Judges 5:28-31 – False Hope
God is just and, therefore, His wrath is poured out against sin. Either we will receive the wrath due for our sins in eternity, or, putting our trust in Christ Jesus, we find that He has already paid the penalty. Sometimes, the consequences of our sins fall upon us in this life. For Sisera, the result of his wicked oppression of Israel was the complete destruction of his army and his ignominious death at the hands of Jael. In the end, all of God’s enemies will be defeated, and, thus, Sisera becomes a picture for what the wicked can expect. The chapter concludes with a foreshadowing of the final judgment when the wicked will perish, but God’s people will receive glory and rest.
However, that was not the end of the earthly consequences for Sisera’s sins. At the end of Judges 5, Deborah sings of the mother of Sisera who wonders why her son has not returned yet from the battle. Her servants calm her by speculating that the Canaanite army has been victorious and is simply taking plenty of time dividing the spoils. This is a false hope, and here we see the tragic fact that our sins do not just harm us, they harm those dear to us, as well. So many people excuse sin by saying “I’m not hurting anyone,” but this is never true.
Questions
- Is there such a thing as a harmless sin?
- How can we hope not to receive God’s wrath for our sins? In whom must we trust?
- How does the end of Judges 5 give us a picture of the judgment to come?
Prayer Points
- Pray for the preaching and hearing of God’s Word tomorrow.
- Use prayer points from your congregation.
- Pray for family matters.