Bibledoorajar Deborah con't

Here I am after a bible class on Deborah trying to get some wisdom from the 101 year old Christian lady who played the role. She really did not have to say anything to me(although she did); there was something about those lovely characteristics of hers that spoke just as loudly to my heart. I find great encouragement knowing that a woman would consistently choose to follow her Savior for 88 years and counting. Her testimony to the goodness of the Lamb and her trust in His shed blood is a wonderful to hear. She's an inspiration to her congregation and they treat her like the precious jewel she is!
     Now back to Deborah's story. There is an old saying, "what goes round, comes round". Israel was victim to a very vicious repeating cycle. Faith, praise and obedience would be high and then they would experience a great downfall. Sin would affect the head/heart harmony of the people and they would have a harder time experiencing God's goodness and mercy. During the downward part of the cycles, Israel's enemies, forces of great darkness, would become stronger and do great harm. Obviously, this type of behavior was not what their God expected and sometimes the people would "feel" His fiery spirit. However, God loved Israel so much that He would identify, describe and empower a deliverer--a savior with a little "s". These saviors were known as judges; they would help the people and they would be rescued from their difficulties. The nation would then start the upward cycle of praising God for His coming Messiah and recognizing Him as the one who would bring restoration on a national level. The people would once again express their trust in God and His provision and wisdom. However, inevitably an awful cycle of sin would ensnare the people again. God actively pursued His purposes in all of this and used the judges to help in the process. God did not "snap His finger" as it were and banish the enemies, but rather chose to provide leaders who would strengthen the people to "fight the good fight". He declares that he PURPOSELY did things  that affected the fight. He purposely left five nations unconquered so: 1) the people might know WAR and learn that the mind set on flesh is death, 2) that he could PROVE Israel by these nations (would they choose the lifestyle of the enemies or would they choose the mind set on the spirit of life and peace which God had placed so nigh to their hearts and mouth? Read more about this in Judges 3:2ff.) God's objective was achieved with each judge, but the style of each judge God chose differed so much. God was bound to His promises but not how He did things. So many don't understand the trials they must go through about coming to Jesus. They did not know they signed on for spiritual warfare! Every Christian will be "tempted and tried and oft made to wonder why it should be thus", but we must accept that God in His wisdom uses these situations to prove us and to reveal how damaging a mindset on evil can be.  In the body of Christ our brothers and sisters differ so much, but they are all chosen by God to provide wisdom and counsel for another. Sometimes I may tutor you, but later you may be tutoring me. This will go one until the church becomes mature.
     For the fourth judge of Israel, God chose a lady. Her selection is an example of how God can do wonderful things by using the weaker things of the world in the fight between good and evil. These actions by the  weaker ones shame that which is so proudly strong in the world. The apostle Paul to the church says it this way in 1 Cor. 1:27--"to shame the wise, God has chosen what the world counts as folly, and to shame what is strong, God has chosen what the world counts as weakness." This is one way God breaks down prideful barriers that can lead to a terrible fall, and, ultimately result in eternal damnation. God has many strategies to bring His children home and most of the time vessels of honor who do not count themselves worthy are used.
     The fourth judge from the tribe of Ephraim ("doubly fruitful") dispenses justice sitting under her palm tree (a fruitful tree) up on Mt. Ephraim ( "hill of doubly fruitful). Her palm tree was located between the towns of Ramah ("height") and Bethel ("house of God"). Way up on the mountaintop, Deborah was relaxed and satisfied. She may have been just a "mother in Israel", but she was in touch with Almighty God and confident in His provision. This position of rest is extremely important for the rest of us too.  In the midst of turmoil, we are up on the mountain enjoying peace and rest in the midst of the difficulty. Paul encouraged the Thessalonians (1:4) to "rest with us (Paul, Silvanus and Timothy) and patiently wait for when the Lord Jesus would be revealed from heaven with his mighty deeds. So this week I plan to make a conscious effort to stay seated in the heavenlies with Jesus and enjoy the peace. How about you?