New Year, New You, New Season - Part 8

New Year, New You, New Season – Part 8

Good Morning, and praise the Lord.  We will continue with the series.  Please turn with me to Judges Chapter 5.

Judges 5

Then sang Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam on that day, saying, praise ye the Lord for the avenging of Israel, when the people willingly offered themselves. Hear, O ye kings; give ear, O ye princes; I, even I, will sing unto the Lord; I will sing praise to the Lord God of Israel. Lord, when thou wentest out of Seir, when thou marchedst out of the field of Edom, the earth trembled, and the heavens dropped, the clouds also dropped water. The mountains melted from before the Lord, even that Sinai from before the Lord God of Israel. In the days of Shamgar the son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the highways were unoccupied, and the travelers walked through byways. The inhabitants of the villages ceased, they ceased in Israel, until that I Deborah arose, that I arose a mother in Israel. They chose new gods; then was war in the gates: was there a shield or spear seen among forty thousand in Israel? My heart is toward the governors of Israel that offered themselves willingly among the people. Bless ye the Lord.  Speak, ye that ride on white asses, ye that sit in judgment, and walk by the way. They that are delivered from the noise of archers in the places of drawing water, there shall they rehearse the righteous acts of the Lord, even the righteous acts toward the inhabitants of his villages in Israel: then shall the people of the Lord go down to the gates. Awake, awake, Deborah: awake, awake, utter a song: arise, Barak, and lead thy captivity captive, thou son of Abinoam. Then he made him that remaineth have dominion over the nobles among the people: the Lord made me have dominion over the mighty. Out of Ephraim was there a root of them against Amalek; after thee, Benjamin, among thy people; out of Machir came down governors, and out of Zebulun they that handle the pen of the writer. And the princes of Issachar were with Deborah; even Issachar, and also Barak: he was sent on foot into the valley. For the divisions of Reuben there were great thoughts of heart. Why abodest thou among the sheepfolds, to hear the bleating’s of the flocks? For the divisions of Reuben there were great searching’s of heart. Gilead abode beyond Jordan: and why did Dan remain in ships? Asher continued on the sea shore, and abode in his breaches. Zebulun and Naphtali were a people that jeoparded their lives unto the death in the high places of the field. The kings came and fought, then fought the kings of Canaan in Taanach by the waters of Megiddo; they took no gain of money.  They fought from heaven; the stars in their courses fought against Sisera. The river of Kishon swept them away, that ancient river, the river Kishon. O my soul, thou hast trodden down strength. Then were the horse hoofs broken by the means of the prancing’s, the prancing’s of their mighty ones. Curse ye Meroz, said the angel of the Lord, curse ye bitterly the inhabitants thereof; because they came not to the help of the Lord, to the help of the Lord against the mighty. Blessed above women shall Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite be, blessed shall she be above women in the tent. He asked water, and she gave him milk; she brought forth butter in a lordly dish. She put her hand to the nail, and her right hand to the workmen's hammer; and with the hammer she smote Sisera, she smote off his head, when she had pierced and stricken through his temples. At her feet he bowed, he fell, he lay down: at her feet he bowed, he fell: where he bowed, there he fell down dead. The mother of Sisera looked out at a window, and cried through the lattice, why is his chariot so long in coming? Why tarry the wheels of his chariots? Her wise ladies answered her, yea, she returned answer to herself, have they not sped? Have they not divided the prey; to every man a damsel or two; to Sisera a prey of divers colors, a prey of divers colors of needlework, of divers colors of needlework on both sides, meet for the necks of them that take the spoil? So let all thine enemies perish, O Lord: but let them that love him be as the sun when he goeth forth in his might. And the land had rest forty years.

When we are totally sold out for God, He will come to our aid when we get in trouble.  Here’s the key, though; we need to be in constant communication with the Lord.  Like I said the other day, there is never a time when we will not need Him.

In the case of Israel, there were so many factions that were coming for them, and their number had dwindled off, due to their disobedience.  A whole generation died because they didn’t want to listen to Moses.  Deborah, the woman of God was a great leader and judge in that time.  She was a prayer warrior, and was surrounded with some Godly men.  There was a war going on, and some kings had to get involved.

There was one in particular named Sisera, who was a fierce soldier and was in hiding.  He encountered a woman named Jael, who was the wife of a man named Heber, a Kenite.  He asked her for some water, but she gave him milk and butter in a royal dish. 

Now I find it interesting that this woman who was a part of the warring factions against Israel decided to kill this king.  The bible doesn’t give much details about why she did it, but it apparently turned the tide of the war to the benefit of Israel.  She drove a stake through his temple, and he fell at her feet.

Deborah celebrates Jael through a song, and calls her blessed by the Lord.  By her contribution, the land where Israel dwelled had rest, meaning peace, for forty years.  Can you imagine whatever country you live in not having any conflict?

Let’s make it personal.  How about having a Sabbath rest in every area of your life, so that you don’t have the inner turmoil that keeps you awake at night.  Let go and let God have His way.  Stop worrying and overeating.  Let the tears fall, but know that the Lord sees and knows your situation, and He will come to your aid.

See yourself in the Spirit with a sword, swinging against every single obstacle that keeps you from entering into the presence of God.  He wants to remove those chains that the enemy has shackled you with for so long.  Let Him pour the oil of deliverance from the top of your head to the soles of your feet.  In the name of Jesus, declare and embrace the healing that He is giving you.

The word of God says that healing is the children’s bread, and Jesus was wounded for our transgression, and bruised for our iniquity.  The chastisement of His peace is upon us, and with His stripes we are healed.  Receive it, in Jesus name.  May the Lord bless you, and we will see you tomorrow, God willing.