Judges 4:14-24
Deborah shouted, "Barak, it's time to attack Sisera! Because today the LORD is going to help you defeat him. In fact, the LORD has already gone on ahead to fight for you."
Barak led his ten thousand troops down from Mount Tabor. And during the battle, the LORD confused Sisera, his chariot drivers, and his whole army. Everyone was so afraid of Barak and his army, that even Sisera jumped down from his chariot and tried to escape. Barak's forces went after Sisera's chariots and army as far as Harosheth-Ha-Goiim. Sisera's entire army was wiped out.
Only Sisera escaped. He ran to Heber's camp, because Heber and his family had a peace treaty with the king of Hazor. Sisera went to the tent that belonged to Jael, Heber's wife. She came out to greet him and said, " Come in, sir! Please come on in. Don't be afraid."
After they had gone inside, Sisera lay down, and Jael covered him with a blanket. "Could I have a little water?" he asked. "I'm thirsty." Jael opened a leather bottle and poured him some milk, then she covered him back up. "Stand at the entrance to the tent," Sisera told her. "If someone comes by and asks if anyone is inside, tell them `No.'"
Sisera was exhausted and soon fell fast asleep. Jael took a hammer and drove a tent-peg through his head into the ground, and he died. Meanwhile, Barak had been following Sisera, and Jael went out to meet him. "The man you're looking for is inside," she said. "Come in and I'll show him to you."
They went inside, and there was Sisera--dead and stretched out with a tent-peg through his skull. That same day the Israelites defeated the Canaanite King Jabin, and his army was no longer powerful enough to attack the Israelites. Jabin grew weaker while the Israelites kept growing stronger, and at last the Israelites destroyed him.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
I bet you are expecting me to use this story to say, “Never underestimate the power of a woman!” Or maybe you’re saying to yourself, “WOW! I didn’t know these sort of things were written about in the Old Testament!” But what I really want you to understand today from this story is that when God makes a promise, He means what He says! And as I heard a pastor say recently, “It’s a fixed fight! The only way you can lose is to forfeit!”
God told Deborah that He was going to help Barak defeat Sisera’s army. In fact, He told her that He had already sent an army ahead to start the fighting. Basically, all Barak and his army had to do was show up! And that’s what they did… and the battle was successful – except for capturing and/or killing Sisera, the leader.
I guess Sisera thought he could run, hide and get away, but God had other plans… and he used Jael to accomplish them. See, as this pastor explained it so beautifully… “God has taken away your enemy’s ability to hurt you – you have nothing to fear. If you call on God, He is obligated to deliver you.” All you have to do is show up and trust Him to do it!
Does this mean we can ask for anything under the sun and expect to get it? NO! God’s will is still in play. But when we ask God to help us… He must, because He has promised to do so – according to His will.
I don’t know if I could have been as brave as Jael. I’d like to think so, because to do otherwise would have been, in essence, to forfeit. Do we really believe that God is with us… that He has “fixed the fight” for us? Isn’t it time we started showing up and trusting Him to already be there with His army in tow? Are we ready to start living, speaking and believing what He has promised? Do you have your “tent-peg” handy?
©2011 Debbie Robus
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