087 Saturday, March 28, 2009

087 Judges 4 – 6; Mark 7

When will they ever learn?! Have you ever asked that question of someone you know or have you ever personalized it? The opening line for our reading from three days ago--oops--says, The people of Israel kept right on doing evil in God's sight. Insane? Yes and totally unconscionable. God's people cry out to God--here comes the pattern—and He sends someone to help them. God sends a woman by the name of Deborah. Deborah is a judge over Israel who has a message for Barak from God. Barak is to prepare for battle to liberate the Jews. Barak did not want to go without Deborah and she lets Barak know he won't receive the glory that he could have if she attends the party. Barak is more concerned with victory than glory and she goes along. God gives them victory and perhaps the first duet is recorded in Scripture when Barak and Deborah sang together. When you have a victory please sing or listen to a song that lifts up Christ Jesus.

What a rich passage ‘for now we have Gideon.’ God uses a man who has lots of questions. God uses a man who is from a small insignificant tribe. God can use you even if you have lots of questions. By the way, God used Deborah and Gideon because they obeyed God.

They make a big show of saying the right thing, but their heart isn't in it. This is Jesus rubbing it in the faces of the Pharisees about their "righteousness." It was so hard for the Pharisees to see that what they had been doing for years was wrong. Change or die.