Scripture text for Tuesday, February 9, 2010: Judges 4:1-5:31
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Get Ready
Have you ever been in a bad situation, waiting, hoping, that someone would do something to stop it, when you realized that YOU were that someone? A while ago I was attending a lecture, when the speaker took a surprising anti-Semitic turn. As I sat there, looking around to see who would speak up against it, praying someone would, I remember realizing, “Oh, crap! I’m the one who has to do something.” In this passage, Deborah & Jael have the courage to step up and take action when the need arises. As you read it, pay special attention to what the characters do and what God does.
Ponder
- What stands out to you about Deborah’s relationship and interactions with God, Barak, and the people of Israel?
- How would this account be different if Sisera had been killed in battle or later by Barak? What do we learn through Jael’s inclusion here?
- What characteristics of God stand out to you as you read Judges 5? How did Israel’s understanding of God inform Deborah’s actions?
Pray
- For Our World: The suffering Haitians face today differs from the oppression of the Israelites in key ways, but like the Israelites, Haitians are desperate for God’s rescue. Let’s join together this week and pray that godly leaders would rise up in Haiti and that God would bring decades of peace to a nation in despair.
- For ourselves: What holds you back from godly leadership? Bring your thoughts, and specifically any labels or roles you think disqualify you from leadership, before Christ. Consider past situations where you’ve felt God nudging you to respond. Meditate on the attributes of God displayed in this passage. Pray that we at Riverside would be a people who are sensitive to how God is speaking & leading us into action.
Devotion prepared by Emily Umulis