Tuesday, October 19, 2004
The Holy Prophet Joel
Kellia: Judges 5:1-22 Epistle: Colossians 1:1-2, 7-11 Gospel: St. Luke 8:1-3
Judges 5:1-22, especially vss. 1, 2: "Then sang Deborah and
Barak the son of Abino-am on that day: 'That the leaders took the lead in Israel, that the people
offered themselves willingly, bless the Lord!'" Twenty years under harsh, foreign tyranny print
indelible memories on a people; and release with freedom brings singing and jubilation. The
victory Song of Deborah and Barak is one the oldest pieces of Hebrew literature, passed down to
us from the days immediately following Sisera's defeat. The victory "by the waters of Meggido"
(Jdg. 5:19) ended the despotism of Jabin, the king of Hazor (Jdg. 4:2,3,24). However, the reader
of Scripture should not miss the point in the song: the great blessing came from "the Lord, the
God of Israel" (Jdg. 5:3). Blessing belongs to Him, blessing that leaders led, that people
followed willingly, and that "the kings of Canaan... got no spoils of silver" (vss. 2,19).
The message is the same in all of Holy Scripture and in all the great liturgical hymns of God's
People: to the Lord our God belongs "the pathways leading forth from death" (Ps. 67:21 LXX).
How meet and just it is, "and befitting the majesty of [His] holiness that we should
magnify...praise...bless...[and] worship [Him]...the only truly existing God." Such is the spirit of
this ancient hymn extolling Israel's stunning victory at the river Kishon against Sisera.
The Song is a joyful praise of the Lord Who stirred up leaders among His People to act, moving
the heart of Deborah so that she "arose as a mother in Israel" (Jdg. 5:7). It was God Who caused
"the commanders of Israel [to offer] themselves willingly among the people" (vs. 9). He is
praised as the God Who was, and is, and shall be forever - the God Who declared His will in ages
past at Sinai (vs. 5), Who went "forth from Seir [and] didst march from the region of Edom" (vs.
4), and Who again was victorious in "the triumphs of His peasantry" at Meggido (vs. 11). He is
His People's help "against the mighty" (vs.13). Let us also praise Him Who aids us!
The victory of Deborah and Barak, which this ballad recalls, also speaks of the prior extremity of
God's People, when "caravans ceased" (vs. 6), when the transportation of people and goods was
disrupted, and, worse, was halted by cruel enemies, and when the welfare of the land suffered.
The domination of Jabin over Israel forced the people to move about as much as possible out of
sight, and so, "travelers kept to the byways" (vs. 6), far from the main roads of travel where they
might be intercepted by agents from Hazor or by brigands taking advantage of the chaos and
desperation of the times. The phrase, "the peasantry ceased in Israel," conveys a deep bitterness,
an oppression brought on Israel, for "the Lord sold them into the hand of Jabin" (Jdg. 4:2). He
did so because they chose "new gods," a brazen idolatry that brought war to their gates and left
them without "shield or spear...among forty thousand in Israel" (Jdg. 5:8). Holy Scripture, most
of all, is a record of God as Savior. In this Song from Judges, the theme of Divine salvation and
deliverance is foremost: "the remnant of the nobles; the people of the Lord marched down for
Him against the mighty" (vs. 13). The Lord stirred them up at the prompting of Deborah and
Barak. The specific tribes who marshaled and joined in the fight are named: Benjamin and
Zebulun (vs. 14), the princes of Issachar who "rushed forth" (vs. 15) and Naphtali (vs. 18).
Those who held back from the victory, Reuben, Gilead, Dan, and Asher were named also (vss.
16,17). But some of the tribes "jeoparded their lives to the death" (vs. 18), and God brought all
the powers of heaven to bear against their enemies (vss. 20,21) and saved them so that even "the
feet of horse were entangled," as the Septuagint version records (vs. 22 LXX).
"Who is like unto the Lord our God? Who dwelleth on high and looketh down on things that are
lowly in heaven and on earth, Who raiseth up the poor man...." (Ps. 112:5,6 LXX)
