Judges 4:1-7 - link to the NRSV text
Just as the wilderness narratives had a pattern of crisis-grumbling-providence-deliverance, the book of Judges often follows a pattern of its own: apostasy-oppression-cry for salvation-God raises up a judge. And as the story goes on, the times of faithfulness seem to shorten while the periods of apostasy seem to lengthen. The tribes continue this pattern and it gets progressively worse until the end of the book, when the tribes turn on each other and the land descends into civil war (cf. Judges 19-21).
This pattern begins to play out for this generation here in Judges 4:1: "The Israelites again did what was evil in the sight of the LORD," followed by the description of the oppression by Jabin of Canaan and his right-hand man Sisera and is said to have lasted twenty years. So the Israelites cry out to God, and then we are introduced to Deborah.
Deborah is described as both prophetess and judge, much like Samuel would function as both prophet and judge later in Israel's history. Functioning as the judge of Israel, Deborah summons Barak from Kedesh of the tribe of Naphtali and gives him some military instructions.
That is where the lection for the day ends, but to really get into it the rest of the story probably needs to be referenced. In the verse 8, Barak argues that he will go only if Deborah goes as well. This could very possibly be a editorial insertion to downplay female authority, for verse 7 seems to suggest that she would be leading a seperate force to lure Sisera into Barak's ambush.
This weakening of female power is emphasized by Deborah's assertation that because he asked this, then instead of him receiving the glory for victory it would be given to a woman (at this point, we would presume Deborah). Battle ensues, with Sisera's troop trounced and Sisera himself fleeing only to find himself on the wrong end of Jael's tent peg (cf. 4:17-24).
The preacher could emphasize God using people the world would normally consider less-than-ideal (Deborah as judge, Jael as the one who defeats Sisera). And that is a powerful story and one that needs to be heard.
But alternatively, in this day and time, someone could focus less on Deborah and Barak as the instruments of deliverance, but on Israel's apostasy and the pattern of neglect-trouble-need for deliverance. Think about our financial crisis here in the states and globally. Think about the rising demand for energy that will most likely occur in the decades to come.
How are we contributing to these problems through "ungodly" living? That is, living in ways that are not in harmony with God, with each other, and with the rest of creation? What are we as people of faith doing or failing to do in order to point the world towards more harmonious life? How have we "done evil in the eyes of the LORD" through how we use our money, time, and resources that have contributed to the economic situation?
Yet with that comes the word of comfort, that even when we do turn away and God turns us over to the consequences of our actions, God is there when we call and offers us new beginnings. So the follow up question to "How have we done what is evil in the eyes of God?" is: "So how is God at work in the midst of these circumstances, and how can I be a part of that work like Deborah and Barak?"
Shalom,
Geoff
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