Judges 4&5
Israel is oppressed – under the lash & chariots of Sisera. After 20 years of defeat the people cry to the Lord for help. The Lord’s response comes as it always does by His word to His servants. Deborah commands Barak to raise an army and take on Sisera at the Kishon River. But Barak is hesitant - God’s promise is not reassuring enough it seems. He’ll go but only if Deborah ‘holds his hand’ (4:8). Barak wants the security of Deborah - maybe he thinks of her as a lucky charm, maybe he's insecure & wants someone of Deborah's status to back him up, perhaps he just wants someone to blame if it all goes wrong. So Deborah will go but as they say, ‘no guts no glory’. The Lord will do His work, but if Barak needs a woman to back him up (remember it’s c1100BC), then it will be a women who gets the honour (4:9).
We know the story - Sisera’s army is routed and the great scourge of Israel is unceremoniously killed by Jabel and her camping equipment. It’s a great victory but in it (as increasingly happens in Judges) there are worrying signs starting to appear among Israel’s leaders. Despite clear guidance from God – Barak wobbles. Taking on Sisera was clearly a risk – so unless he can cover his back and dilute the responsibility he is not willing to take it.
This prevarication ran throughout many parts of Israel it seems. Where was Reuben? Keeping warm and searching his heart (5:15). Where was Gilead? Staying beyond the Jordan (5:17). Where was Dan? Lingering by the ships (5:17). Where was Asher? Staying put at the seaside (5:17). Thankfully there were those like Zebulun and Naptali ready to risk their lives (5:18).
Barak & Israel got there in the end – Praise the Lord. But for Barak and the tribes fretting at the back it was a victory tinged with an element of 'could have been so much better'.
What has God laid on your heart? What is God's word saying to you? Where are you being called to go? What is the Spirit prompting you to do?
So who / what are you waiting for?
4 comments:
I have a question, if someone reads this. I've grown up in a Christian home and was pretty sure I was one myself, but now am not so sure. One thing I "struggle" with is knowing when it's the Spirit prompting me, and when it's just my own thoughts. I have many questions but I'll not put them all here.
Hi Dimitri
I've had that struggle many times too. Now I ask myself questions like:
Are “my thoughts” in line with what the Bible teaches? God won't prompt me to do anything that contradicts or compromises his written Word.
What are my motives? This is quite a hard one as we can still be doing good even if we're doing it for selfish reasons, but I pray about it and affirm that I'm doing whatever it is to honour and bring glory to God and not myself, or I don't do it.
Is this reasonable? e.g. Am I neglecting things of higher priority; or will I put myself in debt; or will I be unable to attend to my responsibilities as a result of doing this? Again, I pray and ask for wisdom.
If, after going through these sorts of questions I still don't know, I ask a wiser, more mature Christian for advice.
I can also relate to needing assurance that I was a Christian. I found that assurance through reading the Bible and praying about what I was reading. (I started in Genesis but it would probably be more helpful to read Romans or 1 Peter.) It might also help to talk to one of your church leaders or a Christian friend.
Hope this helps. God bless you as you seek Him.
Dear Dimitri - thanks for your post and for raising an important question. A blog post like this is good if you happen to know what it is 'you're supposed to do' but are holding back so to speak. The easy cases of this might be, for example, I'm a Christian but worried about the reaction if I get baptised; there are people I know but haven't taken an opportunity to make my faith known to them; I'm caught in a cycle of commiting a certain sin but won't take action (e.g. cancel the TV package). Sometimes the situation could be a conviction to go to Bible college backed up with affirmations from others but you hold back due to financial issues.
Regarding other often 'less spiritual' decisions (as we tend to see them) such as: moving job, asking someone out etc - you might find the blog sermons above on guidance helpful.
The Lord bless
Thanks a bunch guys, I must say that I seem to be having many many questions for who knows why. I have been talking to my pastoral staff, Youth leader and others. I think it seems that I can't possibly do what I should be, or the predestination thing. I am a rather "philosophical" person, not as in a philosopher, but as in loving reading it, and Predestination is a huge problem for me, but that's a whole different post. : ) Also Fiona is right, I question myself ALL the time whether I am a true Christian or not and how I'll know and things like that. Sorry about having so many questions, I didn't intend on this being like a Dr. Phil counselling session, even though I might need that too. lol Thanks again, and I will most definitely read tons on this blog, and thank you for having it out there.
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