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Today’s reading from Judges 3–5 takes us through four cycles of Israel’s rise and fall. Early in these chapters, we find a clear explanation for this relentless back-and-forth ride—a spiritual downward spiral described in verses 5 and 6:

“So the people of Israel lived among the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. And their daughters they took to themselves for wives, and their own daughters they gave to their sons, and they served their gods.”

This Spiral of Unfaithfulness unfolded in three stages:

  1. The Israelites lived among the Canaanites.

  2. The Israelites intermarried with the Canaanites.

  3. The Israelites served Canaanite gods.

Many today wonder why God seemed so "ruthless" in commanding the Israelites to drive out or destroy the indigenous peoples of the Promised Land. But to understand this, we must first recognize that God is perfectly just — and sin always carries consequences. The inhabitants of the land were not innocent; their longstanding rebellion brought judgment through Israel’s arrival. Yet, God is also rich in mercy. His grace toward Israel—and toward us — shows that His justice and love are not at odds.

God’s commands were meant to preserve Israel’s freedom and peace. It was their disobedience — their unwillingness to deal seriously with sin — that turned their experience into one of chaos. The spiral wasn’t God's doing; it was the inevitable result of spiritual compromise.

God takes sin just as seriously today. In the New Testament, Jesus uses vivid language to communicate this point:

“If your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell.” (Matthew 5:30)

Is it really ruthless to warn people about the eternal consequences of sin? Or is it an act of love?

Judges 3–5 includes some graphic stories that serve as vivid reminders of how seriously sin must be dealt with. Ehud plunges an 18-inch sword into King Eglon, and the fat closes over it. Jael, the wife of Heber (a descendant of Moses’s father-in-law), drives a tent peg through the skull of Sisera, the commander of the enemy army — literally nailing him to the ground. These aren’t just violent tales—they’re reminders that sin must be decisively and completely dealt with.

One more standout moment comes from the story of Deborah and Barak. While the cultural context of gender roles is worth noting, the greater lesson is one of obedience and faith. God had clearly called Barak to deliver Israel from King Jabin and Sisera. Deborah reminded him of this calling, but Barak would only go if Deborah accompanied him. She agreed, but warned him:

“The road on which you are going will not lead to your glory, for the Lord will sell Sisera into the hand of a woman.” (Judges 4:9)

That prophecy was fulfilled — not by Deborah, but by Jael and her tent peg.

Barak’s hesitation became a cautionary tale of missed opportunity. In contrast, Deborah and Jael stepped forward in faith and were used by God to bring victory.

The lesson? If you won’t step up in faith, God will still accomplish His will — but He’ll give the honor to someone else.
Best to say yes to God’s call and be part of the story He’s writing.

Takeaway: Sin is deadly serious. But so is the opportunity to trust and obey God. His promises still hold:

“Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you.” — 1 Peter 5:6

To humble yourself means to place yourself under God’s authority—trusting His timing, obeying His voice, and walking in His ways.