DOCSLIB.ORG

The Prophetess and the Reluctant Soldier1

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
The Prophetess and the Reluctant Soldier1 The Prophetess and the Reluctant Soldier 1 by John L. O'Dell When Ehud was dead, the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the Lord. —Judges 4:1 For two generations God’s children lived quietly in their land. The great left-handed warrior Ehud had dealt the fatal blow to the Moabite king. But peace brings comfort and comfort brings laziness. The children of Israel fell back into their old patterns of wickedness. They chose to follow their own ways instead of God’s. The seductive gods of their neighbors proved alluring and the people gave worship and honor to them. These actions so displeased God that he brought punishment on Israel, giving them over to Jabin, the king of Canaan. Gone were the days of peace after the defeat of the Moabites. For twenty years now the people of Israel suffered under the heavy hand of the Canaanites. Like Israel, God calls us to worship Him alone; and just like the Israelites, we find the many gods of the twenty-first century more compelling. Money, power, sex and social status—all call us to erect their statues in the temple of our hearts. God tells us that this spiritual infidelity is evil in His sight. Jabin was the king of Canaan and he remembered what the Israelites had done to his ancestors. He remembered the stories of his childhood about Joshua cutting down the great king of Canaan he was named after. He was told how the Israelites killed all the people of his hometown, Hazor, and then burned the city to the ground. Now was his chance to avenge his people’s loss. He controlled Israel with a fist of iron—or more literally, with his iron chariots. Jabin gave the job of dealing with Israel to Sisera, the commander of the Canaanite armies. Sisera was a hardened soldier. Everyone knew by his name that he was not a Canaanite by birth, but his martial skills and loyalty to Jabin made him a great defender of the land of Canaan. Sisera lived in Harosheth Hagoyim, “the blacksmith of the nations.” This gritty city was 1 Editor's note: The author of the following article thoroughly researched the historical, archaeological, exegetical, and theological aspects of the Judges 4 account. However, rather than writing a technical article, he has used his artistic and storytelling skills to render the passage as a story with applications in the way a preacher might recount a biblical narrative in a sermon. While this type of article is out of the ordinary for the CTS Journal, we find it to be a worthy exposition in the tradition of Moses (Deuteronomy 6), Stephen (Acts 7), and Paul (Acts 13). We trust that you will enjoy it as we have. The Prophetess and the Reluctant Soldier 41 the foundry where Jabin’s iron-rimmed chariots, the most formidable weapons of the day, were born. With their metal axels and iron-covered wheels, they were swift and steady in battle. The Israelite army was no match for these powerful monsters that raided their cities and controlled the roads. Under Sisera’s orders nine hundred of these chariots kept the Israelites prisoners in their own land. Too many had died at the hands of the Canaanites. For Israel this was too much to bear. They were tired of the raids and pillaging. They could not even be safe in their own cities. They cried out to God for deliverance. And God, as he had many times before, was ready to come to their aid. The people whose customs had earlier seemed so appealing to Israel were the same people who now oppressed them. For us it is much the same. At first our desires seem so interesting and worthy of attention. Soon, though, the pursuit of satisfaction turns to obligation and then to addiction. When we are faithful to God, His burden is easy. But when we follow our own path, we are made slaves to our desires. At some point it becomes too much for us and we cry out to God for reconciliation. Fortunately for us, God is always faithful. As we cry out, he hears and answers. In Israel at the time there was a woman named Deborah who was a prophetess of the Lord. Her husband, Lapidoth, watched her as she went about doing God’s work. He saw the power of her prophecies and judgments and knew that his wife was truly a woman set apart by God. She would sit in the hill country of Ephraim, between the towns of Ramah and Bethel, and the people would come to her for judgment and guidance. In fact, she was so prominent that the palm tree she sat under was called “Deborah’s palm.” Deborah had seen the great oppression from the Canaanites and their commander Sisera. The people had told her terrible stories of killings and destruction. She knew of the pain of Israel’s torment. And now as a prophetess she had received a message from God. She called for Israel’s great military leader Barak to come to her because God was going to use him to deliver the children of Israel. 42 CTS Journal 11 (Spring 2005) Barak, the son of Abinoam, was a tough, pragmatic man. His name meant “lightning,” and as a soldier he had seen many battles. While a faithful worshiper of the true God, he also knew the hearts of men. He lived in Kedesh, “the fortified city,” in Naphtali. It was a rough-and- tumble place befitting a resident like Barak. Kedesh was where men with troubled pasts came to hide out. God had decreed that those who took a life would pay for it with their own. In His wisdom He also knew that sometimes a killing was not a murder and set up certain places as cities of refuge. Those who had killed someone accidentally could flee to one of these places, so that others could not exact their revenge on them. Kedesh was one of those cities. It was there that Barak lived and where the message of the prophetess found him. When Barak met Deborah, she told him of the Lord’s plan. Barak was to gather an army of ten thousand men and go to Mount Tabor. There God would deliver Sisera and his chariots to them. Barak was a faithful Jew, but he was also a man who understood war. He had met Sisera’s chariots before and he knew that his men would be no match for the powerful Canaanites. Barak was torn. What should he do? He knew it was certain defeat to oppose Sisera, but a prophetess of God was telling him to go. Barak agreed but told Deborah that she must accompany him to the battle. For Barak, Deborah would be a talisman, a good luck charm, so that even if he lost the battle he might escape with his own life. Though Barak knew that God could give him victory, he still chose to rely on his own strength. We are much the same. We read God’s Word and know that He delivers us from the things that we struggle with. God destroys the things that turn us from Him so that we may live more closely to Him. The problem is that we only see the battle from our point of view. When we cry out for deliverance and God answers, we start talking instead of listening. We let our pride and fear direct us instead of God. We fail to see that the same things that caused our trouble cannot end it. Only God can deliver us. Deborah, like Barak, knew the heart of men. She heard the fear in Barak’s voice, so she agreed to go with him. Deborah saw his weakness in not trusting the God who had saved Israel so many times before. As God spoke through her, she told Barak that because of his lack of faith there would be no glory for him in the journey. God would defeat Sisera, but the victory would not be for Barak. God would deliver Sisera into the hand of a woman. Despite this prediction, Barak took Deborah, along with his fellow commanders Zebulun and Naphtali, and headed to The Prophetess and the Reluctant Soldier 43 44 CTS Journal 11 (Spring 2005) Kedesh to raise an army. God does not ignore our pleas for help. Nor does he ignore our fear and ignorance. Over and over again the Bible tells us not to be afraid. Fear is just another form of selfishness. It is our overwhelming concern for our own good coupled with a lack of faith in God. In Barak’s case, fear was going to impede God’s deliverance of Israel. So God chose another person to be the deliverer. This is also true in our own lives. When we stand as an obstacle in God’s way, He either wears us down or goes around us. Ultimately God accomplishes His will, no matter what. In a small oasis near Kedesh, a Kenite man had set up camp with his wife and family. Unaware of the army being amassed nearby, Heber was looking for a place to rest from his nomadic life. He knew of the Israelites. He had coexisted in this land with them for many years. In fact, he was actually related to one of their great heroes. Heber was one of the descendants of Hobab, the father-in-law of Moses.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • The Book of Judges Lesson One Introduction to the Book
    The Book of Judges Lesson One Introduction to the Book by Dr. John L. May I. The Historical Background - Authorship Dates of the events of the book are uncertain. It is a book about and to the children of Israel (Judges 1:1). Since the book is a continuation of history following the book of Joshua, many scholars believe that it was written after the death of Joshua (after 1421 BC). However, others think that it was written even later than this, for Judges 18:1 and 19:1 imply that there was a king in Israel at the time of writing. That would necessitate a date of 1095 BC or later. If you base your belief upon Judges 1:21, 29, a date of approximately 1000 BC would be a date that would place its writing during the time of Samuel and the reign of the kings. This would tie in nicely with the Jewish tradition that the author was Samuel. There is neither an inspired statement nor an implication as to the place of composition To determine the time span involved in this book, it is unlikely that the years each judge is said to have ruled could be added together, for the total would exceed 490 years. However, Wesley states in his notes on the Book of Judges that the total is only 299 years. The reason for this is that their years of service may coincide or overlap with the years of some or other of the judges and this allows Wesley to arrive at his figure.
    [Show full text]
  • Beshalach (When He Sent)
    An Introduction to the Parashat HaShavuah (Weekly Torah Portion) Understanding the Torah From a Thematic Perspective Beshalach (When He Sent) By Tony Robinson Copyright © 2003 (5764) by Tony Robinson, Restoration of Torah Ministries. All rights reserved. —The Family House of Study— Examining the Parashat HaShavuah by Thematic Analysis Welcome to Mishpachah Beit Midrash, the Family House of Study. Each Shabbat1 we gather in our home and study the Scriptures, specifically the Torah.2 It’s a fun time of receiving revelation from the Ruach HaKodesh3. Everyone joins in—adults and children—as we follow the Parashat HaShavuah4 schedule. We devote ourselves to studying the Torah because the Torah is the foundation for all of Scripture. Therefore, a thorough understanding of the Torah will help us more fully understand the rest of the Tanakh5 and the Brit Chadasha.6 Furthermore, as Yeshua stated Himself, the Torah teaches about Him. So we study the Torah in order to be drawn closer to Yeshua, the goal of the Torah. As believers in the Messiah we have discovered the richness of the wisdom of the sages of Israel. These men, who devoted themselves to the study of the Torah, have left us a rich heritage. Part of that heritage is a unique method of learning and interpreting the Scriptures. It’s called thematic analysis. In thematic analysis we search for the underlying theme/topic of each passage of Scripture. By studying Scriptures related by a common theme, line upon line and precept upon precept, the Scriptures open up to us in a unique manner that is clearly inspired by the Ruach HaKodesh.
    [Show full text]
  • Shabbat Shalom
    " SHABBAT SHALOM. Today is 15 Shevat 5777. neglect the Torah. Hence it was necessary to travel in Today is Shabbat Shirah due to the Song of Praise the desert, within a non-material environment, with all in the Haftorah and in the Torah portions. It is also physical needs divinely provided. They could now Tu B’Shevat when we customarily eat fruit. We become inspired with the Torah. The Rambam (Guide omit Av HaRachamim. for the Perplexed 3:24) also felt that the 40-year sojourn in the wilderness was necessary to educate the Jews into becoming more self-confident and spiritually Mazel Tov to Jakob Zvi upon today’s celebration of strong. They needed time to lose the slave mentality his Bar Mitzvah. Mazel Tov to Jakob’s parents that was drummed into them from their experience as Elliott & Sheri Zvi, grandparents Charlie & Lily slaves. Zablotsky and Zion & Marilyn Zvi, and to the entire family. 3. Why does the Torah say that Bnei Yisrael believed in Hashem and in His servant Moshe? (14:31). It seems strange to equate Hashem and Moshe, and to say that TORAH DIALOGUE the people believed in them both. The same (p. 265 Hz) (p. 407 S) (p. 262 Hi) (p. 366 AS) combination of words, "in Hashem and in Moshe" BESHALACH occurs in one other place (Bamidbar 21:5) and there, Exodus 13:17 too, Rashi notes the incongruity when the people [Compiled by Rabbi Edward Davis (RED) complain against "Hashem and Moshe" that they Young Israel of Hollywood-Ft. Lauderdale] should have remained in Egypt.
    [Show full text]
  • Christine Marchetti Hebrew Bible II May 7, 2015
    WOMEN PROPHETS IN THE HEBREW BIBLE Christine Marchetti Hebrew Bible II May 7, 2015 Marchetti 1 I. Introduction Abraham Heschel’s masterpiece, The Prophets, inspires a sense of holy envy in those who seek an intimate relationship with God. If the prophets themselves do not stir such an emotion, Heschel’s brilliant insight into their hearts and minds surely will. But for women, the sense of envy may be heightened by the fact that the prophets of the Hebrew Scriptures form a category that largely excludes women. The aim of this paper is to study the female prophets in the Hebrew Bible. Until recently, prophetesses in ancient Israel received little scholarly attention.1 A close examination of the biblical text, as well as the story behind the text, may help modern readers, who stand in front of the text,2 better appreciate the phenomenon. We will begin by defining prophet and prophecy. Then, each of the female prophets named in the Hebrew Bible will be discussed, with attention paid to the ways biblical writers, redactors, and commentators have minimized their impact. Other women in the text who performed prophetic activities will be identified, and this paper will conclude with a personal reflection on female prophecy in ancient Israel. II. What is a Prophet and what is Prophecy? The Hebrew word for prophet is nābî’, from the verb nābā’, “to call.” A nābî’ is one who is called by God. The feminine form of nābî’ is nebî’ah, “female prophet” or “prophetess.” The 1 Few book-length studies of female prophets in the Hebrew Bible exist, and feminist scholars often discuss women prophets in ancient Israel only in relation to other concerns.
    [Show full text]
  • Deborah and Barak TEACHER BIBLE STUDY the Time of the Judges Continued After the Death of Ehud
    1st-3rd Grade Kids Bible Study Guide Unit 9, Session 2: Deborah and Barak TEACHER BIBLE STUDY The time of the judges continued after the death of Ehud. The Israelites fell into a continuous cycle of sin, bondage, deliverance, and peace. The people of Israel were oppressed by the king of Canaan. At this time, Deborah was the judge of Israel. Deborah sent for Barak and encouraged him to take up an army and fight the army of Canaan and its leader, Sisera. Deborah reminded Barak that God would hand Sisera and his troops over to him. (Judges 4:6-7) Barak agreed to go under one condition: that Deborah would go with him. Deborah went, but she informed Barak that he would get no glory for the battle; God was going to use a woman to defeat Sisera. When Barak went down from Mount Tabor with 10,000 men, “The LORD threw Sisera and all his army into confusion with the sword before Barak” (Judges 4:15). Everyone in the army died, but Sisera escaped on foot. Sisera fled to the tent of Jael, who invited him inside and gave him a drink. While Sisera slept, Jael drove a tent peg through his temple and he died. Judges 5 records a victory song Deborah and Barak sang on that day, praising God for defeating the Canaanites. The land had rest for 40 years. The Israelites’ sin had resulted in 20 years of defeat. God fought for the Israelites and used Deborah, Barak, and Jael to accomplish the Israelites’ victory over Canaan.
    [Show full text]
  • 5F6256cc021bd4446c515023 T
    Lesson 70 TEXT Judges 4:4-15 SUPPLEMENTAL SCRIPTURES Judges 4:1-3,16-24; 5:1-31; Psalm 3:6 OBJECTIVE The students will be able to explain why it is true that “if God be for us, who can be against us?” KEY VERSE FOR ANSWER Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid. — Isaiah 12:2 KEY VERSE FOR SEARCH Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation. — Isaiah 12:2 ANSWER TITLE: Win the Victory SEARCH TITLE: Deborah REFERENCE INFORMATION After Joshua’s death in about 1426 B.C., God himself the river is watered from the springs at the base of Mount was the direct ruler of the twelve tribes, but the people Carmel and from streams of the northeast that enter the kept turning away from God and going into idolatry. God Kishon in the plain of Acre. In the rainy season this river appointed a total of fifteen judges to rule the Israelites at becomes swollen and very dangerous (Judges 5:21). different times, Deborah being one of them. Her name It is possible that the iron chariots of the Canaanites means “a bee.” She was called “a mother in Israel” became mired in the mud and had to be abandoned, for (Judges 5:7). She was the fourth judge, and she judged we read, “Sisera lighted down off his chariot, and fled Israel for forty years. Deborah was married to Lapidoth away on his feet” (Judges 4:15).
    [Show full text]
  • The Waters of Merom
    50 THE WATERS OF MEROM. wall. But why not repair all the walls if there were workers enough 1 Owing to the pr•wious building of the enclosing wall of the Temple, N ehemiah's wall, as I draw it, is pushed so far weRt as to be at one part very little above the valley bed ; and Mr. Birch ridicules this. But it is to be observed that even this part of the wall is at no lower level than the wall of Ophel, discovered by Warren. A wall in such a position was the best that the circumstances of the locality admitted of, and was better than none. It could not be reached unless the transverse wall were taken first. Its position could scarcely be weaker than that of the north-west wall of the city, which actually has higher ground outside. Mr. Birch's alternative is a wall carried from the south-west hill, round Siloam, to the eastern side of Ophel ; and this necessarily crosses the valley, and at a much lower level than the wall in my plan. Finally, may I say that I have drawn a definite line of wall, and have c·>rrelated it at many parts of its course with points in N ehemiah's description ; the argument is cumulative, and is not answered if one or two details be shown to be doubtful. Mr. Birch has not drawn his W>tll definitely, and could not make any wall going down to Siloam to tally with N ehemiah's descriptions. The Ophel wall actually discovered has no uRe on his theory, and apparently ought never to have been ,built.
    [Show full text]
  • Willing Servants God Restores His People to Freedom Using Faithful and Willing Servants
    Session 9 Willing Servants God restores His people to freedom using faithful and willing servants. JUDGES 4:4-10,12-16 4 Deborah, a woman who was a prophetess and the wife of Lappidoth, was judging Israel at that time. 5 It was her custom to sit under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites went up to her for judgment. 6 She summoned Barak son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali and said to him, “Hasn’t the Lord, the God of Israel, commanded you: ‘Go, deploy the troops on Mount Tabor, and take with you 10,000 men from the Naphtalites and Zebulunites? 7 Then I will lure Sisera commander of Jabin’s forces, his chariots, and his army at the Wadi Kishon to fight against you, and I will hand him over to you.’” 91 © 2017 LifeWay 8 Barak said to her, “If you will go with me, I will go. But if you will not go with me, I will not go.” 9 “I will go with you,” she said, “but you will receive no honor on the road you are about to take, because the Lord will sell Sisera into a woman’s hand.” So Deborah got up and went with Barak to Kedesh. 10 Barak summoned Zebulun and Naphtali to Kedesh; 10,000 men followed him, and Deborah also went with him. [...] 12 It was reported to Sisera that Barak son of Abinoam had gone up Mount Tabor. 13 Sisera summoned all his 900 iron chariots and all the people who were with him from Harosheth of the Nations to the Wadi Kishon.
    [Show full text]
  • “Living Amongst Violence” a Sermon by Kyndall Rae Rothaus Concerning Judges 4:17-23; 9:50-56 for Lake Shore Baptist Church, Waco on August 5, 2018
    “Living Amongst Violence” a sermon by Kyndall Rae Rothaus concerning Judges 4:17-23; 9:50-56 for Lake Shore Baptist Church, Waco on August 5, 2018 The first time I read about Jael as a youth, it was for me, a little like watching Wonder Woman in theatres for the first time—a woman who takes down the bad guys! I found it exhilarating after growing up with stories about damsels in distress but never damsels in the line of duty, directly involved in the fight. It wasn’t until I was older that the grotesque violence of the tent scene sank in and I finally wondered if I ought to rethink my plan to name my first daughter Ja’el after this stunning character in the Bible. This week when I talked to Claire about giving the children’s sermon while she was at camp, we joked about bringing tent stakes for a children’s sermon prop, but I knew all along I wouldn’t touch this story in a children’s sermon. It’s not very family friendly. What is curious to me is that while I had to discover Jael on my own by reading the Bible myself, I learned about David and Goliath over and over from a very young age, even though David kills Goliath first with a sling, then takes Goliath’s sword and chops off his head (1 Kings 17:51). Sunday School was filled with stories about the great biblical hero, King David, the guy who murdered Uriah after raping Uriah’s wife, though most of the felt figure flannel boards left that bit out.
    [Show full text]
  • The Book of Judges
    Judges 1:1 1 Judges 1:10 The Book of Judges 1 Now after the death of Joshua it came to pass, that the children of Israel asked the LORD, saying, Who shall go up for us against the Canaanites first, to fight against them? 2 And the LORD said, Judah shall go up: behold, I have delivered the land into his hand. 3 And Judah said unto Simeon his brother, Come up with me into my lot, that we may fight against the Canaanites; and I likewise will go with thee into thy lot. So Simeon went with him. 4 And Judah went up; and the LORD delivered the Canaanites and the Perizzites into their hand: and they slew of them in Bezek ten thousand men. 5 And they found Adoni- bezek in Bezek: and they fought against him, and they slew the Canaanites and the Perizzites. 6 But Adoni-bezek fled; and they pursued after him, and caught him, and cut off his thumbs and his great toes. 7 And Adoni-bezek said, Threescore and ten kings, having their thumbs and their great toes cut off, gathered their meat under my table: as I have done, so God hath requited me. And they brought him to Jerusalem, and there he died.*† 8 Now the children of Judah had fought against Jerusalem, and had taken it, and smitten it with the edge of the sword, and set the city on fire. 9 ¶ And afterward the children of Judah went down to fight against the Canaanites, that dwelt in the mountain, and in the south, and in the valley.‡ 10 And Judah went against the Canaanites that dwelt in Hebron: (now the name of Hebron before was Kirjath-arba:) and they slew * 1.7 their thumbs…: Heb.
    [Show full text]
  • 4 Barak & Deborah
    Barak & Deborah – Judges 4 & 5 Again, Israel lapsed into apostasy and was handed over for judgment for twenty years. We see a downward spiral – spiritual, moral, and social. 1 This Mme the oppressor 2as Jabin, King of Aanaan. He had a series of alliances 2ith the rulers of the other major ciMes in Aanaan, but he rule. b1 an enforcer, Sisera, 2ho comman.e. an arm1 of D00 chariots of iron. This alliance unite. the enemies of Israel to the south an. to the north. The Israelites are Fcruell1 oppresse.G b1 the enem1 for 20 1ears so Fthe1 crie. out to the Ior. for helpG. Go. raise. up a .eliverer - Barak. Deborah 2as a prophetess 6u.ging/leading Israel. Go. spoMe through her to summon an. commission Narak. Judges 4:6 – 7 6 She sent for Narak son of Abinoam from Ke.esh in Naphtali an. sai. to him, FThe IORS, the Go. of Israel, comman.s 1ouT UGo, take 2ith 1ou ten thousan. men of Naphtali an. Vebulun an. lead them up to Mount Tabor. 7 I 2ill lead Sisera, the comman.er of JabinYs arm1, 2ith his chariots an. his troops to the Kishon River an. give him into 1our han.s.YG :hat .o 1ou see in this prophec1Z ____________, __________, __________ & ____________. Plan Narak an. his men 2ere to assemble on Mount Tabor an. the baOle 2oul. assume.l1 take place in the Jezreel plain. Sisera 2oul. approach from Harosheth Hagoyim in the 2est. :hat are the advantages to Mount TaborZ :hat are the .isadvantagesZ Divine Support If Narak .re2 his men to Mount Tabor, Go.
    [Show full text]
  • The Twelve Tribes of Israel by Felix Just, S.J., Ph.D
    The Twelve Tribes of Israel by Felix Just, S.J., Ph.D. In the Hebrew Bible (the Christian Old Testament), the Israelites are described as descendants of the twelve sons of Jacob (whose name was changed to Israel in Gen 32:28), the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham. The phrase "Twelve Tribes of Israel" (or simply "Twelve Tribes") sometimes occurs in the Bible (OT & NT) without any individual names being listed (Gen 49:28; Exod 24:4; 28:21; 39:14; Ezek 47:13; Matt 19:28; Luke 22:30; Acts 26:7; and Rev 21:12; cf. also "Twelve Tribes of the Dispersion" in James 1:1). More frequently, however, the names are explicitly mentioned. The Bible contains two dozen listings of the twelve sons of Jacob and/or tribes of Israel. Some of these are in very brief lists, while others are spread out over several paragraphs or chapters that discuss the distribution of the land or name certain representatives of each tribe, one after another. Surprisingly, however, each and every listing is slightly different from all the others, either in the order of the names mentioned or even in the specific names used (e.g., the two sons of Joseph are sometimes listed along with or instead of their father; and sometimes one or more names is omitted for various reasons). A few of the texts actually have more than 12 names! Upon closer analysis, one can discover several principles for the ordering and various reasons for the omission or substitution of some of the names, as explained in the notes below the following tables.
    [Show full text]