the strongest military commander in the area, and in so doing, liberated everyone from the tyranny of King Jabin. Perhaps Heber was secretly happy when he found out; he was free from extortion by Sisera and he hadn’t had to get his hands dirty.

APPLICATION: So many times we look at ourselves and feel that we are totally insignificant. We would like to be brave or famous, but when we look in the mirror, what we think we see is Mr./Ms. Mediocrity. Jael was so far away from the battle that she might not even have heard the noise. When Sisera came stumbling into Heber’s camp, that might have been the first time Jael knew there was a fight going on. And the things Jael did were simple – offering a cool drink, a place to rest, and shelter. But as Jael was caring for Sisera, she might have realized who he was and what would happen if he escaped. Who knows? There might be twenty more years of oppression.

Looking around, Jael picked up the only things she had – a hammer and a tent peg. When it came time to strike a blow for freedom, Jael didn’t hesitate but struck as hard as she could.

When God met Moses at the burning bush, He asked Moses, ”What is that in your hand?” The only thing Moses had was his shepherd’s staff. God used that staff to do miracles and to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. That staff was only a big stick until God’s power entered it.

What do you have in your hand? Is there anything in your situation that God might wish to use? Even if all you have is a hammer and a tent peg or a long stick, don’t give up. Ask God and see what He will do!

PRAYER: Father God, help us to look to You and not to examine ourselves if You call us to act. Thank You that You are a good Father who will not play guessing games with Your children. Thank You that You can use anybody as long as they will make themselves available. In the mighty Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Judges 4:11 – 16 “Now Heber the Kenite had moved away from the Kenites, the descendants of Hobab the father-in-law of Moses, and had pitched his tent by the great tree of Zaanannim, which was near Kedesh. When it was reported to Sisera that Barak son of Abinoam had gone up Mount Tabor, he summoned all nine hundred of his iron chariots and all the men with him, from Harosheth-hagoyim to the River Kishon.

Then Deborah said to Barak, “Arise, for this is the day the LORD has delivered Sisera into your hands. Has not the LORD gone before you?” So Barak came down from Mount Tabor with ten thousand men following him. And in front of him the LORD routed with the sword Sisera, all his charioteers, and all his army. Sisera abandoned his chariot and fled on foot. Barak pursued the chariots and army as far as Harosheth-hagoyim, and the whole army of Sisera fell by the sword; not a single man was left.”

Sisera was sure that he had the Israelites trapped on Mount Tabor. After all, who could stand against iron chariots? But chariots have their limitations; they can’t move well over rough and rocky ground nor do they do well in swamps. The Israelites didn’t have chariots but they probably had men who were deadly accurate with slingshots and others armed with razor sharp sickle – shaped weapons. Catch a horse’s legs with one of those sickles and the horse would be instantly hamstrung. Was it swampy around the River Kishon? Was the river in flood? We aren’t sure, but what we do know is that God went before the Israelites and routed Sisera and all his troops, including those chariots. Sisera’s troops panicked and the Israelites slaughtered them. Once roused, Barak did a thorough job, chasing Sisera’s men all the way back to Sisera’s military camp.

It’s always worthwhile checking out the meanings of Biblical names. ““Kishon means “slaughter” or “dismemberment.” The name “Tabor” means “encampment, misfortune, or bad luck.” In Christian tradition, Mount Tabor is also the site of the transfiguration of Jesus. These names were already assigned before Barak’s battle, but they certainly fit. Perhaps these very names themselves were an encouragement to Barak and his men. Years before this battle took place, God was already preparing the way for Barak’s victory.

APPLICATION: Many times we fail to realize that if God has called us to some great work, He will also help bring it to pass. We must do our part; we must show up and do our best. But once we have shown up and are trying, God can also come to our aid.

The Olympics have just ended and many of the athletes have inspiring stories. Two of my favorites are the Filipino lady weight lifter, Hidilyn Diaz, and Javad Foroughi, an Iranian COVID – 19 frontline nurse who won gold as a marksman. Ms. Diaz was from a very poor family; however, a relative encouraged her to begin lifting weights. Due to COVID restrictions, Ms. Diaz spent the last two years away from her family. Deprived of the weights she needed with which to train, she fashioned her own weights from bamboo rods and water containers. And at the recent Olympics, it was Hidilyn who took gold in her weight group. Mr. Foroughi actually had COVID twice and at one point had to forego training for a month while he recovered. To be able to train in the daytime, Mr. Foroughi worked night shifts in a COVID unit at a government hospital.

Both of these people are sterling examples of fortitude in the face of overwhelming odds. Hidilyn Diaz is a devout Catholic while Javad Foroughi is a devout Muslim. Both competitors prayed openly and gave glory to God as soon as they realized that they had won.

While Olympic gold medals don’t come every day, God gives all of us chances to do His Will and to be victorious in difficult circumstances. I am involved in a prayer group supporting a little boy with a very unusual problem with his immune system. Reading the Facebook posts each day, I can only imagine how harrowing this whole ordeal is for this boy’s family. But they are continuing to give thanks to God and to persevere.

Barak was a very reluctant commander. Given a chance, Barak would much rather have been a lieutenant than a general. But after some foot – dragging, Barak came through, and only dead bodies and the hulks of iron chariots and the carcasses of horses were left to tell the story. God helped Barak even though Barak started out with a bad attitude. And God will help you as well.

PRAYER: Father God, there are many of us being called to do more than we think we can do or want to do. Help us to follow Your leading and not our fears! Help us to love You and to search for Your perfect Will and then to do what You are calling us to do. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Judges 4:1 – 10 “After Ehud died, the Israelites again did evil in the sight of the LORD. So the LORD sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor. The commander of his forces was Sisera, who lived in Harosheth-hagoyim. Then the Israelites cried out to the LORD, because Jabin had nine hundred chariots of iron, and he had harshly oppressed the Israelites for twenty years.

Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, was judging Israel at that time. And she would sit under the Palm of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, where the Israelites would go up to her for judgment. She summoned Barak son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali and said to him, “Surely the LORD, the God of Israel, is commanding you: ‘Go and march to Mount Tabor, taking with you ten thousand men of Naphtali and Zebulun. And I will draw out Sisera the commander of Jabin’s army, his chariots, and his troops to the River Kishon, and I will deliver him into your hands. “I will certainly go with you,” Deborah replied, “but the road you are taking will bring you no honor, because the LORD will be selling Sisera into the hand of a woman.” So Deborah got up and went with Barak to Kedesh, where he summoned Zebulun and Naphtali; ten thousand men followed him, and Deborah also went with him.”

Deborah is one of my favorite people in the Bible. Both a judge and a prophetess, Deborah obviously was a true worshiper of the Lord. People were traveling great distances to seek Deborah’s guidance and advice. Everybody knew Deborah.

Who was Barak? We really know nothing about Barak before this story begins. We only know that God used Deborah to call Barak to gather an army of ten thousand men and go to Mount Tabor. God promised that He would lure Sisera and all his army with nine hundred iron chariots to the River Kishon, where Barak was to attack them. The name “Barak” means “lightning,” and God was assigning Barak to strike like lightning.

By ordering Barak to march to Mount Tabor, God was strategically positioning the Israelites so that they would have the higher ground. The slopes of Mount Tabor were probably quite rocky, making the terrain nearly impossible for anyone using chariots. Were the banks of the River Kishon swampy or was the River Kishon one of those seasonal rivers which would suddenly become a torrent after heavy rains? God had created both Mount Tabor and the River Kishon; certainly, God would know the best way to incapacitate those enemy troops.

Poor Barak! Barak had a golden opportunity to be a hero, and he completely blew it! Instead of trusting that God was speaking through Deborah, Barak insisted that Deborah had to accompany him. Deborah shrugged her shoulders and said, “No problem! But since you insisting on relying on a woman, God will give the victory to a woman.”

Why did Barak insist that Deborah go with him? It’s quite likely that Barak didn’t want to fight in the first place. Perhaps Barak actually wished his parents had named him something else. Perhaps Barak was superstitious and believed that he needed Deborah there at the battle praying before he could succeed. Perhaps Barak thought that if Deborah did not go with him, the men of Zebulon and Naphtali wouldn’t come either. But give Barak credit; he did summon those men and they did go forth to the battle.

APPLICATION: There are many times when we might feel like Tevye, the milkman in “Fiddler on the Roof.” “Lord, I know we are your chosen people, but couldn’t you choose someone else for a change?” Barak would probably have been perfectly happy to be a follower; he just didn’t want to be a leader. Having leadership thrust on you is no joke!

In the course of my career as a missionary doctor, I have found myself heading two district hospitals and upgrading a health center to a district hospital. I never wanted to head an institution; all I wanted to do was to be a surgeon. But there was nobody else available. At that point, all I could do was to beg God for strength, for wisdom, for courage, and for fortitude. I can really sympathize with Barak!

If we continue to follow God, we WILL be tested. Recently, I viewed a video interview with Dr. Kent Brantley, who survived a bout with Ebola while working in Liberia in 2014. Kent and his wife are now working at a mission hospital in Zambia. Kent’s whole testimony was based on the faithfulness of God and the things he and his wife had gained through this trying experience. Experience teaches compassion, and Dr. Kent’s patients benefit enormously from the empathy he has gained from his brush with death.

Corrie Ten Boom told how she came to her father, worried about what might happen if their family was apprehended by the Nazis for hiding a Jewish family. Mr. Ten Boom asked Corrie if she was taking a train, when would she need the ticket? She would only need the ticket when she was ready to board the train. In the same way, Mr. Ten Boom advised, if the time came for the Ten Boom family to suffer, God would give them the strength to endure the suffering. And God did so. Corrie was the only Ten Boom to survive the concentration camps, but she spent the rest of her life traversing the globe as she testified to God’s faithfulness.

PRAYER: Father God, help us to be like Deborah and not like Barak. Help us to follow the example of the Ten Boom family and remember that if You bring us into a test, You will also bring us through it. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Judges 3:12 – 39 “Once again the Israelites did evil in the sight of the LORD. So He gave Eglon king of Moab power over Israel, because they had done evil in the sight of the LORD. After enlisting the Ammonites and Amalekites to join forces with him, Eglon attacked and defeated Israel, taking possession of the City of Palms. (Jericho) The Israelites served Eglon king of Moab eighteen years. And again they cried out to the LORD, and He raised up Ehud son of Gera, a left-handed Benjamite, as their deliverer. So they sent him with tribute to Eglon king of Moab. Now Ehud had made for himself a double-edged sword a cubit long. He strapped it to his right thigh under his cloak and brought the tribute to Eglon king of Moab, who was an obese man.

After Ehud had finished presenting the tribute, he ushered out those who had carried it. But upon reaching the idols near Gilgal, he himself turned back and said, “I have a secret message for you, O king.” “Silence,” said the king, and all his attendants left him. Then Ehud approached him while he was sitting alone in the coolness of his upper room. “I have a word from God for you,” Ehud said, and the king rose from his seat.

And Ehud reached with his left hand, pulled the sword from his right thigh, and plunged it into Eglon’s belly. Even the handle sank in after the blade, and Eglon’s fat closed in over it, so that Ehud did not withdraw the sword from his belly. And Eglon’s bowels emptied. Then Ehud went out through the porch, closing and locking the doors of the upper room behind him. After Ehud was gone, Eglon’s servants came in and found the doors of the upper room locked. “He must be relieving himself in the cool room,” they said. So they waited until they became worried and saw that he had still not opened the doors of the upper room. Then they took the key and opened the doors—and there was their lord lying dead on the floor.

Ehud, however, had escaped while the servants waited. He passed by the idols and escaped to Seirah. On arriving in Seirah, he blew the ram’s horn throughout the hill country of Ephraim. The Israelites came down with him from the hills, and he became their leader. “Follow me,” he told them, “for the LORD has delivered your enemies the Moabites into your hands.” So they followed him down and seized the fords of the Jordan leading to Moab, and did not allow anyone to cross over. At that time they struck down about ten thousand Moabites, all robust and valiant men. Not one of them escaped. So Moab was subdued under the hand of Israel that day, and the land had rest for eighty years. After Ehud came Shamgar son of Anath. And he too saved Israel, striking down six hundred Philistines with an oxgoad.”

Well, the predictable happened. As soon as Othniel was dead, the Israelites went right back to idol worship. True to His Word, God allowed Eglon, the king of Moab, to conquer Israel and rule them for eighteen years. Then Ehud, a left – handed warrior, was sent with the tribute. Why mention Ehud’s left – handedness? In a culture in which toilet paper was unavailable and soap and water were not always available, the right hand was reserved for social interactions while the left hand was used to wipe one’s bottom after defecating.

It’s likely that Ehud offered his right hand to Eglon and may even have reached his left hand under his right forearm in what Eglon would interpret as a gesture of submission. But Ehud was actually reaching for that eighteen inch double – edged sword he had strapped to his right thigh. Eglon wasn’t even paying attention; a right – handed man would have had his sword strapped to his left thigh because it would be easier to draw that way.

When the servants were assuming that Eglon was “relieving himself in the cool room,” they actually were assuming that Eglon was using the toilet. Obviously, NOBODY was about to bother a ruler in that situation!

APPLICATION: We read these accounts and wonder if somebody wasn’t inflating the figures. At least Ehud had help, but some guy named Shamgar killing six hundred Philistines all by himself? But we are leaving out one thing: both Ehud and Shamgar were relying on God and not just on themselves. God obviously multiplied the efforts of Ehud and the Ephraimites. In the same way, God may have struck the Philistines blind or hidden Shamgar from them. What can we learn from these two men?

Neither of these men was recognized as a leader until the need arose. But when God presented the opportunity to act, both of these men went ahead. Even though we know nothing about either Ehud or Shamgar apart from these few verses, it is likely that both of these men were faithfully worshiping God. Certainly, if they had not been faithful worshipers, God would have chosen someone else as His instruments. After these victories, both Ehud and Shamgar return to obscurity, their tasks accomplished.

One of the best pieces of advice we have ever had was told us by veteran missionaries who spent fifty years in missions. Our friends said, “God is not nearly so worried about your ABILITY as He is about your AVAILABILITY.” So many times we have encountered problems that have appeared insurmountable, only to find that when we have continued to work, somehow a way opens before us.

Is God calling you to do something that looks impossible? Ask God for help and then make a start. Who knows? Some day in heaven you and Shamgar may wind up swapping stories!

PRAYER: Father God, thank You that You work through ordinary people to do extraordinary things! Help us to trust that if You are leading us into a difficult situation, You will give us the strength, the wisdom, and the ability to carry out Your perfect Will. In the mighty Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Judges 3:7 – 11 “So the Israelites did evil in the sight of the LORD; they forgot the LORD their God and served the Baals and the Asherahs. Then the anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and He sold them into the hands of Cushan-rishathaim king of Aram-naharaim (Mesopotamia), and the Israelites served him eight years. But when the Israelites cried out to the LORD, He raised up Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb’s youngest brother, as a deliverer to save them. The Spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he became Israel’s judge and went out to war. And the LORD delivered Cushan-rishathaim king of Aram into the hand of Othniel, who prevailed against him. So the land had rest for forty years, until Othniel son of Kenaz died.”

Remember Othniel? The name “Othniel” means “God’s strength/God’s lion.” Othniel got to marry Achsah, Caleb’s daughter by capturing the Canaanite city of Kiriath – sepher. (The name “Kiriath – sepher” means “City of letters” or “City of the book/scrolls.”) As a savvy commander, Caleb wanted a good man for his son – in – law, and he got one. When Israel needed a strong leader, Othniel came forward and went to war. Moved by the Spirit of the Lord, Othniel continued to lead Israel wisely for forty years.

Unfortunately, there is no indication that the Israelites actually repented and returned to worship the One True Living God. As soon as Othniel was victorious and the pressure was off, the Israelites went right back to worshiping demons.

What were the Baals? The name “Baal” means “lord.” Baal was the god of fertility, weather, rain, wind, lightning, seasons, war, and sailors. In some cultures, Baal was considered as the son of El, the Lord of Heaven, and honored him as being greater than El. The term “El” was used by several different groups to indicate the supreme god. The term “baal” was also used to refer to local gods. These local gods would actually have been demonic spirits operating within a given territory.

Astarte/Ashtoreth was the Queen of Heaven to whom the Canaanites burned offerings and poured libations (Jeremiah 44). Astarte, goddess of war and sexual love, shared so many qualities with her sister, Anath, that they may originally have been seen as a single deity. Astarte/Ashtoreth is also sometimes identified with Asherah.

Asherah is identified as the consort of the Sumerian god Anu, and Ugaritic ʾEl, the oldest deities of their respective pantheons,.This role gave her a similarly high rank in the Ugaritic pantheon. Deuteronomy 12 has Yahweh (Jehovah) commanding the destruction of her shrines so as to maintain purity of his worship. (Information from Encyclopedia Britannica)

It’s safe to assume that any time a god or goddess was associated with fertility, there would be cult prostitutes. Worship services might include the priests having sex with cult prostitutes publicly. And once the priests were engaged in sexual intercourse, worshipers would also follow their example. There were several different deities whose worship also included child sacrifice.

APPLICATION: Demons don’t die, nor do they leave a given area. The amount of demonic activity in any geographical location is directly proportional to the amount of true worship of the One True Living God in that area. The Sentinel Organization has produced several videos on the incredible effects resulting when Christians in a given community begin praying together and waging spiritual warfare against the demons influencing their community. Hemet, California, was a center for drugs and other illegal activities until local pastors came together to pray. As these pastors prayed, they realized that there was a demonic spirit controlling the area that manifested itself in the shape of a bear. Christians in Hemet began praying and fasting and doing prayer walks throughout their city. When God’s Holy Spirit began moving, Hemet was transformed.

Dean Sherman from Youth With A Mission teaches that there is more power in one drop of the blood of Jesus than in all the forces of hell. While that teaching is absolutely correct, there is no place on earth without resident demons (baals). Christians who enter a new area without adequate spiritual preparation may find themselves tempted in ways they have never imagined. One pastor friend told us of sending two Christian nurses to a remote mission clinic in Ghana. Both of these nurses claimed to be dedicated Christians who would never touch alcohol. Within a matter of months, both men became heavy drinkers and our friend had to withdraw them from that clinic. In another case, a veteran missionary who had been highly effective turned into a petty tyrant when he moved into a mission house immediately next to a fetish shrine.

We must guard our hearts! Jesus warned His followers,“And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to depart into hell.” St. Paul advised the Philippians, “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think on these things.” (Philippians 4:8) The things that we feed our minds, souls, and bodies will all affect us for better or for worse.

How do we protect ourselves? Follow Othniel’s example. “The Spirit of the Lord came upon Othniel.” Othniel was open to the moving of the Holy spirit because had had been faithfully worshiping the Lord. If Othniel had not been worshiping the Lord, nothing would have happened.

PRAYER: Father God, we do worship You and praise You for who You are! You are the One True Living God, the God of our salvation. Lord, help us to follow hard after You all the days of our lives. Give us spiritual discernment so that we will be able to pray accurately and aggressively. In the mighty Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Judges 3: 1- 6 “These are the nations the LORD left to test all the Israelites who had not known any of the wars in Canaan, if only to teach warfare to the subsequent generations of Israel, especially to those who had not known it formerly: the five rulers of the Philistines, all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites who lived in the mountains of Lebanon from Mount Baal-hermon to Lebo-hamath. These nations were left to test the Israelites, to find out whether they would keep the commandments of the LORD, which He had given their fathers through Moses. Thus the Israelites continued to live among the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. And they took the daughters of these people in marriage, gave their own daughters to their sons, and served their gods.”

Despite a lot of foot dragging, the Israelites had actually conquered much of Canaan. But the men who conquered Canaan were old and dying off. With no organized military, how were the younger men going to learn to be warriors? The only way to learn to be a warrior is by fighting. So God left the Philistines, the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites to teach the Israelites how to fight. These were the same people the Israelites were supposed to conquer. God had expressly forbidden the Israelites to mingle with these people because He knew that as soon as the Israelites began to intermarry with these people, they would begin to serve their demonic gods.

Unfortunately, the predictable happened. Rather than obeying God and completely wiping out these nations, the Israelites settled down and began intermarrying. Having already compromised by marrying non – Israelites, these men were in no position to exert any spiritual authority in their homes. When those pagan wives demanded to worship their traditional gods, the men went right along. Hey! Idol worship was a lot simpler than worshiping Elohim. No pesky dietary restrictions or restrictions on one’s way of life, no restrictions on sex with anybody, no hassles about the kind of material in clothing – idol worship seemed easy. It didn’t hurt that much of the worship of fertility gods involved mass orgies with indiscriminate sexual couplings. And in a patriarchal society, any Israelite girl who married outside her faith had little or no say in the mode of family worship.

The Israelites stopped fighting and made friends with the very people whom God wanted them to destroy. God had already predicted the results, and His predictions were disastrously fulfilled. Were there faithful people in those days? Yes. It’s quite possible that many of the Levitical priests and some other Israelites remained faithful. But these people formed a minority and when they attempted to speak out, they were probably ridiculed.

APPLICATION: In the decade leading up to World War II, much of the world suffered from economic depression. Times were hard in America and many people who suffered business losses had to take up less prestigious work and to make do. One family I know went from owning several businesses and the local bank to being forced to farm with mules to keep going. But what nobody realized was that the young people coming of age in that decade would soon be going to war and would need to be tough to survive. The tough – mindedness gained during the Depression years prepared those people when they had to become warriors.

Warriors learn war by preparing themselves physically, mentally, and emotionally. Video games won’t cut it; you can always pause the game or start it all over again. There are no second chances in a real battle. God wanted the Israelites to remain prepared for war and left them some enemies so they would be forced to fight. But when the going got tough, the Israelites wimped out.

Befriending the enemy in the middle of a war is disastrous. And indiscriminately sharing information about military operations may spell defeat; that was the whole point of the ”Loose lips sink ships” campaigns in America and Great Britain during World War II.

For believers today, the question is this: are you settling or are you waging spiritual war? There is no neutrality in the spirit world. Today there is a flood tide of evil that threatens to engulf the world. If you choose to opt out and remain silent before God and men, you are part of the problem.

How does one wage spiritual war? Ephesians 6:10 – 18 tells us: Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can make your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this world’s darkness, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore take up the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you will be able to stand your ground, and having done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness arrayed, and with your feet fitted with the readiness of the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Pray in the Spirit at all times, with every kind of prayer and petition. To this end, stay alert with all perseverance in your prayers for all the saints.”

PRAYER: Father God, help! We don’t want to wimp out but the idea of spiritual warfare frightens us. At the same time, we are appalled at the evil that is rising throughout the world. Lord, help us to hide Your Word in our hearts. Help us to pray effectively. And help us to remember that You are our Protector. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Judges 2:16 – 23 “Then the LORD raised up judges, who saved them from the hands of those who plundered them. Israel, however, did not listen to their judges. Instead, they prostituted themselves with other gods and bowed down to them. They quickly turned from the way of their fathers, who had walked in obedience to the LORD’s commandments; they did not do as their fathers had done.

Whenever the LORD raised up a judge for the Israelites, He was with that judge and saved them from the hands of their enemies while the judge was still alive; for the LORD was moved to pity by their groaning under those who oppressed and afflicted them. But when the judge died, the Israelites became even more corrupt than their fathers, going after other gods to serve them and bow down to them. They would not give up their evil practices and stubborn ways.

So the anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and He said, “Because this nation has transgressed the covenant I laid down for their fathers and has not heeded My voice, I will no longer drive out before them any of the nations Joshua left when he died. In this way I will test whether Israel will keep the way of the LORD by walking in it as their fathers did. That is why the LORD had left those nations in place and had not driven them out immediately by delivering them into the hand of Joshua.”

TALK ABOUT BLOWING IT!!! The Israelites were doing great as long as they stuck to God’s program. But once they began settling and compromising, the wheels began to come off the bus. All the Israelites had to do was to keep their covenant with God and everything would have been fine. What went wrong?

1. The Israelites failed to study God’s commands themselves or to teach their children. Vladimir Lenin once said, “Give me a child until the age of five and that child will be mine forever.” Repeatedly, God ordered the Israelites to teach their children about Him. “These words I am commanding you today are to be upon your hearts. And you shall teach them diligently to your children and speak of them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as reminders on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorposts of your houses and on your gates.” Deuteronomy 6:6 – 9

2. The Israelites falsely assumed that they didn’t need God’s help anymore. Instead of realizing how much God was still helping, the Israelites chose to believe that they had done everything on their own. Sort of “Thanks, God, but we’ll take it from here! So long!” Considering that the Amorites then pushed the tribe of Dan up into the hill country and that the nations with iron chariots ran rough – shod over the Israelites, you can see how well that worked.

3. When things began going wrong, the Israelites never repented; instead, a new cycle sprang up. Israel would fall away from the Lord/their enemies would attack/Israel would cry out to the Lord/God would send a righteous judge/Israel would follow the Lord as long as the judge was alive/ the judge would die and the mess would start all over again.

APPLICATION: What’s happening in your life? Are you depending on God, or are you going off on your own and then running back to God when things go wrong? Many of us who have enjoyed a comfortable life style are shocked when sickness or injuries or natural disasters such as floods and tornadoes suddenly rip away everything on which we have relied. When we are in the midst of a catastrophe, it’s easy to pray because we have no other recourse. But many times, once things get better, we are no better than the Israelites. We quickly fall back into the same spiritual pattern we had before. If you could plot our spiritual state, it would look just like a bouncing basketball.

The stories in Judges are some of the saddest stories in the Bible. But today people in many parts of the world are witnessing similar events. Nations that once served God are trying to depend on themselves, unwilling or unable to realize that it was God who helped them in the first place and that they only continue to exist by the grace of God.

Each of us has a choice: will we serve God faithfully or will we bounce up and down like spiritual basketballs. The problem is that the “ups” may get shorter and shorter while the “downs” get deeper and deeper. And at some point we might find ourselves in a spiritual hole with no way out. Don’t wait until you are at the bottom of a hole to repent; you might run out of time!

PRAYER: Father God, help us to follow you faithfully and consistently. Help us to love you more each day than we did the day before. Please deliver us from basketball lives! In the mighty Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Judges 2:6 – 9 “After Joshua had dismissed the people, the Israelites went out to take possession of the land, each to his own inheritance. And the people served the LORD throughout the days of Joshua and of the elders who outlived him and who had seen all the great works that the LORD had done for Israel. And Joshua son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died at the age of 110. They buried him in the land of his inheritance, at Timnath-heres in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash.”

10 – 15 “After that whole generation had also been gathered to their fathers, another generation rose up who did not know the LORD or the works that He had done for Israel. And the Israelites did evil in the sight of the LORD and served the Baals.

Thus they forsook the LORD, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt, and they followed after various gods of the peoples around them. They bowed down to them and provoked the LORD to anger, for they forsook Him and served Baal and the Ashtoreths. (fertility gods and goddesses)

Then the anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and He delivered them into the hands of those who plundered them. He sold them into the hands of their enemies all around, whom they were no longer able to resist. Wherever Israel marched out, the hand of the LORD was against them to bring calamity, just as He had sworn to them. So they were greatly distressed.”

Joshua was dead. All the others who had accompanied Joshua to the Promised Land were dead. And now “another generation rose up who did not know the Lord or the works that He had done for Israel.” HUH???? WHY??? The Israelites had made a good beginning, and Joshua and Caleb and others had received their land promised to them by the Lord. But now there was a new crop of Israelites who didn’t know anything about God.

Repeatedly, Moses had warned the Israelites that they had to teach their children the facts about their slavery in Egypt, about God’s deliverance, and about how God had led and protected them. Moses had also warned that if the Israelites failed to follow God, God would stop helping them and would allow their enemies to triumph.

“In the future, when your son asks you, “What is the meaning of the decrees and statutes and ordinances that the LORD our God has commanded you?” then you are to tell him, “We were slaves of Pharaoh in Egypt, but the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand. Before our eyes the LORD inflicted great and devastating signs and wonders on Egypt, on Pharaoh, and on all his household, but He brought us from there to lead us in and give us the land that He had sworn to our fathers. And the LORD commanded us to observe all these statutes and to fear the LORD our God, that we may always be prosperous and preserved, as we are to this day. And if we are careful to observe every one of these commandments before the LORD our God just as He has commanded us, then that will be our righteousness.” Deuteronomy 6:20 – 24

What happened to the Israelites was very simple; they failed to teach their children anything and they failed to model faithfulness to God. In addition to these failings, the Israelites also failed to eliminate the demon worshipers and their places of worship. These failures to keep covenant with God left the next generation uninstructed, unprepared, and vulnerable. The results were disastrous.

APPLICATION: The Ashantis in Ghana have a saying that “The one that cuts the path doesn’t know that it’s crooked.” (It’s only the person coming along behind who can tell whether or not the path is straight.) Another proverb says, “”When you follow in the path of your father, you learn to walk like him.” While the Israelites were busy conquering Canaan, they forgot to teach their children about God and all the great things that He had done for them. They failed to eliminate the potential sources of moral pollution that dotted the landscape. And they failed to set good examples for their children.

In an earlier generation, there was a saying, “Do as I say, not as I do.” Unfortunately, that idea never worked well. Children are realists and they can spot a hypocrite instantly.

Several years ago, we worked with a nurse who owned a drinking bar bearing the slogan “Drink deep or taste.” Despite the fact that this lady was profiting from the sale of alcohol, she forbad her own children to drink and lectured them on the evils of alcohol. The predictable happened: her son followed her example and not her verbal teachings. One night the son and a friend were drinking together when the friend became annoyed. Pulling a sharp pair of scissors from his pocket, the friend stabbed the nurse’s son in the heart, killing him. By the time the young man was rushed to the hospital, it was already too late.

What examples are we setting for our children and our friends? Are our actions an encouragement towards righteousness, or might someone use us as an excuse to pervert themselves? When we fail to worship God in our own lives, our children will fail to worship Him in their lives as well. If we drink or gamble, we cannot say anything if our children or friends do so as well. If we fail to teach our children about the One True Living God, they will find something else to worship. If God does not have first place in our lives, our children will know.

St. Augustine wrote in the beginning of his “Confessions” that “while turned from Thee, the One Good, I lost myself among a multiplicity of things.” How many of us find ourselves distracted and confused? The answer is simple: return to God. Confess that you have put other things before Him. And ask for His forgiveness and His strength to change and to cut straight paths. Your children’s lives depend on your decision.

PRAYER: Father God, help! We thought we were cutting straight paths, but we were wrong. Forgive us for getting hooked on ________. (Fill in your pet sins here.) From this day forward, help us to follow hard after You, to love You, and to serve You. In the matchless Name of King Jesus. Amen.