Deborah Arise

Jdg 4

1 And the people of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord after Ehud died.

2 And the Lord sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor. The commander of his army was Sisera, who lived in Harosheth-hagoyim.

3 Then the people of Israel cried out to the Lord for help, for he had 900 chariots of iron and he oppressed the people of Israel cruelly for twenty years.

4 Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, was judging Israel at that time.

5 She used to sit under the palm of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the people of Israel came up to her for judgment.

6 She sent and summoned Barak the son of Abinoam from Kedesh-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 from the people of Naphtali and the people of Zebulun.

7 And I will draw out Sisera, the general of Jabin’s army, to meet you by the river Kishon with his chariots and his troops, and I will give him into your hand’?”

8 Barak said to her, “If you will go with me, I will go, but if you will not go with me, I will not go.”

9 And she said, “I will surely go with you. Nevertheless, the road on which you are going will not lead to your glory, for the Lord will sell Sisera into the hand of a woman.” Then Deborah arose and went with Barak to Kedesh.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Jdg 4:1–9.

I want to speak to you from subject this morning of Deborahs Arise.

In Judges Chapter 4 is the story of the only female Judge named in the bible, Deborah. During this conversation between Deborah and Barak there is an interesting exchange which happens. Deborah summons Barak and asks him, don’t you have instructions from the Lord? Instructions that you have not acted upon. Instructions to gather an army of 10,000 men and ride drown the mountain into the valley and conquer the enemy, the Canannites. We see from the conversation that there is hesitation from Barak. The only way that he is willing to go into battle is if Deborah is willing to go with him. If Deborah is not willing to go with Barak his said “I will not go”.

Now keep in mind that even though Barak (military leader) is talking to Deborah (prophetess and judge), these are not her instructions but instructions from the Lord. Nevertheless Deborah agrees to go with Barak into battle.

Let’s just pause right there. My brothers and sisters doesn’t that conversation strike you as odd? A military leader afraid to go into battle without the accompaniment of a woman. Should not the situation be the other way around.

Ideally, isn’t the man supposed to protect the woman? Isn’t the man supposed to cover the woman? Shouldn’t the man automatically get up, follow God’s instruction without having to be told by the woman what to do? There is something wrong with this scenario. However in history Barak is credited as having led an army of Israel that defeated the forces of Jabin, king of the Canaanites (Jgs 4)

Walter A. Elwell and Philip Wesley Comfort, Tyndale Bible Dictionary, Tyndale Reference Library (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 2001), 148.

Getting back to the story, Deborah says alright, I will go with you into battle Barak but you will not get the glory. A woman will get the glory for the victory that is about to happen.

There is no benefit in waiting

God had already said that I will deliver the enemy into your hand. Yet Barak refused to go without Deborah.

What was Barak thinking?

Did Barak think that Deborah would protect him?

Did Barak not understand the assignment?

Matthew Henry’s commentary describes Barak’s action as teamwork. Deborah was as the head, gives the word, Barak, as the hand, does the work. There are many gifts but only one GIVER.

Michelle McClain-Walters, The Deborah Anointing (Lake Mary, FL: Charisma House, 2015), 70.

Barak may have appeared scared, However in history Barak is credited as having led an army of Israel that defeated the forces of Jabin, king of the Canaanites . In Hebrews 11:32 Barak is listed as a man of faith rather than a coward. “And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets—”

Walter A. Elwell and Philip Wesley Comfort, Tyndale Bib

Neverthelee, God had already promised the victory! That’s a real good place to say amen.

In the world of insurance we have a saying, “there is no benefit in waiting”. Often people wait until someone is sick, injured or dies before they understand the need to be covered.

However the whole reason why we get insurance in the first place, is because it gives us confidence that we’re covered before something happens.

Faith in God is confidence, had already gave HIS assurance to the people of God BEFORE the battle they were covered!

Serval times in the bible the Lord tells he will go before us in battle

The battle is not yours

Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord

There will be time when you do not even have to fight!

The enemy will be delivered into your hand!

So my brothers and sisters there is no benefit in waiting, when the Lord has already spoken.

The Lord has spoken to some of you yet you’re waiting.

He has shown you the victory yet your scared

He has gone out before yet you feel alone

If the Lord has already spoken, what are you waiting for?

2. In order to fully appreciate Jdgs 4 we need to know the back story. From the beginning of time had shown Hisself fathful to the Isarelites yet they continued in a distructive pattern.

Genesis - God created a beautiful paradise for people to live free of sickness, disease, and death. They did not even have to work to take care of themselves. But Adam and Eve - through disobience got us kicked out the Garden

Exodus - God delivered the people from Egypt and bondage to Pharoah. God displayed great miracles and brought the people out with a mighty hand.’ Despite all that God did - the people did evil in Gods sight

Leviticus - Many laws were established to help people to live right. - that still was not enough because the people could not even keep all the laws - so they did evil in God’s sight

Numbers - God allowed the group that sinned at the base of Mt Sinai when Moses was away getting the 10 commandments, he allowed them to wander for 40 yrs until the sinners died off

Joshua - the successor to Moses was allowed to lead the people to the promised land of Canaan. A land of milk and honey. Yet God never gave the Israelites the complete victory. The Isrealites took the hill country and the Canaaties burrowed down in the valley. The bible said

By the time we get to Judges all I can hear the Lord saying is “again the people did evil in Gods sight”

My brothers and sisters the bible is not tslking about the Canaanites, The bible is not talking about the Amorites’

The bible is not describing the Hitites

Nor is the bible describing the Amalakites

The bibles says

The people

They’re describing God’s people

My people.

God said it like this

If my people,

You know, the one’s called by my name

would just turnnnn

From their wicked ways

If my people would get down

On their knees

And, and. and just pray

Then and only then

Will I heal their land

Even the promised land had problems

It should have been

Almost like Eden

But the people

Would not stop sinning

So God gave them

a partial victory

Some of you can only get

a partial victory

Becaussse

there are somethings

You just won’t let go!

Arent you tired

of partial victories

in your life

Baptized but never changed

Membership but not saved

Church attendance but no power

Carrying a bible

But don’t know what it says

Say you know God

But does He know you

Walking around without a purpose

Just livin!

Just doin me!

When you should be doin Jesus

Telling somebody about Jesus

How he save your life

You was a wrench undone

Sinking deepin sin

You forgot about

About that part

I got to finish the story

After the battle was over

Barak led the army to victory

But the Canaanite Leader

Name was Sisera

He managed to get away

Even thought they lost the battle

I guess Sisera said

I just got to live

To fight another day

Sisera hid at a friends house

He was tired

From the battle

He asked for some

water but the friends wife

The wife’s name was Jael

Instead of a glss of water

Jael gave him warm milk

Don’t you know

Sisera got sleepy.

He laid down

And closed His eyes

While Sisera wa sleeping

Jael put a nail through his temple

Just like the Prophetes said

A woman got Barak’s glory.

My brothers and sister’s

If you want total victory

But a nail right through

Your sistuation.

You got to be committed

100% dedication

99 and a Half won’t do

I don’t know about you

but I’m tired

Fighting the same battles

I’’m sick and tired

Of partial victories

Judges chapt 5

Deborah’s song

tell when it was time

time for the battle

Deborah arose

She was a God fearing woman

A woman of integrity

A woman of conviction

A woman of influence

A woman of power

A woman of urgency

A woman bringin solutions

A woman warrior

Fit for the battle

Do I have any warriors in here

Ready to arise up

Put a nail in the enemies head

Men of God

Don’t you know

If you don’t riseup

There’s a woman that will

Men take you place

Lead as God has instructed

Lead as God has designed

Regardless of your name

It’s time for total victory

Root out bad behavior

Break generational curses

No more high school drop outs

No more baby momas

No more unwed mothers

No more no more

Arent you tired

People of God

My People

Arise, rise up, out the muck and maury clay, rise up and stop living benefit your priviledge. God said it’s time to arise.

I’m looking for

Total victory

Saints of God

It’s time to arise!

The bible said Deborah arised