Thurs.’s Devo- The Women Warriors Rise Up

Read: Judges 4:1-5:31; Luke 22:35-53; Psalm 94:1-23; Proverbs 14:3-4 Ehud died and the people went right back to their evil idolatry. God sold them to Jabin the Canaanite king of Hazor. The commander of his army was Sisera who had 900 chariots of iron and oppressed Israel for 20 years. *** When Israel cried out to the Lord, he raised up Deborah who was a prophetess and judge. She sat under a tree between Ramah and Bethel to render judgment over cases of the people. *** She called Barak from Naphtali to take 10,000 of their troops and Zebulun and take Sisera. Deborah told him that he would take Sisera, but Barak told Deborah he wouldn’t go unless she went with him. She told him that she would, but the victory would go to a woman. Deborah went with him to Kedesh. The two armies met and Deborah declared that today God had delivered the army of Hazor into their hand. Barak attacked and routed Sisera because the Lord helped him. But Sisera fled and ended up at the tent of Jael, the wife of a descendant of Moses’ wife. She tricked him into believing he was safe with her but when he went to sleep, she drove a tent peg through his temple. *** Once they had won, Deborah sang a song of victory. She praised the Lord for the victory and she honored Jael for killing Sisera. Israel had peace for 40 years after. *** In Luke, Jesus knew his time was almost over. He had sent his disciples out before with nothing but now he was leaving. They would need money and provisions and even a sword. They would be entering into a new season. They had two swords with them and Jesus told them that would be enough. *** Jesus took his disciples to the Mt. of Olives where he told them to pray that they wouldn’t enter into temptation. Then he went apart to pray. He prayed for God to take this cup from him but nevertheless he wanted God’s will to be done. Jesus sweat drops of blood, he was in such earnest. When Jesus returned to his disciples, he found them asleep. *** Judas brought a multitude to arrest Jesus. When Judah leaned to give Jesus a kiss, Jesus confronted him. “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Mans with a kiss?” *** The disciples understood what was happening and Peter took his sword. He cut the ear off of the high priest’s servant. Jesus told Peter that they must permit this to happen. He touched the man’s ear and healed him. *** Jesus asked them why they had to do this at night when he was in the temple daily and they could have done this in broad daylight. Jesus told them that this was their hour and the power of darkness. They were acting as children of the night and they did their evil at that hour. *** Thank you Jesus, that because of you, we are children of the day and the light of the world. May our light shine and bring many to know your power.