God’s Generals

 

By Rev Dr. Dzikamai Mundenda

 

 

Today’s readings:

 

Judges 4:1-16

Psalm 106:1-12

Ephesians 6:10-17

 

Today’s verse: Judges 4:6, “She sent for Barak son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali and said to him, "The LORD, the God of Israel, commands you: `Go, take with you ten thousand men of Naphtali and Zebulun and lead the way to Mount Tabor.”

 

The nation of Israel was in misery and great pain. The Israelites had disobeyed the laws and ways of the Lord. The disobedience to God’s laws called for God to actively use the Canaanites (Jabin the King and Sisera the commander) to oppress his people to get their attention. 

Whenever the nations lose their focus on God, crises are inevitable. The situation was so dire that the Lord got their attention; “they cried to the Lord for help” (v.3).

There is always a price to pay for disobedience. God abandoned the Israelites to the life they chose, away from their homes into the streets (v.1).

 

God appointed Deborah to set the people of Israel back on track. 

She oversaw the Israelites’ defeat of Jabin, the king of Canaan who had conquered and enslaved them for almost 20 years.  

The presence of the prophetess allowed God to speak to his people and to act through them. Deborah’s presence assured of at least three issues:

 

a.  The prophetess Deborah encouraged Barack and the troops. She functioned as God’s mouthpiece to call Barak to action. (v.6)

b.     The prophet Deborah foretold the demise of Sisera. (v.9)

c.     The prophet Deborah challenged Barack to lead against the Canaanites led by Sisera the commander of Jabin’s army.

The passage gives the key role of the men and women of God in times of national crisis. 

The prophetic voice encourages the timid and revives the broken soul. 

What a wonderful picture to reflect on the role women and clergy alike can play in a country! 

Deborah was someone to whom the Israelites went to have some sort of verdict pronounced in their disputes. 

And that kind of position is needed, surely. We look up to God to enable the anointed of God to boldly speak, lead, encourage and stand up for the children of God as to champion them to freedom.

 

Prayer: Raise men and women, (generals) Lord in our midst who shall raise their voice to encourage, lead, the brokenhearted, the timid and champion the godly cause in the nation.