Deborah w Barak and Jael

After their refusal to trust God, God allowed them to wander around the wilderness for 40 years until the Faithless generation that refused died off, and the younger generation rose up & believed God.

God brought them through the Jordan River and into Canaan’s Land.

The Land of Promise. (As God had promised to Abraham’s descendants. Gen. 13:14-18 “And the Lord said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward: For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever. And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered. Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for I will give it unto thee. Then Abram removed his tent, and came and dwelt in the plain of Mamre, which is in Hebron, and built there an altar unto the Lord.”

Once in the Promised Land, Joshua died and his generation that secured the land for the COI. Yet, the COI after him disobeyed the LORD and did not drive out the inhabitants. (Jg. 2:1-3)

Because of this, the COI went through cycles of:

Sin

Subjection

Repentance

Restoration

And they were restored when God raised up a Judge to deliver them from their bondage.

Othniel

We examined National Revival - and the principles in that deliverance that mirror how God can deliver you and I from the Judgment we’re under now.

After 40 years of peace, the COI fell into sin again & God brought them under subjection of Eglon, king of Moab. In subjection for 18 years.

Ehud

(Questions)

What was wrong with him? (Lefthanded)

How did he Kill Eglon? (Stabbed him in the belly)

Where did he hide the dagger? (Right thigh)

What did Eglon do? (Messed himself)

What did we learn?

When things are in your life that shouldn’t be, it’s not long before Eglon takes command. (Eglon being sin)

Sin & Apathy prevent Revival

You don’t have to be perfect to be used of God in a great way

God will Provide Victory if you provide availability

Shamgar

Jg. 3:31 - He did What he COULD with what he HAD

Today we’re going to look at the judge named Deborah, and to a lesser degree Barak & Jael.

Church, I will warn you at the onset, that there are points in this message that are not what you’d call ‘politically correct’. It’s not my intention to offend you, but the truth is, the Bible is an offensive book. It’s offensive to our mentalities & way of life today. So while I don’t mean to offend you, I’m not sorry if I do. I make no apologies for the Word of God or God’s Ways. I though about picking up a roll of quarters and laying them out on the pulpit & whenever you got offended, just raise your hand & I’d throw you one to call someone who cared…

The first thing to consider is The Shame of Israel

I. The Shame of Israel

I say Shame because it’s shameful that the people of God - whom God had given SO MUCH TO, rejected Him & treated Him so poorly.

God blessed them, yet they treated Him as though He were replaceable

God had secured them, yet they spit at His blessings and thought “by our own hands we have done this”

God had heaped upon them daily benefits, yet chose to serve dead gods with eyes, yet could not see. Ears, yet could not hear, hands that handle not and feet that cannot move.

They scoffed at God’s Laws & laughed at His Precepts - so God rose up Jabin King of Canaan to bring them into subjugation.

This is a timely book for us to study church - because as the COI DID, America is guilty of today!

The God of Heaven has blessed this country abundantly, but we treat Him as if He’s on the same plane as dead gods such as Allah & Buddha.

The God of Heaven prospered this land, yet men today say “By the work of our hands, America is what it is”

Jehovah God loadeth us with daily benefits, yet we seek & serve gods of this earth who can do nothing for us.

Rightly so Paul warned the gentiles in Romans 11:21 “For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee.”

We’d better wake up.

The COI were Sinful

They were Sinful (v1)

Notice the word ‘again’. Do you know why this word ‘again’ is here? Because the COI just kept going back to sinful ways & living.

Proverbs 26:11 “As a dog returneth to his vomit, So a fool returneth to his folly.”

When Joshua died, the COI turned unto idols

When Othniel died, the did evil

Now here Ehud & Shamgar are gone & the COI - like a dog to it’s vomit - go back unto wicked and evil ways.

They were Sinful

They were Suffering (v2)

We see that were ‘Sold’ (v2); they were ‘oppressed’ (v3)

Church, do you know why they were suffering? BECAUSE OF THEIR SIN!

Sin ALWAYS leads to suffering. Once the season of pleasure is gone, the stain of suffering remains.

The addict that shoots up gains a high for a moment, but suffers from the addiction for years

The adulterer gains pleasure for a moment, but is ridden with guilt for years

The rebellious child enjoys ‘independence’ from parental authority for the moment, but suffers from the effects thereof oftentimes for a lifetime.

Sin leads to suffering

They were Scared (v3)

We see that they were Scared - why? Because they saw the repression of 900 chariots of iron lined up against them.

Church, do you know why they were scared? BECAUSE OF THEIR SIN

Whenever we sin, our instinct is to do one of two things:

Hide our Sin

Even though it’s fashionable to flaunt God’s Laws & spit at His Commandments today, many people still attempt to hide their sin. They try to hide it because they KNOW it’s WRONG!

Justify our Sin

Others that either don’t try to hide it OR their sin is revealed, they then attempt to justify it.

(Ill.) Yes, I know that I lied, but I was trying to spare you the hurt of the truth.

(Ill.) I may have stolen that, but it’s not fair that they have so much more than I do!

Church, I want to remind you of words that Moses spoke unto the COI: Numbers 32:23 “But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against the Lord: and be sure your sin will find you out.”

You’re right to be scared, because sin always comes to the surface eventually. For this cause, It’s better to REFRAIN from sin rather than ENTERTAIN sin!

The Shame of the COI were that they were Sinful - which led to Suffering - which led to being Scared. We also see something else about them - they were Self-Centered

They were Self-Centered (Jg. 5:15-17)

As we look at the song of Deborah & Barak we learn a few things about some of the tribes of Israel:

While there were some who were willing to give of themselves and get in the fight, there were many who refused to do so.

Reuben: They considered it, yet they chose to stay among the safety of their herds

Gilead (Manasseh - east) were on the other side of Jordan, so they chose not to get involved

Dan & Asher were not on the frontlines, therefore stayed out of the fray.

What this tells us is that much of the COI were more concerned with THEMSELVES than OTHERS!

This is what the ‘me’ society of today looks like - and don’t think that we are isolated from this mindset just because we live in small-town America. If anything, it affects us even more!

There’s a war going on right now for the hearts & minds of our children. We feel somewhat isolated because it’s happening largely ‘beyond Jordan’. Therefore we don’t speak out, we don’t take a stand to fight the enemy - but just because we’re not inundated right now with perversity does not mean that we’re not being indoctrinated.

We live in a day & age where we can’t afford to be self-centered anymore. We can’t be concerned with our own safety at the sacrifice of our children!

They were Self-Centered

They were Shallow

As you may know, Deborah is a very different Judge than the others in that this judge is a woman.

I must admit, I struggled with how best to present this Judge & time period of the COI. On the one hand, I didn’t want to diminish this great woman of God, nor Jael and the great things they did for Israel, but I didn’t want to give the men of Israel a pass either. So by the Grace of God we’ll try to thread the needle here today. I had difficulty until one word mentioned in Ch. 5 struck me. Judges 5:7 “The inhabitants of the villages ceased, they ceased in Israel, Until that I Deborah arose, That I arose a mother in Israel.”

At this point, the COI didn’t want a leader to lead them, they wanted a mother to coddle them.

Now understand: The position of a prophet is one that was filled by mostly men, but women at times: Miriam (Ex. 15:20), Huldah (2Ki. 22:14); Anna (Luk. 2:36) & Philip’s daughters (Act. 22:9). There was nothing strange about this: Joel 2:28 phophetically spoke and was quoted by Peter in Acts 2:17 “And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:”

There are no women prophets today for the same reason there are no men prophets today - and that’s because the need for prophets is no more. 1 Corinthians 13:8 “Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.”

What is out of the ordinary is that she held the position of Judge over the people.

Today in the day of church, we don’t have the office of a Judge, but the closest would be the pastor - and woman are forbidden to hold that office. Paul said: 1 Timothy 2:12–14 “But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence. For Adam was first formed, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.”

But Deborah’s office was ordained by God and God knew what He was doing. The reason he placed her in that position is because the COI were not behaving like a nation of men, but like a gathering of children! They were so shallow that they required milk instead of meat - and there’s many in the church like that today!

Paul told the Corinthian carnal church: 1 Corinthians 3:1–2 “And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.”

Many within the church today don’t want someone to lead them valiantly in truth and righteousness, they want someone to pat their little bottom and make all the icky feelings to go away. The church today is suffering from shallow Christianity!

They were Shallow

We see the Shame of Israel. Next, we see the Saving of Israel

II. The Saving of Israel

As we see the Saving & Deliverance of Israel, we see three people who God used in a mighty way - each with their shortcomings, but all gave God what they could and was used in a mighty way to deliver Israel.

By One who Stood in the Gap

I’m speaking first about Deborah. She is the Judge of the land and without her, there would have been no deliverance in that day.

Deborah was the one who Stood in the Gap. What I mean by that is that there was a void concerning the COI in that day. The men had forsaken their position of leadership and relegated that burden to women.

Let me say this men. It’s YOUR job to lead your family - not your wife’s. In all aspects, but especially Spiritually!

All too often though, men in the home Spiritually speaking act like the men of Isreal in Deborah’s day. They shirk that responsibility. The woman should not have to take on the leadership role in training up the children Spiritually!

The Men should be leading their families in:

Bringing them to church

Reading the Bible

Praying

Living Moral & Righteous Lives

Witnessing

This is the man’s responsibility - but all too often, they are leaving the women to do it themselves. Let me say this: THANK GOD FOR THE WOMEN & MOMMA’S THAT WILL STAND IN THE GAP! When the leadership role Spiritually is vacated, thank God for those women who will continue to do what they can to lead their children Spiritually. THANK YOU for not giving up! THANK YOU for letting God use you in that regard!

Deborah provided that leadership that the COI needed - as a momma to her children! She stood in the Gap for the Glory of God!

Israel was Saved by One who Stood in the Gap

By One who Surrendered the Call

I’m speaking about Barak here.

As we look at Barak, I want you to notice something. When she called Barak we see this: Judges 4:6 “And she sent and called Barak the son of Abinoam out of Kedesh-naphtali, and said unto him, Hath not the Lord God of Israel commanded, saying, Go and draw toward mount Tabor, and take with thee ten thousand men of the children of Naphtali and of the children of Zebulun?”

“Hath God...” In other words - “Didn’t God say this?”

It’s apparent to me that God had called Barak already, but instead of Surrendering then, he waited until Deborah spoke it.

The point is this: God called Barak - Barak seemed to hesitate to surrender - but he did surrender to the call.

This is what’s important. We could focus on how he did that, but it’s not important in this moment. What IS important is that Barak did surrender to the call of God on his life. He went and raised the army and fought against the enemy.

Church, if you’re like me you’re as far from perfect as could be. I’ve failed God many times in the past. But the fact is, that’s in the past. You can continue on refusing and rejecting God’s call, or you can surrender to God’s Call on your life and allow Him to use you in great & mighty ways!

Israel was Saved by One who Stood in the Gap, by One who Surrendered the Call

By One who Took a Stand

We first hear of Jael in v18, but we’re introduced to her husband in v11 - and it gives us some understanding of where this family was in that day.

Heber was a Jew of Moses’ lineage, but cut himself off from the family and lived a life straddling the fence between the Jews & their oppressors the Canaanites.

Then in v18-21 we see that Jael makes a decision. She’s done straddling the fence and decided that it was time to pick a side and fight!

Church, God is looking for His people to stop straddling the fence & pick a side.

Joshua said as much: Joshua 24:15 “And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

This is how Israel was saved church, and it’ll be how our nation is saved! By some standing in the Gap, by others Surrendering to the Call, by others Getting off the fence & Taking a Stand!

The question is: What will you do?

We see the Shame of Israel. We see the Saving of Israel. Lastly, we see the Song of Israel

III. The Song of Israel

To Praise the Deliverer (Jg. 5:2)

Once the COI were delivered, the first mention in the song was Praise of the one who Delivered!

Time & again, the Bible exhorts His people to Praise the LORD!

Psalm 67:3 “Let the people praise thee, O God; Let all the people praise thee.”

Psalm 99:3 “Let them praise thy great and terrible name; For it is holy.”

Psalm 107:8 “Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, And for his wonderful works to the children of men!”

Psalm 69:34 “Let the heaven and earth praise him, The seas, and every thing that moveth therein.”

Let me ask you church - isn’t He worthy of our praise? Did He not deliver you?

The Song was to Praise the Deliverer

To Celebrate the Deliverance (Jg. 5)

This is a song of celebration because God had rendered such a great deliverance!

God has delivered me! He’s delivered me from a Hell that I deserve and reserved for me a home in Heaven in which I don’t!

God has delivered me from not only the PENALTY OF SIN, but the POWER OF SIN as well!

God has given unto me a NEW SONG!

Just as the COI in Deborah’s day, God has given me something to celebrate!

The Song was to Celebrate the Deliverance

To Promote the Devoted (Jg. 5:12-13;18;24-27)

As we consider this song, we see that there are some mentioned and some commendations given. They were given unto those who stood & fought by faith in God!

Church there’s coming a day when we see Jesus face to face - and some are going to hear blessings & receive Crowns of Righteousness! What about you?

The Song was to Promote the Devoted

To Shame the Debtors (Jg. 5:15-17)

Not only was it to Promote the Devoted, but the Shame the Debtors as well.

One day, all that is secret will be made known. Luke 8:17 “For nothing is secret, that shall not be made manifest; neither any thing hid, that shall not be known and come abroad.”

We will either be honored or shamed by what we’ve done with the call of God upon our lives. Which will it be for you?

Conclusion

Not sure where this message hit you.

Maybe it served as encouragement to keep standing in the gap

Maybe it served as conviction for not being the leader God’s called you to be

Maybe it’s prodded you to get off the fence and get in the fight

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