Words from the Lord for this time:
"Never give up speaking the Word over your situation! Never give up declaring the Word over your situation! For the Word of God is like a sword, like a hammer, and like fire! Like a sword, it cuts and separates between what is of God and what is not. Like a hammer, it smashes and demolishes the power of the enemy. Like fire, it burns, cleanses and purges what is not of God. And that's when you'll begin to see with greater clarity what is of God and what God wants to do in your life!"
Let's go all the way to the Book of Judges. It's a dramatic time in the history of Israel. But we can also learn so much from this book. We shall now zero in on what happened during the days of Deborah.
Judges 4:1-5 (NKJV) says, '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. And the commander of his army was Sisera, who dwelt in Harosheth Hagoyim. 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. Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, was judging Israel at that time. And she would sit under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the mountains of Ephraim. And the children of Israel came up to her for judgment.'
Here, you see that Deborah was used by the Lord to judge what is of God and what is not of God; to judge what is right and what is wrong. And the people of Israel those days would come up to her for such judgment. Interestingly, this name 'Deborah' comes from the word 'Dabar' in Hebrew, and it means 'to speak, to declare, to proclaim'. In other words, she was to speak, to declare, and to proclaim what the Lord has spoken for her to speak, to declare, and to proclaim (over each situation the people of Israel faced at that time).
Judges 4:6-9 (NKJV) says, 'Then Deborah sent and called for Barak the son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali, and said to him, "Has not the Lord God of Israel commanded, 'Go and deploy troops at Mount Tabor; take with you ten thousand men of the sons of Naphtali and of the sons of Zebulun; and against you I will deploy Sisera the commander of Jabin's army with his chariots and his multitude at the River Kishon, and I will deliver him into your hand.'" And Barak said to Deborah, "If you will go with me, then I will go; but if you will not go with me, I will not go!" So Deborah said, "I will surely go with you; nevertheless there will be no glory for you in the journey you are taking, for the Lord will sell Sisera into the hand of a woman." Then Deborah arose and went with Barak to Kedesh.'
The Lord was getting ready a confrontation between His man (Barak) and the enemy's man (Sisera), and He has even promised He will deliver Sisera into Barak's hand. However, Barak lacked the courage and belief, and he probably felt he wasn't ready to go for it alone without Deborah going together with him. As you can see here, Deborah the prophetess was actually the figure behind Barak's victory.
Judges 4:14 (NKJV) says, 'Then Deborah said to Barak, "Up! For this is the day in which the Lord has delivered Sisera into your hand. Has not the Lord gone out before you?" So Barak went down from Mount Tabor with ten thousand men following him.'
Speaking of 'Dabar' (which means 'to speak, to declare, to proclaim'), when Deborah said to Barak, "Up! For this is the day in which the Lord has delivered Sisera into your hand. Has not the Lord gone out before you?", that was in actual fact a declaration and a proclamation made by Deborah (as she heard from the Lord)! Barak then did accordingly, and that's how the enemy was defeated, just as the Lord has promised!
You see? The power of God's words! As the Lord has spoken to you about something, you obey, you walk in it, and you too shall see the results!
Judges 4:15-16 (NKJV) then says, 'And the Lord routed Sisera and all his chariots and all his army with the edge of the sword before Barak; and Sisera alighted from his chariot and fled away on foot. But Barak pursued the chariots and the army as far as Harosheth Hagoyim, and all the army of Sisera fell by the edge of the sword; not a man was left.'
See 'the edge of the sword' here? Of course under the New Covenant, we do not fight flesh and blood. But what does 'the edge of the sword' symbolize here? It symbolizes the Word of God!
Judges 4:17 (NKJV) says, 'However, Sisera had fled away on foot to the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite; for there was peace between Jabin king of Hazor and the house of Heber the Kenite.'
For the record, Jabin and Heber had made a prior agreement to help one another and to live in peace with one another. And that was why Sisera escaped to the house of this man Heber, because he believed he could find safety there.
Judges 4:18 (NKJV) says, 'And Jael went out to meet Sisera, and said to him, "Turn aside, my lord, turn aside to me. Do not fear." And when he had turned aside with her into the tent, she covered him with a blanket.'
It seemed that Sisera was kept safe. Or so he thought.
Judges 4:19-20 (NKJV) then says, 'Then Sisera said to Jael the wife of Heber, "Please give me a little water to drink, for I am thirsty." So she opened a jug of milk, gave him a drink, and covered him. And he said to her, "Stand at the door of the tent, and if any man comes and inquires of you, and says, 'Is there any man here?', you shall say 'No.'"'
That was the instruction given by Sisera to Jael.
But look what happened next. Because Jael had a different idea.
Judges 4:21 (NKJV) says, 'Then Jael, Heber's wife, took a tent peg and took a hammer in her hand, and went softly to him and drove the peg into his temple (the side of his forehead), and it went down into the ground; for he was fast asleep and weary; so he died.'
Now, please, this is not to promote violence. As mentioned just now, under the New Covenant, we are not fighting flesh and blood. But this 'hammer' is symbolic. It's actually a 'picture' of the Word of God! So, not only 'the sword' speaks of the Word of God, 'the hammer' speaks of the Word of God too!
And wow! Jael! A woman used by the Lord to do great exploits! It certainly took a lot of courage and belief in her to do something like that! And what more Sisera was a strong man and a commander of a great army!
In a very patriarchal society in Israel those days, somehow the Lord raised up Deborah to judge Israel and to deliver Israel. And here you see the Lord used Jael to eliminate the commander of the enemy's army! Who says the Lord cannot use a woman greatly? Now, what more in this modern society today? The Lord is indeed raising up many women of God who will do great exploits for His glory in this end time!
So, whether you are a man or a woman, young or old, when the Lord wants to use you, just avail yourself, and never limit what He can do through your life!
Back to Judges chapter 4 now.
With Sisera the commander of Jabin's army dead and gone, the Lord then subdued Jabin king of Canaan in the presence of the children of Israel. The hand of the children of Israel grew stronger and stronger against Jabin king of Canaan, until they had finally destroyed Jabin king of Canaan. And that's how the Lord turned things around for the children of Israel and gave them victory. Hallelujah!
The Word of God is like a sword!
Hebrews 4:12 (NKJV) says, 'For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.'
See that? The Word that you speak is living and powerful! And when the Lord has spoken for you to speak it out over your situation (whatever your situation may be), it will work for you!
The Word of God is sharp and two-edged in how it works. In other words, separating the things of the flesh and the things of the Spirit, so that you can move with the things of the Spirit!
The Word of God is like a hammer!
Jeremiah 23:29 (NKJV) says, "Is not My word like a fire?" says the Lord, "And like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?"
No matter how hard or stubborn the enemy is, the Word of God is like a hammer that breaks it into pieces!
The Word of God works like a hammer, and it smashes and demolishes the work of the enemy!
The Word of God is like fire!
Jeremiah 23:29 (NKJV) says, "Is not My word like a fire?" says the Lord, "And like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?"
The Word of God is also like a fire. It burns, cleanses, and purges whatever that is contrary to God. And that's when you will be so clear about who you are, and what God wants to do in your life!
