(Wednesday)
The first judge we are introduced to is Othniel who is a nephew of Caleb. He is given the Spirit of the Lord in order to defeat the king of Aram and because of his obedience, Israel experienced 40 years of peace. The second judge was Ehud and he ruled for 80 years, he was also left handed, which will help him trick Eglon, king of the Moabites and give him the upper hand (so to speak) in order to defeat this enemy. The Lord was with Ehud and he was able to defeat the Moabites. Next is Shamgar. He too rescues Israel by defeating 600 Philistines with an oxgoad. (In case you’re wondering what an oxgoad is – it is a long stick like object with a small flat piece of iron on one end and a sharp iron point on the other. They used them to move the oxen along (goad them along – oxes, oxgoad – get it?) But on a serious note, this was quite a feat to do, 600 Philistines single handedly. And 3:31 says “he too saved Israel.”
Now comes the story of Deborah, a lady judge. It is a pretty fascinating tale (even if it is a bit gory – stakes through heads and such – oh well, it is what it is) and proof that God used women as leaders to fulfill His plan.
When the fighting was done and the battle won, Deborah and Barak sang a song about the great victory Israel had against Sisera. Music was an important part of the life of the Israelites. Being a person who has always had a great love of music and singing, this passage of scriptures just helps me to see through the centuries to know that God has given to us this great love of music. And through that music we can express our praise and adoration and love to God, just as the Israelites did so many years ago.
Singing His Praises
Pastor Kathy