There is a Choice

 DEVOTION

JUDGES

THERE IS A CHOICE

Judges 4:1-10

4:1 After Ehud died, the Israelites once again did evil in the eyes of the LORD. 2 So the LORD sold them into the hands of Jabin, a king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor. The commander of his army was Sisera, who lived in Harosheth Haggoyim. 3 Because he had nine hundred iron chariots and had cruelly oppressed the Israelites for twenty years, they cried to the LORD for help. 4 Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, was leading Israel at that time. 5 She held court under the Palm of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites came to her to have their disputes decided. 6 She sent for Barak son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali and said to him, "The LORD, the God of Israel, commands you: 'Go, take with you ten thousand men of Naphtali and Zebulun and lead the way to Mount Tabor. 7 I will lure Sisera, the commander of Jabin's army, with his chariots and his troops to the Kishon River and give him into your hands.'" 8 Barak said to her, "If you go with me, I will go; but if you don't go with me, I won't go." 9 "Very well," Deborah said, "I will go with you. But because of the way you are going about this, the honor will not be yours, for the LORD will hand Sisera over to a woman." So Deborah went with Barak to Kedesh, 10 where he summoned Zebulun and Naphtali. Ten thousand men followed him, and Deborah also went with him.

NIV

What is it with those Israelites? They had eighty years of peace in the land while Ehud was still alive, but after he died, they returned to doing evil in the eyes of the LORD. Do people always need a leader to keep them from doing evil in the eyes of the LORD? If we are left to our own devices, without listening to a leader, which in this culture would not be a judge but rather a pastor, it might be possible we would begin to do evil in the eyes of the LORD. How could that be, we all have the word of God, the complete account of God and his relationship with his creation. We have all the records of how the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD when they did not listen to their leader, or they were without one, such as in this account when Ehud died. However, Dedorah the prophetess was now leading Israel as a judge. Once again, because they were doing evil in the eyes of the LORD he handed them over to a cruel oppressor, Jabin, king of Canaan. All Israel had to do was worship the LORD and only him, and do that which the Law of the LORD as he gave it to them through Moses. Of course, it was impossible to be sinless, keeping all the Law of the LORD perfectly, that’s why the priests offered sacrifices, but to turn away and do evil, only brought them harm. Then this weak-spirited Barak, would not go to war with ten thousand warriors of Israel unless Doborah went with him. We know this is a bit judgmental regarding Barak, but he would not obey the word of the LORD brought to him without the judge going before him, or at least with him. We do not live in that manner for each of us has the Lord Jesus as our Great Shepherd, our leader whom we follow. We also live in peace because of our Lord and his leadership in our lives. He has even sent the Holy Spirit to live within us and lead us into all truth. Nothing is hidden from us, and we live under grace, not judgment, although someday everyone will stand before His throne and be judged for what they did in life. However, it is not about anything but whether we accepted or rejected Jesus as Lord and Savior. The resulting judgment will be determined by whether each person’s name is found in the Book of Life, or if it has been blotted out. Let us always move forward with courageous endurance with the Lord going before us, within us, and behind us, surrounding us. Let us not be afraid to go take hold of that which our Lord has given us. We should be careful not to move on our own, making our own battle plans for life, for that may be doing evil in the eyes of the Lord. Let us always check with our Lord first before making any plans, or choices in this life, for He is our Lord and we have been called to follow him. When we do follow the Lord then we have peace in the land of our hearts, minds, souls, and strength, or bodies. We will follow the Lord we will not do evil in his eyes, for being in Christ we have been declared holy and blameless in his sight. Israel had a choice, and they made the wrong choice, let us continue with the right choice.