Israel’s number one problem was the same problem that people have been battling down through the ages; it is failure to trust in the LORD. My life is no exception. Even when we are serving God, we can be distant from Him. Men probably suffer with this problem more than women. We tend to not ask for directions when we are lost; we tend to start assembling something without looking at the manual and we don’t like to admit that we are wrong. This was Israel’s problem. They would go off on their own. Little by little, they drifted so far from God that the world of paganism around them swallowed them up; just as the world of materialism around us can devour our time and our life. The result is the same, we fall from God’s grace, and through adversity, must find our way back to God.
At the end of chapter two of Judges, we saw that God had enough and was not going to fight for Israel anymore. They started to worship Baal, so God turned Israel over to King Cushan-rishathaim of Aram-naharaim.[a] And the Israelites served Cushan-rishathaim for eight years. When they began to cry out in repentance to God, the LORD raised up Othniel and there was peace for forty years until he died.
Judges 3:9-11 ESV But when the people of Israel cried out to the LORD, the LORD raised up a deliverer for the people of Israel, who saved them, Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother. (10) The Spirit of the LORD was upon him, and he judged Israel. He went out to war, and the LORD gave Cushan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand. And his hand prevailed over Cushan-rishathaim. (11) So the land had rest forty years. Then Othniel the son of Kenaz died.
Once again, as soon as the man of God died, the people returned to idol worship. This time God turned them over to the Moabites for eighteen years. Then they remembered God and cried out to Him. The first time they wallowed in their sin for eight years before crying out to God, the next time it took eighteen years to break their stubborn will. The people cried out to the LORD and He sent Ehud to rescue them. Hiding a 12 inch long dagger in his clothes, he went to the Moabite king to make Israel’s payment. Telling the king that he had a secret message for him, the king cleared his chamber to hear Ehud’s message. Ehud tells the king that the message is from God. As the king started to rise, Ehud pulled his dagger and thrust it into the king’s belly so deep that the handle disappeared in his fat. Ehud closed and locked all of the doors and made his escape. The king’s servants thought that the king was relieving himself, so they didn’t want to disturb him. They waited until it was an embarrassingly long time and then they still didn’t go, but waited. By the time they found their dead king, Ehud was long gone.
Judges 3:21-22 ESV And Ehud reached with his left hand, took the sword from his right thigh, and thrust it into his belly. (22) And the hilt also went in after the blade, and the fat closed over the blade, for he did not pull the sword out of his belly; and the dung came out.
Ehud summoned the Israelites to arms because the LORD had already given them the victory. They killed 10,000 Moabites that day and God gave them peace for eighty years.
Judges 3:29-30 ESV And they killed at that time about 10,000 of the Moabites, all strong, able-bodied men; not a man escaped. (30) So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel. And the land had rest for eighty years.
Then Ehud died and the people had to be rescued by Shamgar, who killed 600 Philistines with an ox gourd.
Judges 3:31 ESV After him was Shamgar the son of Anath, who killed 600 of the Philistines with an oxgoad, and he also saved Israel.
Once again the people turned away from God and He turned them over to the Canaanite king, Jabin of Hazor, who had 900 iron chariots and he ruthlessly oppressed Israel. Then God sent the prophetess Deborah. One day the LORD tells her to call on Barak to take 10,000 warriors down to the Kishon River, where the LORD will give Israel the victory. Barak agrees to go, only if Deborah goes with. She agrees to go, but tells him that he will receive no honor; the LORD’s victory will be at the hands of a woman.
Judges 4:9 “Very well,” she replied, “I will go with you. But you will receive no honor in this venture, for the Lord’s victory over Sisera will be at the hands of a woman.” So Deborah went with Barak to Kedesh. 10 At Kedesh, Barak called together the tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali, and 10,000 warriors went up with him. Deborah also went with him.
The LORD threw the Canaanites into a panic and their 900 iron chariots were of no use. The LORD gave Israel the victory. The Canaanite commander, Sisera, escaped on foot and ran to the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, because Heber’s family was on friendly terms with King Jabin of Hazor. Sisera asked for some water. Jael gave warm milk and he fell asleep. Jael then crept and with a hammer, drove a tent spike through Sisera’s temples, pinning his dead head to the ground. Israel grew strong from the victory and completely subdued King Jabin. This whole story was recorded in the Song of Deborah. It takes all of chapter five to record the 31 verses. Sometimes we have to act instantly on an opportunity that the LORD sends our way. It was a leap of faith for Jael to act. The result was a decisive victory for Israel,
Prayer: Heavenly Father, my LORD, thank you for promising me the victory. Help me to walk in your righteousness so that you will continue to fight my battles. Give me the courage and the faith to trust in you and to act when you make a way for me; in Jesus name, Amen.
Copyright © 2006, 2011 Thomas C. Blake
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