Barak said to her, “If you go with me, I will go; but if you don’t go with me, I won’t go.” – Judges 4:8

Today’s Scripture Reading (December 24, 2015): Judges 4

Tonight our waiting ends. Tonight we remember the prophecy that has come true. For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6). Advent, that period of waiting and expectation ends tonight. Tonight is a night of faith and belief in what a child might do – especially one sent from God. Tonight the one that we have been waiting for comes, not as a warrior, but as a defenseless child in a manger – which increases the demand on our faith.

Barak in the story of Deborah has often been an example of a lack of faith, despite the fact that he is listed as one of the great examples of the faith in Hebrews 11 between Gideon and Sampson. But his reputation for lacking faith may be undeserved. Yes, he refused to go into battle without Deborah which many have taken as a reliance on Deborah’s faith rather than his own. But a lack of faith is not the only possible reason that Barak may have wanted Deborah’s presence at the scene of the battle. It was common practice in Oriental cultures to take what was most valuable to the battlefield. The idea was that the army fought harder when those of value were close by. And the Prophetess Deborah was of great value to all of Israel. If anyone could unify the forces and cause them to fight hard, that person was Deborah. With this mind, Barak becomes a great military strategian rather than simply a man who lacked faith. The presence of Deborah at the battlefield would stimulate the valor of the troops as well as give the official sanction to the battle itself – both things that Barak needed.

So maybe this night is the appropriate place for the story of Jesus to begin – with a baby born in a manger. Even as a child he became a unifying force bringing together shepherds with wise men, priests and priestess with those who did not even hold a belief in the God of Israel. Here the battle for our souls begins, with a baby lying inside a manger – a child of great value to the world protected by nothing more than barnyard animals.  

It is a great story – one that needs to be told with every chance that we have to tell it. And we continue to speak the words of Barak in great faith to this valuable child of the manger - “If you go with me, I will go; but if you don’t go with me, I won’t go.”

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Judges 5