IRON CHARIOTS ROSS SMITH 101116
(ALL REFERENCES FROM AMPLIFIED BIBLE EXCEPT WHERE NOTED)
Judges 1:19 The Lord was with Judah, and [Judah] drove out the inhabitants of the hill country, but he could not drive out those inhabiting the [difficult] valley basin BECAUSE THEY HAD CHARIOTS OF IRON. (Read, “because they were afraid and disobedient” .. comments mine) (See also Joshua 17:16 & 18)
There are “IRON CHARIOTS” in our life that we need to be rid of ….. things that take up valuable territory, such as habits, hurts, disappointments, all things that are like above, “difficult to deal with”.
Isaiah 30:16-17 And you said, No! We will speed [our own course] on horses! Therefore you will speed [in flight from your enemies]! You said, We will ride upon swift steeds [doing our own way]! THEREFORE will they who pursue you be swift, [so swift that] one thousand of you will flee at the threat of one of them; at the threat of five you will flee till you are left like a beacon or a flagpole on the top of a mountain, and like a signal on a hill.
Basically “left as a spectacle”, not a pretty sight!!
Can I premise the following study by making a statement:- “Horses and Chariots” metaphorically, either CREATE FEAR, as above, or are looked upon to “DELIVER FROM FEAR”. (Isaiah 31:1) And because “There is no fear in love” (1 John 4:18) then fear must have its origins in the pit.
Anything that detracts from, or is interposed between us and God is metaphorically, an “IDOL”, a “horse and chariot”, and I trust that as we proceed we will be able to identify this fact, and make the necessary reprisals.
At first glance this verse in Judges 1:19 seems to be contradiction of the authority and Omnipotence of our God, but when read this in context with the behaviour of the Israelites the reason becomes very obvious, if any turn their back on God, either deliberately or by neglect then we cannot expect His intervention, protection or provision. We must not look to or for something other than the Lord to protect our frailty, whether in body, soul or spirit.
1 Thessalonians 1:9 For they themselves volunteer testimony concerning us, telling what an entrance we had among you, and how YOU TURNED TO GOD from [your] idols to serve a God Who is alive and true and genuine,
The Old Prophet Joel nailed it when he recorded,
Joel 2:13 Rend your hearts and not your garments (“Garments” represent our outward display of piety .. comments mine) and RETURN to the Lord, your God, for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in loving-kindness; and He revokes His sentence of evil [WHEN HIS CONDITIONS ARE MET].
And so “idols” are something we look to to protect our frailty. The idol of “FEAR”, the thing that is interposed between us and God’s love, is nothing more or less than a sense of “INADEQUACY”, which manifests itself in a myriad of ways, and because this “idol” has been of long standing in many cases, it has shaped our whole heart or attitude so that it seems normal, but it is in fact crippling, and in the terms of our study, “CHARIOTS OF IRON IN DIFFICULT VALLEYS” or inadequacies we have not dealt with.
FAITH is the opposite of FEAR, where:-
FEAR is inadequacy and,
FAITH is “The leaning of the entire personality on God” (Colossians 1:4)
Jesus said “My peace I leave with you” so where there is fear, or a sense of inadequacy then that God given peace is absent. John 14:27 is compulsory reading in this instance.
1 John 4:18 There is no fear in love [dread does not exist], but full-grown (complete, perfect) love turns fear out of doors and expels every trace of terror! For fear brings with it the thought of punishment, and [so] he who is afraid has not reached the full maturity of love [is not yet grown into love’s complete perfection].
“Inadequacy” is not from God, because He equips us for every contingency, but we need to recognise that fact and not claim any ability of ourselves outside of His provision.
2 Corinthians 3:4 -5 Such is the reliance and confidence that we have through Christ toward and with reference to God. Not that we are fit (qualified and sufficient in ability) of ourselves to form personal judgments or to claim or count anything as coming from us, but our power and ability and sufficiency are from God.
The idolatrous “fears” that plague us so often, such as fear about, or of people, fear of personal failure, fear of the future, hurts, habits, disappointments etc, and the list can go on, but none of these fears or phobias has any place in the life of God’s chosen children, just like the “IRON CHARIOTS” were supposed to be eliminated before Israel.
Because we are natural we will often feel inadequate from time to time, but those feelings should impel us towards dependence on the Lord to make us competent.
The Israelites obviously had not met the conditions, it was not because the IRON CHARIOTS were too strong for God’s Omnipotence, or because He refused to help them; but because their courage and faith failed when they saw them, as they had turned away from God, seeing themselves as “INADEQUATE” to evict the Canaanites as had been promised. These Canaanites were a curse as far as God was concerned and had no place in the mist of the Israelites, and Joshua had already summed this up in,
Joshua 7:12 That is why the Israelites could not stand before their enemies, but fled before them; they are accursed and have become devoted [for destruction]. I will cease to be with you UNLESS you destroy the accursed [devoted] things among you. (or get rid of the idols, the things that interfere .. comments mine)
Nothing has changed, we need to “destroy the accursed things” and in this case I want to explore those idols, or “CHARIOTS” particularly the “IRON” ones, that are what we consider, or retain, as part of our improperly perceived survival process, those aberrations of our heart or mind that interfere with our intimate relationship to the Lord.
“FEARS EVIDENCE AS A SENSE OF INADEQUACY”, or an inability to handle or control a circumstance, a failure to recognise our destiny in God, and can be unconscious, conscious or imposed. They are “an accursed thing” because their origin is not couched in the peace God gives, but in the fears satan imposes.
There is a very good reason why I have referred to this particular incident. We will recall that the Israelites were wont to rely on the horses and chariots of Egypt rather than wholly trust God, and as such became an impediment in their midst.
Isaiah 31:1 Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, who rely on horses and trust in chariots BECAUSE THEY ARE MANY and in horsemen because they are very strong, BUT THEY LOOK NOT TO THE HOLY ONE OF ISRAEL, NOR SEEK AND CONSULT THE LORD! (how precise is that statement, and do we have “MANY” things that are inhibiting our progress? .. comments mine)
Isaiah 36:9 How then can you repulse the attack of a single captain of the least of my master’s servants, when you put your reliance on Egypt for chariots and for horsemen?
Let me digress for a moment, it is in this same sort of context that we are warned that when we come to the Table of the Lord that we deal with improper attitudes because if we don’t then there are repercussions that may not only affect us, but may also have deleterious effects of the Body of Christ. (1 Corinthians 11:30)
This dependence by Israel on Egypt and their facilities, their horses and chariots, is in essence both an idolatrous act, and an act of treason. And so we can parallel this principle that anything we choose/prefer/rely/substitute for the reality of God in our lives constitutes idolatry. If we are honest with ourselves we will find there are things that are attractive, or plaguing, or important to us, and we place our reliance, maybe just a little, , but we place our reliance on those things. Some of those things are formidable, like “IRON CHARIOTS”.
Maybe it will help to identify some “horses and chariots” that initiate and perpetrate this form of idolatry, there are surely more.
- Resentment )
- Pride )
- Natural talent )
- Intellect )
- Work ) ALL HORSES AND CHARIOTS
- Play ) OR IDOLS. All contain an element
- Entertainment ) of fear or inadequacy
- Gluttony )
- Double mindedness )
- SELF A MAJOR IDOL!!!!!
Colossians 3:5 (B) “for that is idolatry (the deifying of self and other created things instead of God)”.
In every case, we either retreat or hide behind what we conceive as the protective vehicle of the chariot to aid us in combating the challenge brought to us, or rely on the horses and chariots instead of relying on God to conduct a war against what we see as a threat. These things are idols or refuges, apart from the resources of God, unreliable weapons evidenced as inappropriate behaviour or attitudes.
“EGYPT” metaphorically, is well resourced to provide insurance when we feel vulnerable, and if we didn’t feel vulnerable we would not need Egypt’s help. The remedy is not to ignore the problem, it is to deal with the problem. We need to eliminate those needless fears.
Isaiah 51:12-13 I, even I, am He Who comforts you. Who are you, that you should be afraid of man, who shall die, and of a son of man, who shall be made [as destructible] as grass, that you should forget the Lord your Maker, Who stretched forth the heavens and laid the foundations of the earth, and fear continually every day because of the fury of the oppressor, when he makes ready to destroy or even though he did so? And where is the fury of the oppressor?
So looking at the situation in Judges 1:19 the “CHARIOTS” have now become more formidable, they are “IRON” and there are 900 of them, like Isaiah 31:1, “because they are many”.
Iron in Scripture is co-related to bondage and you will recall from Daniel 2:31–34 there is a description of the image whose legs were of iron and feet of both iron and clay, and this represented the Roman kingdom. Rome was the iron kingdom and iron represented the bondage Rome was to impose and subdue and subjugate all the nations and peoples under Rome.
So the “CHARIOTS OF IRON” come to represent idols that create bondage. We may not necessarily feel we are under bondage to our attitudes, but Paul in speaking to the Corinthians identifies the subversive influences or idols which we either refuse or neglect to confront, and with it comes bondage.
1 Corinthians 6:12 Everything is permissible (allowable and lawful) for me; but not all things are helpful (good for me to do, expedient and profitable when considered with other things). Everything is lawful for me, but I will not become the slave of anything or be brought under its power. (not even those hurts and habits and disappointments, fears etc .. comments mine)
The flesh, as identified in the previous list, is an impediment to the apprehension and comprehension of the Truth, highlighting the need to “die to self”.
Romans 6:16 Do you not know that if you continually surrender yourselves to anyone to do his will, (Including our own will, fears, phobias .. comments mine) you are the slaves of him whom you obey, (or “succumb” comments mine) whether that be to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience which leads to righteousness (right doing and right standing with God)?
In the context of the two scriptures above, we can see that whatever we submit to, or repeatedly engage in, either consciously or unconsciously, whether it be any one of those things on the previous list, or character traits we employ to get our own way, we are participating in idolatrous behaviour, relying on “horses and chariots” rather than surrendering to God.
Romans 6:19 I am speaking in familiar human terms because of your natural limitations. For as you yielded your bodily members [and faculties] as servants to impurity and ever increasing lawlessness, so now yield your bodily members [AND FACULTIES] once for all as servants to righteousness (right being and doing) [which leads] to sanctification.
“FACULTIES” include all of our senses, thoughts and actions. The slave under the greatest bondage is the one who is subservient to the sensual appetites of life.
Psalm 20:7 Some trust in and boast of chariots and some of horses, BUT WE WILL TRUST IN AND BOAST OF THE NAME OF THE LORD OUR GOD.
“IRON CHARIOTS” in the “difficult valley”, figuratively speaking, are things that we don’t want to deal with, we are happy to have the hill top experiences, where we feel God’s presence and breath the fresh unpolluted air, but get down in the “difficult valley” it gets harder to deal with, so we don’t try to drive out the “Canaanites” of intrusion, because if we don’t disturb them then we don’t have to deal with them.
IRON represents “strength, inflexible rule, crushing”, so some of these “IRON CHARIOTS” in our lives are ruling or dominating our circumstance, occupying our rightful territory in God and God in us, thumbing their nose at our acknowledged weakness or sense of inadequacy because we have let them become features of our nature. And so they reside in our midst, occupying valuable space in our rightful inheritance. We like to feel God’s presence, but by our actions we are not so keen to feel His control. The Israelites didn’t confront the “IRON CHARIOTS” in the valley, just like we allow unchallenged patterns to co-exist in our lives.
“IRON CHARIOTS” weren’t the real issue for the Israelites, the real issue was unbelief, distrust, fear and disobeying God. The LORD was with Judah and enabled them to take possession of the hill country, and promised the plain, but they could not drive out the people who were living in the valley and their excuse was because those people had “IRON CHARIOTS” and so they used this excuse for doing nothing, it was all too hard.
Already, so soon into the conquest of the Promised Land, Israel had defaulted on their end of the covenant with God. They had failed to worship God alone, and had failed to drive out the inhabitants of previous regions – but rather let them stay and establish their own settlements just outside of town. And so we are like Judah, able to possess the hill country, but fail in our efforts because of neglect, to go the whole way to eradicate those idolatrous factors of fear and inadequacy.
The IRON CHARIOTS were representative of the weaponry of the Canaanites but in fact were representative of the devil, or those things that opposes God’s will in us. Judah was in bondage for 20 years, bound simply by the fact that Sisera had 900 iron chariots.
Judges 4:2 -3 So the Lord sold them into the hand of JABIN king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor. The commander of his army was Sisera, who dwelt in Harosheth-hagoiim [fortress or city of the nations]. Then the Israelites cried to the Lord, for [Jabin had 900 chariots of iron and had severely oppressed the Israelites for twenty years.] (The name “JABIN” means “intellect” and so we see that our head is where much conflict lies .. comments mine)
So the oppressive nature of the “IRON CHARIOTS” was so all pervading and overwhelming that even the tourist trade in Judah had vanished, it sapped the very life out of the nation, it affected trade, it meant that the highways were not safe. When 900 Iron Chariots thundered down the highway, imagine how frightening that could be,
Judges 5:6 After the days of Shamgar son of Anath, after the days of Jael [meaning here Ehud] the caravans ceased, travelers walked through byways. (The people were afraid to use the highways, so they used the detours!!! .. Comments mine)
We are meant for more, we are meant to live fully in the rich blessings, the total expanse and liberty of Christ. But because we compromise by allowing the iron chariots of the enemy to coexist with us in the plains of our lives, we cannot maximize our potential in God. Notice the iron chariots of our enemy love to dwell in the plain or the valley of our lives.
The “plain or valley” is really the daily routine of our lives. Our service to God, our ministry, time spent with the Lord is our living in the hill country. But the PLAINS, those things that constitute our daily living, are there for conquering. Romans 8:7 says “we are more than conquerors”.
Joshua had already addressed these issues way back, when the tribe first complained, he had declared to them the way to proceed and how to take control of their heritage and destiny. We have been similarly challenged both by God’s written Word and by the declaration of the Word by preaching we have been favoured with. “Drive out the Canaanites” is the same as “Dispense with your Idols”, get rid of those symbols of idolatry or the means by which the enemy snares us, occupy the plains and consequently free ourselves of bondage.
Joshua 17:18 But the hill country shall be yours; though it is a forest, you shall clear and possess it to its farthest borders; for you shall drive out the Canaanites, THOUGH THEY HAVE IRON CHARIOTS AND ARE STRONG.
It is worth considering the continuing story, for it also has strategic lessons for us. Along comes Deborah, a woman dedicated to the service of God, learning in her times spent in meditation and contemplation, under a palm tree, but still in the hill country, learning how to gain the victory over the “IRON CHARIOTS” . Similarly we have been urged to adopt the truth of Psalm 46:10, to “Be still and Know”, an instruction to us as to how we should live, to really know God. She began to share and declare that holiness and repentance were required, doesn’t that sound familiar. She stated how it was, without embellishment.
Judges 4:4-7 Now DEBORAH, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, (“Lappidoth” means “flame or torches” and the inference here is that Deborah was a “fiery lady” .. comments mine) judged Israel at that time. She sat under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel IN THE HILL COUNTRY (This was no doubt where Deborah spent time in the Lord’s presence) of Ephraim, and the Israelites came up to her for judgment. And she sent and called Barak son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali and said to him, Has not the Lord, the God of Israel, commanded [you], Go, gather your men at Mount Tabor, taking 10,000 men from the tribes of Naphtali and Zebulun? And I will draw out Sisera, the general of Jabin’s army, to meet you at the river Kishon with his chariots and his multitude, and I will deliver him into your hand?
Notice how clear was the instruction, God’s orders to Barak, and how reassuring when Deborah confirmed it, have we also sufficient advice from the Word and from teaching? Has not the Lord commanded us as His people, to act in a similar fashion?
The message began to resonate, it was not just the army that responded but ALL the people began to take notice and the change was universal, not just those who had some vested interest, but the whole demographic.
Judges 5:6-14 After the days of Shamgar son of Anath, after the days of Jael [meaning here Ehud] the caravans ceased, travelers walked through byways. The villages were unoccupied and rulers ceased in Israel until you arose–you, Deborah, arose–a mother in Israel. FORMERLY] THEY CHOSE NEW GODS; (or in other words they resorted to idols .. comments mine) then war was in the gates. Was there a shield or spear seen among 40,000 in Israel? My heart goes out to the commanders of Israel who offered themselves willingly among the people. Bless the Lord! Tell of it–you who ride on white donkeys, you who sit on rich carpets, and you who walk by the way. Far from the noise of archers in the places of drawing water, there shall they rehearse the righteous acts of the Lord, even the righteous acts toward His villagers in Israel. (When we take notice of God, then enthusiasm is awakened and His ways are adopted .. comments mine) THEN the people of the Lord went down to the gates. Awake, awake, Deborah! Awake, awake, utter a song! Arise, Barak, and lead away your captives, you son of Abinoam. Then down marched the remnant of the nobles, the people of the Lord marched down for Me against the mighty. Out of Ephraim they came down whose root is in Amalek, after you, Benjamin, with your kinsmen. Out of Machir came down commanders and lawgivers, and out of Zebulun those who handle the pen or stylus of the writer.
Notice how the mobilisation took place, right across the populace, whether idly rich, the middle class, the worker or even those sedentary scribes who lifted nothing heavier than a pen.
- The rich people On white donkey and carpet
- Blue collar workers Those who had to walk
- The poorer people, Their job to draw water
- The Scribes Used a pen or stylus Desk jobs
The war was won under the palm tree, in the hill country, where Deborah sat with and sought the Lord, the events that ensued, that is, the conquest of the plains, were the result of the intercession of Deborah who brought the Word of the Lord, a word which would see the overthrow of the “IRON CHARIOTS”. Deborah was shut in with the Lord, FINDING HIS WAY to fight the battle, she gave “KEYS” of truth to the leaders, she knew when and how to move, and with that insight and discernment the “IRON CHARIOTS” were literally just junk.
It would be unfair to finish the story there, because we often wonder how the Lord can deal with the “IRON CHARIOTS” in our lives, what sort of war has to be waged to rid us of the idols of bondage that prevent us from “Ascending into the hill of the Lord”. (Psalm 24:3-4) So let’s see what happened.
Judges 4:15 And the Lord confused and terrified Sisera and all his chariot drivers (there were 900 chariots, some of which carried 10 men .. comments mine) and all his army before Barak with the sword. And Sisera alighted from his chariot and fled on foot. (Just shows he was a wimp really, an imagined threat .. comments mine)
So the bravery and intimidation that Sisera had so grossly imposed and evidenced by basically shutting down Judah suddenly eludes him, he is CONFUSED BY GOD , or in other words, CONFOUNDED. And just see how it happened!
Judges 5:20-22 From the heavens the stars fought, from their courses they fought against Sisera. The torrent Kishon swept [the foe] away, the onrushing torrent, the torrent Kishon. O my soul, march on with strength! Then the horses’ hoofs beat loudly because of the galloping of [fleeing] valiant riders.
This is so interesting, firstly there was torrential rain so heavy that the winding river “Kishon” added to the confusion, “an onrushing torrent”that carried the foe away. Secondly, can you imagine how IRON CHARIOTS would have fared in conditions such as this, the land became a quagmire from all the water, and the traffic of 900 IRON CHARIOTS and at least 1800 horses, they would become immobilised and useless, totally disabled because of the inclement weather, AT THE HAND AND INTERVENTION OF GOD.
BUT IT GETS BETTER, and the KJV is graphic in verse 22, “Then were the horse hoofs broken by the means of the prancing, the prancing of their mighty ones.
It seems that in their haste to flee the horses were scared by the battle and the storm so that they attempted to flee but the rocky terrain that they chose to “prance” on, or make their escape, damaged their hoofs, so they would be lame. Horses in those areas were never shod like they are today, and so such a simple frailty disabled the perambulation for the chariots as the horses succumbed to the conditions.
Those seemingly impossible weapons of and against our nature that we cling to because we are not brave enough to go down on the plain where IRON CHARIOTS are stabled, they have been defeated by God, and when we do we run into the chariots at every turn, they can be similarly routed and disenfranchised by our drawing close to the Lord as the Word of God clearly shows. When we do, what an expansion of our territory takes place, or in the context we are reviewing, OUR INFLUENCE, the enemy is both confused and kicked out.
Does it sound all too easy, or maybe too difficult, well the Prophet puts it into the same context as established by Deborah, and attained by Judah when he said.
Joel 2:13 Rend your hearts and not your garments and RETURN TO THE LORD, your God, for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in loving-kindness; and He revokes His sentence of EVIL [WHEN HIS CONDITIONS ARE MET].
oOo
Ross Smith 