World Domination

A series on the Judges of Israel
 – Deborah from the tribe of Ephraim
 (Click on the link below to read the verses.)
Judges 4-5 

[The book of Judges is a roller coaster ride. It’s about the history of Israel following their entry into the Promised Land. Unfortunately, Israel went through cycles of rejecting God and then repenting. Each time, the Lord saved them by raising up a leader who was called a judge. In this series, we will be looking at some of these judges to learn about God’s character as well as our own.]

  

Risk is a board game where winning means world domination. It requires strategic alliances and risky cutthroat moves. The board is a political map of the world that is divided into 42 territories across six continents.

 

Each player starts out with the same number of playing pieces (their army) which they strategically place on the board. From there, you try to capture other territories from your opponents. The goal is to conquer and eliminate all the other players. But in order to win, you have to take risks!

 

In the opening verses of Judges 4, we see Israel's cycle repeating itself. Israel turned from the Lord; the Lord gave them over to Jabin, a Canaanite king who oppressed them for twenty years; Israel cried out to the Lord for help; the Lord sent a judge to deliver them.

 

Deborah was not only the Lord’s judge who led Israel, but also a prophet who settled the disputes of the people. One day, possibly after the people asked her what could be done about Sisera, she sent for Barak with this word from the Lord.

 

^6b “The Lord, the God of Israel, commands you: ‘Go, take with you ten thousand men of Naphtali and Zebulun and lead them up to Mount Tabor. ⁷ I will lead Sisera, the commander of Jabin’s army, with his chariots and his troops to the Kishon River and give him into your hands.’”                    NIV

 

Even though the Lord promised to give Barak victory over Sisera, he wouldn’t do it unless Deborah came with him. He wouldn’t take the risk. Deborah complied with his demand, but prophesied that a woman would defeat Sisera, not Barak.

 

In the meantime, a spy informed Sisera of Barak’s plans to take his army to Mount Tabor. With this information, Sisera gathered his 900 iron chariots and all his warriors at the Kishon River. With the Jezreel Valley spreading out between the two armies, the stage was set for an epic battle.

 

Chariots were the tanks of the ancient world. So even though Barak had ten thousand fighting men, the Israelites were outmanned. Despite this, upon Deborah’s command, Barak and his army charged Sisera and his chariots, soundly defeating them. How did the Israelites overcome their superior weaponry?

 

God had provided a downpour that caused the Kishon River to overflow its banks making Sisera’s chariots useless in the mud. And when Sisera fled the battlefield and tried hiding in the tent of Jael, the wife of the spy, she killed him by hammering a tent peg through his temple.

 

We may not be in a fight against flesh and blood where we’re overpowered by their weaponry. But we do fight with an even more dangerous enemy. Paul described it as “mighty powers in this dark world”. And Peter gave this warning.

 

⁸ Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.        NIV

 

Like the game of Risk, the battles we face in life also have great risks, but the rewards are much greater. It’s not for world domination, but for eternal life.

 

Copyright 2024 Joseph B Williams

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New Year, Same Mask

 

Continuing a Series on “Living by Faith”
 (Use the link below to read the verses.)
Judges 4:1-24; Hebrews 11:32

 [Hebrews 11 is a recounting of the Heroes of the Faith. Even though they never saw what they had been promised, each person is commended for living “by faith”. Following these commendations we read, “Therefore, because you are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses… throw off sin; run with perseverance; fix your eyes on Jesus”. In other words, continue to live “by faith”.]

 

As the calendar year turned to 2021, the Ohio Department of Transportation posted the following on their electronic signs across the state:

New Year, Same Mask

Mask up, Ohio

Do you remember when COVID started? Didn’t you think that it might all be over by summer time? Granted, it was inconvenient when the isles were bare and you couldn’t find any toilet paper. Yes, it was stressful to have your kids home 24-7. But, you knew it wouldn’t last forever. Right?

 

We’re coming up on a year of COVID, and the numbers are growing. We are strongly encouraged to wear masks, social distance and wash our hands regularly. There are also many restrictions such as a 10:00 pm curfew. People are tired of it!

 

But what would it be like if this went on for more than one year? How would you feel if it went on for twenty years?

 

After Ehud died, the people of Israel sinned against the Lord again. ² So the Lord let them be conquered by Jabin, a Canaanite king who ruled in the city of Hazor. The commander of his army was Sisera, who lived at Harosheth-of-the-Gentiles. ³ Jabin had nine hundred iron chariots, and he ruled the people of Israel with cruelty and violence for twenty years. Then the people of Israel cried out to the Lord for help.                    GNT

 

During this time, Deborah was a prophet and judge, while leading Israel. She called on Barak to organize and lead 10,000 men to fight against Sisera.

 

We don’t know much about Barak. He did answer God’s call, albeit with some hesitancy. He organized the men to rebel against King Jabin; to fight against Sisera and his 900 iron clad chariots. Amazingly, they won! And for his efforts; for his faith; he is mentioned in Hebrews 11 as a Hero of the Faith.

 

Think of Sisera as a metaphor. A metaphor of any of those things that might be oppressive to you; those things that you have struggled with for a month; for a year; maybe even for a lifetime. It might be anger, anxiety, depression, an addiction or fear of failure. Remember that with faith, there is hope.

 

²³ So on that day Israel saw God defeat Jabin, the Canaanite king. ²⁴ And from that time on Israel became stronger and stronger against King Jabin until they finally destroyed him.                NLT

 

“New Year, Same Mask”. 

This slogan indicates that there is an ongoing struggle. Like Barak, we are called by the Lord into the struggle; into the battle with our spiritual enemies. And like Barak, the Lord is with us. It is his battle. It is his victory. All we need to do is to take the first step of faith.