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Judges 4; Jeremiah 17; Mark 3; Acts 8

Women in the kingdom of God are sometimes told that they cannot do certain things and must stick to their roles as wives and mothers. While raising children who know and love the Lord is a vital task, God sometimes uses women to do other great things. Deborah and Jael are examples.

And the people of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord after Ehud died. And the Lord sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor. The commander of his army was Sisera . . . . 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. (Judges 4:1–3)

God heard their cries and sent Deborah, a prophetess and judge in Israel, to Barak, an army commander. He would not fight unless she went with him. She did, but slaying the enemy was the task given to Jael, another woman who feigned loyalty to Sisera then killed him. Two obedient women and an army did the job but God got the glory:

So on that day God subdued Jabin the king of Canaan before the people of Israel. And the hand of the people of Israel pressed harder and harder against Jabin the king of Canaan, until they destroyed Jabin king of Canaan. (Judges 4:23–24)

I’m learning the importance and consequences of obedience. The alternative is under a curse:

. . . “Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart turns away from the Lord. He is like a shrub in the desert and shall not see any good come. He shall dwell in the parched places of the wilderness, in an uninhabited salt land. Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. He is like a tree planted by water that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit. The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?” (Jeremiah 17:5–9)

The problem is that last line. I can be deceived by things outside of me like telemarketers, most of the junk posted on social media, even false teachers in the church, but my worst enemy is my own heart. I can stir up others to go to battle like Deborah did, but unlike her, forget to find out if that is God’s will or not. I’ve said many times that a strong ‘I want’ makes a person blind. It can also make me stay at home.

The most glaring examples of those ‘I wants’ were the people of Jesus’ day. Jesus was in the synagogue on the Sabbath and about to heal a man, but those watching were determined to accuse Him and destroy Him.

And he looked around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, and said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was restored. The Pharisees went out and immediately held counsel with the Herodians against him, how to destroy him. (Mark 3:5–6)

They were blind to His power and His identity, but the demons were not: “And whenever the unclean spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, ‘You are the Son of God.’” (Mark 3:11) However, his family said, “He is out of his mind.” (verse 21) and the religious leaders said, “He is possessed by Beelzebul and by the prince of demons he casts out the demon.” (verse 22) Trusting in their own ‘religious rules’ and personal judgments kept them from seeing the truth about Jesus — and about themselves.

A young man named Philip was not like that. He was traveling and God told him to “Go over and join this chariot” in which an Ethiopian court official was riding and reading the prophet Isaiah. After Philip explained it to him and shared the gospel, this man was saved and baptized. He went on his way — home to Africa to take the good news to his people. (Acts 8:26-40)

Do I really understand the far-reaching effects of obedience. Did Deborah realize her challenge to Barak would give their people forty years of rest? She did. Jeremiah also knew the importance of obedience; it would bring prosperity and fruitfulness to those who practiced it. Certainly, Jesus knew it. He did the will of God even in the face of severe criticism and misunderstanding. Philip also understood obedience yet maybe not the consequences of his time with that Ethiopian, a man outside his race and background. However, God used it to take His Word to another part of the world.

APPLY: Just do whatever God puts on my heart, without excuses, arguments, or questions. I may not see the results, but when God is in anything, big or small, there will be a chain-reaction.

No excuses

Deuteronomy 30:1–31:29, 2 Corinthians 8:1–7, Psalm 44

The Lord is commanding me in a certain area and my response has been, “This is too hard. I cannot do it.” However, this is what He says to me today . . . 

“For this commandment that I command you today is not too hard for you, neither is it far off. It is not in heaven, that you should say, ‘Who will ascend to heaven for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ Neither is it beyond the sea, that you should say, ‘Who will go over the sea for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ But the word is very near you. It is in your mouth and in your heart, so that you can do it.” (Deuteronomy 30:11–14)

These words are used again in the NT to speak of salvation by faith through the saving work of Jesus Christ. However, in this OT passage, the words are by Moses. He said them right after he reviewed God’s covenant and reminded the people of His blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience. Moses tells them that these commandments are not too hard for them – because they are God’s covenant people. They were (or at least were supposed to be) looking forward to the promise of God for one greater than Moses, for a sacrifice that would not need to be repeated, for a Lord and Savior. It was their faith that made it possible for them to obey His commands.

Their excuses didn’t cut it. Yes, they needed the Holy Spirit to obey fully, but even as a participant in His New Covenant, so do I . . .  and my excuses don’t cut it either. I used to say, “The Lord never gives us anything we cannot handle,” but now I correct people who say that. If I could handle it, I would not need the Lord. He gives me all sorts of things that I cannot do. Otherwise, I would not need Him. Saying something is too hard is just plain disobedience.

Part of that is I’d like to be able to say that I can do it “all by myself” and that would give me a reason to pat myself on the back. When it is too hard for me, and the Lord gives me what I need to do it, then I must glorify God. Isn’t that why I am here? Glorifying me is just silly.

The NT reading gives another clue about being able to do the hard things. It says, “ . . . they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us.” (2 Corinthians 8:5) Making that total commitment of myself to God is vital if I want to obey His commands, particularly those that are difficult, and those that tell me to give myself to others. If I try that without Him, it will not be fruitful because it will be full of self.

On a related note, why does God bother to help any of us? The psalmist knew. He wrote this: “O God, we have heard with our ears, our fathers have told us, what deeds you performed in their days, in the days of old: you with your own hand drove out the nations, but them you planted; you afflicted the peoples, but them you set free; for not by their own sword did they win the land, nor did their own arm save them, but your right hand and your arm, and the light of your face, for you delighted in them.” (Psalm 44:1–3)

These words from God demolish my excuses, but they also encourage me. He is into freedom which comes through obedience, but He is also into helping His children – because He delights in us. How amazing is that!