May Your Volunteer Spirit Bring Praise to Jehovah God! - A CONTRAST IN ATTITUDE TOWARD VOLUNTEER SERVICE

Judges chapter 4 and 5 should be studied together, for each chapter reveals details not contained in the other.  For instance, Judges 5:2-, 21 reports: "From heaven the stars fought; from their orbits they fought against Sisera.  The torrent of Kishon washed them away."  Is this a reference to angelic assistance, or was there some sort of meteorite shower?  The account does not elaborate.  But to what else besides divine intervention can we attribute such torrential rains a that precise location and exact  moment, so as to swamp 900 war chariots?  Three times at Judges 4:14, 15, the victory is attributed to Jehovah. None of the 10,000 Israelite volunteers could boast about this deliverance. 

Strangely, though, in the midst of Deborah and Barak's victory song praising Jehovah for a miraculous conquest, they sang:  "'Curse Meroz,' said the angel of Jehovah, 'yes, curse its inhabitants, for they did not come to the assistance of Jehovah, to the assistance of Jehovah with the mighty ones.'" -Judges 5:23. 

Meroz was evidently cursed so effectively that it is difficult to say with certainty  what it was. Could it have been a city whose inhabitants failed to respond to the initial rally for volunteers?  If it lay on Sisera's escape rout, did its citizens have a chance to detain him but fail to seize the opportunity?  How could they not have heard of Jehovah's call for volunteers?  Ten thousand people from their region had been assembled for this offensive.  Imagine the people of Meroz catching sight of this vicious warrior as he ran right through their streets alone and desperate.  This would have been a splendid opportunity to advance  Jehovah's purpose and experience his blessing. Yet, at that critical moment when given a choice between doing something and doing nothing, did they give in to indifference?  What a contrast  that would have been to Jael's courageous action described in the very next verses! -Judges 5:24-27. 

At Judges 5:9, 10, we see a further contrast between the attitude of those who marched with Barak and that of those who did not. Deborah and Barak commended "the commanders of Israel, who went as volunteers with the people."  How different they were from the "riders  on tawny donkeys," who were too proud to participate, and those "who [sat} on fine carpets," loving a life of luxury!  Unlike those "who walk[ed] on the road," preferring the easy way, those who went with Barak were willing to do battle on the rocky slopes of Tabor and in the swampy valley of Kishon!  All the pleasure-seekers were urged to "consider!" Yes, they needed to meditate on their missed  opportunity to help Jehovah's cause. So, too, should any who today are holding back from serving God fully.

Those who volunteered witnesses first hand how Jehovah magnifies  his sovereignty.  They has something of substance to speak about as "they were recounting the righteous acts of Jehovah."  (Judges 5:11) On the other had, the tribes of Reuben, Dan, and Asher were each singled out at Judges 5:15-17 for giving more attention to their own material interests -as represented by their flocks, ships, and harbors-than to the work that Jehovah was having done.  By contrasts, Zebulun and Naphtali "risked their lives to the point of death" to support Deborah and Barak.  (Judges 5:18)  This contrast in attitude toward volunteer service contains and important lesson for us. 

Next time: May Your Volunteer Spirit Bring Praise to Jehovah God! - "PRAISE JEHOVAH!" 

From the jw.org publications