Cosmological Battle for the Chosen People

Synopsis     Judges 5:9-20     6/11/2018

Deborah’s Song continued. These verses celebrated the Israelite leadership and the valiant  men from Issachar and Zebulun who fought against the Canaanites. Her song also challenged the Reubenites for their refusal to fight.

The song pointed out the way nature worked in harmony with Israel’s battle plan. The “stars fought” against Sisera and the Canaanite army.

Cosmological Battle for the Chosen People

The verses of the song revealed the cosmological underpinnings of the battle. All of nature, it seemed, worked on behalf of the Israelite’s success. This battle that was playing out on Mount Tabor and in the Jezreel Valley. But for the prophetess Deborah, what was happening reflected a larger battle between good and evil that transcended the earthly reality of combat.

For her, the victory was also foretold. It was predestined like the motion of the stars.

You Have Been Predestined For Glory

You are predestined for glory! If you’re in relationship with God, you can count on this.

But it’s more than that – what we really mean is: you can’t lose. Let’s face it, people are forever saying they want to be successful and yet they struggle. They have goals and aspirations. Careers, hobbies, relationships. Some achieve, some don’t. But with God, if you’re committed, you can’t lose. Christ followership is the most certain path to success anyone could hope for.

But that doesn’t mean you can’t fail at life. A single act of contrition a half-century before you pass out of life isn’t entering into the plan. It isn’t entering into the relationship. It isn’t following.

Barak nearly missed his opportunity. If Deborah had been easily offended, the story might read entirely different. Someone else would have had to lead the Israelites against Canaan. The victory was assured. But Barak still had to enter into his destiny.

I still have to enter into my destiny.

The most serious thing anyone could ever hope to achieve is relationship with God. It’s promised. So, if I try then I can’t fail.

So I’ll commit – I will serve the Lord.

“For those he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, so that he might be the firstborn among many brothers” Rom 8:29