Can Prayer Save America?

   During the Civil War, a friend of Abraham Lincoln was a visitor at the White House. "One night I was restless and could not sleep... From the private room where the President slept, I heard low tones. Instinctively I wandered in, and there I saw a sight which I have never forgotten. It was the President, kneeling before an open Bible. His back was toward me. I shall never forget his prayer: 'Oh, Thou God that heard Solomon in the night when he prayed and cried for wisdom, hear me...I cannot guide the affairs of this nation without Thy help. Hear me and save this nation.'"
   When the leaders of our country assembled to write the Constitution, Benjamin Franklin proposed each session be opened with prayer. Franklin said, "I have lived a long time, and the longer I live the more convincing proof I see of this truth-that God governs the affairs of men."
   Our nation is great because it was founded upon God's Word and prayer. But today prayer has been replaced by political intrigue, materialism, and a mistaken notion that our private and national affairs can be run without God.
   But here and there throughout American voices are heard, as individuals and groups begin to call on God in prayer. But this whole nation must be moved to prayer. So great are the dangers, so grave the perils, so tremendous the problems, that it is imperative that we lay hold upon the LORD God in prayer for His will.
   Prayer can save America. There is only one way out, and that is up! If we do not turn to God, we will be overcome by the godless. It is either revival or ruin! It is now or never! The answer will not be found by the UN or NATO. The answer will be found only when we call upon the LORD God. Spiritual values must be restored.We must return to the faith of our Father, and to family prayer, and the Bible.
   But we cannot really lay hold upon a Holy God until we come to know Him as our Father. The Bible says that we have all sinned and are separated from God. By His death on the cross, God's Son Jesus Christ paid the penalty for our sins. "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."
   Christ's death and resurrection make it possible for you to have victory over sin and a vital relationship with God. Only then can He hear and answer prayers...both for America and your own personal needs. Receive Him today. For as many as received Him, to them He gave power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe in His name."
   Then you can claim God's promise: "If My people, which are called by My name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek My Face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from Heaven, and will forgive their sins, and will heal their land."
                                               THE AMERICAN"S CREED
   I believe in the United States of America, as a government of the people, by the people, for the people; whose just powers are derived from the consent of the governed; a democracy in a republic; a sovereign nation of many sovereign states; a perfect union, one and inseparable; established on those principles of freedom, equality, justice and humanity for which American patriots sacrificed their lives and fortunes.
   I therefore believe it is my duty to my country to love it, to support its Constitution, to obey its laws, to respect its flag, and to defend it against all enemies (and to pray for its leaders.)
 

Story 69: Jeph'thah's Vow And The Sacrifice Of His Daughter lV

   The word which Jeph'thah used in making his vows was frequently employed in ancient Is'ra-el in the dedication of lands, tithes, or other valuable possessions to the LORD. The object offered in such a ceremony was thought to be so entirely devoted to the LORD that it could belong to no one else. Such an offering did not necessarily require the slaying and burning of the object offered, and certainly would not require the murder of a human being in defiance of one of the Ten Commandments. For these reasons it may well be that Jeph'thah's vow was fulfilled without staining his hands with the blood of his own precious child.
   Soon after Jeph'thah's victory over the Am'mon-ites, certain men of the tribe of E'phra-im showed a very ugly spirit. They were jealous of the honor to which Jeph'thah had risen, of the superior courage displayed by the Gil'e-ad-ites, and of their triumph over such powerful foes. Twice before this tribe had shown a haughty, envious spirit toward other tribes of Is'ra-el; first, when the land was allotted by Josh'u-a, and then when Gid'e-on won a great victory over the Ca'naan-ites of the north.
   Because of the superior blessing conferred upon their ancestor E'phra-im by his grandfather Ja'cob, the E'phra-im-ites were ambitious to rule over the tribe of Ma-nas'seh, and regarded them as their inferiors. The Gil'e-ad-ites were descendants of a powerful family of Ma-nas'seh, and therefore were especially envied by the men of E'phra-im.
   The E'phra-im-ites took advantage of Jeph'thah's victory to show their hatred for the clan which was rising so rapidly among the tribe of Ma-nas'seh. They pretended that their rank had been ignored because they were not asked to take part in the war against the Am'mon-ites, and threatened to destroy Jeph'thah by burning his house. A large company crossed the Jor'dan and prepared for the civil war at Za'phon, which was a small town in the territory of the tribe of Gad. Jeph'thah disproved their charges by reminding them that they had refused to join him in battle, that there was no just cause for their complaint, and that they should be grateful because the land was free from all oppressors.
   The men of Gil'e-ad resented the proud attitude of the E'phra-im-ites, and engaged them in a fierce battle. Thousands of them were slain, and the others were forced to flee in confusion. Those who escaped from the battle sought to flee across the Jor'dan to their own territory, but were trapped by a clever plan of the Gil'e-ad-ites.
   Jeph'thah placed guards at the fords of the Jor'dan to intercept all the E'phra-im-ites who tried to escape into their own land. In order to tell the tribal membership of those who wished to cross the river, they were required to pronounce the Hebrew word "Shib'bo-leth," which means "an ear of corn." The E'phra-im-ites could not pronounce this word as the tribes east of the Jor'dan did, but could only say "Sib'bo-leth," and in this way was known that they were enemies.
   The entire length of Jeph'thah's rule was six years. Peace and prosperity prevailed among the tribes east of the Jor'dan after the defeat of the Am'mon-ites and the civil war with the E'phra-im-ites.
  

Story 69: Jeph'thah's Vow And The Sacrifice Of His Daughter lll

   Lifted far above his natural courage, strength, and wisdom by the anointing of the spirit of God, Jeph'thah raised a large army from the tribes of Ma-nas'seh, Gad, and Reu'ben, and marched against the Am'mon-ites. His army was assembled at Miz'pah, sacred in the history of Is'ra-el as the place where Ja'cob and La'ban had made a covenant of lasting peace, as one of the forty-eight Le-vit'i-cal cities, as a City of Refuge, and as the capital of Gil'e-ad. Here Jeph'thah made a solemn vow to God that if He would give him victory over the Am'mon-ites, he would offer Him as a sacrifice whatever came forth to meet him on his return from the field of victory.
   In the battle which followed, the LORD enabled Jeph'thah to win a crushing victory over the Am'mon-ites. Many of the invaders were slain, and those who escaped death fled from the land. Twenty cities formerly held by the Am'mon-ites were captured by Jeph'thah's army. The land of Is'ra-el was completely delivered from oppression, and Jeph'thah was made Judge over the tribes east of the Jor'dan.
   Jeph'thah had in his home an only child, a lovely young daughter. He loved her very dearly, and she was tenderly devoted to her brave and heroic father. On his return from the great victory over the Am'mon-ites she ran out to meet him, singing for joy, and dancing on praise of her father's triumph over the enemies of Is'ra-el. Jeph'thah was smitten with anguish when he saw her, for he remembered the vow which he had made with God. His heart was filled with grief at the thought of laying his only child, his beloved and cherished daughter, on the altar of sacrifice to the LORD. Calling upon all the heroism of his noble character, he told his daughter of the vow which he had made with to God. He solemnly declared, "I have made this pledge to the LORD, and I cannot take it back."
   Without pausing for a moment to reflect upon what her words might mean to her and her father, Jeph'thah's daughter said, " Do to me according to that which thou hast vowed." She then asked permission to spend two months in the mountains surrounding Miz'pah that she might "mourn her virginity." To give up the privilege of being a wife and a mother was a supreme sacrifice for an Is'ra-el-it-ish woman. Every Jewish woman hoped, in becoming a mother, that she might give to the world the promised Mes-si'ah of Is'ra-el.
   When the two months had passed, Jeph'thah's daughter returnt to her home, and the Bible narrative says, "He did with her according to his vow." Some earnest readers of the Bible believe that Jeph'thah did not put his daughter to death on an altar of sacrifice, for the Scriptures do not say that he actually offered her as a burnt offering to the LORD.
   It may be that the sacrifice which Jeph'thah's daughter made was that of giving her life entirely to the service of God, giving up all thought of marriage, and thereby causing the house of her father to pass away without leaving some descendant to bear his name. Such a sacrifice would require both father and daughter to give of their best to the LORD, and would carry out the spirit in which Jeph'thah made his vow unto the LORD.

Story 69: Jeph'thah's Vow And The Sacrifice Of His Daughter ll

   There had formerly lived in Gil'e-ad a man of great physical strength, boldness, and courage named Jeph'thah. He was the bastard son of a man named Gil'e-ad, and because of the circumstances of his birth was not entitled to dwell in the land of his father's inheritance, but was cast out by his half-brothers. It also appears that Jeph'thah may have been disliked by other members of his clan because he held strictly to the religion of the True God. They may also have been jealous of him because of his bold, enterprising spirit.
   Jeph'thah went into a land called Tob, which was in Syr'i-a on the borders of Gil'e-ad to the north or northeast. Because of his adventurous spirit and ability as a leader of men, there soon gathered about him a band of warriors who made frequent raids upon the heathen settlers, including the Am'mon-ites who had plundered the Is'ra-el-ites.
   Having learnt of Jeph'thah's success and great skill as a warrior. the elders of Is'ra-el invited him to lead his nation in war against the Am'mon-ites, offering to make him the permanent ruler if he succeeded in driving the invaders out of the land. After a series of conferences in which it was admitted that Jeph'thah had been unjustly treated by his brothers, he accepted the commission.
   The first act of Jeph'thah was to send a deputation to the Am'mon-ites with a proposal to settle their differences without a war. This proposal was scornfully rejected, and Jeph'thah sought again for a friendly settlement of the strife between the Am'mon-ites and his people. The Am'mon-ites sought to justify their hostile attitude toward Is'ra-el on the grounds that their lands had been taken by this nation, and that they had the right to win them back even by the force of arms.
   In reply to this argument Jeph'thah reviewed the history of Is'ra-el's dealings with the E'dom-ites, Mo'ab-ites, and Am'mon-ites. He reminded them that Si'hon, king of the Am'o-rites, had been the one who had taken their lands, and that God enabled the Is'ra-el-ites to defeat him, and to take possession of all his territory. The Am'mon-ites refused to yield to the argument of Jeph'thah, and forced an immediate war upon Is'ra-el.

Story 69: Jeph'thah's Vow And The Sacrifice Of His Daughter l

   Toward the end of the rule of Ja'ir, Is'ra-el appears to have fallen into a state of idolatry much worse than at any previous time. The worship of false gods became widespread and varied. They forsook the worship of Je-ho'vah, and adopted the gods of Syr'i-a, Si'don, and Mo'ab, and of the Am'mon-ites and Phi-lis'tines.
   The gods of Syr'i-a, or A'ram, are not named, but the chief idol among them was called Rim'mon, a symbol of the sun-god. The gods of the Zi'don-ians or Phoe-ni'cians, were Ba'al and Ash'ta-roth; the first being known as the sun-god, while the second was called the moon-goddess. The chief god of the Mo'ab-ites was Che'mosh, which represented the planet Sat'urn. The national god of Am'mon was Mo'loch, Mil'com, which seems to have been another name for Che'mosh, and to have represented the planet Sat'urn. The chief god of the Phi-lis'tines was Da'gon, the fish-god, or god of increase.
   There were striking similarities in the rites and ceremonies practiced in all of these false religions, and all were demoralizing to the moral and social life of the Is'ra-el-ites, leading to a complete breakdown in their worship of the True God.
   As a result of the moral and spiritual shortcomings of Is'ra-el, the LORD permitted them to be oppressed by the Am'mon-ites and Phi-lis'tines for a period of eighteen years. The Am'mon-ites afflicted the tribes on the east side of the Jor'dan, while the Phi-lis'tines oppressed the tribes of Ju'dah, Sim'e-on, and Ben'ja-min. In the course of the eighteen years the Am'mon-ites having plundered the land east of the Jor'dan, crossed the river to afflict the tribe of Ju'dah, attacking them from the east while the Phi-lis'tines oppressed them from the west.
   Is'ra-el was brought low again; the people confessed their sins and cried to the LORD for deliverance from their oppressors. They concealed nothing, but frankly admitted that they had deserted the True God to worship images of Ba'al and other false gods. The LORD appeared to be unmoved by their cries, and chided them for their ingratitude in leaving Him after the many blessings which their nation had received in the past. Is'ra-el then humbly accepted the punishment as just, overthrew idolatry throughout the land, and renewed the pledge of loyalty to God. Once again the LORD extended His mercy, and deliverers were raised up under Divine Providence.
   When Is'ra-el began to turn away from the false gods of the various peoples in Ca'naan and the surrounding countries, the Am'mon-ites prepared for war against the tribes east of the Jor'dan. Members of these tribes led by their captains to a place called Miz'pah, Is'rael proposed that any hero who was willing to lead them against the Am'mon-ites should be made the permanent ruler of the land.

Story 68: The Story Of Gid'e-on And His Three Hundred Men V

   As the morning light broke upon the fleeing hordes of Bed'ou-ins, the princes of Mid'ian tried to lead the retreat along the valley eastward to Beth'shan, and then down the Jor'dan valley toward Jer'i-cho, where they might cross the river. In the meantime, however, the nine thousand seven hundred men of Gid'e-on who had not been privileged to take part in the midnight attack massed along the route of escape and slew thousands. Gid'e-on sent messengers to the E'phra-im-ites, ordering them to gather at the ford of the Jor'dan in order to slay all who might try to cross the river. The three hundred selected, courageous, and loyal men had created and brought a mad dispersion to an army of one hundred and thirty-five thousand Mid'ian-ites; but to conserve the results and to make the victory complete all Is'ra-el must now co-operate. In the final outcome every one had part in crushing these enemies.
   Two Mid'ian-ite princes sought refuge, one in the cavern of a rock, and the other in the vat of a wine-press, but both were captured and slain. Two other princes managed to cross the river, but were later pursued and slain by Gid'e-on.
   Thus the plunderings and oppressions by the Mid'ian-ites were brought to an end, and for the next forty years there was a period of peace in the land of Is'ra-el. Gid'e-on ruled the land wisely, overthrew idolatry, promoted the worship of the True God, and led the people in ways of righteousness and justice.

Story 68: The Story Of Gid'e-on And His Three Hundred Men lV

   All the men who had been careless were placed in one group, and the three hundred who had proved themselves to be alert were placed in another. The nine thousand and seven hundred were sent away, and Gid'e-on was ordered to attack the vast armies of Mid'ian with the three hundred warriors who remained. Outnumbered nearly five hundred to one, any victory which they might gain would surely be given by the LORD.
   Then the LORD ordered a strategy even more strange than the method which had been used to reduce Gid'e-on's army from thirty-two thousand to a mere three hundred. Gid'e-on was told to divide his men into three separate columns, and to approach the enemy from three different directions, thus giving the impression of an attack by three armies. The time set for the attack was in the middle watch of the night. Ancient Is'ra-el divided the night into three watches: from sunset to ten, from ten to two in the morning, and from two until sunrise. It was probably about midnight when Is'ra-el surrounded the camps of the Mid'ian-ites.
   Each of Gid'e-on's three hundred men was given a trumpet, an earthen pitcher, and a lamp which was to be hidden in each pitcher. The small band of Is'ra-el-ites then marched upon the camps of their sleeping enemies from three different directions, At a signal from Gid'e-on the pitchers were broken, the lamps were held aloft in blazing flames, and the trumpets were sounded in loud, shrill blasts. Each man carried out these actions in perfect unison, and then the entire three hundred cried out together, "The sword of the LORD and of Gid'e-on!"
   In the deep silence of the midnight hour these three hundred trumpets pierced the air with their shrill blasts, resounding throughout the camps of the enemy like the battle-calls of vast armies. In the dense darkness which shrouded the plain the three hundred lamps flashed like lightning darts from Heaven. The thousands of Mid'ian-ites, Ish'ma-el-ites, and Am'a-lek-ites thought that they were being attacked by huge armies. Fear and confusion seized the multitudes of heathen warriors, and terror swept the plain on which they were gathered like a mighty whirlwind from the surrounding mountains. In the mad scramble for safety they became suspicious of one another, and slew thousands of their own men.
   Was there ever a battle like this, or such a notable victory? Between one hundred and thirty-five thousand and one hundred and fifty thousand of the cruel invaders were routed by three hundred unarmed Is'ra-el-ites. The battle-field was strewn with thousands of the enemy who were slain in confusion by their own men. Wives and children, cattle and camels, tents and baggage-in fact, everything which the invaders possessed-was left behind to become spoils of war for the victors! Not a single man was lost of Gid'e-on's three hundred. There was really no battle, for the men of Is'ra-el simply stood still and watched the salvation by the LORD. It was a miraculous route of the enemy, complete and overwhelming.

Story 68: The Story Of Gid'e-on And His Three Hundred Men lll

   After the LORD assured him of His presence, and of victory over the Mid'ian-ites, Gid'e-on asked for a sign by which he might know that the Speaker was indeed the LORD. And so, when he had brought food for the Stranger, the Angel Je-ho'vah touched it with the end of the staff which He carried in His hand, and it was immediately consumed by fire from Heaven. The Angel then quietly departed, and Gid'e-on built an altar and sacrified unto the LORD.
   Acting under special directions from the LORD, Gid'e-on took ten men and destroyed the altar to Ba'al and the grove to A-she'rah which his father had built as a center of idolatrous worship by the entire clan. He then built an altar to the LORD on the same spot, and offered burnt sacrifices.
   When this act of Gid'e-on was discovered by the men of his father's clan, their anger and threats against the life of his youngest son caused Jo'ash to realize the folly of idol-worship, and he turnt to the LORD, supporting Gid'e-on in his new position as the deliverer of Is'ra-el.
   While these things were taking place, and possibly aroused by news of Gid'e-on's stand for the LORD, the Mid'ian-ites and Am'a-lek-ites gathered in large numbers on the plains of Jez'reel. For seven years they had plundered this garden spot of Is'ra-el, which was capable of supporting one hundred thousand people. It was here that Sis'e-ra's hosts had been destroyed forty-seven years before, and it was fitting that Gid'e-on should rout the Mid'ian-ites on this famous battlefield.
   Gid'e-on was moved by the spirit of God to sound a clarion call for soldiers. His father's household and the entire clan of the A-bi-ez'rites rallied to his support at once. Messengers were sent throughout the tribes, and the men of Ma'nas-seh, Zeb'u-lun, A'sher and Naph'ta-li responded heartily. Thirty-two thousand soldiers answered the call, and Gid'e-on began to plan an attack upon the hosts of Mid'ian and Am'a-lek on the plains of Es-dra-e'lon.
   The army marched down into the valley of Ki'shon, which was south of the plains where at least one hundred and thirty-five thousand of the Mid'ian-ites and Am'a-lek-ites could be seen. At the sight of so great an army many of the Is'ra-el-ites began to feel faint-hearted, for they were outnumbered four to one.
   Then the LORD said to Gid'e-on, "The people with thee are too many." The battle which they faced was in the LORD'S keeping, and He could give victory to the many or to the few. He wished to have it clearly shown that the vast armies of the Heavens to be defeated by His power alone, so He directed Gid'e-on to permit all who were craven-hearted to leave the army. Twenty-two thousand of the Is'ra-el-ites immediately took advantage of this offer.
   The LORD spoke again to Gid'e-on, saying, "Even though the ten thousand men that you have left are courageous and unafraid, there are yet too many." He then commanded a strange test for determining which of the men were worthy to take part in the defeat of the Mid'ian-ites. Fully equipped for battle they were to march across a stream of water on their way toward the camps of the enemy, and were to pause for a drink of water. Nine thousand seven hundred of them laid aside their weapons, knelt down at the edge of the brook, and took up water in both hands to quench their thirst. Only three hundred kept their weapons in one hand, watched carefully for signs of the enemy, and dipped water from the brook with one hand, lapping it as a dog drinks.
 

Story 68: The Story Of Gid'e-on And His Three Hundred Men ll

   When Is'ra-el finally realized that these raids were permitted by the LORD as punishments for their sins, they turnt to Him in penitence and prayer. Again we have the glorious story of God's tenderness and grace. As soon as the people gave proof that their repentance was genuine, He released them from their oppressors.
   This time, however, the LORD first sent a prophet to reprove Is'ra-el for her backslidings, and to deepen the conviction of sin among the people. They had shown signs of repentance, but must have a more thorough work of grace in their hearts before a deliverer could be given.
   When the LORD searched the land of Is'ra-el for a hero capable of delivering the people from the Mid'ian-ites, His choice fell on a man named Gid'e-on. His father, whose name was Jo'ash, lived at Oph'rah, a secluded town in the rugged hill country of southwestern Ma'nas-seh near She'chem. He was the chief of a clan called A-bi-ez'rites, and had shown his idolatry by building an altar to Ba'al and a grove to A-she'rah, who was the moon-goddess.
   Gid'e-on secretly worshiped the True God, and his heart was burdened by the idolatry and wickedness of his people, and by the calamities which had been brought upon them by the raids of the Mid'ian-ites. His father's household had been plundered by them, and two of his brothers had been captured and slain in the valley of Jez're-el by Mid'ian-ite princes.
The fear of being discovered by roving bands of Mid'ian-ites led him to thresh wheat in wine-presses deep in a rocky cave, instead of doing this work on a threshing-floor out in an open field.
   While Gid'e-on was engaged in this work he was visited by the "Angel Je-ho'vah," sometimes called the "Angel of the Cov'e-nant," and better understood as the Mes-si'ah before He came into this world as a man. The visitor, disguised as a man, was not recognized at first as an Angel.
   In His approach to Gid'e-on, the Angel spoke as follows: "The Lord is with thee, thou mighty man of valor." To this true Is'ra-el-ite the voice of even a stranger raised in Honor of the True God struck a responsive chord. He had often longed for some congenial friend with whom he could speak freely about the low moral state of his people, and about the hope of a great spiritual revival throughout the land of Is'ra-el.
   Gid'e-on therefore answered the Angel with words which came from his heart. He said: "Oh, sir, how can you say that the LORD is with us when we are cast away, when desolation reigns over the land, when we are in the grasp of marauding bandits, when our people are brought to such terror that they hide in caves and dens like animals?" Gid'e-on fully believed that the LORD was able to solve any problem, that He could overcome the strongest and fiercest enemy, and that, if He was truly with them, His people would be saved by miracles like those which had been performed in the past.
   The LORD then gave Gid'e-on a solemn commission to go forth in his might for the deliverance of Is'ra-el from the grasp of the Mid'ian-ites. In his reply Gid'e-on addressed the Angel as the LORD, and acknowledged his faith in the ability of the Speaker to deliver Is'ra-el. But he hesitated to accept so great a work, not from any lack of faith, but in modesty and distrust of his own ability. He said, "My tribe is one of the weakest, my family is poor, and I am the least of my father's household. I am wholly unprepared for such a tremendous undertaking."
 

Story 68: The Story Of Gid'e-on And His Three Hundred Men l

   After the deliverance of their land from the tyranny of Ja'bin, the Is'ra-el-ites lived in peace and prosperity for a long time. Forty years passed before the beginning of the next oppression. The influence of Deb'o-rah and of the thousands who had not yielded to idolatry during the latest religious decline spread throughout the land, raising the people to a higher level of religious and national patriotism. The triumph of Ba'rak over Sis'e-ra and his powerful army brought great fear to the idol-worshippers within the borders of Is'ra-el, and to the heathen nations in surrounding lands.
   The death of Deb'o-rah, however, was followed by the same old story of backsliding and idolatry. Once again the children of Is'ra-el fell away from God and followed the false religions of the land. They turnt away from the superior light and privileges which Heaven had granted, disregarded the truths constantly taught by Divine revelation, forgot the experiences of God's past dealings with them, and ignored the sacred obligations of the Covenant which they had made with God.
   The story of another decline in the spiritual life of the nation is followed by Divine punishments, of repentance, and of the raising up of another deliverer. This time the nation was afflicted for seven years by the roving bands of warlike Mid'ian-ites from the east. They were descendants of one of the sons of A'bra-ham and Ke-tu'rah, a wandering people who lived principally in the desert lands east of Ca'naan, and in A-ra'bi-a to the south. They had no settled national home, but roamed from place to place, and made their living by plundering and robbing the more civilized people of surrounding lands.
   These theiving prowlers brought their own herds of cattle and camels into Ca'naan to eat up the pastures of the Is'ra-el-ites. They took the best of the rich crops of grain, drove the sheep and cattle of the land into their own herds, demanded heavy tribute in money, and plundered the people of all their valuable possessions.
   For two hundred and sixty years the Mid'ian-ites had carried in their hearts an old grudge against Is'ra-el. This was caused by the crushing blow which Mo'ses had inflicted upon them at the LORD'S command after they had lured thousands of Is'ra-el-ites into sin. The falling away of Is'ra-el from True Religion, and the temporary withdrawal of God's protection for this reason, seemed to provide an excellent opportunity for revenge.
   In their plundering of the land they were joined by hordes of Ish'ma-el-ites and Am'a-lek-ites, whose habits were much the same. They had no intention of conquering the country, or of making subjects of the inhabitants. Their sole object was robbery, and acts of violence took place only when their banditry was resisted. They would strip the entire country during the harvest season, drive off the cattle and sheep, and sell the stolen goods to caravans of traders on their return to the desert. The Is'ra-el-ites were forced to plant new crops, grow more fruit, and raise more stock; then the invaders would return the next year for similar plundering. The land was so terrorized by them that many of the people were compelled to hide their produce in caves and dens, and no one dared to make war upon the bandits.

Story 67: The Triumph Of Deb'o-rah The Prophetess And Ba'rak The Warrior lll

   Ba'rak and his men were so greatly inspired by Deb'o-rah that all doubts and fears were cast from their hearts, and they swept down upon Sis'e-ra's army like a thundering avalanche from the skies. The LORD confused the forces of Sis'e-ra, bewilderment swept through their camps. Before the iron war chariots could be put into action, or the soldiers properly arrayed for battle, Ba'rak and his ten thousand men swooped down upon them like a whirlwind from the top of Mount Ta'bor. In addition to this fierce attack, the LORD sent a dreadful thunderstorm upon the enemies of Is'ra-el, and heavy hailstones beat upon their faces. The river Ki'shon, which runs across the plain of Es-dra-e'lon, overflowed its banks and checked the movement of soldiers and equipment. Sis'e-ra and his great army were overwhelmingly defeated, the few who escaped slaughter fled in despair, and the cry rang out:
   "Let us flee from the face of Is'ra-el, for the LORD fighteth for them against the Ca'naan-ites."
   Sis'e-ra himself fled before the armies of Ba'rak in his war chariot. When hard pressed by his pursuers, however, he was forced to alight from the chariot and to seek refuge on foot. Coming to a tent in which a Ke'nite family lived, he was invited to come in by a woman named Ja'el. She seems to have been on friendly terms with the Ca'naan-ites, but at heart was a true Is'ra-el-ite who hoped to aid Ba'rak in his final defeat of their foes. She gave milk and butter to Sis'e-ra, told him to lie down and sleep, and offered to hide him from his pursuers. When he was sound asleep she took an iron tent-peg and drove it through his temples with a hammer. Then she saw Ba'rak searching for the heathen general, so she called him to see how Sis'e-ra had been slain. Thus was fulfilled the prophecy of Deb'o-rah that the honor of the victory should be given a woman.

Story 67: The Triumph Of Deb'o-rah The Prophetess And Ba'rak The Warrior ll

   Ten thousand men, most of whom were from the tribes of Naph'ta-li and Zeb'u-lun, were called to arms by Ba'rak. Many of these soldiers came from the ranks of Ja'bin's slave-workers in the war chariot factories at Ha'zor and in the timber regions of that territory. Armed with axes, hatchets, iron-working tools, and such other weapons as they could gather, the ten thousand men gathered on Mount Ta'bor. From this elevation they could look down upon the great host of Sis'e-ra encamped on the plains of Es-dra-e'lon. With Ba'rak at the head of the Is'ra-el-ite army, and with Deb'o-rah as the guiding spirit of the war, these men prepared to rush down upon the huge army of Sis'e-ra.
   Determined to crush the hopes of Is'ra-el for independence, and to press his conquest deeper into their land, Sis'e-ra had gathered a vast army from northwestern Ca'naan. His forces were vastly superior in numbers and equipment to the army of Is'ra-el, but there was one very important factor which Sis'e-ra neglected. "The captain of the LORD'S host" was at the head of Is'ra-el's selected army; the LORD God was fighting for His chosen people.
   When all was in readiness for the battle to begin, Deb'o-rah was led by the Holy Spirit to tell Ba'rak when the moment had arrived for decisive action against the enemy. Speaking in the name of the LORD, she declared that the God who had performed so many miracles for Is'ra-el in the past would now lead them to victory. With fiery enthusiasm, with courage and faith flashing from her eyes, Deb'o-rah stood before the army of Is'ra-el like an angel sent by the LORD.

Story 67: The Triumph Of Deb'o-rah The Prophetess And Ba'rak The Warrior l

   We are not told how long E'hud lived to rule over Is'ra-el, but his death probably took place toward the close of the period of eighty years of peace which followed his notable defeat of the Mo'ab-ites. We do know, however, that after his death there began another lapse into idolatry which increased in its evil influence upon the life of Is'ra-el until another great affliction was brought upon them by the invasion of a mighty force of Ca'naan-ites from the north.
   Prior to the invasion of the Ca'naan-ites from the north, there was a local uprising of the Phi-lis'tines in the coastal cities of western Ca'naan. A hero named Sham'gar organized a group of farmers and crushed this revolt, thereby preventing a war which might have spread throughout the land. Armed only with an ox goad, Sham'gar and his followers slew six hundred Phi-lis'tines in one heroic feat, and thus broke up the disturbance. The ox goads used in those days were eight feet long and about six inches in circumference, and had a sharp prong at one end for driving cattle.
   Before long the tribes occupying the northern section of the land were conquered by the Ca'naan-ites, who had reoccupied the city of Ha'zor. This city had been captured by Josh'u-a more than one hundred and fifty years before. Another king of the same name as the one conquered and slain by Josh'u-a had extended his rule over a large area in the northern part of the country, holding several strong coastal towns. For twenty years Ja'bin severely oppressed the people of Naph'ta-li and Zeb'u-lun, forcing the men to cut and hew timbers in the forests for transport to the port of Zi'don. His chief ambition was to win back all the territories which had been taken from his ancestors by Josh'u-a. He stationed a large army in the plains of Jez're-el-also called Es-dra-e'lon and Me-gid'do-in which there were nine hundred war chariots of iron and thousands of well trained soldiers.
   Sympathizing with the people of the two tribes who were oppressed by Ja'bin, and realizing that the entire country was in danger from the invasion, all Is'ra-el resorted to prayer. Twice before, under the same circumstances, the nation had turnt to God in repentance and prayer-first, in the time of the Syr'i-an oppression, and later when crushed under the iron heel of the Mo'ab-ite king-and both times God had raised up a deliverer.
   This time the LORD had ready for the emergency a noble woman called Deb'o-rah, who already held a place of honor in the nation. She was famed as a prophetess, a sweet singer, and a capable judge, and was a heroine fully prepared for the dangers of war. So noted was she for giving good advice that all Is'ra-el looked to her for counsel. She was a woman of unfaltering faith in God, believed in His Covenant with the chosen people, and relied upon His promises for help.
   Having been stirred to the heart by the impulse to overthrow Sis'e-ra and his mighty host, Deb'o-rah called upon Ba'rak, a military leader of renown, to raise an army of ten thousand men from the tribes of Naph'ta-li and Zeb'u-lun for an attack upon the armies of the Ca'naan-ites on the plains of Es-dra-e'lon. Barak felt unworthy of such an appointment, and accepted it only on condition that Deb'o-rah would go with him into the battle. Deb'o-rah granted this request, but told Barak that because of his lack of faith and courage the honor of the victory over Sis'e-ra would be given to a woman.

Story 66: Oth'ni-el And E'hud, Two Heroes Of Is'rael lll

   This time He used the Mo'ab-ites to scourge Is'ra-el. For nearly a century these neighboring heathens had looked with envy upon the growth of a people for whom they had a deep hatred. Struck with awe by the power of God which so often aided Is'ra-el, and long having been too weak to attack them, they had patiently awaited an opportunity of gaining vengeance. Finally, when Is'ra-el began to show weakness through neglect of God's Law, the time seemed opportune. Eg'lon, the king of Mo'ab, invited the Am'mon-ites and Am'a-lek-ites to join him in an invasion of the land. In some strange way Divine Providence caused the schemes of Eg'lon to succeed, while failure and disaster attended every effort of the Is'ra-el-ites to defend themselves.
   The invaders brought the entire land under their control, plundered the country of its products, and oppressed the people with heavy tribute. For eighteen years Is'ra-el was under the iron heel of the combined heathen nations. The city of Jer'i-cho, which had been delivered into their hands by a miracle, was made a Mo'ab-ite stronghold to guard the passes across the Jor'dan, and to force Is'ra-el into subjection. The children of Is'ra-el refused to serve God with the corn and wine and oil which He gave them in abundance, but were forced to include these things in their tributes to the oppressors.
   Once again the Is'ra-el-ites were brought to their knees through suffering, and fled to their only refuge in penitence and prayer. The LORD heard their cry, and raised up another deliverer. His name was E'hud, a valiant man of the tribe of Ju'dah who was more skilled in the use of his left hand than he was with his right.
   The first duty imposed upon E'hud by the LORD was the removal of Eg'lon, the Mo'ab-ite king who had a palace in Jer'i-cho. Eg'lon was a glutton, very fat, and indolent. He had directed his people in seizing the property of the Is'ra-el-ites, and in many oppressive acts filled the homes of the land with misery and wailing. For such cruelty he was doomed by the LORD to a shameful death, and E'hud was chosen to bring it to pass.
   The man of God called upon Eg'lon to pay the tribute which the Mo'ab-ites demanded of Is'ra-el. Then he returnt to the palace, telling the guards that he had a private message for the king. He was admitted to the king's room, where he was left alone with the man he was to destroy in the LORD'S name. The guards had not noticed his sword, for he carried it where a right-handed man could not reach it. He then approached the king with the announcement of God's judgment upon him, and suddenly thrust his sword through Eg'lon's body. Locking the parlor door from inside, E'hud escaped through an unguarded porch and fled to the mountains of E'phra-im. The guards of the palace finally unlocked the door, but were too late to revive the king.
   Terror spread quickly through all the encampments of the Mo'ab-ites, for God had provided a way to confuse and alarm all the people of this heathen nation. E'hud sounded a trumpet to summon Is'ra-el to battle, and the army descended upon the Mo'ab-ites at the fords of the Jor'dan. Nearly ten thousand men were slain, and not one Mo'ab-ite escaped death. The land of Is'ra-el was completely freed of the heathen invaders, and there followed a period of peace and prosperity which lasted for eighty years.