Judges 5 -- This Is WAR, Not Diplomacy!

One thing about it, unlike today, these people felt no need to apologize for God having a victory.  It seems that, for us, we’ve gotten to the point that when we as a nation need to step up and step in to a situation and do the right thing, the rest of the world attacks us for doing so, and even ascribes motives for our actions that are totally untrue.  Even in World War II, the U.S. stepped in after defeating our enemies and spent millions restoring what we had bombed so that our enemies at the time would be able to prosper and hopefully never fight us again.  That would certainly seem like the Christian thing to do. 

 

It’s not the way God had directed the Israelites to handle the godless people who’d been inhabiting the Promised Land, however.  He was done with “nice”.  They’d been given every chance, and by spurning His grace repeatedly, they’d rightly brought about His wrath.

 

Deborah’s Song therefore is less a political victory dance and more the way things ought to be when we let God have control.  It doesn’t mince words in pointing out which tribes sat back and did nothing.  In fact, it calls them to accountability!  It doesn’t shame the story’s heroine for incivility in war, but applauds the fact that she killed the enemy commander by driving a tent stake through his brain with a hammer!  That’s the way God says we need to deal with the sin in our lives!

 

There’s no compassion for the mother of the enemy either.  Instead, false hope is stirred up that just maybe he survived!

 

There is evil in this world.  There’s evil in this country.  And its biggest targets are the people of God.  We must not sugarcoat it or minimize its importance, but instead take decisive action against it before it destroys us.

 

Father, help me to never forget there’s a war on for the souls of people I know and love, and even for my own soul.  Help me to be a strong and brave soldier, starting each new day ready to battle Satan with the attitude I found in verse 21:  “March on, my soul, with strength!”

 

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford