“If only I could see God do something amazing, then it would be easier to follow him.” Has that thought ever occurred to you? It’s certainly crossed my mind from time to time! And yet, what we learn throughout the Scriptures is that, even when people did see God do something amazing, faithfulness wasn’t any easier for them.
That truth is particularly clear—painfully clear, in fact—in the book of Judges. What we see throughout the book of Judges are mighty works of divine redemption followed by repeated rebellions against God’s law. The result is a cycle of violence and vindication that no human victory could ever bring to an end.
A Spike in a Skull That Points to a Cross
In this sermon, I invite you to step with me into one of the strangest stories in the book of Judges, the story of Deborah’s victory over the Canaanites. Here, one woman judges Israel and leads the people into battle, and another woman shatters the power of Canaan by driving a spike through a military commander’s skull. It’s a strange story, stained with blood and reeking with violence. But this story—like every story in the Old Testament, no matter how sordid—is a portion of God’s inerrant Word that points us directly to the person of Jesus Christ.
Discuss in the Comments:
Listen to this message that I shared at the Midtown congregation of Sojourn Community Church. How did this message equip you to read the book of Judges with a better understanding of how this book points to Jesus? What did you learn about Deborah and Jael that you hadn’t considered before? What questions remain in your mind after listening to this message?
Main image is property of Kevin Rolly.