Tainted Teamwork
Judges 4 is the story of God using different people with all kinds of different issues. You have Deborah the prophetess who is unwilling to wage war. You have Barak the man told he would be successful unwilling to go without Deborah's company. And then you have a foreigner named Jael who commits sin in order to see God's enemies conquered.
On top of this, the manner of victory is astounding. Jael tricks Sisera, the commander of Israel's enemies into her tent, lures him into a false sense of security and drives a tent peg through his temple. Hardly a legendary feat.
The whole story is something out of Hollywood. But I would say today's movies are more often something out of the Bible! Especially the book of Judges (as we will see going forward).
Judges 4:18–21 (ESV) And Jael came out to meet Sisera and said to him, “Turn aside, my lord; turn aside to me; do not be afraid.” So he turned aside to her into the tent, and she covered him with a rug. 19 And he said to her, “Please give me a little water to drink, for I am thirsty.” So she opened a skin of milk and gave him a drink and covered him. 20 And he said to her, “Stand at the opening of the tent, and if any man comes and asks you, ‘Is anyone here?’ say, ‘No.’ ” 21 But Jael the wife of Heber took a tent peg, and took a hammer in her hand. Then she went softly to him and drove the peg into his temple until it went down into the ground while he was lying fast asleep from weariness. So he died.
The story shows us how God works in spite of our own inadequacies. No one in this story is the hero. They all come up short in some way. Deborah calls for Barak to instruct him in God's commands to defeat Sisera. He is reticent:
Judges 4:8 (ESV) Barak said to her, “If you will go with me, I will go, but if you will not go with me, I will not go.”
Deborah concedes to his hesitation and declares:
Judges 4:9 (ESV) And she said, “I will surely go with you. Nevertheless, the road on which you are going will not lead to your glory, for the LORD will sell Sisera into the hand of a woman.” Then Deborah arose and went with Barak to Kedesh.
Judges 4:3 (ESV) Then the people of Israel cried out to the Lord for help, for he had 900 chariots of iron and he oppressed the people of Israel cruelly for twenty years.
The story gives me hope that even at our worst God is still at His best. This will happen repeatedly in Israel's narrative history throughout the Old Testament. And you and I should be thankful these stories are there. How can we not be encouraged when we see people we would disqualify used of God regardless of their weaknesses.
God's manner of deliverance here comes through the teamwork of tainted vessels. The Church is the exact same thing. The tainted people of God are used to bring about the purposes of God. Be encouraged Christian, God can and will use you, warts and all for the ultimate purpose of the Gospel.
On top of this, the manner of victory is astounding. Jael tricks Sisera, the commander of Israel's enemies into her tent, lures him into a false sense of security and drives a tent peg through his temple. Hardly a legendary feat.
The whole story is something out of Hollywood. But I would say today's movies are more often something out of the Bible! Especially the book of Judges (as we will see going forward).
Judges 4:18–21 (ESV) And Jael came out to meet Sisera and said to him, “Turn aside, my lord; turn aside to me; do not be afraid.” So he turned aside to her into the tent, and she covered him with a rug. 19 And he said to her, “Please give me a little water to drink, for I am thirsty.” So she opened a skin of milk and gave him a drink and covered him. 20 And he said to her, “Stand at the opening of the tent, and if any man comes and asks you, ‘Is anyone here?’ say, ‘No.’ ” 21 But Jael the wife of Heber took a tent peg, and took a hammer in her hand. Then she went softly to him and drove the peg into his temple until it went down into the ground while he was lying fast asleep from weariness. So he died.
Judges 4:8 (ESV) Barak said to her, “If you will go with me, I will go, but if you will not go with me, I will not go.”
Deborah concedes to his hesitation and declares:
Judges 4:9 (ESV) And she said, “I will surely go with you. Nevertheless, the road on which you are going will not lead to your glory, for the LORD will sell Sisera into the hand of a woman.” Then Deborah arose and went with Barak to Kedesh.
What is interesting here is that what Deborah says comes true but she is ultimately not talking about herself. It will be Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite (a relative of Moses through marriage) who kills Sisera and hands Sisera over to Barak. The accuracy of Deborah's prophetic gift comes into question.
Then you have Jael, a woman who does very little in the story except be at the right tent at the right time when Sisera comes to rest. She takes the opportunity handed to her and kills Sisera in one of the most graphic murders of Biblical literature.
What is the story telling us? It's showing us how God will accomplish His purpose through less than stellar people and even the questionable actions of others. All the while, this story was initiated in accordance with the Judges cycle of rebellion - enslavement - and cries for help to God.
Judges 4:1 (ESV) And the people of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the LORD after Ehud died.
Judges 4:3 (ESV) Then the people of Israel cried out to the Lord for help, for he had 900 chariots of iron and he oppressed the people of Israel cruelly for twenty years.
The story gives me hope that even at our worst God is still at His best. This will happen repeatedly in Israel's narrative history throughout the Old Testament. And you and I should be thankful these stories are there. How can we not be encouraged when we see people we would disqualify used of God regardless of their weaknesses.
God's manner of deliverance here comes through the teamwork of tainted vessels. The Church is the exact same thing. The tainted people of God are used to bring about the purposes of God. Be encouraged Christian, God can and will use you, warts and all for the ultimate purpose of the Gospel.
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