Today, I enlisted.

Growing up I was always hesitant to read scripture with strong biblical language… you know the kind.  Words found in the Old Testament like “war” and “judging.”   In fact, I do most of my Bible reading in the New Testament… but for some reason I have recently decided to read the Bible, from beginning to end… in exactly that order…. no matter how long it takes.  And I have started, and struggled, and stopped and picked it back up and then put it back down.  I mean, it would be much easier if there was less talk about rules and laws and history and … yes, of course … war and judging.  

And I promise, when I woke up this morning I did not expect to pick up “reading the Bible” from way back in the scary Old Testament. Nor did I expect it to be the first thing I did; but it was.  Don’t get me wrong, last month I had a spiritual moment as Joshua drew to an end and I imagined a bearded old fellow standing in the doorway of his home, staff raised high, proclaiming to the people “As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”   YES!  Us too!!!  But didn’t we already kind of cover all this a couple of books back in Exodus.…?
 

So, needless to say, when I started this morning I did not have high hopes for Judges.  Especially when the introductory page of my study Bible’s led with “the term judge primarily refers not to legal arbitration but to what Wesley describes as ‘avenging Israel of their enemies, and purging them from their idolatries.’”   Great  I’ve just started and I’ve already come across the words “judge… avenging… enemies…”  to name a few.  Three chapters in, and I am ready to call it a morning.

Then I came to the story of Deborah – a prophetess who was “judging Israel” at the time.  (Yes, there is that word again).  In this story she summons a young unsuspecting Israelite to tell him God was going to use him to lead a successful campaign against the Canaanite army. Essentially the young man looks at her says, “I am not going unless you go too.” I mean come on, I get it.  He was probably thinking, “Lady, I do not know if I can believe you.  People all around me worship who knows how many idols to cover themselves in protection, and you want me to believe you got a message from the one almighty God who wants me to walk into battle as though I will not be harmed.  Riiiiiight….. you first.”

And at this point, I am officially hooked.  I am a sucker for God showing Himself to be almighty and acting in a situation so a person’s purpose can be realized despite their doubt.   And of course, as predicted, the prophecy came true and the LORD put Sisera into Barak’s hand by a woman as promised (4:9, 4:21).  And I am feeling there has to be more to this story… after all its essentially repeated in the next chapter which is classic Old Testamentese for “Important Stuff Here.”    So what’s so important… what did I miss.  I need to get into the study notes…. 

“Barak’s ‘refusal to go without her, shows the weakness of his faith’…. [these chapters] share the central message that divine power provided a victory for Israel in the face of superior foe because God fought for Israel…. God the divine warrior… victory comes through the cooperation of divine sovereignty and human agency.”  My study Bible, p 301-2

“Victory comes through the cooperation of divine sovereignty and human agency."

The moral of the story: when God calls you into battle (whether it be a tough work environment, family situation, missions ministry, or personal/family challenge) know with an assured faith that when you make yourself (your body, mind, soul and spirit) available to God He will bring the victory.  It is not by your own work, nor anyone who goes ahead of you – it is all God working in the situation.  Enlist in the battle with the confident expectation that you will see victory.  

Today, I enlisted.

“May all who love the LORD be like the sun when it rises in its strength”  ~Judges 5:31