Judges
chapter 5 is a song of victory and praise. It provides some
additional details about Israel’s defeat of the Canaanite general
Sisera and reminds us that God ALWAYS orchestrates the battles we
fight. The chapter begins, “On
that day Deborah and Barak… sang this song“.
The previous verse tells us that Israel destroyed the Canaanite
king. We need to joyfully celebrate the victories along the way.
The Christian life is a blast, if you are not stopping to regularly
rejoice in God’s faithfulness, you are missing out on some of the
excitement. Sincere and humble reverence before God is always
followed by the joy of the Lord. “Hear
this you kings! Listen you rulers! I will sing to the Lord, I will
sing“.
An unrestrained expression of praise will lift you up no matter what
the circumstances. Roll up the car windows and sing away!
The
song continues by describing life of oppression after rebelling from
God, “The
roads were abandoned… village life in Israel ceased… when they
chose new gods, war came to the city gates and not a spear or shield
was seen… in Israel“.
Conquered, defeated and defenseless, Deborah exhorts, “Recite
the righteous acts of the Lord“.
Even at our lowest we are lifted when we remember all that the Lord
has done in our life. “Wake
up Deborah… Arise O Barak! Take captive your captives“.
Next, the tribes that joined the battle are praised, and those that
did not are exposed, “Some
came from Ephraim… Benjamin was with the people… The princes of
Issachar were with Deborah… there was much searching of heart… in
the district of Rueben… Dan… lingered by the ships… Asher
remained on the coast… Zebulon risked their very lives; so did
Naphtali“.
But here is the real battle, “The
kings of Canaan fought… from the heavens the stars fought…
against Sisera. The river Kishon swept them away“.
Apparently God sent rain to render the chariots useless in battle.
God alone won the battle. No matter how impossible your situation
may look from a human perspective, “God
causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to
those who are called according to His purpose”
(Romans
8:28).
Finally
the song remembers the act of Jael. “Most
blessed of women be Jael… she struck Sisera, she crushed his head…
at her feet he sank, there he fell-dead“.
The mighty general defeated by a woman alone in her tent, with a
common tent peg.
What
might He want to do in your life? The
song ends with a prayer, “So
may all Your enemies perish, O Lord! But may they who love you be
like the sun when it rises in its strength“.
When we rely on our own strength, we often grow weary. Exodus 15:2
reminds us, “The
Lord is my strength and my song, and He has become my salvation; He
is my God, and I will praise Him“.
Words are powerful, particularly when put to music. Let us be aware
of the words contained in the songs
we sing today and every day.