My title for this devotion is Humble vs Proud.
As I read the book of Judges, I am constantly struck by the different cast of characters God uses. It opens with the sounds of victory as the tribes take their land. We are introduced to Othniel, Caleb’s nephew, who comes up later in chapter 3. We are given the sad news of the failure of some of the tribes to drive out the foreigners from their land. This failure led to disaster as it says, “And there arose another generation after them who did not know the Lord or the work that He had done for Israel.” (2:10) They had co-existed, intermingled and intermarried with the heathen nations so much that their influence and distinctiveness was lost.
So God raised up judges. And here is where the case of characters rises. Othniel (3:7). Ehud, the left-handed warrior (3:12). Shamgar (3:31). There are more. Then there is Deborah. Forgive me for saying this but she seems like a player from out of nowhere. That’s right…”she.” In a male-dominated world, Deborah rises to the top. She calls on Barak to fight Sisera and tells him, “This is the day in which the Lord has given Sisera into your hand. Does not the Lord go out before you?” But even with that promised Barak hesitates. As a result Barak would not get the credit a woman would. Deborah Yes. But one named Jael will also. When Sisera runs into the tent of Jael at her invitation, little did he know when he laid down that Jael would put a tent spike thought his skull. Nothing like that had ever entered his mind before (Yeah…I know. Bad joke but couldn’t resist it). 🙂
It was to the humble Deboarh and Jael that God gave Sierea. He had 900 chariots and should have routed the armies of Israel. Instead, God turned the tide. Psalm 147: 5-6 says, “Great is the Lord, and abundant in power; his understanding is beyond measure. The Lord lifts up the humble; he casts the wicked to the ground.” It sounds almost as if the psalmist had just read the story of Deborah, Barak, Jael and Sisera.
Two women: servants of God. One man who refuses to go to battle without Deborah. One proud, arrogant man defeated by a woman with a stake and a powerful arm.
“Father, as Deborah told Barak the battle is won because you go before me. The victory is not to the proud or the wicked; the victory is to the humble. Help me not to be or get proud, but let me remember humility is what you want. Pride goes before the fall.”
God uses whom he chooses to get the job done. And it’s more about faith and heart than it is position, title, and strength.
Exactly right Glynn.
In what we know was a male dominated society, this story has always fascinated me, Bill. Yes, God chooses whom He will to accomplish what needs to get done to promote His kingdom and glory. The victory, indeed, belongs to the humble.
Blessings!
The victory belongs to the one who is humble enough to submit. Good call Martha.
Bill, your reply to Martha says it all. Submission. Step 2: Submission in the Victorious Overcomers support is one of the most challenging for people to get through. But once they finally surrender and submit to God’s Word, wow! Do their lives change! Victory surely does belong to the one who is humble enough to submit.
Great summary Bill
I second your prayer for sincere humility and to resist being proud.
Thanks Ryan. Appreciate your thought.
It doesn’t matter who the person is; when God is on their side nothing in His creation can stand against them!