God Uses Those Who Listen and Obey

May 3

Judges 3-4

Psalm 55:1-8

Proverbs 12:22-24

Luke 20:27-47

God Uses Those Who Listen and Obey

“Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, was judging Israel at that time.”

Judges 4:4 LSB

Deborah sat under a palm tree and the Israelites would come to her for judgment.  They would bring their problems to her and she would give them wisdom and knowledge from God.  She must have been highly respected.  In addition to being a judge, Judges 4:4 tells us that she was also a prophetess.  God would tell Deborah what to tell the people and they would come to hear what God had to say to them.  Deborah was faithful in the position where God had her.  She listened to God and told the people what He said.  Because she was faithful, God chose to use her in an even bigger role.  When God decided they had been punished enough and He chose to act, He told Deborah the plan.  Deborah called Barak and told him what God had told her.  I don’t think Deborah had any plan to be a part of this battle.  God told her the plan and she called Barak to carry it out.  But Barak told her that he would do what she said if she went with him.  This would have been highly unusual because women did not go to battle.  Barak knew that they had no chance of winning this battle without God, so he decided he needed Deborah with him the whole way to communicate with God and make sure he was doing what he was supposed to do.  He did not want to take one step without God’s messenger with him. 

This is a wonderful picture of the Christian life.  God does not give us instructions and then send us on our way to carry out His plans.  He sends His messenger, the Holy Spirit, with us every step of the way.  He leads, guides and gives us the strength we need to accomplish His plans.  When Sisera heard the Israelites were coming, he didn’t think there was any way they could defeat him so he sent all of his army out into the open to attack.  He failed to consider God in the equation.  At just the right time, when they were vulnerable, Deborah told Barak to move forward and claim the victory. Not only did God use a woman to lead the Israelites in battle, but He also used a different woman to kill their enemy’s leader.  We aren’t told why Jael killed Sisera.  The passage tells us that her husband and King Jabin were at peace.  Instead of protecting him as he expected, she waited till he fell asleep and then she drove a stake through his head.  This seems brutal, but God used her to kill an evil man. God not only won this battle for them.  He removed their enemy.  Deborah was faithful and obedient to do what God told her.  He used her mightily because she listened and obeyed.  God does not use gender, age, position, race or any other outward characteristic to determine who He uses.  He can mightily use anyone who listens to Him and obeys.