Police Devotional 7-24-20
Brave Lady
“…the LORD shall sell Sisera into the hand of a woman.” (Judges 4:9)
Police work is a man’s world. I didn’t say it’s a man’s job. I know better than to say that. I’ve worked with, supervised, and been supervised by lady cops over thirty-three years. I’ve seen them on dangerous calls in bad areas on hot summer nights. I know they can do the job. A friend of mine, another retired cop, told me glowingly about a lady partner who he said was as good as any guy he’d worked with.
Yet police work is largely a man’s world because most criminals are men and they deal with a man’s level of violence. Male cops may—and should–respect their female counterparts, but people on the street may not. As any cop, male or female, will agree, the dangers of the job don’t have a curve. Women on the job must face the same dangers as men. Policewomen can be hurt and killed. Tragically, many have been.
The Bible has great stories of brave, godly men like David, Jonathan, and Joshua. But the Bible also has a story of a brave, godly lady. Her name was Deborah. She was a judge in Israel. During Deborah’s time, Israel had no kings. They had judges who exercised political and spiritual leadership. “And Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, she judged Israel at that time.” (Judges 4:4)
After the death of Ehud, the judge before Deborah, Israel had rebelled against God; unfortunately, not for the first time. God had let the Canaanites and their king, Jabin, oppress them twenty years. Yet Israel prayed for help and God answered. Deborah called Barak, Israel’s general, and told him God wanted him to fight against the Canaanite general Sisera and his troops, and God would give Israel victory.
Barak’s reply was curious: “If thou wilt go with me, then I will go: but if thou wilt not go with me, then I will not go.” (Judges 4:8) Did he lack courage? Or maybe he wanted to be sure of God’s blessing in this battle, so he asked Deborah to go with him. She replied, “I will surely go with thee: notwithstanding the journey that thou takest shall not be for thine honour; for the LORD shall sell Sisera into the hand of a woman.” (Judges 4:9)
Barak went to battle “…with ten thousand men at his feet: and Deborah went up with him.” (Judges 4:10) Just as God had promised, “…the LORD discomfited Sisera, and all his chariots, and all his host, with the edge of the sword before Barak;” (Judges 4:15) God gave Israel the victory. They wiped out Sisera’s army completely: “…and all the host of Sisera fell upon the edge of the sword; and there was not a man left.” (Judges 4:16) Sisera escaped alone on foot. But that’s not the end of the story.
Deborah said the LORD would sell Sisera into the hand of a woman, but another woman was involved in the story. Sisera fled into a tent belonging to a lady named Jael. He asked her for water. She gave him milk instead, maybe because she knew milk is good for inducing sleep. He dozed off, exhausted. Jael took a tent mail and pounded it into his head with a hammer as he slept, killing him. So God saved Israel from the Canaanites, and He used Deborah to do it, a godly lady who was a brave fighter and a great leader.
Police work can be dangerous, as much for women as for men. Yet if you’re a lady willing to take the job, here is encouragement right from Scripture. You can live a godly life that God blesses, as Deborah did. You can have a good marriage and a strong family life, as Deborah did. And you can be brave and do well in dangerous situations, as Deborah did. Aren’t those great promises from God’s Word?
The best promise from the Word of God is how to have eternal life. If you want to know more, please go to www.clevelandbaptist.org
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Brian Miller 7/24/2020
Cleveland Baptist Church 4431 Tiedeman Road, Brooklyn, Ohio 44144 216/671-2822