Last week we looked at Deborah the judge and prophetess, and Barak the commander of the army. Deborah heeded to the call God placed upon her and walked in obedience, whereas Barak wanted a little insurance before he would obey his call. He wouldn’t go without Deborah coming along, and so the credit for killing King Sisera went to Jael a woman, just as Deborah told him it would happen. God moved that day, bringing torrential rain which flooded the river. The 900 iron chariots either got stuck in the mud or were washed away by the rushing waters.
This is another example of how God moves on behalf of His people, even when they don’t deserve it. He continues to pour out His mercy endlessly.
Psalm 100:4-5
4 Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. 5 For the LORD is good; His mercy is everlasting, And His truth endures to all generations.
Psalm 136 repeats this phrase “His Mercy Endures Forever” 26 times!
The battle is not ours, but God’s and He is always faithful, even when we are faithless.
2 Timothy 2:12-14
12 If we endure, We shall also reign with Him. If we deny Him, He also will deny us. 13 If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself.
As we go through this study, we will see that while His mercy is everlasting, repentance always comes before mercy. This week we will see a nameless prophet that God raised up to confront Israel on their disobedience, and we will then see Gideon the next Judge.
