Judges 4

“The Israelites again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, after Ehud had died. So the Lord sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor. The commander of his forces was Sisera who lived in Harosheth of the Nations. Then the Israelites cried out to the Lord, because Jabin had 900 iron chariots, and he harshly oppressed them 20 years.” Judges 4:1-3 (HCSB)

Judges 4 is a story of salvation, and today’s passage underscores Israel’s need for salvation: “The Israelites again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord.” So the Lord “sold” them to another “master,” Jabin, and Jabin assigned them to his taskmaster, Sisera, who, with his force of 900 iron chariots, crushed Israel very efficiently. Israel is, again, in need of both physical deliverance (from Jabin and Sisera) and spiritual deliverance (their bondage to sin).

We should take note of the cycle of Israel’s sin: “again did what was evil.” (Evil = Baal worship; see 2:11). You see, it is difficult to be creative in sin. There is a certain monotony about sin because most of it has been done before, so we are doomed to repeat the same sins over and over. Sin is boring and routine (as are all habits), void of fresh excitement. The fast lane quickly becomes an old rut after a few laps. Evil never lends itself to originality; hence, there are two problems: Slavery and Staleness.

These verses allude to the pressurized piety of Israel: “after Ehud had died.” It was after Ehud died that Israel again did evil. This is a sample of what 2:19 was talking about. Take away the external restraint, and Israel displays her true character. There is something wrong with religion when its degree of fidelity depends solely on outside pressures, influences, and leadership. Thus, we are “Christian” only because of our surroundings or because of the expectations of believers around us. That scenario of forced piety/morality indicates a lack of a genuine internal work of God.

I once saw a T-shirt in a New Orleans souvenir shop that read: Jesus is coming. Everyone, look busy! That pretty much defines the “faith” of many people attending churches today. True faith is displayed by how you act and think when nobody is watching, knowing all the while that we are never hidden from the watchful eye of the Father, Son, and Spirit.

All that being said, when the influence Ehud exerted was taken away, Israel showed her real colors again. That is why genuine salvation consists not of giving glowing testimonies (like deliverance from Moab in chapter 3) but in departing from evil (2 Timothy 2:19). Not in relating glorious experiences with God but in living a consistent life (1 John 2:3-5, 3:9).