The Story of Deborah and Jael, Part One

-

The Story of Deborah and Jael, Part One

What if this story were made into a movie?

If the Book of Judges were a movie, this would surely be part of the trailer:

Judges, Chapter Two: (Judges 2:1, 11-15, 16-19)

  • God chose a people and gave them a promise
  • God's people abandoned him
  • God raised up champions and leaders to rescue his people

Judges Chapter Four:

  • Verses 1-3: Twenty years of cruel oppression
  • Verses 4-7: God raised up Deborah, "The Bee", "The Woman of Splendor", to be a judge
  • Verses 14-16: Deborah led an army to victory, killing 10,000 cruel, oppressive enemies
  • Verses 17-20: Jael, "The Wild Goat", faced a dilemma: Sisera - friend or foe?
  • Verses 21-22: Jael makes her choice

Judges Chapter Five:

  • Deborah sings
  • A mother wails in anguish

What are the lessons learned from this story?

  • God desires that we fully rely upon what he says
  • God desires that we fully love what God loves, and hate what God hates
  • God desires that we fully live with him

Why should we study the Old Testament?

The Old Testament reveals our sin, and God's hatred of sin. The Old Testament prepares us to receive God's salvation based entirely upon faith. And the Old Testament ultimately points us to Jesus. (Galatians 3)

Three Women: Deborah, Jael and a mother in anguish

If the Book of Judges were a movie, it would star three women.

  • Deborah: "Follow God and fight for what he fights."
  • Jael: "Trust God and deal ruthlessly with enemies."
  • A mother in anguish: "You do not want to be God's enemy."

Conclusion: Faith, Love and Salvation

Faith, Love and Salvation are three essential ways killing enemies, of putting to death the spiritual enemies, the arguments and lofty opinions that minimize God and exalt our own flawed hearts and minds.

  • God desires that we fully rely upon what he says
  • God desires that we fully love what God loves, and hate and what God hates
  • God desires that we fully live with him

The Book of 1 Thessalonians, Chapters 4-5 echoes the lessons learned from the story of Deborah and Jael:

  • 4:14-17 - God has made Jesus to me our Judge, our Rescuer, our Lord!
  • 5:2-6 - It is time to wake up!
  • 5:8-10 - Follow God and fight what he fights!
  • 5:11 - Encourage one another in the fight!

Next week:

Part 2 will imagine Deborah speaking to us directly, attempting to explain why her story is recorded in the Bible, and how it may connect to our modern, American-Christian story.

kynd_draw, for "justice" / https://flic.kr/p/egnoST / CC BY-SA 2.0 / https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Isaiah 5: The Parable of the Vineyard

-
Image
Isaiah 5: The Parable of the Vineyard Isaiah sings. His beloved had a vineyard, planted with vines, provided with a watchtower. But the vineyard yielded only wild grapes. Now the Beloved takes up the song: Why did my vineyard yield only wild grapes? He plans to destroy his vineyard, trampling the vines, commanding the rain to withhold its rain. The vineyard is the nation of Israel. God had made the nation his people and he had looked for justice and righteous, but got only bloodshed and outcry. Through Isaiah God pronounces judgement upon his people. Their haughty affluence would become desolate. Their disregard of the LORD will bring them into exile, hunger, thirst and death. God will exalt himself as holy when the land is broken and empty. Those who are wise in their own eyes, those who treasure their lies and wickedness, those who reject the law of the LORD and despise his holiness will be struck by the LORD's anger. Invaders from far away will lay siege and bring dark dis
Read more

Plausible Arguments

-
Image
"In Christ are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. I say this in order that no one may delude you with plausible arguments." (Colossians 2:3-4) WHO CAN YOU BELIEVE? Politicians, preachers and peddlers are some of the most persuasive people we may meet. I can listen to an argument or sales pitch and be completely sold on it, and then listen to a different, contradictory presentation and be equally persuaded...who is right? Competitive debate or rhetoric is based upon the art of persuasion, the forceful, charismatic use of words and appearance to move people towards action or emotion. Truth and objectivity are optional for a peddler (or politician, preacher or lawyer). Facts are tools that can be modified, exaggerated, obscured or concealed. The goal is to capture the affections, emotions and minds of the audience. Have you ever met someone who consistently disagrees with you, always arguing against your opinions? That shows a hea
Read more

Isaiah 18, Part One: Paper Boats and Whirring Wings

-
Image
Isaiah 18, Part One: Paper Boats and Whirring Wings What's gone before... In chapter 17 Isaiah described the end of Damascus, capitol city of Syria, Israel's ally and hope of glory in their fight against Judah. God would bring Damascus down because of their idolatry and pride. In this passage the God's sovereign control over all nations was seen. God can raise entire kingdoms up, and he can bring them utterly low. We could identify ourselves in this passage, people who easily forget the God of our salvation, the Creator and Sustainer of our life. We stand condemned by our sin in the same way as Damascus and Israel, and our only hope lies in the kindness of God. Now, in chapter 18... Isaiah greets ambassadors sent by a land "of whirring wings, beyond the rivers of Cush". He urges them to go to a nation "tall and smooth, to a people feared near and far". All the world is called to watch as God destroys the impending threat, clearing the might
Read more