Unlikely Saviors (Part 2)

Judges  •  Sermon  •  Submitted   •  Presented
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Introduction:
Last week we were reminded from Judges 3 that God often uses UNLIKELY people to accomplish His purposes. From Judges 3 we see God using Othniel, Ehud (the left-handed warrior), and Shamgar (a farmer) to be heroes for Israel.
Today we continue to see God using “unlikely heroes” and we are once again reminded that God can use YOU and God can use ME. Join me today in Judges 4...
Scripture Introduction:
We continue to see the tragic cycle of sin as Chapter 4 opens. After Ehud passes off the scene the people of Israel go right back doing evil in the Lord’s sight.
As a result they are once again enslaved, this time by the King of Canaan—Jabin (the Canaanites, remember them).
We are also introduced to Sisera who was commander of the army. Notice what God’s Word says in Judges 4:1-3
Judges 4:1–3 NKJV
When Ehud was dead, the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the Lord. So the Lord sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor. The commander of his army was Sisera, who dwelt in Harosheth Hagoyim. And the children of Israel cried out to the Lord; for Jabin had nine hundred chariots of iron, and for twenty years he had harshly oppressed the children of Israel.
The writer of Judges is setting up a scenario to introduce us to another “UNLIKELY SAVIOR.” This time it is a woman named Deborah. Does anyone know what her name meant? It meant HONEY BEE. Deborah was serving in a dual role (v. 4):
A prophetess
A judge
Notice what happens in Judges 4:6-7
Judges 4:6–7 NKJV
Then she sent and called for Barak the son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali, and said to him, “Has not the Lord God of Israel commanded, ‘Go and deploy troops at Mount Tabor; take with you ten thousand men of the sons of Naphtali and of the sons of Zebulun; and against you I will deploy Sisera, the commander of Jabin’s army, with his chariots and his multitude at the River Kishon; and I will deliver him into your hand’?”
She confronts Barak regarding what God had told him to do. Barak had not moved on God’s command. As a prophetess, she gives Barak the command to gather 10,000 men and she assures him of the victory...
Notice Barak’s response in Judges 4:8
Judges 4:8 NKJV
And Barak said to her, “If you will go with me, then I will go; but if you will not go with me, I will not go!”
In Barak’s life we see the

The Reality of Uncertainly & Fear

Have you ever been afraid? If we were honest we’d probably have to say yes. When I was a child I had a real fear of my parents dying. I would sneak into their room at night to make sure they were still breathing. I was consumed with the fear that something would happen to them.
I was also afraid of the dark. I slept with a night light as a child because I was afraid of the boogie man.
FEAR is very powerful. Often we downplay other peoples’ fears because we have not experienced them, but we certainly do not want anyone downplaying our fears, because to us they are real.
There are times when we are afraid that we want a security blanket. For me it was my night light and for Barak it was a woman named DEBORAH.—she was his security blanket.
Logically speaking Barak had reason to be afraid. He, and a militia of farmers, were going to go against a well trained army who had 900 iron chariots! Barak wanted the representative of God with him!
I think about the time when Jesus and the disciples were out on the boat and a raging storm arose. Bro. Charles just read that passage a few minutes ago.
If the disciples, who had seen Jesus do miracle after miracle, became afraid with Jesus IN THE BOAT, it’s only logical to think you and I are going to struggle with fear.
Even though we may struggle with fear, we are reminded in 2 Timothy 1:7 that this fear has not come from God!
2 Timothy 1:7 ESV
for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.
There are times when we struggle with fear that something within us screams out, “God do you care? Why would you let me experience this if You were there? Why are you allowing this to happen if you love me?”
The disciples faced the same thing. Here they are in the boat with the Creator and Sustainer of the Universe, God robed in human flesh, and they are AFRAID.
But Jesus responds with a question of His own, “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?”
Fear is often the SYMPTOM of a lack of trust in God, His knowledge, His power, His ability, His sovereignty.
Even though Jesus rebuked them for their unbelief, He didn’t just walk away and leave them helpless or hopeless, but He used His power to speak PEACE to the storm and PEACE to their hearts.
That is...

The Power of Encouragement

Notice Deborah’s response in Judges 4:9-10
Judges 4:9–10 ESV
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. And Barak called out Zebulun and Naphtali to Kedesh. And 10,000 men went up at his heels, and Deborah went up with him.
Deborah doesn’t make fun of him, she just says, “Ok, I will go with you.”
Even though there was a caveat to her going with him, that he wouldn’t receive glory for the victory but a woman would, she was still willing to encourage him and go with him to help him accomplish God’s will!
Barak’s faith was weak, Deborah’s faith was strong and HER faith inspired his faith and ultimate OBEDIENCE!
God could have refused to use Barak at all because of his weak faith and slow obedience. Yet, as we were reminded last week, God often chooses the WEAK to accomplish His purposes!
Not only that, guess who is mentioned in the HALL OF FAITH in Hebrews 11:32
Hebrews 11:32 ESV
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—
There’s Barak listed among people like David, Samuel, Abraham, and others. Yes his faith was weak, but MUSTARD SEED FAITH is all God asks!
Even in the midst of his timidity and lack of faith, God still credits him with being a man of faith, even if his faith was weak!
As we keep reading in Chapter 4 we notice what happens in Judges 4:13-16
Judges 4:13–16 ESV
Sisera called out all his chariots, 900 chariots of iron, and all the men who were with him, from Harosheth-hagoyim to the river Kishon. And Deborah said to Barak, “Up! For this is the day in which the Lord has given Sisera into your hand. Does not the Lord go out before you?” So Barak went down from Mount Tabor with 10,000 men following him. And the Lord routed Sisera and all his chariots and all his army before Barak by the edge of the sword. And Sisera got down from his chariot and fled away on foot. And Barak pursued the chariots and the army to Harosheth-hagoyim, and all the army of Sisera fell by the edge of the sword; not a man was left.
We find out from Judges 5 that God used a deluge of rain to cause all these chariots to get stuck in the mud and as a result they were easy pickings for the soldiers.
I love what Excell said about Deborah:
She did not allow the visible to crush out the invisible. She was not appalled by the nine hundred chariots of iron. She knew that there was still a God in Israel who rules in the kingdom of men
With Deborah’s prodding and encouragement Barak moved forward and did what God wanted him to do.
I am reminded that WE ALL NEED A LITTLE PRODDING and ENCOURAGEMENT from time to time and the LOCAL CHURCH and GOD’S PEOPLE are a good place to get that from...
Hebrews 10:24–25 NKJV
And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.
You can’t PROD and STIR UP other believers if you aren’t around them, and you can’t be PRODDED and STIRRED UP by other believers unless you are around them
God created us to NEED ONE ANOTHER!
You may remember Deborah’s words to Barak about the glory going to a woman for the victory, correct? We might assume the woman that Deborah is referring to is herself. The truth of the matter is we are giving her a lot of credit for being the ENCOURAGER of Barak and she was.
But God has ANOTHER woman waiting in the wings for Sisera. Remember him? He was the General of Canaan’s army (the Canaanites).
Notice Judges 4:17-24
Judges 4:17–24 ESV
But Sisera fled away on foot to the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, for there was peace between Jabin the king of Hazor and the house of Heber the Kenite. And Jael came out to meet Sisera and said to him, “Turn aside, my lord; turn aside to me; do not be afraid.” So he turned aside to her into the tent, and she covered him with a rug. And he said to her, “Please give me a little water to drink, for I am thirsty.” So she opened a skin of milk and gave him a drink and covered him. And he said to her, “Stand at the opening of the tent, and if any man comes and asks you, ‘Is anyone here?’ say, ‘No.’ ” But Jael the wife of Heber took a tent peg, and took a hammer in her hand. Then she went softly to him and drove the peg into his temple until it went down into the ground while he was lying fast asleep from weariness. So he died. And behold, as Barak was pursuing Sisera, Jael went out to meet him and said to him, “Come, and I will show you the man whom you are seeking.” So he went in to her tent, and there lay Sisera dead, with the tent peg in his temple. So on that day God subdued Jabin the king of Canaan before the people of Israel. And the hand of the people of Israel pressed harder and harder against Jabin the king of Canaan, until they destroyed Jabin king of Canaan.

The Willingness of the Unlikely

Jael (whose name means MOUNTAIN GOAT) was an unlikely savior. She wasn’t a prophetess. She wasn’t listed as a judge. But she was WILLING to be used by God to defeat this evil general.
Remember last week we were reminded that: THE GREATEST ABILITY IS AVAILABILITY, and Jael was AVAILABLE!
God uses ORDINARY people who have ORDINARY things to accomplish His EXTRAORDINARY purposes!

What Fear are You Struggling with Today?

Remember, “God has not given us the spirit of fear!” 2 Timothy 1:7
2 Timothy 1:7 NKJV
For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.
John 14:27 NKJV
Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
The only fear you need to have is a healthy “fear of God.” Do not fear man, do not fear circumstances, fear Him who will enable you to accomplish His will in spite of the circumstances surrounding you!

Who Can You Encourage Today?

A little bit of encouragement goes a long way!
In the Bible, Barnabas is known as the 'Son of Encouragement.' His support and affirmation played a crucial role in the lives of both Paul and Mark, helping them grow in their faith and ministry. Barnabas' example teaches us the immense impact of being an encourager in the lives of others.
Determine to be an ENCOURAGER! There’s enough discouragement in the world, we don’t need it in the church! Let’s ask ourselves what we can do or say to try to encourage others!

Are you Willing to Trust God With What You Have and Who You Are!?

God used a rain storm and a tent peg to defeat this army! Sure HE CAN USE YOU!
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