I heard two great sermons this past Sunday, one at the regular morning Divine Service and another at the installation of a new pastor in the afternoon. Both offered food for thought, and there were various points I considered writing about this week. But it was actually the Sunday morning Bible class that planted the seeds for this Earthen Vessels article.
The pastor is working his way through interesting and unusual stories from the Bible, and he is presently in the Book of Judges with his class. I was privileged to join the class in looking at the story of Deborah and Barak (Judges 4-5). Although a familiar story, there were several things that struck me in ways I had not fully considered in the past.
Deborah and Barak come on the scene at a time when Israel was again doing evil in the sight of the Lord (Judges 4:1). That typically involved the taking of foreign wives and then worshiping their false gods, though the evil is not specified in this case. As happened again and again, the Lord disciplined His people by giving them into the hand of enemies (in this case Jabin, king of Canaan), thereby prompting Israel to call upon the Lord for deliverance (Judges 4:2-3).
There is already a hint of the underlying problem in the introduction of Deborah as a prophetess and a judge of Israel at that time. It is no indictment of her, as she appears stalwart and faithful throughout the narrative; but it is an indictment of Israel, especially the men of Israel, who had become negligent and lazy and were not stepping up to lead and to fight in the confidence of the Lord. That is apparent in the contrast between the way things were in the days of Shamgar and Jael (Judges 5:6-8) and the subsequent results when the leaders led, the people volunteered, and the nobles, commanders, and princes of Israel came as warriors to the fight (Judges 5:2, 13-15). Yet, that change did not come until Deborah arose, “a mother in Israel” (Judges 5:7), and even then a number of the tribes of Israel did not join in the battle (Judges 5:15-16).
Barak, also, although he is summoned to lead the men of Israel against Jabin and his commander Sisera, is not willing to do so unless Deborah accompanies him (Judges 4:6-8). Consequently, in response to his hesitation and reluctance (hiding behind Deborah, as it were), the Lord will give Sisera into the hands of a woman rather than to Barak as the Israelite commander (Judges 4:9). Again, it is no indictment of Jael that she serves the Lord and His people in this way. Indeed, she is praised in exalted terms as “most blessed of women” (Judges 5:24). But it is an indictment of the men who were weak and cowardly and did not rise to the occasion (Judges 5:8, 16-17, 23).
In the history of the Church on earth, it has often been the case that wives and mothers step up to fill the vacuum that emerges when husbands and fathers are lazy and negligent and drop the ball on their responsibilities. God bless those women who do what they must in such cases! Even so, let us note that what Deborah calls for and praises are men who willingly and bravely step up, take the lead, and fight the fight in the confidence of the Lord (Judges 5:2, 9, 12-15, 18).
To these very ends, it is often the role of mothers to catechize their sons and pray for them to grow up and mature into faithful, courageous, and stalwart men of God, who know how to love, protect, provide for, and serve their families, their neighbors, including the widows and orphans, and to serve and support the mission and ministry of the Church according to and with the Word of God. In such faithful catechesis and prayer with and for the children from the earliest age, the hand that rocks the cradle rules the world. I’ve seen the blessed influence and good fruits of this maternal labor of love in the way that my wife has exemplified the faith and taught our children the Word of God and prayer in our home over the past thirty-eight years now. And we are given a beautiful example in the case of St. Monica, the mother of St. Augustine, who is remembered with thanksgiving this week (27 August). Likewise in the case of Hannah, the mother of Samuel, whose son grew up to serve as a faithful Prophet, Priest, and Judge in Israel for many years. Let us never doubt the incredible influence of godly mothers in bringing up godly sons in faith and love before the Lord. But let us likewise recognize and take to heart the need for godly fathers to rear their sons in the fear of the Lord and to demonstrate what it means to be a man of God.
At every level of the Church’s life in our own day and age, we need husbands, fathers, and men in general to bring their strength and abilities to bear in leading, guiding, serving, and supporting their homes and families, their neighborhoods and communities, and their congregations – as pastors and teachers, as office holders and volunteers, and as faithful and pious laymen in their own respective offices and stations. That means going to church, hearing, confessing, praying, and singing the Word of God, teaching the faith by word and deed, working to provide for the needs of others, defending the weak, and fighting for what is good and right and true. It means a lot of things, varying according to circumstance. God grant that such men awake, arise, and heed the call of duty. And “when the princes in Israel take the lead . . . praise the Lord!” (Judges 5:2).