Pastor Dan Eddy
Judges 4
Victory through
unconventional means
3-6-11
Lord, may the
words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be pleasing in Your sight through
Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord. Amen.
I.
Introduction – What are the chances/odds?
What are the
chances that a woman will ever win the
What are the
chances that a woman served in the US Congress before women were given the
right to vote in 1920? Only one did. In
1917 Jeanette Rankin, from of all places
And what are the
odds in the ancient world that a woman would lead a group of men to a military
victory? Slim to none. In fact only thee female warriors are even known before
Deborah’s time, but they led much more powerful armies...not like the Israelite’s
un-trained and ill-equipped army that fought in this morning’s text from Judges
4.
By the way, what
are the chances you have heard a sermon based on a text from the book of
Judges? I’m guessing slim to none.
In any event,
despite the odds…this morning’s Scripture lesson from Judges 4 offers great
insight into how the Lord can do great and victorious things in the most
unconventional ways, under least of odds.
II.
History of Israel at that time and the
Judges
In
the time of
God’s
Chosen People were doing what they thought was right not what the Word of God
was saying was right. It was preventing them from taking full possession of the
land God had promised them. It was there for them if they wanted it but they needed
to trust in the Lord to get it.
Instead,
the Israelites were enamored with the Canaanite’s superior culture in
art, literature, architecture, trade, political organization, and more. But
this alluring culture also bowed to the worship of the false Baal gods with its
highly sexualized orientation.
So, the Lord used judges to dispense
His justice in bringing the Israelites to repentance and showed them His merciful
faithfulness using military deliverance….like they did under Judge Ehud. But
after he died the Israelites went back to their same old sinfulness.
So for 20 years, the Lord allowed the Canaanites under King
Jabin to oppress His own people again in order to bring them back to
repentance.
Deborah is one of
the few female rulers listed among God’s Chosen People of the Old Testament.
You see the Lord normally wanted males to oversee His people. But the men were
not doing a good job of leading their families…let alone a nation. So God
raised up Deborah to show them how it was to be done. She was not only a
civilian and military leader but also a prophetess. Deborah knew the Word of God. She was a
believer in Him as the only God.
III.
The battle and the odds of not winning
So, Deborah
summons
But, Barek would
go only into battle only if Deborah accompanied him. To have a female in the
battlefield was practically unheard of. Danica Patrick has better odds at
winning this year’s Indy 500 than a woman in the ancient world had at being
successful by being present on the battlefield.
Barek wanted her along
side because he was probably scared out of his wits. His “troops” basically consisted
of hillbillies. I mean literally the Israelites lived mostly in the hills where
it was tougher for the Canaanite Army to maintain control. If you have even
been to
Deborah wanted
her 10,000 troops to come off the hills and go down to the
Plus the
Israelites at that time didn’t have much combat experience. As it was…when Barek
summoned the twelve tribes of
God wanted them
to battle on the enemies’ turf to show them with Him they could always beat the
odds…and could use the least of their means to obtain the greatest of
victories.
Deborah the
prophetess was saying that in verse 14:
“Does not the Lord go out before you?” In the Hebrew it literally says “Is not the Lord’s face before you?” In
other words, the only one true God’s presence was among them, not with the
Canaanites, so they had nothing to worry about. It was a call for the
Israelites to renew their faith in the Lord. The Lord’s powerful presence was
not a wish but a fact.
And how did the
Lord beat the odds and allow the Israelites to wipe the mat with the
Canaanites? With an unexpected flash flood…their version of a Nor’easter if you
will. According to Judges 5:21-22, so much rain fell so quickly that confusion
erupted among the Canaanite warriors, and the chariots got stuck in the mud and
900 troops were sitting ducks for the 10,000 Israelite troops. The Baal gods
who the Canaanites trusted to control the weather couldn’t, because those gods
don’t exist. Only the Lord God has control over the people and the elements.
But wait there’s
more….Canaanite Army commander Sisera retreats to what he thought was a
friendly hideaway. The Kenites were related to the Israelites but were
supportive of the Canaanites….well not, all. Jael uses her womanly charm to
lure Sisera into her family’s tent and with his defenses down takes her
experience as a tent building to literally drive the nail into Sisera’s head to
end the battle and claim the victory for the Lord God.
And the victories
didn’t end there. King Jabin was eventually defeated and the Israelites were
freed for 40 years to come.
IV. What the text is
teaching
So what’s lesson
in this true story for us today. Is this text calling for women to battle men?
No. Is this text calling for more women to serve as military commanders? No. Is
this a text for more women to be judges? No.
Is this text teaching
that God can bring people to repentance and bring victory through the least of
means and under tiniest of odds, using women? You bet. And it’s a call for all
of us to trust the Lord more even under the direst of circumstances.
And if the
conventional means of furthering the God’s Word won’t work…then the Lord will
use unconventional means to further His Kingdom, and add more saved life to the
eternal book of life in Heaven, while combating evil in our world.
This is the day
Lord has given you victory, not over the Canaanite Army, but over sin, death,
and the Devil.
The Lord’s face,
His presence, is here right now in the Word you are hearing. The Lord’s
presence is found in the least of means…water for Baptism to drown the enemy of
sin, along with the simple bread and the cup for Communion to sustain and
strengthen our saving faith in Him. They don’t look like much…but when combined
with God’s Word they exhibit the Lord’s power to confuse Satan and give you
everlasting life in Heaven and to keep you from everlasting death in Hell. The
Lord’s face, His powerful presence here is not a wish. It’s a fact.
I’m sure when the
big husky Roman soldiers, the politically powerful Pilate and religious influential
Sandhedrin nailed a beaten, bruised, and half-dead Jesus to the Cross they
never felt He had the power of God to defeat sin, would come back from the dead
to give life to whomever wanted it. The weak frail Jesus came back to claim a
victory much bigger than defeating a Canaanite king.
The Lord’s
presence, His face, goes out before you and me. Do we really believe that or do
we only believe He is present if we experience something like what the
Disciples did on the Mount of Transfiguration with the supernatural white and
the booming voice from Heaven?
Or can we be like
Deborah and Barack and Jael and the 10,000 Israelite troops to know His
presence is here even if we can’t see Him? Their trust of God’s presence came in the
confidence they had. Their trust in God’s presence came in their knowledge and
ability He gave them to solve the issue. It came with the storm that caused Canaanite
soldiers confusion and the chariots that got stuck in the mud.
V. Application to LWML
and our missional work as a congregation
And this text has
great applications on this Lutheran Women’s Missionary League (LWML) Sunday.
This humble organization of women who have next to little military training or
political power has done some very powerful things for the glory of God.
And do you know what their most powerful
weapon is? (Shake a LWML Mite Box with
some coins in it). These cardboard Mite Boxes. They
have supported Christian outreach efforts in 42 countries on five continents.
Monies from Mite Boxes provided chapels and mission headquarters; hospitals and
medicine, Bibles and magazines, schools and equipment, jeeps and radio
transceivers, Bible translation centers, airplanes and videos, and the list
could go on and on. LWML mission grants have totaled close to 20 million
dollars. And look at your bulletin insert. Here’s a list of proposed grants the
LWML in
Over the past 65
years Mite Boxes have provided 85 million dollars to support missions all over
the world
LWML also provide women with
Bible study material to help strengthen their faith and to assist them in
reaching out with the Gospel to the under-churched and un-churched. Their
organization of women is not just here to support women, but to help all
people.
And in many ways they are more
powerful than any man’s army. The Lord’s powerful presence through the LWML is
not a wish. It’s a fact.
Between this text
and the example of LWML, they have great applications for our work here at
God calls us to
go out there in the world and to minister to un-church and under-churched. But
we are afraid to come off this hill and go engage the world on its own turf.
People’s unbelief about God and the cynicism about Christ can seem more
daunting than 900 men in Iron Chariots heading right toward you.
But remember the words of Isaiah
35:3-4 ESV “Strengthen
the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees. Say to those who have an anxious heart, ’Be strong; fear
not!’”
The power of
God’s Word can seem weak compared to scientific theories, philosophical
reasoning, anthropological arguments, and even among individuals or families in
turmoil. But the Lord’s presence and His Word can get people out the mud they
are stuck in with simple words like “Can
I prayer for your surgery you’re having on Monday?” “Let me know how I can help
you with the troubles you are facing.” “Hey, we’ll pray for you at church.” Or
“I know things seem dire…let me tell you
how Jesus has helped me through my troubles and is here to bless you.”
You don’t think that God can beat the
odds? I was preparing this sermon yesterday and I got a phone call from Kathy
DuBois. Last week her mother fell down some stairs leading to the basement and broke
a number of different bones in the body, and went into a coma instantly. The
surgeons performed their operation. They did what they could. But she was not
coming out of her coma. The doctors determined she was in a vegetative state.
They called the family in to encourage them to unplug life support because
there was no hope left for Helen Best.
As I prayed with Kathy on Friday night….I
had tears in my eyes. It’s terrible to lose a parent.
And then she called yesterday. Helen…to
the amazement of the doctors…beat the odds by coming out of her coma.
And the first thing she did was to take
her hand and reach up and touch the face of her beloved husband of 66 years.
Ephesians 6:10 ESV “…be strong in the Lord and in
the strength of his might,”
Simple but
powerful words from our Lord and Savior. It’s not a wish. It’s a fact.
VI.
Conclusion
When it comes to
the work of LWML or the Church worldwide or this congregation, God in Christ
Jesus does not roll the dice against you. The Lord can beat the odds each and
every time and gives you and us victories through unconventional means like He
did with Deborah to show that His face, His presence is indeed before you today
and always. Amen.