Deborah Leads Israel

Judges 4:1-5:31

It seems to me that a generation is all we give to God. We must, with each new generation reacquaint ourselves with the work of the Lord. We see that in the beginning of these passages, the people did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. We also see, though that there is a faithful person; in this case Deborah. Deborah listened to the Lord, and called others to right action. When Barak has been called by God he wasn't all set to go until Deborah reminded him and agreed to go with him. Deborah was a prophet to her generation.

Who will go for me? asks the Lord, whom shall I send?

I don't understand the tent peg. I mean I know it killed Sisera, and it was obviously what was at hand, by why did Jael call him to her tent? Did she hear a message from the Lord, was she becoming a friend of Israel? Wait, I see Heber the Kenite, was descended from Hobab, Moses' father in law, now I see this. Jael, was already a friend of Israel living in a strange and foreign land. She did this knowing Barak was beloved of the Lord, and that Sisera was openly opposing the Lord and Israel.

Do we, like Jael live in a strange and foreign land? Do we wait for the beloved of the Lord to come or do we, like those who live without a prophet, forget the Lord's commands and do what is evil in His sight?

The last line of the song of Deborah and Barak says the land had rest for forty years. What shall we do to bring this news to the next generation, how shall they know the Lord their God, is the only Lord? How will they come to think of the Lord as not just the Lord of their forebears but their own Lord? How can we tell the story of the work of the Lord in our midst, that this news doesn't die generation to generation but instead goes on to the coming generations?

I ponder this today.
See you tomorrow,
-maggie