Response to Oppression

 

METHODIST CHURCH NIGERIA

DIOCESE OF OSOGBO

THIRTY-THIRD (23^RD) SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME/TWENTY THIRD (23^RD) SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY, 15^TH NOVEMBER, 2020.

GOD’S WORD TO GOD’S PEOPLE.

THEME: Response to Oppression

          Idahun si iponi loju

TEXT: Judges 4:3

“And the children of Israel cried out to the Lord; for Jabin had nine hundred chariots of iron, and for twenty years he had harshly oppressed the children of Israel.”

“Awon omo Israeli si kigbe pe OLUWA: nitori ti o ni eedegbarun keke irin; ogun odun ni o si fi pon awon omo Israeli loju gidigidi.”

What brought about oppression in the life of the Israelites? If I may ask. The answer is not farfetched, because verses 1 and 2 of Judges chapter 4 say, “When Ehud was dead, the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the Lord, so the Lord sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor. The commander of his army was Sisera who dwelt in Harosheth Hagoyim.” The book of judges contains many of such verses with similar situations. Whenever the Israelites repented of their sins and returned to God of their fathers, they had always received forgiveness and restoration. But each time they strayed and did evil (wickedness) in the sight of God, he never hesitated to use their neighbouring kings to punish and oppressed them until they were able to come to their senses and repented of their wicked ways. Today’s text, Judges 4:1-7, which looks like opening of a drama, is one of those scenes which shows that God can raise any leader to discipline his children and teach them some senses

Jabin is the key actor in the opening passage of Judges chapter 4:1-3 which contains the story of a tragic situation that befell the children of Israel after the death of Ehud their judge. God raised Jabin, king of Canaan to discipline the people of Israel when they returned to their sinful ways after eighty years of rest and peace which they enjoyed during the reign of Ehud, the godly judge who had led Israel out of idolatry (Judge 2:10-19; 3:30). Obviously, the life of the children of Israel in the time of Judges illustrates the difference between spiritual revival and religious reformation. The former, spiritual revival, permanently changes inward character, whereas the latter, religious reformation, temporarily alters outward conduct of any people. When Ehud gained victory and commanded Israel as a people to worship only Jehovah, they left idols and obeyed him; but when that constraint was removed, the Israelites obeyed their own mind and did according to their desires. They returned to idol worship. What took place in their lives during the time of Ehud was mere religious reformation and not spiritual revival of the heart. Note that empty heart is prey to every form of evil (Matt. 12:43-45). Because their religiousity only affected their physical life and not their heart and inward character, Israel did evil in the sight of God. They were punished and given to the wrath of Jabin, king of Canaan, who saw it as an opportunity to revenge what Israel, as a nation, did to his fore-fathers whom she chased away and occupied their land (Canaan). With his large army and his 900 chariots of iron, Jabin oppressed Israel for 20 years and was securely in control of the whole land.

When the suffering was much and the people of Israel could no longer bear it, they cried out to the God of their fathers, not for forgiveness, but to relief them of their suffering. Their focus was comfort and not cleansing. They only cried for physical deliverance and not spiritual liberation from bondage (Ps. 51:10) In response to their prayer, God raised a courageous woman named Deborah (“Bee”), the wife of Mr. Lapidoth, to be the judge and leader in the land. It was an act of grace which looked like humiliation for the Jews who lived in a male-dominated society and would always want mature male leadership. In the face of their oppression, God gave them a woman leader in order to treat them like little children, which is exactly what they were when it came to spiritual matters spiritual matters. The Bible says, “As for My people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them (Isa. 3:12). They disappointed God with their wicked deeds and he in turn humiliated them by appointing a woman to rule over them even in a tragic situation. Deborah was a great mother of Israel at this hard time of oppression, even though God saw and called her to be a prophetess and judge over his people. (Judge 5:7) God’s response to the Israelites’ oppression took a new dimension. He chose a woman to lead and champion the cause of their deliverance. Through Deborah God spoke to Barak, a man, who actually led Israelite army to war against Sisera’s troops. The Lord promised to deliver his children and defeat the enemy. Definitely, God would give Israel victory but through a woman. Whenever God wants to glorify Himself through and among his people, he always gives a perfect plan for us to adopt and follow. In this text, he chose the leader of his army (Barak), the place for the battle (Mount Tabor) and the plan for His army to follow (Judge 4:4-7) God also guaranteed the victory.

Men and brethren, let us from today pay more attention to the Lord’s commandments and be obedient. Let us give to spiritual revival which will transform our inward character, and then move unto religious reformation which will bring needed change to our outward conduct. The two must go together but the first (spiritual revival) must be the first. Let us repent from all our wicked ways and become more godly, especially in the face of the rod of discipline in the hand of our Maker. Let us return to the Lord in holiness and righteousness, pray to him, and he will surely heal us and as well heal our land (2Chron. 7:14) Remember that our God has promised us that, “…captives will be taken from warriors, and plunder retrieved from the fierce; I will contend with those who contend with you, and your children I will save (Isa. 49:25)”

Let us pray

Rt. Rev. A.K.O. Ogunrinde, JP, FICT.

Bishop, Diocese of Osogbo.

OS-CAN Chairman.