Judges 5:23: “‘Curse Meroz,’ said the angel of the LORD, ‘curse its inhabitants bitterly, because they did not come to the help of the LORD, to the help of the LORD against the mighty.'”

April 19th, 2023 by Pastor Ed in devotional

After Israel defeated Sisera’s army, Deborah composed a song. In it we find that the Lord cursed the city of Meroz “because they did not come to the help of the LORD.” It seems they failed to heed Deborah and Barak’s call to battle. Archaeologists have yet to discover the precise location of Meroz but assume it to be near the site of the battle. What catches our attention is how closely God identifies with the problems of His people. He indicts Meroz not for failing to come to the help of Israel, Barak, or Deborah, but for failing to “come to the help of the LORD.” These people failed to join together with God in doing His work.

Father God so aligns himself with His children’s problems and battles that they become His problems and battles. The next time we are tempted to say, “LORD, I’ve really got a problem today,” we might change it to, “LORD, You’ve really got a problem.” The work of ministry is also not our problem but God’s. Oh it is true that He has given us the privilege of working with Him, but God is intimately involved.

The city was cursed because they failed to join in God’s work and failed to “come to the help of the LORD.” We might be tempted to think, “Who am I that I can help God?” God could certainly do His work totally apart from us. He doesn’t need us, yet strangely enough, He has chosen to use you and me as human instruments. Why did this city fail to come? We are not told but it isn’t hard to imagine the various reasons because we still hear them today: “Too busy, too scary, too expensive, it’s not our battle.” Scripture teaches that the believer doesn’t have the luxury of noninvolvement available to them. Although we are surrounded by a society that “just doesn’t want to get involved” we are called to a higher ground.

“Use us, LORD, we want to be available today.”