Judges 5:12–18 (ESV)

“Awake, awake, Deborah!
            Awake, awake, break out in a song!
Arise, Barak, lead away your captives,
            O son of Abinoam.
Then down marched the remnant of the noble;
            the people of the LORD marched down for me against the mighty.
From Ephraim their root they marched down into the valley,
            following you, Benjamin, with your kinsmen;
from Machir marched down the commanders,
            and from Zebulun those who bear the lieutenant’s staff;
the princes of Issachar came with Deborah,
            and Issachar faithful to Barak;
            into the valley they rushed at his heels.
Among the clans of Reuben
            there were great searchings of heart.
Why did you sit still among the sheepfolds,
            to hear the whistling for the flocks?
Among the clans of Reuben
            there were great searchings of heart.
Gilead stayed beyond the Jordan;
            and Dan, why did he stay with the ships?
Asher sat still at the coast of the sea,
            staying by his landings.
Zebulun is a people who risked their lives to the death;
            Naphtali, too, on the heights of the field.”

While the victory was the LORD’s, the tribes that stepped up to the task are commended while the tribes that didn’t get blasted. Ephraim, Benjamin, Machir (western Manasseh), Zebulun, Issachar, and Naphtali followed Deborah and Barak into battle.

But the tribe of Reuben was a notable no-show, and it soon regretted its failure with great searchings of heart. Gilead (eastern Manasseh), Dan, and Asher also stayed back, to their shame. Gad, Simeon, and Judah get no mention at all, either up or down.

Finally, Zebulun and Naphtali get special commendation, as they risked their lives to the death.

The cliché “God helps those who help themselves” is not in the Bible, though many people think it is. Still, it says something useful. We must never think that faith in God absolves us of all responsibility. There’s much work to be done and, as God’s servants, we’re the ones to do it.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/God_helps_those_who_help_themselves

These Monday—Friday DEEPs are written by Mike Slay. The Weekend DEEPs are written by Matt Richardson. To subscribe to all the DEEPs click here:

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Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. ESV stands for the English Standard Version. © Copyright 2001 by Crossway. Used by permission. All rights reserved. NIV stands for The Holy Bible, New International Version®. © Copyright 1973 by International Bible Society. Used by permission. All rights reserved. KJV stands for the King James Version.