11/05/2022 - THE GREAT CONVOCATION

• 
• 
• 
• 

And Barak called Zebulun and Naphtali to Kedesh; he went up with ten thousand men under his command, and Deborah went up with him. Judges 4:10

After they came out from under Deborah’s palm trees, Barak sent messengers to Naphtali (one of Jacob’s tribes, whose name means My Struggle. He was Jacob’s fifth son and the second with Bilhah, Rachel’s maidservant – the tribe of his birth) and Zebulun (which means Dwellings. He was Jacob’s tenth son and the sixth with his wife Leah), summoning them to a meeting in Kedesh (which means Sanctuary). This city was built as a refuge for murderers.

It´s interesting to note that Deborah even knew the number of Israelites who would answer the call to war: ten thousand men. By divine command, they were to climb Mount Tabor. By doing so, Captain Sisera would learn about it and be drawn to the brook Kishon (which means Sinuous). God’s plan was to deliver the entire army of Jabin into the hands of the Israelites, so that they could avenge the villages that were stolen by Sisera and his soldiers all the time. The Lord does justice! (Psalm 146:7).

The disparity of forces was visible. While Barak would be walking down the mountain to meet Sisera by the stream, the Canaanite captain would be waiting for the challenger with all his might. However, he didn’t know that the Lord would come into action and make the king of Canaan lose the battle. From the biblical record, Israel lost no lives, for the strategy included the destruction of the enemy’s iron chariots. God is beautiful, isn’t He?

Never let fear keep you from the spiritual struggle for those who don’t know what Jesus has done on their behalf. The Most High will brilliantly command those He calls to His work. Don’t allow the devil to make you fight against any church. If the saved people are divided, the Church will be annihilated: But He, knowing their thoughts, said to them: “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and a house divided against a house falls  (Luke 11:17).

Soon after explaining the war plan against the Canaanites, Barak got the exact amount that God had revealed to Deborah – ten thousand men – and headed to Mount Tabor. Upon hearing about the petulance of Abinoam’s son, Sisera led his army to meet him. There were 900 chariots of iron from the adversary against none from Israel, but this is what gave the Israelites the victory. The River Kishon decided to flood all that territory.

The iron chariots with its soldiers were equipped; there were also other men on horseback and many on foot, standing by Kishon, where they should have never been. There was no sign of rain, but inexplicably – the land tilted a little to one side from its original position, and the waters of the winding river came up, which flooded and turned those chariots useless. Since the place was full of rocks, the hooves of the animals shattered (Judges 5:21,22). Easy victory!

Why don’t we win more battles by faith? Because we live more in the flesh than in the Spirit. As a result, we don’t know how to act in the face of so many operations of the devil’s kingdom. However, the devil will never win any battle against the saved, if they have understanding (Hosea 4:6). We are the people prepared to be successful at all times in the name of Jesus. Believe and be victorious!

In Christ, with love,

R. R. Soares