Today’s passage is Judges 5:12-31.
Deborah’s song continues. She sings of a heavenly battle that took place in connection with the battle between Barak and Sisera. Jael, who slew Sisera in her tent, is glorified. The anxiety of Sisera’s mother and the other Canaanite women waiting for the return of their men is told. The song ends with a wish for all God’s enemies to perish and those who love the Lord to rise like the sun.
Why are the points of view mostly women’s? Why the curse of Meroz?
The battle against Sisera by the river Kishon involved not just Sisera’s nine hundred iron chariots and ten thousand Israelites but the realms beyond the earth.
Meroz is a planet and a people who did not come to God’s help in the heavenly wars. In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul talks of the spiritual battles that rage around us, the powers, principalities and angels fighting each other.
He talks of the need for us to wear our spiritual armor because we’re involved in a universal war of good and evil.
How do I fight? How do I stay on God’s side?
Love God, love my neighbor, love my wife, share my story of redemption, of God’s love for me, be open and honest, see into myself with God’s words and the sharings of my church members, find my sins every day, carry my cross.
One of the battles going on now in my house is the QT training my wife and I give to her brother.
It’s a huge battle of frustration for me.
I find myself quick to anger at his resistance to reading the Word and finding himself in it.
He is struggling against his fantasy image of himself and who he really is.
He sees himself as a prince, not a handicapped sinner.
In his battle, I see my own spiritual war with myself.
I too have a fantasy image of myself.
I too struggle to face my sins, failures and irresponsibility.
Humility is hard for me.
Lord, inspire me with your courage to continue the spiritual battle. Give me your love for my brother in law.
