Fear No Fear

(All scripture from Lexham English Bible, Copyright 2012 Logos Bible Software)

Once Ehud was dead, the Israelites once more went after other gods, selling themselves via sin into the hands of King Jabin of Canaan and his military commander Sisera. “Thus says Yahweh: “Where is this divorce document of your mother’s divorce, with which I dismissed her? or to whom of my creditors did I sell you? Look! you were sold because of your sin, and your mother was dismissed because of your transgressions” (Isaiah 50:1). It is ALWAYS our sin and our insistence of going our own way that causes distance between us and God. It is NEVER the Lord’s fault or His ideal (Isaiah 59:2). In fact, He is with us even when we have our arms crossed and are stubbornly staring the other way while we pout (Isaiah 41:10; Deuteronomy 31:6). King Jabin had nine hundred chariots of iron and HARSHLY oppressed (not regular oppressed like last time – Judges 3:8, 14).

Deborah, wife of Lappidoth, made wicks for use in the tabernacle (according to tradition). She was also a prophetess and judge of Israel and sat under palm tree in the hills of Ephraim. She is a strong woman. What is her fault? On her side, nothing. But men were supposed to be the leaders and women their partners and counsellors – where would any of us be without our partners to advise and help guide us? This shows that the weakness was in the men of Israel who were not rising to their God-given positions. When the men are weak, the women will rise up to lead. For anyone who wants to claim this isn’t the scenario look at this: every time there is a male judge judging Israel, they are raised to defeat an enemy and THEN judge. Deborah was ALREADY judging. Things were being done out of order because the men were not respecting the chain of command. The Vice President was having to work in the office of President. Since there was no man willing, Deborah had been chosen, had stepped up – and was doing well.

Deborah called for Barak, son of Abinoam from Kadesh. She told him that God commanded him to go against Sisera and his king. Barak listened. He believed her. But he was unwilling to go it alone. He wouldn’t go and fight unless Deborah was with him. That isn’t what God had commanded, and it again shows the weakness of the men. No matter how capable they were, they weren’t willing to step up and do the job properly. Deborah agreed, but warned him that his refusal meant a woman would get the accolades for this defeat, not him. Barak took Deborah and ten thousand men from Naphtali and Zebulun and went to the region around the River Kishon.

Sisera heard about the Israelites massing and brought his chariots out to play. But God gave instructions to Barak. They fought in that region, but the river made the ground mushy and the chariots weren’t any use – later in her song Deborah says there was also rain coming down. The river overflowed and swept chariots away down the river. Horses’ hooves broke and were unable to pull chariots. It was a total rout. Sisera abandoned his chariot and ran off on foot. The rest of his men fell to the last man.

He ran to a nearby encampment. Heber the Kenite (one of the nomadic descendants of Moses’ father-in-law). He was pitched at the oak in Zaanannim. He was a friend of, or at least was at peace with King Jabin of Hazor. I wonder if his wife shared his peaceful view – or if they were forced into it by the strength of the king. In any case, Heber’s wife Jael saw Sisera and called him over. She hid him in her tent. He asked for water, but she gave him warm milk. She covered him with a rug. He told her to say no one was in the tent if anyone asked. She told him not to worry. And when he was asleep, she took a tent peg and staked his head to the floor (Tradition teaches she made sure to not use a tool designated for male use, like a weapon of war, because of Deuteronomy 22:5). When Barak – who had been chasing Sisera – showed up, she brought him into the tent and presented his enemy. God delivered the people, and Jael (a woman) got the glory for killing their foe.

Deborah and Barak wrote and sang a song that celebrated God. They had done fighting. They had been the men on the ground as it were, but they gave God ALL the glory. For Israel. For their triumph over their foes. For Jael. For Deborah. For Barak. For the weather. For everything, right from Sinai on up. They did not hold back at all. After this, the land had peace for forty years.

“The Israelites did evil in the eyes of Yahweh, and Yahweh gave them into the hand of the Midianites for seven years.” (Judges 6:1)

The Midianites were cousins to the Israelites, but they afflicted them so strongly along with the Amalekites and ‘people of the east’ (wandering tribes, presumably) that the Israelites hid in caves, the mountains, and in strongholds. Their enemies would ruin their crops. They took or killed their livestock. They acted like human locusts and cleared the land bare. The Israelites cried out to the Lord and He sent them a prophet who told them exactly how this happened – their turning away from the Lord in spite of Yahweh being the God who brought them out of the slave pens of Egypt and gave them this land – all through signs and wonders. They were told ‘do not worship other gods’. They did. This is where it had gotten them. Outside the Blessing is NOTHING good (Philippians 4:9; James 1:17).

The Angel of the Lord (at first it seems like an angel, but with the wording used and the worship accepted, this seems clearly to be a preincarnate Jesus. Angels don’t accept offerings of worship) came over and sat under a tree in Ophrah. The tree belonged to Joash the Abiezrite. His son Gideon was threshing wheat in the winepress. This is VERY hard to do. Winepresses were built in the lows. Threshing floors were built on high hills where it was windy so the chaff blew away. But he would be seen on the hills and the Midianites would come to spoil or steal the crop. So he was hiding. And the Angel was watching him. When Gideon noticed him, the Angel of the Lord greeted him as a ‘mighty man of valor’. This guy who was hiding in the darkness in a winepress.

God doesn’t see us as WE see us. Gideon calls himself the lesser son of a lesser family in a lesser tribe (Manasseh). But consider some facts. Although Gideon had servants, he was out doing this dangerous work himself. Although he was hiding, he was considering the nation as a whole and why the Lord didn’t deliver them. Later, it was NOT a surprise to the townspeople that Gideon attacked an altar of Baal – he had a reputation of being for the Lord. Gideon had a lot of heroic qualities. He just needed a push.

The Angel of the Lord (Jesus) declared Gideon to be the next judge and that he would defeat the Midianites as if fighting one person only. Not because Gideon was awesome, but because He would be with Gideon (Chapter 6, verse 16). Gideon wasn’t seeing things like this Angel dude. So he asked to bring Him an offering. The Angel accepted (angels don’t accept worship, therefore this was a preincarnate Jesus). Gideon made a lot and it took time – a young goat, unleavened bread, and broth. These were lean times, which made this QUITE the offering. The Angel of the Lord told him to put it on the rocks, he did, and the Angel touched it with His staff and it went up in flames. Then He departed.

Gideon immediately realised who/what he had just seen and was ready to be struck dead, but God talked to him and told him it was cool. Peace to him. Later that night – perhaps in a dream – Gideon was told to take apart his father’s altar to Baal (Gideon’s father was an idol worshipper), cut down the wooden image next to it, rearrange the altar properly, and use the wood to sacrifice his father’s young bull as a burnt offering – it isn’t enough to not participate in ungodly actions, we need to counter them as led by God.

Gideon took ten men from his servants, went in the night, and did what God had told him. Next day, the people woke up and saw what was done. The IMMEDIATELY came for Gideon (again, a reputation). But his father stopped them. He said it was Baal’s altar that was ruined. Let Baal defend himself. Logical. If Gideon’s father had used that logic before turning to idols, he wouldn’t have turned. Only God is a Living God and able to defend Himself.

After this, possibly their annual run, the Midianites, Amalekites, and the people of the east, gathered together and came into the land in the Valley of Jezreel and camped. There were a LOT of them. Gideon blew the trumpet and the Abiezrites gathered behind him – these were his extended tribal family. He sent messengers throughout Manassed, they came. He also sent them to Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali. They too came. Lots of Israelites.

And here, Gideon can’t quite decide that he actually IS the one to lead them. He has doubts. Big ones. So he puts out a fleece. Literally. He says to God that on the next day if the dew is only on the fleece, but not on all the ground then he knows it’s God’s will for him to be the leader. Next day, there it is. Fleece wet. Ground dry.

So he asks again. Remember, he had BIG doubts. He says don’t smite me, but can we do it again? Tomorrow ground all wet, fleece perfectly dry. Next day, there it is. Ground wet (even under the fleece) and fleece bone dry. Gideon accepted his role.

This was a correct action for Gideon to ask for a sign (although not after already clearly hearing God). We in the New Covenant don’t need fleeces. We have Holy Spirit dwelling in us. We have the anointed Word of God. We can use the Word to strengthen our trust in Him, ask Holy Spirit what we want to know, and listen to His answer. We have a DIRECT LINE to God that Gideon did not have (John 14:26). We should depend on God and NOT ask for signs (Matthew 12:39).

Summary

Key Players: God, Deborah, Barak, Jael, Gideon

Key Themes: Obedience, Trust, Following God’s Way, Deliverance

Key Verse(s): Judges 4:1-3, 21; 5:31; 6:1-6, 11-16, 36-40