Judges 4:1-7v 3 “Sisera, who had 900 iron chariots, ruthlessly oppressed the Israelites for 20 years. Then the people of Israel cried out to the Lord for help.”
Deborah was a prophet, the wife of Lappidoth, was judging Israel at that time. One day she sent for Barak, son of Abinoam, and told him that he was to call out 10,000 warriors and I will call out Sisera to the Kishon river and there I will give you victory over him.
20 years of oppression by a powerful soldier must have been hard for the Israelites. I am sure they cried to the Lord every day and eventually the Lord gave them victory over their enemies. It is something I find difficult to understand, as the Jews chosen by God have endured over centuries some of the greatest horrors humans can contrive, and they are still fighting today to rule a small part of the world. God’s chosen people? Is it a sign of the forgiveness of God that He continues to save His people? Is it a sign that there are consequences to not believing?
It must have been a progressive move at the time to have a female prophet. God listened to their cries for help and they were victorious.
Let’s focus on the positive and pray today for resolution of the conflict in Israel and in other countries around the world. God will hear our cries for help, and He will respond.
Prayer: Almighty God who sees the good in all of us help those in conflict in the world to open their eyes to a way to live in peace. In Jesus’s name we pray. Amen.
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