song of victory, part 2

Good afternoon sisters and brothers,
Today's reading continues the song of Deborah in praise to God after Israel's victory over Sisera and the Canaanite army. I mentioned a few days ago that Israel at this point was a fairly loose assembly of tribes rather than a solid nation. Here we see discussion in the song about which tribes came to fight and which ignored the call. We also see God's army given credit for the victory.
May your friends always stand with you in trouble.
God bless,
Sam


Judges 5:12-23
¹²“Awake, awake, Deborah! Awake, awake, utter a song! Arise, Barak, lead away your captives, O son of Abinoam. ¹³Then down marched the remnant of the noble; the people of the Lord marched down for him against the mighty. ¹⁴From Ephraim they set out into the valley, following you, Benjamin, with your kin; from Machir marched down the commanders, and from Zebulun those who bear the marshal’s staff; ¹⁵the chiefs of Issachar came with Deborah, and Issachar faithful to Barak; into the valley they rushed out at his heels.

Among the clans of Reuben there were great searchings of heart. ¹⁶Why did you tarry among the sheepfolds, to hear the piping for the flocks? Among the clans of Reuben there were great searchings of heart. ¹⁷Gilead stayed beyond the Jordan; and Dan, why did he abide with the ships? Asher sat still at the coast of the sea, settling down by his landings.

¹⁸Zebulun is a people that scorned death; Naphtali too, on the heights of the field. ¹⁹“The kings came, they fought; then fought the kings of Canaan, at Taanach, by the waters of Megiddo; they got no spoils of silver. ²⁰The stars fought from heaven, from their courses they fought against Sisera. ²¹The torrent Kishon swept them away, the onrushing torrent, the torrent Kishon. March on, my soul, with might! ²²“Then loud beat the horses’ hoofs with the galloping, galloping of his steeds. ²³“Curse Meroz, says the angel of the Lord, curse bitterly its inhabitants, because they did not come to the help of the Lord, to the help of the Lord against the mighty.