Faith & Impossible Odds
Mission Impossible
Faith can sometimes fade when facing impossible odds.
That’s true for most people. That’s true in real life. That’s not true for Ethan Hunt.
In 1996, the first Mission Impossible movie starring Tom Cruise was released.
Tom Cruise plays the part of Ethan Hunt, who is an agent of the IMF, the Impossible Missions Force. And in every movie, he’s given an opportunity to take on a new impossible mission, should he choose to accept it.
Of course, Ethan Hunt always accepts the mission with unwavering confidence that whatever it is, he can do the impossible.
I don’t know about you, but I don’t always have Ethan Hunt’s confidence. We don’t always believe impossible things are possible.
The family situation, the financial situation, the trouble we’re having with our friends, what’s happening at work, the report from the doctor’s office, whatever it is… It’s not good. And we want to believe there’s hope, that there’s a way through it, but it’s hard to have faith in this particular moment. We’ve all been there. It’s part of what it means to be human.
If this is our mission, we’re not sure we want to accept it. We would rather not have to deal with it. We wish it would somehow get better or find resolution on its own. It feels impossible. The odds are against us. We struggle with doubt, with fear, with wondering about all the what-ifs. We would rather skip to the end of the movie and see how things are going to turn out because right now, all we have are questions.
Our faith is fading because we’re facing what seems like impossible odds.
Impossible Odds
That’s true today, like it was in ancient Israel for the people of God who were struggling to find faith at a critical moment. All summer long, we’ve been looking at different heroes of faith. People like Abraham, Jacob, and Moses. Today, I want us to read the story of another person who found unwavering faith in an impossible moment. You can find her story in the book of Judges, chapters 4-5.
1 After Ehud’s death, the Israelites again did evil in the LORD’s sight. 2 So the LORD turned them over to King Jabin of Hazor, a Canaanite king. The commander of his army was Sisera, who lived in Harosheth-haggoyim. 3 Sisera, who had 900 iron chariots, ruthlessly oppressed the Israelites for twenty years. Then the people of Israel cried out to the LORD for help. – Judges 4.1-3
The author of Judges sets the scene for us. Israel has turned away from God once again. It’s NOT that they just didn’t show up to church for a few weeks, they “did evil in the LORD’s sight.”
Because of this, the people have now been living under the oppression of a Canaanite king named Jabin, and he has been ruthless toward them. For 20 years, they have been suffering, and now they are crying out to the LORD for help.
Jabin, by the way, has a massive army. His military force is no joke. He’s got 900 iron chariots led by a commander named Sisera who was as fierce as they come.
A Great Woman of Faith
4 Deborah, the wife of Lappidoth, was a prophet who was judging Israel at that time. 5 She would sit under the Palm of Deborah, between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites would go to her for judgment. – Judges 4.4-5
While most of the people of Israel have turned away from God and done what is evil in the sight of the LORD, there’s a woman who lives between Ramah and Bethel who has not. Her name is Deborah, and she is a woman of faith. Here’s what we know about her so far.
She’s a wife.
A prophet.
She served as a judge for Israel.
Verse 4 says that she was “judging Israel at that time.” (NLT and others say judging) The NIV translation says she was “leading Israel at that time.”
She was the only judge in the book of Judges who actually served Israel in a judicial capacity for the people, making decisions, hearing cases, rendering judgments, and settling disputes for the people.
Her courtroom was a Palm Tree in the hill country of Ephraim.
She knows that the people of God are suffering under the oppression of a Canaanite king. And now, God has heard the cry of His people, and He is going to use her in a special way to do the impossible.
This Is Your Mission…
6 One day she sent for Barak son of Abinoam, who lived in Kedesh in the land of Naphtali. She said to him, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, commands you: Call out 10,000 warriors from the tribes of Naphtali and Zebulun at Mount Tabor. 7 And I will call out Sisera, commander of Jabin’s army, along with his chariots and warriors, to the Kishon River. There I will give you victory over him.” – Judges 4.6-7
Deborah sends for Barak and commissions him to gather an army, prepare for battle against Sisera and his 900 iron chariots, and promises that God will give him victory!
It’s as if Deborah is saying to Barak, “This is your mission should you choose to accept it.” And make no mistake about it, it is mission impossible. Israel has been in captivity for the past 20 years. They don’t have a military. There are no trained fighters. Barak can send out the help wanted ad for 10,000 warriors, but these warriors aren’t going to compare to the military might that Sisera has at his disposal.
These are impossible odds, and faith can sometimes fade when we’re facing impossible odds.
8 Barak told her, “I will go, but only if you go with me.” – Judges 4.8
Not exactly the answer God was looking for from Barak in this moment. God had just assured Barak through his prophet Deborah that He would be with him and that He would give him victory.
In other words, the God of the Universe has promised to go into battle with you and the LORD of Angel Armies has promised that you will win! You have nothing to fear. The victory has been promised and is not in doubt.
Barak hears the prophecy; he hears the word of the LORD through the prophet Deborah, but all he can see or think about are the 900 iron chariots and that commander named Sisera, who is an elite officer and warrior.
8 Barak told her, “I will go, but only if you go with me.”
A Caveat and a Twist
Deborah said…
9 “Very well,” she replied, “I will go with you. But you will receive no honor in this venture, for the Lord’s victory over Sisera will be at the hands of a woman.” So Deborah went with Barak to Kedesh. 10 At Kedesh, Barak called together the tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali, and 10,000 warriors went up with him. Deborah also went with him. – Judges 4.9-10
Deborah agrees to go, but there’s a caveat. She tells Barak, we’re still going to win this battle even though your faith is fading because we’re facing what seems like impossible odds, but… you’re not going to get the honor for this victory. Someone else will get the honor for this victory. And… It’s going to be a woman.
For those of us reading this story, we’re already assuming that Deborah is talking about herself. That she’s letting Barak know that she will be the one to get the honor for this victory. But Deborah is actually setting the stage for a surprise ending to this story.
Here’s what happens next…
11 Now Heber the Kenite, a descendant of Moses’ brother-in-law Hobab, had moved away from the other members of his tribe and pitched his tent by the oak of Zaanannim near Kedesh. – Judges 4.11
All of a sudden, the story shifts to tell us about a Kenite man named Heber who has moved to Kadesh. This seems random, but it’s going to be important later in the story.
Cue the Mission Impossible Theme Song!
After sharing that quick detail, the story resumes…
12 When Sisera was told that Barak son of Abinoam had gone up to Mount Tabor, 13 he called for all 900 of his iron chariots and all of his warriors, and they marched from Harosheth-haggoyim to the Kishon River. – Judges 4.12-13
This is the moment where the battle is about to begin. Here come the 900 iron chariots and armies of the Canaanite king Jabin led by Sisera!
14 Then Deborah said to Barak, “Get ready! This is the day the Lord will give you victory over Sisera, for the Lord is marching ahead of you.” So Barak led his 10,000 warriors down the slopes of Mount Tabor into battle. 15 When Barak attacked, the Lord threw Sisera and all his chariots and warriors into a panic. Sisera leaped down from his chariot and escaped on foot. 16 Then Barak chased the chariots and the enemy army all the way to Harosheth-haggoyim, killing all of Sisera’s warriors. Not a single one was left alive. – Judges 4.14-16
I’m sure this battle took more than just a few minutes, but in the span of just three verses, we’re told that the impossible just happened. There was no way Israel should have won this battle.
On paper, they were outmatched and outgunned. But Israel had something that the Canaanites didn’t have, they had the LORD of the Universe on their side, and He had promised them victory before the battle even began!
We’re not told exactly how it happened, we get a clue to what happened in the next chapter (5v20-22), but… When Barak attacked, the Lord threw Sisera and all his chariots and warriors into a panic….Then Barak chased the chariots and the enemy army all the way to Harosheth-haggoyim, killing all of Sisera’s warriors. Not a single one was left alive.
Israel won the victory. No one among the enemy army survived the day. Well, no one except Sisera! Right in the middle of this brief description of the day Israel won the victory and completed mission impossible, we’re told that…
Sisera leaped down from his chariot and escaped on foot.
What About Sisera?
17 Meanwhile, Sisera ran to the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, because Heber’s family was on friendly terms with King Jabin of Hazor. – Judges 4.17
Remember that detail that was inserted randomly into the story earlier… in v11 about Heber the Kenite who had pitched his tent near Kedesh. Jael is Heber’s wife. They are descendants of Moses’ brother-in-law. They may be friendly to King Jabin, but they are loyal to Israel. But Sisera didn’t know that!
18 Jael went out to meet Sisera and said to him, “Come into my tent, sir. Come in. Don’t be afraid.” So he went into her tent, and she covered him with a blanket.
19 “Please give me some water,” he said. “I’m thirsty.” So she gave him some milk from a leather bag and covered him again.
20 “Stand at the door of the tent,” he told her. “If anybody comes and asks you if there is anyone here, say no.”
21 But when Sisera fell asleep from exhaustion, Jael quietly crept up to him with a hammer and tent peg in her hand. Then she drove the tent peg through his temple and into the ground, and so he died. – Judges 4.18-21
Remember what Deborah had prophesied to Barak… that “…you will receive no honor in this venture, for the Lord’s victory over Sisera will be at the hands of a woman.”
The woman who would receive honor was Jael. The one who dealt the final blow in the battle and killed Sisera with a tent peg and a hammer.
Who Gets the Praise?
The mission seemed impossible. The odds were stacked against Israel. Deborah had faith. Barak had doubts. Jael had a tent peg and a hammer. And when you turn the page to chapter 5, what you find is a song of worship!
Judges 5.1-2
1 On that day Deborah and Barak son of Abinoam sang this song:
2 “Israel’s leaders took charge,
and the people gladly followed.
Praise the Lord!
What you find is that at the end of the battle, when the odds were against them, when the mission seemed impossible, the one who gets all the glory is Deborah, it isn’t Barak, it’s not even Jael. It’s God! God is the One who receives all the honor, glory, and praise for saving Israel after they cried out to Him for help.
Our God is the God of impossible odds!
What About You?
What do you do when you’re facing impossible odds?
Now, to be clear, this doesn’t mean that every time you face impossible odds that God is always going to give you victory. This isn’t a prosperity gospel. It’s not health and wealth. There’s not always going to be a check in the mail, not everyone is healed from the injury, the disease, or whatever it is that is hurting them, not everyone gets a miracle on this side of heaven.
But this story is a powerful reminder that our God can give victory and does give victory even when the odds are against us. Even when the mission seems impossible. Even when our enemy has 900 iron chariots and we have is a little faith.
You can believe because the God of the Universe is with you and He has promised victory.
That doesn’t necessarily mean that things are going to work out the way you want or that God will do whatever it is you’re crying out for Him to do for you in this life.
But it does mean this… that when all is said and done you will have ultimate victory over the ultimate enemy of sin and death because of Jesus who is our champion, who is our leader, our judge, who is our victory, who has promised to go with us, and who has and who will receive all the glory, and honor, and praise for the victory!
When you cry out to Him for help, He will come. And when you need Him most, He will deliver you.
We live in a world where faith often fades in the face of impossible odds.
But we have a God who loves impossible odds. And you can hope in Him because He has already defeated our enemy. He has already won. We have victory because He is our Victory! He is faithful, so we can live in faith!
As the Apostle Paul would later right…
“…we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.”
— Romans 8:37 (NIV)
We are more than conquerors because Jesus, the Victorious One, has done the conquering!
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