BIAY - Unexpected leaders
Judges 4-6, Psalm 69:19-36
Welcome to the Bible in a Year for 2025. Intro to this series and resource links available here, plus here’s how I’m approaching this year.
Scriptures for Today:
Reflection:
Judging from a judge (4:4-5) - The biblical narrative is replete with stories of men in the lead role, as you’d expect from any document coming from it’s time period (OT, roughly 2500-3500 years ago; NT, about 1900-1950 years ago). So, it’s worth noting when we find stories that feature women prominently and important to note what they are doing. In this case, Deborah is judging—hearing cases and settling disputes—among the people. She is the only judge in the book of Judges who does any actual judging. The judge was not only arbitrating cases, but was essentially leading the nation. Having the authority and influence to summon the (male) warrior to lead the people in battle is a sign of her leadership.
Praising God for the victory (chapter 5) - After Deborah and her appointed leader in battle, Barak, lead the people to victory, they also lead the people in celebrating what God has done and how God has used people to accomplish this victory. They experience a great triumph and their heart is to praise God for it and give Him appropriate credit and praise for His goodness and provision.
Unsuspecting deliverer (chapter 6) - Gideon is threshing wheat when the Lord shows up and gives him a call to service. He offers excuse after excuse, but God is persistent in calling and reaffirming the call on Gideon.
Questions:
Why do we skip past pausing to praise God for the victories that He works for us and through us?
What else might the Holy Spirit be speaking with you about in the text today?
Prayer: Lord, help me hear your call to serve in your kingdom and respond in faith. Amen.
“But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.” (Matthew 13:23)
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