THE REDEMPTION CYCLE
Kendra Intihar
Today's Scripture: “And she said, I will surely go with you. Nevertheless, the road on which you are going will not lead to your glory, for the Lord will sell Sisera into the hand of a woman.'” Judges 4:9a, ESV
Theme: Barak fought Sisera’s army alongside Deborah, knowing that the victory of the defeat would not belong to him.
RETHINKING THE SIN CYCLE
Perhaps you’ve heard of the “sin cycle” in the book of Judges:
- Israel sins
- Israel suffers
- Israel cries out
- God redeems
- Israel sins
It’s an easy pattern to see throughout Judges, and in fact, many of us have been taught to interpret the book of Judges in this way. But what if, by focusing on the people’s failure rather than God’s redemption, we inadvertently center the story on ourselves instead of on God?
It takes little imagination to shift the pattern, emphasizing not what the people do, but what God does:
- God redeems
- Israel sins
- Israel suffers
- Israel cries out
- God redeems
It’s the same cycle, but when we focus on God’s faithfulness rather than Israel’s failure, the model of salvation becomes abundantly clear. Seeing God’s enduring patience and faithfulness allows us to visualize the pattern of who He has always been. From Genesis to Revelation to today: He is a God who cares about His people—a God who is in the business of redemption.
DEBORAH, BARAK, AND THE FAITHFULNESS OF GOD
The story of Deborah and Barak in Judges 4–5 is one example of God’s relentless redemption. Deborah was a prophetess, judge, and trusted leader raised up by God in a time of great need, just as other judges before and after her. When Barak was called to lead Israel’s army, he asked Deborah to come with him. In prophetic response, she told him: “I will gladly go with you, but you will receive no honor on the road you are about to take, because the Lord will sell Sisera to a woman” (Judges 4:9, CSB). Barak accepted her prophecy. Instead of walking away in pride or fear, he led the troops into battle alongside Deborah, fully aware that the final glory would not be his.
At the battle front, the Lord caused panic among Sisera’s charioteers. The Bible tells us that Sisera had 900 chariots, but Barak pursued each and every member of Sisera’s army until, “not a single man was left” (Judges 4:16b, CSB). Sisera alone escaped on foot. As Deborah foretold, the final victory came through Jael, a woman, who slew Sisera and handed his body over to Barak.
INSTRUMENTS OF REDEMPTION
Judges 5 records a joyful song of shared celebration sung by Deborah and Barak, rejoicing together, praising God and honoring Jael’s courage. Barak later appears in the New Testament, in the “Hall of Faith” in Hebrews 11 alongside heroes like Gideon, Samson, and Jephthah—all of whom allowed themselves to be used as instruments of the Lord’s redemptive work.
Throughout Scripture, God uses the hands and feet of faithful men and women to rescue His people time and time again, and we can have confidence that this very same God is still at work today.
Make it Personal: Sometimes, I get a jolt of “cringe” (as my kids say) when I think about the misguided things I’ve said and done in the past. We often frame our lives around our failures, dwelling on what we got wrong and what we could’ve or should’ve done differently. What if today, instead of focusing on all the ways we’ve failed, we begin to reframe our story to start and end with the faithfulness of God?
Pray: Lord, You are unchanging! Hallelujah! Thank You for seeing my deep need for rescue and restoration every time I fall short, just as You have always done for Your beloved children. I humbly ask that You would make me an instrument of Your redemptive work that continues in this world today. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Read: Lamentations 3:22-23; 2 Corinthians 5:17-18; Malachi 3:6-7
Weekly Memory Verse: “And the people of Israel said to the Lord, ‘We have sinned; do to us whatever seems good to you. Only please deliver us this day.’ So they put away the foreign gods from among them and served the Lord, and he became impatient over the misery of Israel.'” Judges 10:15-16, ESV