Thru Long Faith, Barak Barava Winim Wanfala Bigfala Army
TINGIM sapos iu nao iu feis-tu-feis witim wanfala sekson bilong enemy army. Olketa garem olketa niu samting for faet, and olketa standap redy for iusim. Taem iu and olketa fren bilong iu standap front long olketa, iufala barava iusles nao.
Long taem bilong olketa judge long Israel, Barak, Deborah and 10,000 Israelite kasem diskaen experience. Enemy bilong olketa nao olketa bilong Canaan wea bigman bilong army, Sisera, leadim olketa. Insaed olketa samting for faet hem olketa chariot, wea olketa wheel pas witim sharpfala iron naef wea savve killim man dae. Evriting hia happen long Maunt Tabor and long valley bilong Kishon. Samting wea happen long there markem Barak olsem man wea wanfala gudfala example long faith. Ting raonem olketa samting wea happen wea lead go for disfala faet.
Israel Singaot Long Jehovah
Buk bilong Judges storyim wei wea Israel evritaem lusim stretfala wei for worship and olketa barava nogud samting wea kamaot from diswan. Long each taem, olketa barava askem mercy bilong God, then God appointim samwan for sevem olketa and olketa kamap free, bat then olketa tanawe from hem moa. From diswan go ahed, ‘olketa son bilong Israel start moa for duim samting wea nogud long eye bilong Jehovah from Ehud [wanfala judge wea sevem olketa from nogud rul bilong Moab] hem dae.’ And tu, “olketa chusim olketa niufala god.” Wanem nao kamap from diswan? “Jehovah sellim olketa long hand bilong Jabin disfala king bilong Canaan, wea rul long Hazor; and bigman bilong army bilong hem nao Sisera . . . And olketa son bilong Israel start for singaot long Jehovah, bikos [Sisera] hem garem naen handred war chariot wea garem olketa sharpfala iron naef long olketa, and hemseleva putim barava nogud hevi long olketa son bilong Israel for twenti year.”—Judges 4:1-3; 5:8.
Saed long living long Israel, Bible hem sei: “[Long datfala taem] pipol no iusim olketa main road, and pipol wea wakabaot iusim olketa smol road wea haed. No eniwan stap long bush ples wea kwaet.” (Judges 5:6, 7) Pipol fraetem tumas olketa man for steal wea kam insaed olketa chariot. Wanfala savveman hem sei, “Wei for fraet nao kontrolem laef bilong pipol long Israel, luk olsem living hem blok and no eni help stap.” So olsem olketa Israelite savve duim bifor, witim hevi feeling olketa singaot long Jehovah for help.
Jehovah Appointim Wanfala Leader
Evriwan long Israel feelim disfala hevi wea Canaan putim long olketa. God iusim woman profet Deborah for talemaot olketa judgment and instruction bilong hem. From diswan Jehovah givim hem privilege for kamap olsem mami bilong Israel long tokpiksa wei.—Judges 4:4; 5:7.
Deborah talem Barak for kam and hem sei: “Jehovah God bilong Israel givim finis disfala komand ‘Go and iu mas spreadim iuseleva long Maunt Tabor, and iu mas tekem witim iu ten thousand from olketa son bilong Naphtali and from olketa son bilong Zebulun. And bae mi pullim kam long iu long valley bilong Kishon Sisera datfala bigman bilong army bilong Jabin and olketa chariot for faet bilong hem and olketa man bilong hem, and mi bae barava givim hem long hand bilong iu.’ ” (Judges 4:6, 7) Taem hem sei ‘Jehovah nao givim disfala komand’ Deborah barava minim klia hao hem no garem eni paoa ovarem Barak. Komand bilong God kam thru long hem nomoa. Wanem nao ansa bilong Barak?
“Sapos iu go witim mi,” Barak sei, “mi bae go; bat sapos iu no go witim mi, bae mi no go.” (Judges 4:8) Why nao Barak hol bak for acceptim responsibility from God? Waswe, hem fraet? Hem no trustim promis bilong God? Nomoa. Barak nating les long disfala assignment, and hem nating disobeyim Jehovah. Bat, ansa bilong hem showimaot hem no feel hem fit for duim seleva komand bilong God. Sapos diswan wea tok for God hem go witim hem, bae Barak and olketa man bilong hem sure God bae leadim olketa and olketa fulap witim strong. Winim wei for diswan hem saen bilong man wea wik, samting wea Barak askem hem showimaot strongfala faith.
Iumi savve markem wei bilong Barak long diswan witim Moses, Gideon, and Jeremiah. Olketa man hia tu tingim olketa seleva no fit for duim waka wea God talem. Bat diswan no minim faith bilong olketa hem no strong. (Exodus 3:11–4:17; 33:12-17; Judges 6:11-22, 36-40; Jeremiah 1:4-10) And wanem nao iumi savve talem abaotem fasin bilong Deborah? Hem nating trae for kasem paoa. Bat, hem stap olsem wanfala hambol servant bilong Jehovah. “Bae mi mas go witim iu,” hem sei long Barak. (Judges 4:9) Deborah hem willing for lusim hom bilong hem—ples wea hem stap sef—for joinim Barak long faet wea bae kamap. Deborah tu hem showimaot faith and fasin for no fraet.
Witim Faith Olketa Followim Barak
Ples wea army bilong Israel meet hem long wanfala important maunten wea nem bilong hem Tabor. Disfala ples hem fitim. Hem nao ples wea olketa tribe bilong Naphtali and Zebulun wea stap klosap, fit for hipap long hem. Dastawe olsem God orderim, ten thousand volunteer—and Deborah—followim Barak for go ap long disfala maunten.
Evriwan wea joinim Barak needim faith. Jehovah promisim Barak hao hem bae winim olketa bilong Canaan, bat wanem kaen samting for faet nao olketa Israelite garem? Judges 5:8 sei: “Man no savve lukim eni shield, or eni spia, midolwan long foti thousand long Israel.” So olketa Israelite no garem staka samting for faet. For tok stret, olketa shield and spia bae olsem samting nating long olketa war chariot wea garem sharpfala iron naef. Taem Sisera herem hao Barak hem go ap finis long Maunt Tabor, hem kwiktaem kolem evri chariot and army bilong hem for go long valley bilong Kishon. (Judges 4:12, 13) Sisera fail for luksavve hao hem bae faetem Olmaeti God.
Barak Barava Winim Army Bilong Sisera
Taem day for faet hem kamap, Deborah sei long Barak: “Getap, bikos diswan nao day wea Jehovah bae barava givim Sisera long hand bilong iu. Datwan wea go front long iu, hem nao Jehovah.” Barak and olketa man bilong hem mas go daon from Maunt Tabor and go long flat ples long valley, bat long there bae hem isi for olketa chariot bilong Sisera. Sapos iu nao insaed army bilong Barak, hao nao feeling bilong iu? Bae iu redy for obey, from iu tingim direction hem kam from Jehovah? Barak and ten thousand man bilong hem obey. “And Jehovah start for mekem Sisera and evri war chariot and full camp for kamap konfius from sword front long Barak.”—Judges 4:14, 15.
Witim help bilong Jehovah, Barak barava winim army bilong Sisera. Story bilong disfala war hem no talem evriting wea happen. Bat, disfala song bilong win bilong Barak and Deborah talem hao ‘wata foldaon from olketa heven and olketa cloud.’ Maet, wanfala bigfala rain mekem olketa chariot bilong Sisera for pas long mud, and diswan openem wei for Barak win. Olketa main samting bilong olketa long Canaan for faet hem kamap samting wea nating helpem olketa. Saed long olketa dead body bilong olketa man bilong Sisera, song hia sei: “Wata bilong Kishon tekem olketa go.”—Judges 5:4, 21.
Waswe, samting olsem savve happen? Wata long valley bilong Kishon hem kaen river wea planti taem garem lelebet wata nomoa. Bihaen bigfala rain, olketa wata kamap big olsem big wave and bae hem strong and danger. Long taem bilong World War I, bihaen 15 minute nomoa long rain, graon long datfala sem area barava kamap danger for olketa army wea raedem horse. Story abaotem faet long Maunt Tabor midolwan Napoleon and olketa bilong Turk long April 16, 1799, talem hao “planti long olketa [Turk] draon from olketa trae for ranawe akrosim disfala flat ples bikos Kishon kavarem.”
Man bilong Jew for raetem history, Flavius Josephus, talem hao taem army bilong Sisera and Barak klosap for meet, “bigfala rain foldaon from heven, witim hail, and wind hem blowim rain long feis bilong olketa long Canaan, and so eye bilong olketa kamap dark, gogo olketa arrow and sling bilong olketa nating helpem olketa.”
Judges 5:20 hem sei: “From heven olketa star faet, from ples bilong olketa, olketa faet againstim Sisera.” Hao nao olketa star savve faet againstim Sisera? Samfala tingim disfala toktok olsem olketa hia kasem help from God. Samfala narawan sei diswan hem minim help from olketa angel, olketa meteorite foldaon, or wei wea Sisera hem depend long pipol wea studyim olketa star wea kamap false. From Bible no talem hao nao olketa star faet long war hia, hem luk olsem hem stret for iumi tingim disfala toktok minim God nao helpem olketa army bilong Israel. Nomata wanem, olketa Israelite barava mekius long samting wea kamap. “Barak ran aftarem olketa war chariot . . . evriwan long camp bilong Sisera dae from sword. No eniwan hem stap laef.” (Judges 4:16) Wanem nao happen long bigman bilong army, Sisera?
Man wea Givim Hevi Foldaon “Long Hand Bilong Wanfala Woman”
“Long saed bilong Sisera,” Bible sei, “hem ranawe long leg bilong hem go kasem tent bilong Jael waef bilong Heber disfala Kenite, from peace hem stap midolwan Jabin disfala king bilong Hazor and olketa long haos bilong Heber disfala Kenite.” Jael invaetem Sisera wea taed go insaed tent bilong hem, givim hem milk for drinkim, and kavarem hem, gogo hem sleep. Then Jael “go ahed for tekem wanfala nila bilong tent and putim hammer long hand bilong hem,” olketa samting wea man wea stap long tent bae iusim evritaem. “Then hem go long kwaet wei, taem man hia deep sleep from hem taed tumas, and hammerim nila hia wea go insaed hed bilong man hia and kamaot long graon. So man hia hem dae.”—Judges 4:17-21.
Then Jael kamaot for meetim Barak and hem sei long Barak: “Kam and bae mi showim iu man wea iu luk aotem.” Story hia sei moa: “So Barak go witim hem, and lukim! Sisera foldaon dae finis, witim nila insaed hed bilong hem.” Faith bilong Barak barava kamap strong! From Deborah bin talem hem finis: “Datfala samting wea luk naes bae no kamap bilong iu, from Jehovah bae givim Sisera long hand bilong wanfala woman.”—Judges 4:9, 22.
Waswe, iumi fit for sei samting wea Jael duim brekem trust? Jehovah nating ting olsem. Song bilong win bilong Barak and Deborah hem sei: “Midolwan olketa woman long tent hem bae kasem planti blessing.” Disfala singsing helpem iumi for tingim dae bilong Sisera long stretfala wei. Mami bilong hem go ahed for weitim kam bak bilong hem from war. Mami hia hem sei “why nao war chariot bilong hem delay for kam?” Long wei for comfortim hem “olketa wise woman bilong hem,” talem hao maet Sisera go ahed for sharem olketa reward bilong war—olketa naesfala kaleko wea garem design and olketa girl for olketa man. Olketa woman ask: “Waswe, olketa no sharem aot olketa reward yet, wanfala girl—tufala girl [toktok bilong olketa soldia for olketa woman wea olketa tekem, footnote] for each man, and for Sisera staka kalakala kaleko . . . Wanfala kaleko wea garem design long hem, kalakala kaleko, tufala kaleko witim design long hem, for raonem long man wea karem olketa reward?”—Judges 5:24, 28-30.
Olketa Leson for Iumi
Story bilong Barak teachim iumi planti important leson. Olketa problem witim wei for no feel satisfae bae spoelem eniwan wea no mekem Jehovah part long laef bilong hem. Freedom from hevi bilong enikaen samting bae kamap for olketa wea tan long God long wei for repent and showimaot faith long hem. And tu iumi mas mekem grow spirit for obey. Nomata sapos samting wea God laekem hem no fitim wanem man tingim, iumi savve sure hao olketa instruction bilong hem bae helpem iumi for olowe. (Isaiah 48:17, 18) Barak fit for barava winim ‘army bilong olketa enemy,’ from hem showimaot faith long Jehovah and obeyim olketa instruction from God.—Hebrews 11:32-34.
Singsing bilong Deborah and Barak hem end witim toktok bilong feeling olsem: “Letem evri enemy bilong iu dae, O Jehovah, letem olketa wea lovem iu kamap olsem taem sun hem go aot witim strong bilong hem.” (Judges 5:31) Diswan bae barava showaot tru taem Jehovah bringim end long nogud world bilong Satan!
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Jehovah iusim Deborah for kolem Barak
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Kishon River hem ran big
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Pictorial Archive (Near Eastern History) Est.
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Maunt Tabor