Today’s Reading: Judges 4; Judges 5; Psalm 39; Psalm 41; 1 Corinthians 13
[Today's reading is great! Lots of rich lessons to be learned. I encourage you to read it all!]
Scripture: Judges 5:23-24
23 “'Curse Meroz,' said the angel of the LORD. 'Curse its people bitterly, because they did not come to help the LORD, to help the LORD against the mighty.'
24 “Most blessed of women be Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, most blessed of tent-dwelling women.”
Observation: Here’s an amazing contrast! Deborah, Israel’s Judge and prophetess, sings an anointed song, stirred and directed by the Spirit of God in response to the victory of Israel over the Canaanites under Jabin and Sisera. Most Israelites chose to stay home and not risk the fight. Only two tribes, Zebulun and Naphtali, joined the battle.
Here’s the contrast:
In verse 23 is a curse of Meroz, which is identified as a group that “did not come to help the Lord.” In other words, they didn’t want to get involved in the battle. Juxtaposed to that is great praise for Jael, the woman who lured Sisera into her tent and offered him comfort and concealment (but only as a ruse — she killed him brutally). So the uninvolved get cursed, the radical get praised.
Application: Think about what this says concerning what God despises and what He values. Jael was a radical woman who used deception and violence to kill the sworn enemy of God’s people. All the gory details are lyrics in this song of victory (verses 25, 26, 27)! God gives her great praise; he says, “Jael is most blessed!” On the other hand, the people of Meroz just wanted to live and let live. They thought that it would be quite a bother to get involved, and besides, “those super-spiritual people like Deborah the Prophetess are extreme. They take it too far! We can serve God in our own way.” God curses these people. So many Christians today don’t want to get too radical: “That spiritual warfare stuff just isn’t for me.” “I’m not comfortable with expressive worship; all that had raising and singing and loud voices is not my style!” I wonder what God thinks about Christians who stay uninvolved in spiritual battles.
For me the message is clear: God values those who take risks and push beyond their comfort zone and get radically involved in spiritual struggles. Those who stay in the grandstands may keep their clothes clean, but they make God sick and get no part in the victory celebration. Those who get on the field and into the battle please God and will receive great reward.
Prayer: Lord, it’s tempting to just let others be the radicals. It’s easy to stay home and uninvolved. But I know that You call Your people to take a stand and lay our lives down every day. You call us to “take up our cross”, to “offer our bodies as living sacrifices”, to “speak up for the poor and the oppressed”, to “serve the Lord wholeheartedly”. Father, draw Your people to deep, passionate dedication to You and to the advancing of Your Kingdom. May I be one who stands and fights and helps bring about great victories.
This I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.
1 comment:
Standing on the side line and watch others do the work of God can have serious consequences, as it is shown in verse 23. We are the put on the armor of God and stand ready for battle against the mighty forces of the enemy of our souls; because when we do that, God is always there with us fighting the battles. It is in fact the willingness to rise up and fight that brings about God's blessings in our lives. Carl
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