"They fought from heaven; the stars in their courses fought against Sisera." Judges 5:20

Additional readings: Judges 5:1-20, Matthew 16:13-28

We recall the story. It was in the period of the Judges. Joshua had conquered the land and divided it among the twelve tribes. But there were still enemies in the land, and sometimes they prevailed over Israel. Jabin, king of Hazor, had assembled his army of Canaanites, with nine hundred chariots of iron. He had been oppressing Israel for twenty years, and the people were disheartened. Deborah, a prophetess, was called to be Judge, and under assurance from the Lord she called Barak to be captain of Israel's armies. Barak was given the victory, and the verse of our text is part of the song of Deborah and Barak after the battle was won.

The general lesson of the text is that the powers of the heavens are on the side of right. The Psalmist expresses the same thought in these words, "He hath delivered my soul in peace from the battle that was against me: for there were many with me" (Psalm 55:18).

Often we get discouraged. We are aware of our weakness, but we take little account of the Lord and His power which is working for us. We are prone to trust in ourselves. We know about this world and the forces that are against us, but we forget the spiritual forces which are available to us. So we become depressed, like men who can see great difficulties ahead of them and forget that they have allies.

The text teaches us that we should not allow ourselves to come into such a state. We all know from experience that the majority of our troubles are imaginary, and we should also know that we are, in unseen ways, guided and protected by an infinite and all-wise Providence which has our eternal welfare at heart. And we should know that about each one of us there are heavenly forces sufficient, if we will avail ourselves of them, to give us power over every trial through which we may have to pass. "For He shall give His angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways" (Psalm 91:11).

"In all thy ways." This is true on every plane of life. Even on the natural plane the Lord desires to make us happy, and to protect us from every danger. If He does not do it, it is not because He has forgotten us or lacks the desire or the power, but because we will not look to Him in such a way as to make His help available.

On the spiritual plane He has done all that is necessary for our salvation. If we look to ourselves and seek to set up our own ideals and ambitions, we are inevitably led away from security and peace. If we would forsake our own natural desires and seek to be led by the Lord, to learn and do His will, none of the evil forces could do us any harm, for we should be continually surrounded and guarded by the heavenly forces. So it is written that if we look to the Lord, no evil will befall us. We need not be afraid "for the terror by night, nor for the arrow that flieth by day, nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness, nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday" (Psalm 91:6).

We may not be exempt from pain, from sickness, from poverty and calamity, trial and temptation. But none of these things will harm us. If evil tidings come, we shall not be afraid. If we fall, we shall not be utterly cast down. All things will work together for good, and even in defeat we shall not suffer the enemy to triumph over us, because we shall recognize the Divine Providence in the outcome.

When we recognize that the earth is the Lord's, that it is under His control, and that nothing can take place without His knowledge and permission, our souls can be at peace. "Why art thou cast down, O my soul, and why art thou disquieted within me?" (Psalm 42:5, 11, Psalm 43:5).

Sometimes things seem to go very strangely in this world. Sometimes it seems that everything is in confusion. We see much that offends and distresses us. Yet however confused the affairs of men may be, there is a Divine order which is leading man, as quickly as he will let himself be led, out of confusion and distress toward the establishment of the Lord's kingdom. And whatever the way we must go, we can know that all the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth.

The truth is that we are not only overshadowed and surrounded by spiritual forces, but we are sustained and upheld by them. Even in the natural world the real and dominating forces are spiritual forces.

Our text gives a very vivid picture of things as they are. Everything that exists in this world exists because it corresponds to something in the world of spirit. And we are told that when we come into the world of spirit, things will appear much as they do here, only in far greater beauty. We are further told that—speaking after the manner of man—the heavens of every earth are near that on earth itself, and that the inhabitants of every earth are in association with those heavens. The stars of our text correspond to the spiritual truths which are given for our guidance, and they are also symbols of the heavenly societies which surround and protect us. For we are indeed surrounded by hosts of heavenly beings, beyond whose presence and supervision we cannot wander; and we are constantly under the Divine care and protection, whether we know it or not.

This truth is taught also in another Bible story. The king of Syria was making war against Israel in the days of Elisha the prophet. Through his gift of seership Elisha anticipated the movements of the king of Syria and warned the king of Israel of his danger. At last the Syrian king, learning the real cause of his continual discomfiture, turned his forces against Elisha instead of against the king, and surrounded the prophet in Dothan. In the morning, Elisha's servant discovered the danger in which they were, and was afraid. Then Elisha prayed that the young man's eyes might be opened, and the Lord granted his prayer, so that Elisha's servant saw into the world of spirit, "and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha" (2 Kings 6:17).

Again, at the time of the Lord's birth at Bethlehem, an angel appeared to the shepherds, and "suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace, good will toward men" (Luke 2:14).

In none of these instances were the subjects of the vision transported to some distant place, but standing just where they were they were permitted to see their angelic associates, by the opening of their spiritual sight. If our spiritual eyes could be opened, we should behold spiritual beings surrounding us. We are wont to think of joining those who have gone on before, when we pass into the spiritual world at death. But every moment of our natural lives we ale associated with spiritual beings, either good or evil according to our internal states at the time, and if our spiritual sight were opened, we should see the character of our associates.

There are many instances of help which has come to people through agents in the spiritual world. We read of how people have been warned before making a journey, or warned of some impending disaster. Literature abounds in such incidents. And as we look back on our own lives, though we may not be able to point to any visions or warning or instructive dreams, we should all be able to see at least one instance where Providence has clearly been over us. Spiritual forces are very real, and we should know that we are continually under their care.

We are taught that "the angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear Him, and delivereth them" (Psalm 34:7). Nothing can happen in the universe without the Lord's provision or permission. We should know this, and that the moment we question it, we question His power, and when we question His power, we deny Him.

This is taught directly in the Word, where it is said that not a sparrow falls to the ground without our Father, and that the hairs of our heads are all numbered; which means that not only the most outward events in our lives, which correspond to the hairs of the head, but also the most trivial thoughts which pass through our minds are under the Divine Providence.

This is further taught, so far as our thoughts are concerned, in the Psalms: "He telleth the number of the stars; he calleth them all by their names" (Psalm 147:4).

The Divine helpfulness through the agency of the heavenly hosts is illustrated in the history of the children of Israel by the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night, and by the many times angels were sent to instruct and guide them in the way. It is pictured by the noise of horses and chariots and of a great host which the Syrians heard but did not see at the siege of Samaria. These instances and many others illustrate the presence and power of the Lord for the guidance and salvation of man. These miraculous instances are recorded in the Word to teach us spiritual lessons regarding the operation of spiritual forces. For these forces are just as real today as they ever were, though they may not come to our conscious knowledge or perception.

But the truth taught in our text is not merely that of the existence of these spiritual forces, but that of the superiority of good over evil. "The Lord taketh our part with them that help us; therefore we shall see our desire on them that hate us" (Psalm 118:7). Angels have all power, for they act from the Lord who is power itself; but evil spirits have no power except such as we give them by our love of evil. We need have no fear. "The Lord of Hosts is with us, the God of Jacob is our refuge" (Psalm 46:7, 11). We may have temporal misfortunes, but no harm will come to our eternal condition. And indeed, if we trust in the Lord, we shall be saved from many of our earthly trials; and those seeming misfortunes which sometimes come upon us we shall accept as a means to spiritual progress.

"Delight thyself in the Lord, and He will give thee the desires of thy heart" (Psalm 37:4).

Good influences are stronger than evil, as heaven is superior to hell. And the Lord's thoughts are always for us, that we may be made happy forever. In His love and wisdom God is guiding us, if only we will be led, to the attainment of this purpose. He is concerned with our spiritual and eternal life, and with the bodily and temporal only as they can be made to contribute to this. For "what is a man profited if he gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?" (Matthew 16:26, Mark 8:36).

If this were not so, there would be no real purpose or intelligence in our Creator, and there would be no way of attaining happier times for mankind upon the earth. Life is not only a struggle against our own personal weaknesses, follies, and sins; it is also a battle for the right, and for peace and joy for mankind here, now, and in the ages yet to come.

And in the battle of life, we are not alone or unaided. The God of Battles is fighting with us. The victory is assured if we are faithful to the end. With the help of a God who we can understand, trust, and love, there should be no doubt as to the outcome.

"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, and to give you an expected end....And I will be fond of you, and I will gather you from all nations, and from all places whither I have driven you, saith the Lord, and I will bring you again unto the place whence I have caused you to be carried away captive" (Jeremiah 29:11-14).