Foundations Week 13, Day 5

Scripture Read:  Judges 4
Title: Deborah and Barak 
​
H.E.A.R. Entry
(H) Highlight verse:  "Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, was judging Israel at that time.  She used to sit under the palm of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the people of Israel came up to her for judgment."  Judges 4:4-5 

(E) Explain:  The dysfunctional downward spiral continues.  The people of Israel do what was evil in the sight of God and the death of Ehud, a judge.  God raised up Deborah to be appointed the next judge.  She was a prophetess, and she called upon Barak, the commander of the army and told him to attack Canaan, more specifically Sisera.  Barak did as he was told and as the Israelites pursue Sisera, his life comes to a gruesome demise.  God subdued Jabin the king of Canaan and he was destroyed by Israel. 
 
(A) Application:  So how can we apply this passage to our everyday life?  Well, I will start with letting you all know it is not ok to befriend your enemy and then kill him with a tent peg and a hammer.  I can only imagine the gruesome sight that was.  What I do see is that God was with his people, He kept his promise to be with them as long as the judge was alive.  God gave His people victory and He kept the nation in line until the next judge came onto the scene.  We can be reminded that even though this Old Testament story depicts a  gruesome and savage death of an enemy of Israel that Jesus shows us a new way to treat our enemy.  Jesus called us to love our enemies and He has also calls us to obedience.

(R) Respond: Lord, help me to love my enemies and more so help me tolerate them.