Judges: 10-Day Devotional Reading PlanSample

We all know from experience that sin can seem exciting at first or appealing in some way. After all, we wouldn’t be tempted to sin if it were unappealing. Even so, Judges shows us that sin is actually dull and boring in its weary sameness. We see it clearly here, when Israel falls into the same old sins and spirals down in the same old cycle.

They do evil again, we’re told, and as a result, God turns them over to a cruel Canaanite king named Jabin who, by means of his army commander Sisera, mistreats them. God’s people, Israel, are powerless to help themselves, so they do what they always do in trouble—cry out to the Lord for help.

After the death of Sisera—a humiliating defeat for the Canaanites—Deborah composes a song praising God for the victory, and together she and Barak sing the story of how it all unfolded.

Reflection:

Deborah is a picture of godly womanhood, but not a typical picture. What is revealed about Deborah that leads to her godly reputation? As you consider the glimpses we’re given of Deborah’s character, what do you think made her so useful in the Lord’s service? Reflect on how she is different from what we often expect a godly woman to be like.