We’ve all heard the definition of “insanity:” doing the same thing over and over, expecting a different results. Israel is the Biblical poster child for that idea.
Follow God. Enjoy prosperity. Get comfortable. Follow other Gods. Suffer the consequences. Repent. Follow God.
Repeat.
Time after time, God sends a prophet or a judge to deliver Israel from their enemies after they have left God for other gods. In Judges 4, it is the prophetess, Deborah, who is the center of the story, but – somewhat surprisingly – Hebrews 11 mentions Barak as a hero of faith rather than Deborah. Perhaps it was because he knew that Israel’s defeat was assured without God’s presence in the form of Deborah.
In this lesson, Mike explores the story of Deborah and the unlikely hero, Barak.
“Then the Lord raised up judges, who saved them out of the hands of these raiders. Yet they would not listen to their judges but prostituted themselves to other gods and worshiped them. They quickly turned from the ways of their ancestors, who had been obedient to the Lord’s commands. Whenever the Lord raised up a judge for them, he was with the judge and saved them out of the hands of their enemies as long as the judge lived; for the Lord relented because of their groaning under those who oppressed and afflicted them.
But when the judge died, the people returned to ways even more corrupt than those of their ancestors, following other gods and serving and worshiping them. They refused to give up their evil practices and stubborn ways.”
Judges 2:16-19 (NIV)