Judges 5:1-16: a reflection

1Then Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam sang on that day, saying, 2“Because the leaders took the lead in Israel, because the people offered themselves willingly, be blessed, LORD! 3“Hear, you kings! Give ear, you princes! I, even I, will sing to the LORD. I will sing praise to the LORD, the God of Israel. 4“LORD, when you went out of Seir, when you marched out of the field of Edom, the earth trembled, the sky also dropped. Yes, the clouds dropped water. 5The mountains quaked at the LORD’s presence, even Sinai at the presence of the LORD, the God of Israel. 6“In the days of Shamgar the son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the highways were unoccupied. The travelers walked through byways. 7The rulers ceased in Israel. They ceased until I, Deborah, arose; Until I arose a mother in Israel. 8They chose new gods. Then war was in the gates. Was there a shield or spear seen among forty thousand in Israel? 9My heart is toward the governors of Israel, who offered themselves willingly among the people. Bless the LORD! 10“Speak, you who ride on white donkeys, you who sit on rich carpets, and you who walk by the way. 11Far from the noise of archers, in the places of drawing water, there they will rehearse the LORD’s righteous acts, the righteous acts of his rule in Israel. “Then the LORD’s people went down to the gates. 12‘Awake, awake, Deborah! Awake, awake, utter a song! Arise, Barak, and lead away your captives, you son of Abinoam.’ 13“Then a remnant of the nobles and the people came down. The LORD came down for me against the mighty. 14Those whose root is in Amalek came out of Ephraim, after you, Benjamin, among your peoples. Governors come down out of Machir. Those who handle the marshal’s staff came out of Zebulun. 15The princes of Issachar were with Deborah. As was Issachar, so was Barak. They rushed into the valley at his feet. By the watercourses of Reuben, there were great resolves of heart. 16Why did you sit among the sheepfolds? To hear the whistling for the flocks? At the watercourses of Reuben, there were great searchings of heart.

In the song Deborah and Barak sing after God's deliverance, a particular thing is singled out for blessing: the willingness of those who offered themselves for God's cause. Because the people offered themselves willingly, be blessed, LORD! the song cries; and again, my heart is toward the governors of Israel, who offered themselves willingly among the people. Those who willingly stepped forward for God's cause, who offered themselves rather than holding back, are blessed and honored in the song. And by contrast, those who hung back, who sat among the sheepfolds while others fought, are noted with a kind of sorrow: at the watercourses of Reuben, there were great searchings of heart. The song blesses the willing self-offering of those who stepped forward, and gently marks the hesitation of those who did not. To offer ourselves willingly for God's cause, rather than holding back, is honored.

Notice what the song singles out for blessing: willing self-offering for God's cause. It does not merely record the victory; it blesses those who offered themselves willingly, who stepped forward for God's cause rather than holding back. Their willingness is honored; God is blessed because the people offered themselves. And the song gently notes those who hung back, who stayed among the sheepfolds while others went down to the battle; of them there were great searchings of heart. This draws a quiet contrast between the willing and the hesitant, between those who offered themselves and those who held back. God's cause is served by those who willingly step forward, who offer themselves rather than hanging back to see what others will do. Willing self-offering is honored; hesitation and holding back, gently regretted. To be among those who offer themselves willingly for God's cause is what the song blesses. The willing heart that steps forward is a blessing to God's cause.

That is worth taking to heart, for God's cause is served, and honored, by those who offer themselves willingly rather than holding back. We can hang back from God's cause, waiting to see what others will do, holding ourselves back rather than stepping forward; but the song blesses those who offered themselves willingly, and gently notes the searchings of heart of those who did not. Willing self-offering for God's cause is honored; holding back is a thing to regret. There is a blessing in willingly stepping forward for what God is doing. Do not hang back from God's cause, waiting on others; offer yourself willingly, as those the song blesses did. Offer yourself willingly for God's cause rather than hanging back to see what others will do, as the song of Deborah blesses those who offered themselves willingly and gently notes the searchings of heart of those who stayed behind; for God's cause is served and honored by willing hearts that step forward, and there is a blessing in offering ourselves for what God is doing rather than holding back, so that to be among the willing rather than the hesitant is what the song commends.

Lord, in the song Deborah and Barak sing after your deliverance, a particular thing is singled out for blessing: the willingness of those who offered themselves for your cause. Because the people offered themselves willingly, be blessed, LORD! the song cries; and again, my heart is toward the governors of Israel, who offered themselves willingly among the people. Those who willingly stepped forward for your cause, who offered themselves rather than holding back, are blessed and honored in the song. And by contrast, those who hung back are noted with a kind of sorrow: at the watercourses of Reuben, there were great searchings of heart. Show me what the song singles out for blessing: willing self-offering for your cause. It does not merely record the victory; it blesses those who offered themselves willingly, who stepped forward rather than holding back. Their willingness is honored; you are blessed because the people offered themselves. And the song gently notes those who hung back while others went down to the battle. Your cause is served by those who willingly step forward, who offer themselves rather than hanging back to see what others will do. Take that to my heart, for your cause is served, and honored, by those who offer themselves willingly rather than holding back. I can hang back from your cause, waiting to see what others will do, holding myself back rather than stepping forward; but the song blesses those who offered themselves willingly, and gently notes the searchings of heart of those who did not. Keep me from hanging back from your cause, waiting on others; help me offer myself willingly, Lord, as those the song blesses did, stepping forward for what you are doing rather than holding back.