April 25- A Woman Will Get Credit

April 25, 2011

Scripture Readings:
Judges 4:1-5:31; Luke 22:35-53;
Psalm 94:1-23; Proverbs 14:3-4

I shall earnestly and persistently continue to urge all women to the practical recognition of the old Revolutionary maxim. Resistance to tyranny is obedience to God. 
~ Susan B. Anthony

Judges 4:1-5:31

When my daughter was very young and we were reading through the Bible, she would always ask, "What about the women?  What are the women doing?  Why are we always reading about men?"  It was a tricky question to answer.  The ancient history books are filled with the exploits of men, while the women are relegated to a murky existence that includes motherhood and societal jobs that are never fully explained or exalted.  Only rarely are the efforts of a woman highlighted in ancient history as being a triumphant leader.  Highlighted women are usually prostitutes who are infamous for sleeping with men who were the leaders.  There is also Cleopatra, who is known for being a powerful queen, but also a promiscuous vixen.

Modern history is better. We have seen the dramatic changes spawned by the Judeo-Christian culture.  Women are now the beneficiaries of enlightened thinking thanks to God's economy.  This is not what the feminists would have you believe, but Christianity has been the biggest single advancer of women's rights on earth. Susan B. Anthony, who was instrumental in helping American women gain the right to vote, was a Christian woman. Today in our reading we meet a "mother in Israel" who was both a judge, a prophetess, and a leader.

Once again, we have the Israelites doing evil in the sight of the Lord.  They come under the oppression of King Jabin, who is a Canaanite.  The commander of his army is named Sisera. This commander has nine hundred iron chariots in his forces.  Under this general's thumb, Israel is ruthlessly oppressed for twenty years.

Israel cries out to God for deliverance, so God raises up a woman to be the Judge over Israel.  Her name is Deborah.  She is a wife and a mother.  Obviously a passionate, skilled, and faithful woman, Deborah is not only a judge who handles all of the disputes in the community, she is also a prophetess of God.  Her wisdom is renowned.

Deborah informs Israel's military general, Barak, that God wants Israel to attack the Canaanites and He wants to give Israel a victory.  Barak responds that he will only go to fight if Deborah comes with him.  You can see why God needed to raise up a courageous woman. Barak is not confident in his ability to discern God's will. Deborah agrees to go into battle with him, but warns Barak that a woman will get credit for the victory.

Ten thousand warriors from the tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali go to fight Sisera.  Deborah marches with them.  As a prophetess, Deborah is able to tell Barak when to go into battle and she confirms that the Lord is marching ahead of him.  What a comforting thought.  The Lord throws Sisera and his charioteers into a panic.  Sisera flees on foot to the tent of a Gentile woman named Jael.  Here is another woman of great faith.  Jael waits for Sisera to fall asleep and then she drives a tent peg into his head. Fearless and fierce is this woman!  Her actions fulfill Deborah's prophecy that a woman would get the credit for defeating the Canaanites. 

Deborah and Barak compose a battle victory song.  This is an epic poem to be sung about God's victory. The fact that Israel had chosen other gods, which ultimately caused this conflict, is mentioned. The tribes that stayed home from battle are chided in this song.  Zebulun and Naphtali are praised for their courage.  Barak and Deborah are highlighted, and Jael is praised as a hero. The poem indicates that the stars from heaven fought against Sisera.  What a beautiful way to describe God's intervention.  You can tell that this poem is composed by a mother because Sisera's mother is mentioned waiting for her son's return from the battlefield.

Will God call you into battle?  Will the stars in heaven fight your foes?  Can you be a leader and a person of faith in your community and home regardless of your gender?

Luke 22:35-53

Jesus has finished the Passover supper and has given the disciples a new sacrament to institute regularly in order to remember Christ's new covenant with all who believe in him.  He then tells the disciples that instead of going to the Israelites exclusively (without sword or purse) with the message of Jesus Christ, they will now go out into the world.  Jesus suggests that they be armed and ready for this portion of their ministry.  Dangers will lie ahead for the followers of Christ.

Jesus is about to face dangers of a different kind.  In order to prepare for this battle of the soul, Jesus goes to the Garden of Gethsemane.  I believe what we are seeing here is not the calm before the storm, but the actual spiritual storm being fought by Christ.  Satan came to tempt Christ in the wilderness at the beginning of his ministry.  Satan attempted to offer Christ a kingly crown that could be worn without dying on a cross. Christ fought that battle with fasting and the Word of God.

Now we meet Christ in the Garden wrestling with his own dread of having the world's sins placed upon him.  The stench and disgust of our imperfections would come upon his person on the Cross.  It is not the Cross that he fears.  It is the separation from God that our sins will cause that devastate our Lord.  In the wilderness angels came to minister to Jesus as he struggled against Satan.  In the Garden of Gethsemane the angels return.  Jesus is under such duress that he literally sweats blood.  Although rare, this condition has been recorded in humans and is called hermatidrosis.  It is caused by stress.

After fervently praying, Jesus accepts God's will.  He has the strength to endure the separation from God and successfully redeem mankind through his death and resurrection.  As he awakens his sleeping companions, Jesus rebukes the disciples for not staying awake to pray. He prophesies that their lack of prayer will lead them into temptation.

After the deceptive kiss from Judas, Peter assesses the dangerous situation.  Having just been told by Jesus earlier that their new ministry will require swords, Peter commences to fight and cuts off the ear of the High Priest's servant. Jesus quickly puts the ear back on the fellow and heals him.  Peter is rebuked once more by Jesus for not "getting it." Jesus establishes that this arrest is willed by God, because God is allowing darkness to reign at this moment. Jesus has both strength and wisdom after spending time with God in prayer.  Peter does not.

Do you pray in order to defeat temptation?  Are you a person who "gets it" in life because you have spent enough time alone with God? Or are you like Peter...asleep at the wheel?

Psalm 94:1-23

This psalm asks all the right questions and comes to all the right conclusions.

Proverbs 14:3-4

"An empty stable stays clean, but no income comes from an empty stable."  Are you willing to get your hands dirty?

What did you see today?

Blessings,

Jubilee Gal
Kathy Fullerton
© 2011