Welcome to the Covenant and the Cross Podcast. This is episode #113. I am your host, Daniel Whyte III, president of Gospel Light Society International. This podcast is designed to help you better understand the Word of God — both the Old and New Testaments. The Old Testament is the story of the Covenant which God made with His chosen people Israel. And the New Testament is the story of the Cross which signifies the fulfillment of the Old Covenant with Israel and the formation of a New Covenant with redeemed people from many nations.
We always like to start out with the Word of God, and today’s passage of Scripture is from Joshua 6:12-15 which reads: “And Joshua rose early in the morning, and the priests took up the ark of the Lord. And seven priests bearing seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark of the Lord went on continually, and blew with the trumpets: and the armed men went before them; but the rereward came after the ark of the Lord, the priests going on, and blowing with the trumpets. And the second day they compassed the city once, and returned into the camp: so they did six days. And it came to pass on the seventh day, that they rose early about the dawning of the day, and compassed the city after the same manner seven times: only on that day they compassed the city seven times.”
Regarding this passage, Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown wrote in their commentary: “The second day’s procession seems to have taken place in the morning. In all other respects, down even to the smallest details, the arrangements of the first day continued to be the rule followed on the other six. On account of the seven circuits they had to make that day. It is evident, however, that the militia only of the Israelites had been called to the march–for it is inconceivable that two millions of people could have gone so frequently round the city in a day.”
Today’s quote about the Bible is from Johann A. Bengel. He said: “Apply yourself wholly to the Scriptures, and apply the Scriptures wholly to yourself.”
Our topic for today is titled “The Best of Times, the Worst of Times, Part 6” from the book, “The Promise and the Blessing” by Dr. Michael A. Harbin.
In the narrative account of the battle, we are told only that Sisera and his army (including nine hundred chariots) were routed. In Deborah’s victory song, however, we learn that God intervened in the form of sending sudden rain on the battlefield. With the battle clearly lost, Sisera fled on foot, ending up in front of the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber, a Kenite. She invited Sisera in, because at the time, the Canaanites and the Kenites were on friendly terms. When Sisera asked for some water to assuage his thirst, she gave him milk (which would have been warm, for there was no refrigeration) and covered him with a rug. After he had fallen into a deep sleep from exhaustion, she took a tent peg and drove it through his skull, killing him. When Barak, who was pursuing Sisera, showed up, Jael showed him the dead general. Thus, when Deborah wrote her victory song, it was Jael who received the credit for killing the Canaanite general.
Following this battle, the Israelites were able to overthrow the rest of the Canaanite forces. Apparently Hazor was burned again and this time remained unsettled for several hundred years, probably until the time of Solomon.
DEBORAH’S SONG
In the battle against Sisera’s army, according to the Song of Deborah, “the clouds poured down water” and the “river Kishon swept them away”. This sudden rain seems to have turned the soil into mire, bogging down the chariots and making them easy targets for the Israelites who were on the slopes above. Judges 5 is ancient poetry and somewhat difficult to understand, but there are interesting expressions within it. For example, verse 20 talks of how the stars fought from heaven. This language seems to suggest involvement of angelic beings, but that allusion is not clear. Another interesting point is how Deborah condemned the other tribes for not participating in the conflict. These words may indicate that all the tribes (or at least the northern ones) were asked to participate but that God had known in advance that only two would do so.
WHO WERE THE KENITES?
Jael’s husband, Heber, is identified as a Kenite. The Kenites were the relatives of Moses’ father-in-law. A number of them joined the Israelites as they came into the land. Judges 1:16 tells of how they settled in the land, although the area they chose was in the south, near Arad. Jael’s heroic deed occurred about 160 years later
Lord willing, we will continue this topic in our next broadcast.
Let’s Pray —
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Before we close, dear friend, I want to remind you that the most important thing you should know about the Bible is that it is the story of God working to save humanity from sin and the consequences of sin. He did this by sending His Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross for our sins and take the punishment that we deserve on Himself. Romans 5:8 says, “God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior, and you want to get to know Him today, here’s how.
All you have to do is believe “that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the Scriptures” and you will be saved. The Bible states in the book of Romans 10:9, 13: “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
Pray and ask Him to come into your heart and He will.
Until next time, remember the word of God is the foundation to a successful life. God bless.
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