Jeremiah 51: 20-23
“You are My battle-ax and weapons of war:
For with you I will break the nation in pieces;
With you I will destroy kingdoms;
With you I will break in pieces the horse and its rider;
With you I will break in pieces the chariot and its rider;
With you also I will break in pieces man and woman;
With you I will break in pieces old and young;
With you I will break in pieces the young man and the maiden;
With you also I will break in pieces the shepherd and his flock;
With you I will break in pieces the farmer and his yoke of oxen;
And with you I will break in pieces governors and rulers.
Why did we have to move all this way to this place? What can I do here? I am only a wife and a mother. It was my husband’s decision for us to move to this new city and now I am without family and friends. Lord, how do you expect me to affect change? The groups I was once a part of are no more. I have no connections. I am a stranger here.
These words may be similar to those of Jael who lived in the days of the judges in Israel. Her story is detailed in Judges 4-5. Jael’s husband had separated from the rest of their family and moved across country. Not only were they strangers in this new town, but they were in a land that was undergoing constant political upheaval and war. However, her husband had managed to make an alliance with Jabin, king of Canaan, the governing bodies of that land.
As the war campaign unfolded, the battle front drew closer and closer to the countryside where Jael lived. One day, she saw Sisera, the commander of king Jabin’s army approaching her tent. It was obvious that he was escaping the battle and seeking a place of refuge. At that moment, it became clear to Jael why they moved to Naphtali and how she could affect change in her world.
She saw how all of the experiences and skills that she had accumulated over the years in her roles as a woman, a wife, a mother, and a tent-dweller were going to be used by God. She took the knowledge of who she was coupled with Sisera’s underestimation of who she was and became God’s battle ax.
In our opening verse, we hear God speaking to Jeremiah concerning Cyrus the king of Persia. Jeremiah 51:20 states, “You are My battle-ax and weapons of war ….” God was declaring his intent for Cyrus. He had created Cyrus to be his battle ax, a weapon of war. With Cyrus, he was going to destroy and break nations.
As God did with Cyrus, so He wants to do with you and with me. He wants to wield us as His weapons of war, bringing destruction to the kingdom of darkness. He orchestrates events in our lives to position us to be trained and equipped with skills, abilities, and knowledge that he can use for the advancement of His kingdom and for His glory. He waits for us to understand His will so that we can do all His pleasure.
Today, look at your geographical location with different eyes. Take your focus from what you have lost, what you have been severed from, and focus on who and what is approaching. Allow the Holy Spirit to instruct you as to what you ought to do and see God’s glory unfold as He brandishes you – His weapon of war; His battle ax.
DIG DEEPER:
1. Blog Post: A Weapon of War – ME
2. Bible Study: Jael, Wife of Heber the Kenite
3. Prayer Room: I Know Who I Am