1. The Curse of Meroz
Judges 5:23

2. The Times of Meroz
Israel was living wickedly and God punished them with Jabin, King of Canaan, for 20 years (Judges 4:1-3)
God then raised up Deborah, a judge, to deliver Israel and gain a victory over Jabin (Judges 4:4-24)
The song of Deborah is about the victory (Judges 5). In this song…
Many Israelites are applauded for their willing heart
Other Israelites are rebuked for their reluctant spirit

3. The Curse of Meroz Where was Meroz? What happened to Meroz?
Meroz was a place near the Valley of Jezreel, and near the battle with Sisera at the Kishon River
What happened to Meroz?
They were cursed for the sin of neglecting the plain and positive duty to help

4. The Curse of Meroz
Why did Meroz refuse the call? Here are a few possibilities…
“The fight is too hard…” (1 Jn. 5:3)
“Fighting is too negative…” (1 Tim. 6:12)
“We are fearful of the fight…” (Rev. 21:8)
“We just don’t care right now…” (Rom. 12:11)
“We are going to do what we want…” (Jn. 8:29)
“It won’t do any good…” (Eph. 2:10; 2 Tim. 3:17)
“We are not told…” (Rom. 16:2)
“We have many things to attend to…” (Rev. 3:17)
“God’s people do not need our help…” (Eph. 4:16)

5. The Curse of Meroz
Why did Meroz refuse the call? Here are a few possibilities…
“We are small and won’t be missed…” (1 Cor. 12:22)
“We will fight later…” (Acts 24:25)
“We don’t believe we can win…” (1 Jn. 5:4)
“We are friends with the enemy…” (Jas. 4:4)
“We don’t like the tactics that are being used…” (Gal. 1:6-10)

6. The Curse of Meroz Today
Refusing the call today…
The call to obey the gospel (Acts 2:38)
The call to evangelism (Ac. 8:4)
The call to charity (Gal. 6:10)
The call to local work (Eph. 4:16)
The call to prayer (1 Thess. 5:17)
The call to teach others (Heb. 5:12)
The call to assemble (Heb. 10:25)

7. The Curse of Meroz Today
Refusing the call today…
The call to Bible study (2 Pet. 1:5; 3:18)
The call to hospitality (1 Pet. 4:9)
The call to defend the truth (Jude 3)

8. The Curse of Meroz Today What Can We Learn Today?
Inactivity is still a sin today (Mt. 25:41-45; Jas. 4:17)
You don’t have to betray the Lord to be cursed, just remain “neutral” (Mt. 12:30)
Many want the blessings of the Lord without having to pay the price for them – if you don’t risk what you have, you will lose what you have (Mt. 16:24-25)
True love will lead us to be active in the Lord’s service (Judges 5:31)