士师记

Meditative Reflection
The First Judge, Othniel - an Unlikely Choice?

“But when they cried out to the Lord, He raised up for them a deliverer, Othniel, son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother, who saved them.” (Jdg. 3:9)

Othniel is the first of the 15 judges whom God raised to deliver the Israelites as they repeatedly fell back into the vicious cycle of rebellion, distress, crying out, and delivery by the Lord through a judge. As much as these judges were mainly military rulers and not spiritual leaders, I do get a sense that most of them did influence the people spiritually, at least enough to guarantee them a time of peace until their own death, at which time the people blatantly rebelled against the Lord by doing evil, forgetting the Lord, and serving other gods of the land as typically described in Judges 3:7.

At first, when Othniel was mentioned in 1:12-15, I had the impression that, although he was a warrior strong enough to capture Kiriath Sepher for Caleb, he was a gentle person inside. He would not be manipulated by his wife to demand for more land from his father-on-law which was a sign of contentment or lack of aggressiveness. Such a person would hardly be qualified as a judge to deliver and unite the Israelites. But once again, I was proven wrong, and once again, God chose what might be the least likely from the eyes of men.

It took eight years of captivity before Othniel rose and fought against Cushan-Tishathaim. It was obviously not of his own initiative nor of his own choice. Without God’s calling and the coming upon him by the Spirit of the Lord, he would not dare to fight against such a formidable foe, nor could he succeed in being the judge of the people, giving them peace for forty years—a relatively long period of time.

The choice of a descendant of Judah as the first judge, perhaps, is appropriate too, as eventually the Messiah—the Ultimate Judge and Deliverer, our Lord Jesus Christ — comes from the tribe of Judah.

Meditative Reflection
The Second Judge, Ehud-a Self-Motivator?

“Again, the Israelites cried out to the Lord, and he gave them a deliverer—Ehud, a left-handed man…” (Jdg. 3:15)

The second Judge whom God raised up was a Benjaminite called Ehud. It is interesting to note that the Bible particularly mentions that he was left-handed. Perhaps, it was perceived that people would fight with their right-hand, so that the king of Moab was totally unprepared as Ehud reached with his left hand for the sword tied to his right thigh (3:21).

In any case, Ehud appeared to be a very different warrior from Othniel, the first Judge. He was sent by the people to bring tribute to the king of Moab which naturally pointed to him being a leader recognized among his people.

Obviously, he was a crafty man who planned this assassination well in advance—having made a sword short enough to hide inside his thigh, having his company of men sent back so as not to arouse any suspicion, and having developed a rapport with the king to gain his trust. Although the Bible does not mention the all-important phrase, “the Spirit of the Lord came upon him”, it does not mean that he was not sent by the Lord as Israel’s deliverer. So it appears that Ehud, by contrast, was a self-motivated warrior who took upon himself the task of saving his people, but that does not mean that he did not depend upon the Lord. As he summoned the Israelites to follow him, he said, “for the Lord has given Moab, your enemy into your hands” (3:28).

I guess the lesson to learn is that we should not put God and His way into a “box”. He can use all kinds of people to accomplish His plan and purpose.

Meditative Reflection
Barak - Missed Opportunity of Faith

“Barak said to her, ‘If you go with me, I will go, but if you don’t go with me, I won’t go'.” (Jdg. 4:8)

Deborah was the third Judge whom God raised to deliver the Israelites. It is obvious that she understood the culture of her time (and God’s order of creation) and so she deferred the honor and the task of saving Israel to Barak. In essence, using today’s legal jargon, she gave Barak the right of first refusal.

The Bible clearly states that Deborah was a prophetess and she held court under the Palm of Deborah. In other words, she was not only judging Israel, she was the messenger of God. In no uncertain terms, she told Barak, “The Lord, the God of Israel, commands you…” (4:6). Therefore Barak’s refusal to do it alone was a direct disobedience to the command of the Lord.

One can understand his reluctance to go alone, because the enemy had 900 chariots which, in those days, represented an army that the Israelites could not come close to match, humanly speaking.

Perhaps, like many Christians today, Barak’s faith was not a first-hand faith in the Lord. He put his faith not in the invisible God, but in the visible human leader—Deborah. The result was not so much that the honor of the victory went to a woman, or the missed chance of being a judge, but the loss of an opportunity to develop a direct, first-hand relationship of faith in the Lord.

Meditative Reflection
The Honor Goes to…

“The honor will not be yours, for the Lord will hand Sisera over to a woman.” (Jdg. 4:9)

Jael was certainly a very special woman who deserved to be called blessed by Deborah (5:24).

I admire her for the following reasons:

(1) She was not really an Israelite, she was a Kenite of Midian descent. Sure, the Israelites, instead of driving them out as they did other Canaanites in the region, allowed them to live among them, most likely for Moses’ sake (4:11). However, her family had left Judah and moved all the way to the north. In other words, she did not have any obligation to the people of Israel. On the contrary, her clan had some sort of relations with Jabin, the king of Hazor (4:17). So, if she was to take sides, she should have taken the latter’s.

(2) The fact that she took the side of Israel, perhaps, as many commentators opine, was a sign that she really took the side of Yahweh. Her action showed that she had already made Yahweh her God.

Even so, the killing of Sisera by her own hands was very unusual, especially for a woman. It did not only demonstrate her courage but her desire to show the Israelites whose side she was on. She could have let Barak take care of this by going to the tent to easily finish off the exhausted Sisera. She took the matter into her own hands, not because she was a person of violence, but a person who had made the enemy of God her own enemy. This, to me, was how special Jael was and she totally deserved Deborah’s praise: “Most blessed of women be Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, most blessed of tent-dwelling women” (5:24).

Meditative Reflection
Does Anyone Care?

“When the princes in Israel take the lead, when the people willingly offer themselves, praise the Lord.” (Jdg. 5:2)

If we read the psalms of David, it is not unusual for David or the psalmist to summon the people to praise or to worship. However, the reason given for this summon to praise God by Deborah is very unique: It is not the victory itself that arouses her to summon the people to praise God, but the very fact that the people, and especially the princes in Israel, willingly offer themselves to fight for the Lord and the latter take the lead in so doing.

If we simply read the historical event in chapter 4, we would automatically assume that such a huge victory against the army of Moab with 900 iron chariots was achieved because all of Israel rose against their enemy as one. Not so, according to the Song of Deborah.

Right from the beginning, as we are told in chapter 4, even the leading champion, Barak hesitated. And as we read the rest of the Song of Deborah in chapter 5, we come to understand that both the leaders, the elites and the ordinary people, shy away from participating in this battle clearly called by the Lord (5:10). While some of the tribes have come, they are described as the “remnant” (5:13). Worse, some of the tribes, like Dan, Asher and Gilead (likely the other half tribe of Manasseh, west of the Jordan), did not take part in it at all (5:17).

But the fact that others offer themselves willingly, and some of the princes of Israel take the lead is cause for praise and thanksgiving by Deborah. Ultimately, the battle belongs to the Lord and is won by the Lord. It is not a matter of how many will listen to the call of the Lord, it is a matter of whether the Lord extends His call. For those who chose not to respond and obey, the loss is really theirs, not the Lord’s.

So, be encouraged. Even though you may not be surrounded by a host of like-minded Christians who are zealous for the Lord, with God on our side, we are a majority already.

Meditative Reflection
The Loss of a Sense of Mission

“The people of Zebulun risked their very lives, so did Naphtali on the heights of the field.” (Jdg. 5:18)

One wonders why not all of Israel responded to the call by Deborah and Barak to fight against their enemies; after all they have been “cruelly oppressed” for twenty years.

The reason might exactly be because for twenty years they have lived in oppression and in rebellion against the Lord — they are used to it. But, the Song of Deborah provides us with further insights into the reasons why not all of them responded to her call.

Comfort and complacency:

In spite of the cruel oppression by the Moabites, many are still able to live in relative comfort—“You who ride on white donkeys, sitting on your saddle blankets” (5:10): this is a sign of luxury and comfort. Even though they might be in danger of losing their country, it does not matter to them at all, as long as they are able to continue to enjoy their privileges.

But such a sense of contentment is contagious which affects even those who are not well off, like those “who walk along the road” (5:10b), meaning those who do not enjoy the same luxury, but just the same, they are infected by the same sense of complacency. Obviously, by rebelling against the Lord and serving other gods, they have lost their sense of mission as God’s people.

Business as usual:

And for those who reside along the coast, apart from the comfort and ease associated with “West Coast” living, it is the business opportunity afforded by their ports that lure them away from the plight of oppression: “Gilead stayed beyond the Jordan. And Dan, why did he linger by the ships. Asher remained on the coast and stayed in his coves.”

This aptly describes coastal living in North America. From Vancouver down to Los Angeles, west coast living breeds a sense of comfort and leisure that has infested the children of God to the point that Christianity has become so comfortable that the sense of mission has been eroded. Many might still appear to retain a sense of mission, but luxury has meant that they’d rather substitute their action with financial contribution towards the mission.

The East Coast is no better. From Toronto down to New York, it is the lure of fame, fortune and power which have taken away the same sense of mission demanded by the Great Commission.

We really shouldn’t laugh at the Israelites. We are no better.

The least we should do is what the Reubenites did: “there was much searching of the heart” (5:15-16).

Meditative Reflection
It is Our Choice

“Through the window peered Sisera’s mother, behind the lattice she cried out…” (Jdg. 5:28)

At first glance, it appears that Deborah is rather cold and inhumane in using the mother of Sisera to mock the defeat of Sisera. Which mother does not care about the loss of her son?

But it does portray the confidence the Moabites have in their dominance over the Israelites and their reliance on their strength, their chariots and their gods: “Why is the chariot so long in coming? Why is the clatter of his chariots delayed?” (5:28).

Moreover, it also highlights the cruelty and callousness of the Canaanites in that their way of life can be summed up by these words from the Song of Deborah: “Are they not finding and dividing the spoils: a girl or two for each man, colorful garments embroidered, highly embroidered garments for my neck—all this as plunder?” (5:30).

So, instead of the mothers in Israel mourning the loss of their sons which occurred over the last 20 years, the table is now turned.

But the ultimate reason for this outcome is explained by Deborah: “So may all your enemies perish, O Lord. But may they who love you be like the sun, when it rises in its strength.” (5:31)

This serves as a warning, not only to the Canaanites, but to Israel and all peoples of the earth!