The Hall of Underdogs

In 1964, NBC first aired a cartoon about a shoeshine boy who had an alter ego named UnderDog. Whenever Sweet Polly Purebred was being roughed up by Simon Bar Sinister or Riff Raff, in would fly Underdog shouting his war cry, "there's no need to fear, Underdog is here!"

As a child I can still remember watching reruns of the animated classic and myself being inspired by the dog's courage and charisma. The decks were almost always stacked against the courageous canine, but that never stopped him from defeating the villainous vermin. In the book of Judges, we enter the hall of the Underdogs. These were heroes God raised up for His own purposes. Each with their own set of disadvantages, but each wielding the overpowering God can give to underdogs. In Judges 4, we meet one of the first; a lady named Deborah.

Highlight:

'She summoned Barak son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali and said to him, “Hasn’t the Lord , the God of Israel, commanded you: ‘Go, deploy the troops on Mount Tabor, and take with you ten thousand men from the Naphtalites and Zebulunites? Then I will lure Sisera commander of Jabin’s army, his chariots, and his infantry at the Wadi Kishon to fight against you, and I will hand him over to you.’”

Then Deborah said to Barak, “Go! This is the day the Lord has handed Sisera over to you. Hasn’t the Lord gone before you?” So Barak came down from Mount Tabor with ten thousand men following him. ' Judges 4:6-7,14

Explain:

These verses of these judges are the first to underscore an important truth to be seen throughout the whole book. God uses the underdog to accomplish His purposes in the world. Every judge had a disadvantage of some kind and yet God used them. Deborah was a woman (in a culture where woman were not largely respected), Gideon was the smallest man in the smallest clan in the smallest tribe, Ehud was left-handed (seen as a disadvantage), Samson had his own demons he had to fight. God used each of these imperfect disadvantaged people to deliver His people to highlight for them that He is the One who would deliver them.

It is by no accident then that Deborah seems to be Barak’s courage. She is the one always leading always speaking always reminding. She sees potential in Barak as a commander and a leader that even he doesn’t see. She is the one who reminds him of what God had said to him not once but twice. It is her faith that is on display in the midst of God’s victory for them.

Apply:

There are two things to see here. One is that when others see shepherd boy’s God sees a king. God knows the potential in each heart and His eye is looking for the underdog who has faith and trust in Him. Even though our foes are many and our faith the size of a mustard seed when we choose to obey God and follow Him, He will bring victory. It is not the amount of our faith but the object of it that brings victory.

Even and most especially when we are underdogs when the odds are stacked against us. When we live against the odds, God can demonstrate His power through our weakness. It is the same truth that Paul highlights in 2 Corinthians 12. “His power is made perfect in our weakness.” Our God delights in bringing victory to underdogs who put their trust in Him.

Respond:

God help me realize that when the odds are stacked against me, you have positioned me there to demonstrate the superiority of your power. Help me to realize when life has me on the ropes, You are just getting started. Thank You that You delight in the underdog who places their trust in You, and when I start to doubt and fear, You are just backing yourself into a corner to show off. Give me the faith to believe it and may that faith crowd out the fear that so often comes in my life. Help this Barak and thank You or the Deborah’s that You have placed in my life to remind me of Your power to deliver even when I am afraid.