Part of God’s Story 上帝那部分的故事

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Dexu Xia

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Aug 6, 2026, 2:53:18 AMAug 6

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Has not the Lord gone ahead of you? Judges 4:14

Today's Scripture Judges 4:4-14

Today's Insights The book of Judges bridges the times between Joshua and the beginning of the monarchy under Saul (see 1 Samuel 9). It’s characterized by what some scholars call the “cycle of apostasy.” Each cycle begins when Israel falls away from God. Then He sends a neighboring nation to discipline them, followed by God’s provision of a judge to deliver them from that nation, and then a season of spiritual revival. Twelve different judges, from Othniel to Samson, are God’s instruments of rescue. Deborah is the fourth of those judges (Judges 4), whose season of leadership over Israel lasted about forty years, second only to Ehud, who judged for eighty years. Through the leadership and example of the judges, the people returned to God, and He enabled them to trust Him and obey His law afresh. Their example can remind us today that He’ll give us the strength to trust and obey Him no matter the circumstance.

Today's Devotion Archaeologist Jodi Magness and her team have been excavating a synagogue in the ancient village of Huqoq in Lower Galilee, where they’ve found an incredible collection of mosaics, paintings, and carvings. Particularly rare, however, is a mosaic telling the biblical story of Deborah and her role in Israel’s battle against the Canaanites; there’s no other known ancient depiction of this heroine.

During twenty years of oppression by Canaan, Deborah, a prophetess, “was leading Israel” (Judges 4:4). At God’s prompting, Deborah urged Israel’s general Barak to mount an attack on the Canaanite forces and their commander, Sisera. Barak heeded God’s instructions to “take . . . ten thousand men of Naphtali and Zebulun and lead them up to Mount Tabor” (v. 6), and Deborah lured the enemy’s army to the area. The Canaanite troops indeed fell in the battle, and though Sisera initially fled on foot, he too ultimately met his demise. “On that day God subdued . . . Canaan before the Israelites” (v. 23) through the courageous obedience of Deborah and Barak.

The Bible preserves for us a literary mosaic of historical events in the life of God’s people—collectively and individually. We can take courage from these examples to heed God’s instructions even in the face of hardship and struggle. We can trust Him to equip us with the strength to do so.

Reflect & Pray

When has God asked you to do something difficult? How did He equip and sustain you in that situation?

Heavenly Father, please give me the courage to heed Your instructions. By Kirsten Holmberg

耶和华岂不在你前头行吗？——士师记 4:14

今日经文：士师记 4:4-14

今日洞见：士师记连接了约书亚时代与扫罗王开创君主制时代（参撒母耳记上 9 章）之间的历史。这一时期的特点被一些学者称为“背道循环”。每个循环都始于以色列人背离神；随后上帝就让邻国管教他们，然后以色列人就哀求上帝，接着上帝兴起一位士师将他们从外敌手中拯救出来，从而迎来一段属灵复兴的时期。从俄陀聂到参孙，士师记共记载十二位士师作为神拯救百姓的器皿。底波拉是第四位士师（士师记 4 章），她领导以色列长达约四十年，任期仅次于执政八十年的以笏。在士师们的领导与榜样作用下，百姓归向神，神也使他们能重新信靠祂并顺服祂的律法。他们的榜样提醒我们：无论身处何种境地，神都会赐给我们力量去信靠并顺服祂。

今日灵修：考古学家乔迪·马格内斯及其团队一直在下加利利地区的古村落胡科克发掘一座会堂，在那里发现了一批令人惊叹的马赛克镶嵌画、壁画和雕刻。其中尤为罕见的是一幅描绘圣经故事的马赛克画，展现了底波拉及其在以色列对抗迦南人战役中的角色；这是目前已知唯一描绘这位女英雄的古代艺术作品。在迦南人长达二十年的压迫下，女先知底波拉“在以色列作士师”（士师记 4:4）。在神的指引下，底波拉敦促以色列将军巴拉向迦南军队及其统帅西西拉发起进攻。巴拉遵从神的指示，“率领拿弗他利和西布伦人一万名上他泊山去”（ 6 节），底波拉则将敌军引诱至该区域。迦南军队最终在战役中溃败；统帅西西拉虽一度徒步逃脱，但最终也难逃一死。借着底波拉和巴拉勇敢的顺服，“那日，上帝……使迦南人服在以色列人面前”（23节）。圣经为我们记录了神子民，无论是作为一个群体还是作为个人，在历史经历中的种种事迹，宛如一幅由各样事件拼凑而成的马赛克画卷。我们可以从这些榜样中汲取勇气，即便身处艰难困苦之中，仍能听从神的指示；我们也深信，祂必赐予我们足够的力量去行。

反思与祷告上帝曾在何时呼召你去做一件艰难的事？在那样的处境中，祂是如何赐予你能力并支撑你度过难关的？天父，求祢赐我勇气，听从祢的指示。