Obedience, Clarity and Blessed Glory

Judges 4:6-9 & 22

"Then she sent and called for Barak the son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali, and said to him, “Has not the LORD God of Israel commanded, ‘Go and deploy troops at Mount Tabor; take with you ten thousand men of the sons of Naphtali and of the sons of Zebulun; and against you I will deploy Sisera, the commander of Jabin’s army, with his chariots and his multitude at the River Kishon; and I will deliver him into your hand’?” And Barak said to her, “If you will go with me then I will go; but if you will not go with me then I will not go. So she said, “I will surely go with you; nevertheless there will be no glory for you in the journey you are taking, for the LORD will sell Sisera into the hand of a woman.” Then Deborah arose and went with Barak to Kedesh...Barak came by in pursuit of Sisera, and Jael went out to meet him. "Come," she said, "I will show you the man you're looking for." So he went in with her, and there lay Sisera with the tent peg through his temple--dead."

The prophetic words of Deborah manifest into actual events and Barak misses his glory as a warrior to have killed Sisera. Instead, God delivers Sisera into the hands of Jael, a woman, and not even a soldier at that, because Barak did not have the confidence in God's command; he somehow could not believe that God would

deliver into Israel's army an enemy with huge technological advantage.

Judges 5:24, 31

"Most blessed among women is Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite; blessed is she among women in tents...Thus let all Your enemies perish, O Lord! But let those who love Him be like the sun when it comes out in full strength."

On another note God considers blessed are these who trust and obey Him. "Like the sun in full strength" suggests clarity (vs uncertainty) and glory is reserved for those who "love Him" and "This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome." (1 John 5:3)

Luke 1:36-38, 41-43

"...Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God."

"I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said..."

"...and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. Then she spoke out with a loud voice and said, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb..."

~08.09.2013