For God’s Sake? ...

More thoughts from my guest blogger, Malcolm Gray - Thailand.

 “Why did you stay among the campfires to hear the whistling for the flocks?” (Judges 5:16). 

Israel have settled in the promised land of Canaan. There is an uprising under Sisera, the commander of the Canaanite army with their 900 iron chariots. Israel are too disunited and afraid to face the enemy. Owing to a lack of willing male warriors, God chooses a courageous woman, Deborah, to lead the Israelite army into battle, consequently shaming the men. Predictably, God pulls through, and an amazing battle is won in the shadow of Armageddon (Mount Megiddo). God sends rain, the plain of Megiddo turns to a sticky mess, rendering the chariots useless, and Sisera flees on foot to a friend’s tent. Jael is the welcoming hostess, allowing the exhausted commander to sleep – just long enough for her to drive a tent peg through his temple, rendering him useless. A great victory initiated and completed by two women powerfully used by God.
 
So where do the sheep whistles come into this? Well, the campfires referred to were stoked by the Reubenites far from the battlefield, who preferred to busy themselves with daily tasks and enjoy the evening entertainment of watching the proverbial cows come home. They knew about the Canaanite uprising. They could have doused the fires and answered the call to unite and face the enemy. Or they could have remained in the familiar, staying in the comfortable. They had a choice. Sadly, they chose the option that suited their sake instead of selflessly pursuing God’s sake.
 
They weren’t alone. The tribe of Gad responded to Deborah’s “Go!” by staying on its side of the river. Dan and Asher lived on the coast and were preoccupied by the distractions of fish and ships.
 
A victory was won in spite of these unwilling tribes, but think of what might have occurred had true unity and a single purpose emerged at that moment. It had always been God’s plan for Israel to completely displace the Canaanites and rid Israel’s territory of their pagan practices. Sadly, that never happened. A routing of Canaan’s army only served to hammer the uprising down, while the Canaanite god Baal continued to show its ugly head in Israel for many years after this battle.
 
God is calling all of us to unite with a single purpose – to enlarge His kingdom across the world. It will require sacrifice – perhaps leaving boats, ignoring whistles, working less hours, quitting a job, learning a new language, moving overseas. And it will be risky - “The people of Zebulun risked their very lives; so did Naphtali on the heights of the field.” (v. 18)
The call has already been given. Now there’s a choice – God’s sake or yours?"