Judges 10:10-16
“And/But deliver us from evil”

Today we continue our deep dive into the prayer that we call the Lord’s Prayer. The disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray, and this prayer was his answer, his lesson plan. It has been prayed hundreds of thousands of times in hundreds of languages, in a myriad of situations and settings. It has been a source of comfort; it has been a call to action (forgive us as we forgive); it has been a reminder to us of the deep, deep love of God, since we know that our heavenly Father cares for us in these ways whether we ask or not. God knows what we need and provides for our needs without our asking. And Jesus knew that it would be good for us to ask. We need to place ourselves and our needs before God.

We are nearing the end of the prayer with today’s petition, “deliver us from evil.” This petition is closely linked in theme with the previous one, “lead us not into temptation,” or “save us from the time of trial,” so closely linked, in fact, that virtually every commentary I read this week dealt with them together. So, while my focus will be on the petition, “deliver us from evil,” don’t be too surprised if temptation finds its way into the conversation!

Let’s look at the word “deliver.” I looked up the Aramaic word that is translated “deliver.” It is shezab, which is most often translated as deliver, but may have originally meant, “to draw out.” It is used over and over in passages in the Old Testament in which God is bringing Israel out of the hand of another nation; in which Yahweh is bringing the people of Israel safely through trials; and even in passages like the one in the book of Daniel, where God brings Daniel safely out of the lion’s den.

In our reading today, we hear of a conversation between the Israelites and God in which the Israelites confess that by worshipping other gods they have sinned against the Lord. God reminds them just how many times he has delivered them only to have them turn from him and worship other gods. He tells them to go and pray to those gods for deliverance. Again, they say that they have sinned and ask God for deliverance, but this time they put away the foreign gods. The text says, the Lord could no longer bear to see Israel suffer.

Prayer is primarily about relationship. We need prayer, and not just as a way of letting God know what we need and what we are feeling. God already knows these things. No, we need prayer because we need to be in continual relationship with God, letting God into our hearts and our lives by talking to him, and by listening to him. Jesus invites us into relationship with God through prayer, offering us a chance to approach the Creator, the God of the Universe, with the familiarity of a child addressing a parent.

And so, we pray to Our Father in heaven, deliver us from evil… draw us out… save us. In this short petition, we are asking a lot: God, save us. God, shelter us. God, preserve us, free us, walk with us. Remind us of who we are and whose we are. Remind us of who you are; remind us of the holy.

For we certainly walk in a world that tempts us to forget these things. We walk in a world that prizes material success above all else. We walk in a world in which people get wrapped up in themselves and forget others – in which we get wrapped up in ourselves and forget others. God is not against our having success. God is against our worshipping idols.

In our baptism service, and in the affirmation of baptism service that is used, among other things, for confirmation, the pastor asks a series of questions, which the whole assembly answers along with one being baptized or confirmed or received into membership (please respond together):
I ask you to profess your faith in Christ Jesus, reject sin, and confess the faith of the church.
Do you renounce the devil and all the forces that defy God? (then answer, I renounce them)
I renounce them.
Do you renounce the powers of this world that rebel against God?
I renounce them.
Do you renounce the ways of sin that draw you from God?
I renounce them.

Jesus understood the destructive forces arrayed against his work on earth. But, more importantly, he knew the power of living in obedience to and trust of his Father in heaven. If you are a believer, if Jesus reigns in your heart, then there is nothing in this world that you must fear. He who is in you is greater than any power in this world. Of course, this doesn’t mean that you will never be tempted.

Sin is the corrupt fruit of human arrogance. Our calling is to be in this world as a radical expression of the grace of God; a holy nation; a chosen people; a covenant people whose lives reflect the beauty and power of Christ.
Most of our personal problems are probably not attributable to spiritual evil. Most of our difficulties are more likely caused by our own failings, doubts, or ignorance. Or they could be the result of the sinful behavior of others, including the evil that is unfortunately built into our human networks of relationships. Whatever it is that you face, please know that God is with you, and with God’s help you will make it through. And as we walk through the challenges in our lives, we can be Christ to one another as well.

Let us pray.
Our loving Father in Heaven,
You know what we need even before we ask, and your Son knew that we needed to ask. As we pray, draw us ever closer in our relationship with you so that we may walk in this world as your children, doing your work with our hands. Deliver us, shelter us, save us from the evil that surrounds us, for you have conquered death once for all in the death and resurrection of your Son, in whose name we pray.
Amen.