ARISING TO STAND
- by Kunbi Ajayi
“After the days of Shamgar son of Anath the highways were deserted and the travellers walked along the byways until I Deborah arose.” Judge 5:6-7
These four words stood out, kind of jumped out as I meditated on this scripture, a scripture all too familiar at least to me and most probably to many Christians and yet these words leaped at me and along with it a prodding from the spirit for an examination of these words relative to our Christian journey and experience.
The Highways: let’s take a closer look at this word, used about 16 times in the scripture from its natural usage that is its meaning just as an English word. A highway is a public road especially a more major road, connecting two or more destinations, it’s traditionally used by people on foot or on horses. It is a major and significant, well-constructed road that is capable of carrying reasonably heavy or extremely heavy traffic. They generally do not have TRAFFIC LIGHTS.
Now this was the kind of road that was deserted because according to the scripture, the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord Judges 4:1, the road by its common usage connects two destinations. It carries heavy traffic. It is well constructed, and very importantly, it has no TRAFFIC LIGHTS.
Now if we do a comparative analysis of this way that was deserted and juxtapose this against the spiritual implications of this way it will make us to praise and think what manner of men we ought to be.
The scripture in Proverbs 16:17 says the highway of the upright is to depart from evil that is by implication at that time since the highway was deserted, it means the people were actively involved in doing evil like we see in Judges 4, in the natural we see that highways connect to destinations, lets notice that the parallel to that in Isaiah 11:16.
“And there shall be a highway from Assyria for the remnant left of his people; for in that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria and the Assyrians in that day will Israel be one of the three with Egypt and Assyria a BLESSING in the midst of the land.” Isaiah 19:23-24
“And a highway shall be there, and a way and it shall be called the HOLY WAY, the unclean shall not pass over it (there is no tragic light to stop and pause in sin and backsliding) but it shall be for the redeemed” (Isaiah 35:8). It is the way of our God (in Isaiah 40:3) (Mk1:3); that is the highway the one that was deserted at the time of Deborah. With it being deserted came the corresponding consequences, loss, fear, defeat and all the attending repercussions of captivity.
THE TRAVELLERS: These are people on a journey just like me and you. As Christians we are on a journey between two destinations, earth and our final abode, heaven. The scripture says there that in those days the travellers no longer travelled by the highways, they walked by the byways. What implication does that have on their journey? In what way does that impinge on their getting to their destination?
THE BYWAYS: By definition a byway is a minor secondary or tertiary road, they are roads in which it is possible to travel by any mode but not using mechanically propelled vehicles.
The byways! Are the present day traveller or some of us beginning to travel on this kind of road? By definition the Byways is a minor road, it is not constructed very well and so you can travel it by any mode, anything goes. Are you seeing a picture? And also it presupposes that anybody can be on that road, you can do anything on that road without fear of reprimand or repercussion. There are no mechanically (the Holy Spirit) propelled vehicles that have a power that makes them function (vessels) that moves at top speed, that gains ground and covers distances. It is a road that does not have too many riles, meant for the complacent, the tired and the Amateurs. If you are an accomplished driver you will not only be able to travel on the byway but also on the Highway.
Are we also travelling on the Byway where any mode goes, anything goes, a minor road of secondary importance in the scheme of God? Notice when the travellers were travelling on that road, the land was in a state of unrest because they chose a new god, and there was war in the gates, no shield of faith, the spear or sword (the sword of the spirit which is the word of God); the results of leaving the highway of righteousness and travelling the byway of sin and complacency.
ARISING: means to stand, to take action, to assume position, the scripture says Deborah arose; she stood, in the day and time when travellers were travelling on the byways. How do we stand?
The Bible enjoins us to stand in faith, to be alert on our guard, to stand firm in our faith, 1 Cor 10:13, to respect your relationships with God, keeping trust and holy fervour, born of faith, we are to act like men and be courageous, we are to grow in strength, for in our faith and strong and welcome conviction that Jesus is messiah we should stand firm (as in 1 Cor 1:24).
Arising means we should stand fast in one Spirit Phil 1:27, conducting ourselves so that our manner of life will be worthy of the gospel of Christ, that we may be able to stand firm in united spirit and purpose striving side by side and contending for the faith of the Gospel by so doing we can stand fast in the Lord (Phil 4:1) and this is only achievable when we put on God’s complete armour being able to resist and stand our ground on the evil day of danger and having done all the crisis of our times demands us to stand firmly in our place (Eph 6:13) if we succeed in doing this we can stand fast in the liberty with which Christ has made us free and liberated us, stand fast then and do not being hampered or ensnared or submitting to a yoke of slavery which we have once put off.
So that we would be able to reach the Zenith of our Christian experience and being able to stand perfect and complete (in Col 4:12). So that we as persons of right character and clear convictions can stand firm; mature in spiritual growth, convinced and fully assured in everything willed by God.
Remember, the highway is the highway of the Lord, the highway of righteousness; we have no business travelling on the byways. Though darkness, increasing and dense darkness of sin is covering the earth and all peoples (Isaiah 60:2) but we have been called to stand, to arise, to rise to a new life, to shine and be radiant with the glory of the Lord (Isaiah 60:1).
When we begin to shine this light, by your light other will see the highway, a highway out of Egypt (Isaiah 2:2) the highway of our God (Isaiah 40:3) and nations, peoples, kings shall come to our light, and the brightness of your rising (Jer 3:17, Isaiah 60:3, Isaiah 2:2). A glorious throne set on high from the beginning is the place of our sanctuary (Jer 17:12) that is the position of the Church, the place of the traveller. For it shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be firmly established as the highest of mountains and shall be exalted above the hills and all nations shall flow to it (Isaiah 2:2) so my brethren, let us arise, get back on the Highway and having done all, STAND.
“After the days of Shamgar son of Anath the highways were deserted and the travellers walked along the byways until I Deborah arose.” Judge 5:6-7
- The Highways
- The Travellers
- The Byways
- Arising
These four words stood out, kind of jumped out as I meditated on this scripture, a scripture all too familiar at least to me and most probably to many Christians and yet these words leaped at me and along with it a prodding from the spirit for an examination of these words relative to our Christian journey and experience.
The Highways: let’s take a closer look at this word, used about 16 times in the scripture from its natural usage that is its meaning just as an English word. A highway is a public road especially a more major road, connecting two or more destinations, it’s traditionally used by people on foot or on horses. It is a major and significant, well-constructed road that is capable of carrying reasonably heavy or extremely heavy traffic. They generally do not have TRAFFIC LIGHTS.
Now this was the kind of road that was deserted because according to the scripture, the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord Judges 4:1, the road by its common usage connects two destinations. It carries heavy traffic. It is well constructed, and very importantly, it has no TRAFFIC LIGHTS.
Now if we do a comparative analysis of this way that was deserted and juxtapose this against the spiritual implications of this way it will make us to praise and think what manner of men we ought to be.
The scripture in Proverbs 16:17 says the highway of the upright is to depart from evil that is by implication at that time since the highway was deserted, it means the people were actively involved in doing evil like we see in Judges 4, in the natural we see that highways connect to destinations, lets notice that the parallel to that in Isaiah 11:16.
“And there shall be a highway from Assyria for the remnant left of his people; for in that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria and the Assyrians in that day will Israel be one of the three with Egypt and Assyria a BLESSING in the midst of the land.” Isaiah 19:23-24
“And a highway shall be there, and a way and it shall be called the HOLY WAY, the unclean shall not pass over it (there is no tragic light to stop and pause in sin and backsliding) but it shall be for the redeemed” (Isaiah 35:8). It is the way of our God (in Isaiah 40:3) (Mk1:3); that is the highway the one that was deserted at the time of Deborah. With it being deserted came the corresponding consequences, loss, fear, defeat and all the attending repercussions of captivity.
THE TRAVELLERS: These are people on a journey just like me and you. As Christians we are on a journey between two destinations, earth and our final abode, heaven. The scripture says there that in those days the travellers no longer travelled by the highways, they walked by the byways. What implication does that have on their journey? In what way does that impinge on their getting to their destination?
THE BYWAYS: By definition a byway is a minor secondary or tertiary road, they are roads in which it is possible to travel by any mode but not using mechanically propelled vehicles.
The byways! Are the present day traveller or some of us beginning to travel on this kind of road? By definition the Byways is a minor road, it is not constructed very well and so you can travel it by any mode, anything goes. Are you seeing a picture? And also it presupposes that anybody can be on that road, you can do anything on that road without fear of reprimand or repercussion. There are no mechanically (the Holy Spirit) propelled vehicles that have a power that makes them function (vessels) that moves at top speed, that gains ground and covers distances. It is a road that does not have too many riles, meant for the complacent, the tired and the Amateurs. If you are an accomplished driver you will not only be able to travel on the byway but also on the Highway.
Are we also travelling on the Byway where any mode goes, anything goes, a minor road of secondary importance in the scheme of God? Notice when the travellers were travelling on that road, the land was in a state of unrest because they chose a new god, and there was war in the gates, no shield of faith, the spear or sword (the sword of the spirit which is the word of God); the results of leaving the highway of righteousness and travelling the byway of sin and complacency.
ARISING: means to stand, to take action, to assume position, the scripture says Deborah arose; she stood, in the day and time when travellers were travelling on the byways. How do we stand?
The Bible enjoins us to stand in faith, to be alert on our guard, to stand firm in our faith, 1 Cor 10:13, to respect your relationships with God, keeping trust and holy fervour, born of faith, we are to act like men and be courageous, we are to grow in strength, for in our faith and strong and welcome conviction that Jesus is messiah we should stand firm (as in 1 Cor 1:24).
Arising means we should stand fast in one Spirit Phil 1:27, conducting ourselves so that our manner of life will be worthy of the gospel of Christ, that we may be able to stand firm in united spirit and purpose striving side by side and contending for the faith of the Gospel by so doing we can stand fast in the Lord (Phil 4:1) and this is only achievable when we put on God’s complete armour being able to resist and stand our ground on the evil day of danger and having done all the crisis of our times demands us to stand firmly in our place (Eph 6:13) if we succeed in doing this we can stand fast in the liberty with which Christ has made us free and liberated us, stand fast then and do not being hampered or ensnared or submitting to a yoke of slavery which we have once put off.
So that we would be able to reach the Zenith of our Christian experience and being able to stand perfect and complete (in Col 4:12). So that we as persons of right character and clear convictions can stand firm; mature in spiritual growth, convinced and fully assured in everything willed by God.
Remember, the highway is the highway of the Lord, the highway of righteousness; we have no business travelling on the byways. Though darkness, increasing and dense darkness of sin is covering the earth and all peoples (Isaiah 60:2) but we have been called to stand, to arise, to rise to a new life, to shine and be radiant with the glory of the Lord (Isaiah 60:1).
When we begin to shine this light, by your light other will see the highway, a highway out of Egypt (Isaiah 2:2) the highway of our God (Isaiah 40:3) and nations, peoples, kings shall come to our light, and the brightness of your rising (Jer 3:17, Isaiah 60:3, Isaiah 2:2). A glorious throne set on high from the beginning is the place of our sanctuary (Jer 17:12) that is the position of the Church, the place of the traveller. For it shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be firmly established as the highest of mountains and shall be exalted above the hills and all nations shall flow to it (Isaiah 2:2) so my brethren, let us arise, get back on the Highway and having done all, STAND.
