Judges 4:14-18: a reflection

14Deborah said to Barak, “Go; for this is the day in which the LORD has delivered Sisera into your hand. Hasn’t the LORD gone out before you?” So Barak went down from Mount Tabor, and ten thousand men after him. 15The LORD confused Sisera, all his chariots, and all his army, with the edge of the sword before Barak. Sisera abandoned his chariot and fled away on his feet. 16But Barak pursued the chariots and the army to Harosheth of the Gentiles; and all the army of Sisera fell by the edge of the sword. There was not a man left. 17However Sisera fled away on his feet to the tent of Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite; for there was peace between Jabin the king of Hazor and the house of Heber the Kenite. 18Jael went out to meet Sisera, and said to him, “Turn in, my lord, turn in to me; don’t be afraid.” He came in to her into the tent, and she covered him with a rug.

The moment for battle has come, and the prophetess Deborah gives the command to Barak with a stirring assurance: Up! For this is the day in which the LORD has given Sisera into your hand. Has not the LORD gone out before you? So Barak goes down with his ten thousand men, and the LORD routs the enemy before him. The victory is God's; and Barak's part is to go forward on God's word, trusting that the LORD has already gone out ahead of him.

Notice the assurance that sent Barak into battle: has not the LORD gone out before you? He was not to go alone, relying on his own strength against a stronger enemy; he was to go knowing that God had already gone ahead of him, that the outcome was in God's hands, that the LORD himself was fighting for him. This assurance turned a daunting battle into an act of confident obedience: he went forward because God had gone before.

That assurance is ours as well when God calls us into some challenge. We often face daunting things, tasks and battles that seem beyond us, and we hesitate, measuring them against our own strength. But when God calls us forward, we can go with Barak's assurance: has not the LORD gone out before us? God does not send us alone into what he calls us to; he goes ahead of us, and the outcome is in his hands. When God calls you into some challenge, do not go relying only on your own strength, hesitating in fear. Go forward on his word, assured that the LORD has gone out before you. He goes ahead into what he calls you to; follow him into it, trusting that the battle is his.

Lord, when the moment for battle came, Deborah sent Barak forward with the assurance, has not the LORD gone out before you? and you routed the enemy before him. Give me that same assurance when you call me into some challenge. I often face daunting things, tasks and battles that seem beyond me, and I hesitate, measuring them against my own strength. But when you call me forward, help me go with Barak's assurance: that you have gone out before me. You do not send me alone into what you call me to; you go ahead of me, and the outcome is in your hands. When you call me into some challenge, keep me from going in my own strength, hesitating in fear. Help me go forward on your word, assured that you have gone before me. You go ahead into what you call me to; help me follow you into it, trusting that the battle is yours.