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Judges 4-5 – Praying through the Bible #69 – A Prayer of Milk and Water
God by Himself is unstoppable. When God is followed by leaders, who are followed by volunteers, there is nothing that cannot be accomplished and overcome; even using weapons such as milk and water.
Israel’s history is ridiculously cyclical in the book of Judges: Sinning – Suffering – Supplication – Salvation. Israel keeps falling into the traps of its own foolishness, leading to anguish, followed by prayers, with God raising up deliverers called Judges.
After the 3rd Judge, Ehud dies, Israel becomes oppressed for 20 years by Jabin, king of Canaan. Oh, and he has iron chariots, 900 iron chariots (Judg.1.19). What does Israel have? Well, they don’t have 900 iron chariots. This time, when God needs a leader, He does not choose an oxgoad wielding man among men (3.31). This time, the leader is culturally unexpected, maybe even unwanted – a woman. Deborah. What can a woman do against 900 iron chariots? Nothing, except lead them to victory.
In victory, the female leader and her reluctant male commander sing. “Deborah’s Song” (Judg.5) begins with, “When leaders lead in Israel, when the people volunteer, praise the LORD.” That is God’s formula for unstoppable success; a volunteer army led by chosen leaders. God’s leaders might be unconventional, even weak by human standards. No problem. Milk and water aren’t conventional weapons either.
The prayer-song combines God’s majesty and God’s methods: “When You marched…the earth trembled, and the heavens poured rain, and the clouds poured water. The mountains melted before the LORD….The river Kishon swept them away” (5.4-5,21). What does this weather report have to do with military victory? God used water to cause muddy fields, flooding and mudslides. What good are chariots in the mud! God turned the greatest strength of Israel’s enemy into their greatest weakness.
In defeat Sisera, the commander of Jabin’s army, flees from this woman and her volunteers; ironically he flees to another woman for protection. How humiliating. Asking for water, Jael gives him milk (4.19; 5.25). Milk contains tryptophan and melatonin, both induce sleepiness. He ends up hiding under a rug (4.18). How humiliating. When he falls asleep Jael, hammers a tent peg – or as I like to say, “Jael hammers a nail” (said with a Southern two syllable accent) – though his temple. While “milk does the body good,” this time it gives Sisera a deadly headache!
How does God defeat this army? Leaders and volunteers…oh, and milk and water!
Prayer Challenge: Look for cycles in our own lives and pray that we will be honest with ourselves. We need to be willing to be leaders, volunteers or both, relying not on our strength but God’s. If God can use milk and water, God can use us.
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