Deborah: remarkable! She was a
prophetess, a wife and a judge. She was married, known as a leader and a woman
of faith. She was also known as a poet. “She was a mother in Israel.”
a.
Her
husband was Lappidoth (Judges 4:4) although nothing is known of her husband, we
are told his name and she was his wife.
b.
She
loved God, and she obeyed
c.
She
was a remarkable witness due to the time period she lived. The book of Judges
was a time for Israel that was characterized by idolatry, defeat and
disobedience
d.
Deborah
became Judge at the time of when Jabin was king of Canaan (he oppressed the
Israelites for 20 years.)
e.
As
a Judge, she was a discerner and declaration to the mind of God. She ministered
in His wisdom, knowledge and instruction.
f.
Remarkable
wisdom: gained through her humble path of service. She was not the aggressive
or assertive. She was appointed by God!
g.
She
was submissive to her husband and to those in leadership.
h.
Deborah:
waited on God, always encouraged others to lead and assisted when needed.
i.
She
was clothed with humility (1 Peter 5:5)
j.
Because
she humbled herself, God exalted her in due time…(1 Peter 5:6 )
Deborah marked a place in history in Israel be being appointed by God a judge in the land of Israel. She was the remarkable witness in the period of which she lives. At the time of her appointment, Israel was deep into idolatry and was characterized by their continual defeat and disobedience to follow truth.
It was
at the time of that Jabin was king of Canaan and his
oppression on the people made a real hardship on all.
But we
find Deborah, who was the faithful wife, a lover of God and His ways, that
brought her to a place of honor in leading a land of God’s people. She had discernment and was mindful to declaring God’s heart on all matters pertaining to her
office of judge.
Deborah
spent the time to hear God voice His declarations of what was to come and
allowed her to speak for HIM> She spoke and encouraged others to lead and
she even assisted as we see from scripture above.
Deborah
was a lady who was clothed in humility (1 Peter 5:5) She had humbled herself to
hear God, she humbled herself to serve her husband, and when she did, she
ministered to the land of Israel in God’s wisdom, knowledge and instruction.
In my opinion Deborah was remarkable! She was a
prophetess, a wife and a judge. She was married, known as a leader and a woman
of faith. She was also known as a poet. “She was a mother in Israel.” Another
note here is that she led men to fight the battle. She was told by the leader
of such was Barak that he would not go to battle unless she went too! Judges 4.
Deborah provides a picture of leadership that wasn't normally seen in the society of her time. She was the very talented indeed. Very few women in Scripture rose to positions of national leadership. Deborah stands out due to both her spiritual and civil leadership. She was the only woman who served as a judge during those extended years of turmoil.
THE Book
of Judges reflects a negative picture of God's people drifting away spiritually
and then eventually experiencing God's judgment. This comes through His
allowing other nations to come in and dominate their existence. At times they
pillaged Israel's crops, as seen in the account of Gideon and the Midianites.
Other people, such as the neighboring Philistines, dominated the nearby areas
of Israel. Each time the Israelites woke up spiritually and repented, God
provided leaders who made a difference in their situation.
Our
society is currently in a second cycle of leadership emphasis within about a
25-year period. Leadership first came to the forefront in the early '80s. A
number of books on leadership were written. Some Christian titles highlighted
the leadership principles found in Nehemiah's actions in building the walls of
Jerusalem. The current emphasis on leadership often draws from secular sources
drawing from business concepts and principles.
Barak's
response to Deborah's message indicates he accepted the plan. But he did not
want to do it by himself. As we feel at times, he wanted the comfort of another
human with him before fulfilling God's guaranteed plan. Moses did the same
thing when God appeared to him in the desert (Exodus 3). He came up with
various excuses until God said Aaron, his brother, was on the way and would be
his spokesperson. Though having been given verbal assurance and a miraculous
demonstration, Moses resisted until he had a family member with him.
Barak
made Deborah's presence with him to be the deciding issue as to whether or not
he would fulfill God's plan. Without hesitation or rebuke of Barak, Deborah
agreed to accompany him. She did, however, point out there would be no personal
honor in the victory for him. In spite of his being the leader and gathering
the forces, there would be no acclaiming his name after Sisera's defeat. This
did not seem to bother Barak. We can only speculate as to why he accepted this
so readily. Probably the might of the enemy loomed before him. Or, it could be
he valued the defeat of the enemy above his own personal acclaim.
In
response to Barak's call for a military force, 10,000 men joined him. The
engagement was not long in coming. Hearing of the gathering of rebel forces,
Sisera activated his chariots and soldiers.
Here the
family of Heber the Kenite enters the narrative (v. 11). Normally the nomadic
Kenites lived in the wilderness south of Judah. Heber, an independent person,
moved his family to the north. They were camped in a plain near Kedesh. When
Sisera and his forces came where the family camped, they showed him the path
that Barak's forces had taken up the mountain. Exactly as Deborah stated,
Sisera moved his forces to the river of Kishon (v. 13).
Talk about that Proper Timing (vv. 14-16)
14. And
Deborah said unto Barak, Up; for this is the day in which the Lord hath
delivered Sisera into thine hand: is not the Lord gone out before thee? So
Barak went down from mount Tabor, and ten thousand men after him.
15. And
the Lord discomfited Sisera, and all his chariots, and all his host, with the
edge of the sword before Barak; so that Sisera lighted down off his chariot,
and fled away on his feet.
16. But
Barak pursued after the chariots, and after the host, unto Harosheth of the
Gentiles: and all the host of Sisera fell upon the edge of the sword; and there
was not a man left.
When God says "now,"
timing is everything. In verse 14, Deborah gives the signal. Today is the day
of deliverance. In complete obedience, Barak leads his force down the mountain
to meet the enemy. Their victory is overwhelming. It's not because of their
tactics or fighting skill. Rather, God enters the battle and Sisera's forces
are utterly confused and destroyed. According to Judges 5:21, it appears God
sends a flash flood which turns the plain into a muddy quagmire. The chariots
are rendered useless.
Barak's
army kills all of Sisera's forces. Only the leader escapes after abandoning his
chariot. He literally runs for his life, hoping to find some shelter of escape.
Deborah's prophetic announcement to Barak is fulfilled exactly as stated.
Looking for a safe haven, Sisera comes to the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite. She invites him to come in and find safety. To enable him to rest, Jael covers him with a quilt or rug and gives Sisera milk when he requests a drink of water. Assuming his hostess will redirect anyone looking for him, Sisera goes to sleep. He never wakes again due to Jael's brutally killing him.
Jael's
actions are debatable. On the one hand, Sisera knows the custom of never going
into a woman's tent without her husband being there. Anyone who does can be
killed. On the other hand, Jael's action of inviting him to come in without
fear covers her intention. She doesn't hesitate to commit cold-blooded murder
after having offered hospitality, which always included protection.
The end
of the story results in Jael's receiving the honor of having overcome the enemy
leader. "Though predicted by Deborah, the act was the result of divine
foreknowledge, not of divine appointment or action" (Jamieson, Fausset and
Brown). When Barak finally catches up with Sisera, it's by Jael's coming out to
meet him and showing him the body.
Humble and the Grateful….(Judges 5:1-31)
A. Song
of Praise (vv. 1-5)
1. Then
sang Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam on that day, saying,
2.
Praise ye the Lord for the avenging of Israel, when the people willingly
offered themselves.
3. Hear,
O ye kings; give ear, O ye princes; I, even I, will sing unto the Lord; I will
sing praise to the Lord God of Israel.
4. Lord,
when thou wentest out of Seir, when thou marchedst out of the field of Edom,
the earth trembled, and the heavens dropped, the clouds also dropped water.
5. The
mountains melted from before the Lord, even that Sinai from before the Lord God
of Israel.
When
reading through the Book of Judges, this is one chapter which we could easily
bypass in favor of reading about the next judge. In doing so, we miss a poetic
description of the preceding events as they recap God's deliverance. Also,
failure to spend some time in this chapter robs us of reading one of the
masterpieces of Hebrew poetry.
The
"Song of Deborah" begins with the historical past. She calls for a
remembrance of God's marvelous manifestations. It goes back to Mount Sinai
where God demonstrated His power and spoke verbally to them. Then it covers the
overall journey to Edom. This part of history includes God's punishment for sin
as well as His provision. It also points to God's revelation of Himself.
It is
easy to think of the specific events referred to here and miss the key
point—praise. Deborah and Barak knew what their response needed to be. God
deserved all the honor and glory. The tremendous victory over superior forces came through divine intervention. In
themselves, Barak and his foot soldiers could never have accomplished such a
feat.
When God
is with you, victory will be seen and experienced. Was seeing the young man who was lifeguard
at a Santa Monica , California beach, who rescued the 10 year old boy who was
not only drowning but being washed out to sea by the brutal waves of July 25,
2026. What I saw and loved about this rescue was the lifeguard whether 19 years
old or not, he knew his job. He loved rescuing people. And when he had reached the young boy in the
tumultuous waves of that day, he started to bring him back to shore. And each
time a tremendous wave came toward them, the lifeguard put himself toward
the main hit of the wave and so protected
the much tired and anxious young boy. The lifeguard always put himself toward
harm’s way to keep the young boy safe.
We have the opportunities to teach life values. We should be willing to give others God and tell them of His Son’s sacrifice on the Cross. Today some are called as Judges, they are called like Deborah, to lead men, to do their job, with their pants pulled up in the right place, to work toward the goal of safety for those to whom that they or we are sent to this day. When God gives you the plan, then follow that plan for His glory and not for your 15 minutes of fame! Lead in the authority God has given you!
Whether
we rescue those overwhelmed by the high seas, or maybe overwhelmed and made
anxious about following a woman’s plan for victory. When God speaks and a man
will not listen, a woman will!
Francis
Frangipane wrote in The Three Battlegrounds: In the battles of life, your peace
is actually a weapon. Indeed, your confidence declares that you are not falling
for the lies of the devil. You see, the first step toward having spiritual
authority over the adversary is having peace in spite of our circumstances. When
Jesus confronted the devil, He did not confront Satan with His emotions or in
fear. Knowing that the devil was a liar, He simple refused to be influenced by
any other voice than God’s. His peace overwhelmed Satan, His authority then
shattered the lie, which sent demons fleeing.
The
young lifeguard was doing his job in peace. He was not moved by his emotions.
He was moved by what he was taught to save another’s life. That is what Jesus
did, and that is our call too! Pull up those pants men and let’s march to the
voice of God finding someone who needs eternal life with God. Amen. God will shield us in circumstances that
overwhelm. He will cause us to be VICTORIOUS!
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