4. Judges 4-5

When Vladimir Putin ordered the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, he believed Russia’s massive arsenal of tanks, artillery, and modernized weaponry would quickly overwhelm Ukrainian defenses. The Kremlin expected a swift and easy victory, underestimating both Ukraine’s power in terms fo determination to fight…. and weaponry (of their own) deployed. Instead of rolling easily into Kyiv, Russian columns of tanks were stalled, destroyed, or abandoned.

More than three years on the war rumbles on with no sign of victory in sight for Putin’s rolling tanks which are now, largely stuck in the mud and the minefields.

TOday we’re going to meet another APPARENTLY powerful army…. and this lot really DO have the latest in military hardware…. and this lot really SHOULD win their battles…. and yet, in the power of God, they don’t - they are defeated, utterly.

Before all of that though…. in fact to set up that battle we need to get back into the book of Judges and, unfortunately, sadly, we need to see the same old recurring pattern repeating again amongst God’s people.

That’s our first heading tonight.

1. A Repeating Pattern

Pick up at the start of chapter 4….. by the way we are covering chapter 4 and chapter 5 today - although we’re not going to camp out in every verse, don’t worry - we’ll be seeing the broad sweep of the thing.

Pick it up then in chapter 4 verse 1….

Judges 4:1–3 NIV

1 Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord, now that Ehud was dead. 2 So the Lord sold them into the hands of Jabin king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor. Sisera, the commander of his army, was based in Harosheth Haggoyim. 3 Because he had nine hundred chariots fitted with iron and had cruelly oppressed the Israelites for twenty years, they cried to the Lord for help.

So here we are…. another week another sadly similar cycle.

We’ve seen by now the pitiful pattern of this book. The people are commanded to occupy the land God is giving them… and to drive out those pagan nations, defeating them utterly…. (This isn’t about race or nationalism as such… it’s about idolaty) God know (becuase he knows his people) that if they remain surrouned by pagan peoples with pagan Gods… the Israelites will themselves by tempted away and drwn into idolatry.

But the people don’t obey…. the nations aren’t properly driven out and so begins the cycle…. The people disobey God, and worship idols… and so God, in his judgement and justice gives them over into the hands of their enemies…. and then the people come to their senses and cry out to God in repentance at sin and in request for his help… and God (in his MERCY) hears and answers and he raises up a particular warrior leader (here they are called judges) to fight for God’s people, defeat their enemies and resource peace…

And the people live in that peace….. but then they get used to that peace….. and then (perhaps) they take that peace for granted…. and then the judge dies…. and so the old habits of compromise, disobedience and idolatry creep in about…. and so the cycle begins again.

The problem with these saviours (these judges) as Caelan showed us two weeks ago… is that they keep dying!

One of the recent Judges is the mighty warrior Ehud… But now (as we see in verse 1) he has died and the people are back in their pagan compromise again.

And so God allows this Pagan King Jabin, along with his top general Sisera to oppress his people. And these guys are not to be messed with. They have hte latest in military hardware - 900 chariots fitted with iron - these are the Abrams Tanks of the day… they are (it appears ) an unbreakable fighting force.

And from there (point two now) a gripping story unfolds….

2. A Gripping Story

There’s lots of detail and plenty of words in these two chapters but the basic shape is fairly simple.

Jabin and his commander Sisera oppress the people of God with their military might.

At that point - perhaps surprisingly (in this time and culture) - God’s people have a female Judge - it’s Deborah who is in power’ (so to speak). But don’t be too surprised by that… .remember what we learned last week with Gavin - God raises up unexpected people to serve him….

He raised up Othniel - that seemed surprising - he was Caleb’s younger brother (when we surely would have expected the famous Caleb himself to get the gig).

He raised up Ehud - that was surprising - a warrior who only had one hand that worked properly…

He raised up Shamgar - that was surprising - the only qualifying criteria he seems to have met is ‘owning a stick’.

God does not use the people we might expect and so here he has raised up courageous Deborah (more on her later on).

Pickup the story in v4

Judges 4:4–7 NIV

4 Now Deborah, a prophet, the wife of Lappidoth, was leading Israel at that time. 5 She held court under the Palm of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites went up to her to have their disputes decided. 6 She sent for Barak son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali and said to him, “The Lord, the God of Israel, commands you: ‘Go, take with you ten thousand men of Naphtali and Zebulun and lead them up to Mount Tabor. 7 I will lead Sisera, the commander of Jabin’s army, with his chariots and his troops to the Kishon River and give him into your hands.’ ”

The word of God comes through Deborah the Judge… to Barak the commander… and God says (again perhaps surprisingly) - see that army… the apparently undefinable army… the one with the latest armour-clad military hardware? Take some men, and fight him becuase you’ll win.

Now Barak (and perhaps we can forgive him a LITTLE for this) Barak isn’t entirely sold on the idea… he has (shall we say) hesitations.

He agrees to go… but only if Deborah goes too. She agrees she will - although she tells him the glory of battle won’t go to him but to a woman (if she does so).

And then the remarkable happens. They meet in battle on Mount Tabor and advance into battle and… (pick it up in v15)

Judges 4:15 NIV

15 At Barak’s advance, the Lord routed Sisera and all his chariots and army by the sword, and Sisera got down from his chariot and fled on foot.

The victory is told in a single verse… we don’t get much detail (although chapter 5 will fill in some of the gaps for us)… it is an ASTONISHING victory.

But it doesn’t end there.

Sisera (the defeated Canaanite commander loses the battle but escapes with his life.. he’s on the run and (as “luck” would have it) he makes it back onto safe ground. Nearby is a tribe who are in an alliance with Sisera’s people… he makes it to the tent of Jael who takes him in and, exhausted as he is from the battle, gives him something to drink and somewhere to sleep. He tells her to keep watch at the doorway of the tent and, if anyone comes asking tell them “you ain’t seen me, right?!”

But as Sisera drifts off into the kind of deep sleep that I guess you do after the adrenalins-surging high of battle… Jael turns on him. Pick it up in v21

Judges 4:21–22 NIV

21 But Jael, Heber’s wife, picked up a tent peg and a hammer and went quietly to him while he lay fast asleep, exhausted. She drove the peg through his temple into the ground, and he died. 22 Just then Barak came by in pursuit of Sisera, and Jael went out to meet him. “Come,” she said, “I will show you the man you’re looking for.” So he went in with her, and there lay Sisera with the tent peg through his temple—dead.

I did warn you, didn’t I? back in week one of this series that it came with an adult rating. Sisera meets a brutal, gruesome end….

And the summary is there in v23

Judges 4:23–24 NIV

23 On that day God subdued Jabin king of Canaan before the Israelites. 24 And the hand of the Israelites pressed harder and harder against Jabin king of Canaan until they destroyed him.

God is victorious, utterly.

His people are saved, completely. (at least, for now).

Which brings us to point three tonight.....

3. A Powerful God

All of this esepcially tent pegs through the head… maybe turns the stomach a bit? And maybe causes us to ask… what should we make of all of this?

What is the central point being made here?

You can’t miss it really can you? It’s the power of almighty God.

Deborha plays her part but it isn’t Deborah who wins this unlikely victory.

Barak plays his part but, likewise, he’s not the reason for Israel’s success…

See verse 14?

Judges 4:14 NIV

14 Then Deborah said to Barak, “Go! This is the day the Lord has given Sisera into your hands.

Or what about verse 15?

Judges 4:15 NIV

15 At Barak’s advance, the Lord routed Sisera and all his chariots and army by the sword, and Sisera got down from his chariot and fled on foot.

We’re told about the remarkable military technology of these Canaanites to make the point that Israel cannot possibly defeat them on their own… only the Lord could do that.

How exactly did God win the battle? what did it look like pitch-side? We have a few hints in chapter 5 - the song that Deborah composes and sings in praise of this victory. For example chapter 5 verse 4

Judges 5:4 NIV

4 “When you, Lord, went out from Seir, when you marched from the land of Edom, the earth shook, the heavens poured, the clouds poured down water.

Reading between the poetic lines here, it sounds as if God made it RAIN. And you know what’s true today was true back then….. heavily armoured veichles.. when combined with mud and a torrential downpour… tend to get stuck.

On a dry day the Canaanites might have eaten Israel for breakfast - but the Lord didn’t give them a dry day.

The central theme is the power of our God - to save his people.

You see that even in the way the text has been structured - you do know, don’t you that Bible writers and meticulous in their work… sometimes even the shape or the form of stroy shows you the central point. It’s like that here…

The whole thing is built like a triangle

RIFF (explain)

Sons of Israel (Opressed) - v1-3

Deborah, the prophetess - v4-9

Barak and Sisera ready for battle - v10-13

GOD BRINGS POWERFUL VICTORY

Barak and Sisera in battle - v14b-16

Jael, the executioner - v17-22

Jabin of Canaan (subdued) - v23-24

RIFF - the response is praise - go HARD on PRAISE… the song (!) - utterly deserved for the victories God wins. Likewise at the cross Jesus has triumphed over powers…

So we’ve seen a repeating pattern, a gripping story, a powerful God (that’s the heart of it)… we also see (no. 4 now….)

4. Two Remarkable Women

We’ve already seen something of Deborah - a woman in a mans world, used by God - full of courage and faith… she is truly someone for each of us (male or female) to emulate.

We’ve already seen - it ought not to surprise us in one sense to have an unexpected leader like this - many of the men that preceded her as Judges were equally unexpected.

BREAK OFF

This evening we have ordained four men as elders in our congregation, and so, I don’t feel it’s right to let the moment pass without commenting on this. Those who disagree with our position - namely that it is duly qualified men (and not women) - who should take the role of church elders may well find it ironic that here we are preaching on Deborah, a woman in leadership at this very service.

Firstly what is our position on this? Actually that’s not the question is it? - the question is what does the Bible teach about the roles of men and women? This is a huge topic, we can hardly do it justice tonight but here is the sketch….

Men and women are UTTERLY equal in dignity, worth and value. That is page ONE of of the Bible - ‘male and female God created them… in the image of God he created them’. Every human life… from the baby in the womb to the pensioner on life support has unique dignity vale and worth - MALE AND FEMALE.

However, being equal in value doesn’t mean we’re identical in role.

Jesus had a revolutionary attitude towards women - he dignified them as his friends and followers, some of the key supporters of his ministry were women, the first witnesses of the resurrection, also female. And yet his 12 disciples were men - those men are the apostles, key leaders in the early church.

And in those new testament passages which describe the characteristics for an elder in the church, there is no question that one of those characteristics is being male. Most famously in the letters to TImothy and to Titus…

Does this mean every man should be an elder in the church - absolutely not, there is a long list of other criteria - they are to be model examples of Christian character, convictions and competence.

Does this mean every man has some sort of natural authority over women? Absolutely not, there is not hint of that at all. We need to fae the hard reality that this principle of male headship in the church family HAS sometimes been used to justify misogyny - that must NOT be so.

Does having male elders mean men are better to women, or somehow more spiritual again - absolutely not.

Does having male elders mean that women have no role in teh church - categorically NO! They have many roles including teaching roles, but this office of elder, in God’s wisdom…. Because of the complimentary of men and women, the Lord has kept for men.

In fact, often in Scripture when women step up into roles of leadership - it’s actually the fault of the men who HAVEN’T been willing to take responsibility (including spiritual responsibility) in the way they should.

Men and women are NOT meant to be at war… but at peace and in partnership - that is how God has designed us.

SO what do we make of Deborah in this senior role as prophetess and judge?

RIFF - complementary - working with Barak.

RIFF - narrative is not normative - Scripture often describes events without making comment or passing judgement (two wives… Jael here driving the tent peg…. We hope for some comment in the narrative of chapter 4 but scripture offers none). KEY PRINCIPLE.

Anyway we’ve mentioned Jael… so what about her - our second remarkable woman here. The one who drives the tent peg through the skull of Sisera - the enemy of God’s people.

We’ve said the narrative in chapter four offers little comment on her gruesome act. But we do get this in chapter 5…. Have a look from verse 24

Judges 5:24–27 NIV

“Most blessed of women be Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, most blessed of tent-dwelling women. He asked for water, and she gave him milk; in a bowl fit for nobles she brought him curdled milk. Her hand reached for the tent peg, her right hand for the workman’s hammer. She struck Sisera, she crushed his head, she shattered and pierced his temple. At her feet he sank, he fell; there he lay. At her feet he sank, he fell; where he sank, there he fell—dead.

Another graphic recounting… but notice that Deborah gives great PRAISE for these actions (‘most blessed of women be Jael’).

Perhaps our stomach’s turn at that… why should we celebrate and praise the defeat of this commander?

Well, reading on in chapter 5 (in Deborah’s song) will give us the answer… look now at v28

Judges 5:28 NIV

“Through the window peered Sisera’s mother; behind the lattice she cried out, ‘Why is his chariot so long in coming? Why is the clatter of his chariots delayed?’

SO here we picture (in our minds eye) Sisera’s mother…. Twitching at the curtains waiting for him to get home from battle (a battle he will win OF COURSE… what with all his military might).

Why is he taking so long?! (We know the real reason of course - a tent peg has come between him ever seeing his mother again).

But the women back home speculate to try and reassure themselves… ‘Oh, say the women…’ they’ll all be enjoying the spoils of war, that’s what is keeping them - read on v29

Judges 5:29–30 NIV

The wisest of her ladies answer her; indeed, she keeps saying to herself, ‘Are they not finding and dividing the spoils: a woman or two for each man, colorful garments as plunder for Sisera,

Now the NIV is a little polite her in its translation…. The phrase in Hebrew is NOT ‘a woman or two for each man’… (although you can probably guess what’s being hinted at even from that sanitise translation).

The Hebrew there literally says ‘a WOMB or two for every man’. In other words…. RAPE.

Little Sisera… our wee lay and he wee pals… don’t worry (say the mothers) they’re late home from their battle because they’re busy with a bit of innocent fun…. Just some RAPE and theft (middle of v30) that has detained them.

That is chilling isn’t it?

It makes you see what we’re dealing with here. Sisera and his fellow Canaanite warriors are not innocent bystanders. They are wicked… they are idolatrous…. They are rapists and thieves… enemies of God and of his people.

So YES, gruesome as we may find it…. Outside of our experience as it may be - we SHOULD celebrate the work of Jael as Deborah does - this is the work of God, this is the battle of the Lord.

And WE TOO (of course) are called to FIGHT. To FIGHT for God. Our weapons, though, are not sword…. Or gun…. Or tank… or even tent peg.

Paul writes to us saying….

Ephesians 6:10–12 NIV

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

Finally then….

5. A Part for us to Play

It is the GREAT MISTAKE, I think, of Western, modern Christian’s like us…. Folk who have lived (in global terms at least) comfortable, rich, peaceful, prosperous lives.

I was brought up short on this recently.

I was speaking to my mentor (every Free Church minister has one). And I was speaking to him about a particular challenge I was facing. It is a very difficult, vexing, complex challenge.

But one of his first comments was to remind me that, despite the ministry difficulties I faced, at least I wasn’t in Iran (or similar) where CHristian pastors are underground and in fear of their lives.

Because of that, CHristians like me (and, I guess, CHristians like you) are tempted to forget that the CHristian life is a war…. It’s a battle. We are to fight against our own sinful flesh within us - to become more Holy like Jesus…. And against Satan who is prowling around us - to cast off his influence in our lives… and against the world which is in NEED all about us - needing the Gospel.

Listen to Paul again - this time writing to Timothy

2 Timothy 2:3–4 NIV

Join with me in suffering, like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in civilian affairs, but rather tries to please his commanding officer.

There is the call for us of us to JOIN THE BATTLE.

Stuff from Ch 5 - we don’t have time to do the detail - various peoples and tribes join the fight… but others do not… they aren’t willing… they’re too preoccupied… they don’t like the odds of fighting the Canaanites with their armoured chariots…

Every time we discipline ourselves like good soldiers to read scripture and pray daily… we join the fight and please our commanding officer, the Lord Jesus.

Every time we make an absolute priority of gathering to worship, morning and evening - we join the fight and please our commanding officer, the Lord Jesus.

Every time we sacrifice - in time and treasure and talents - putting these to work for the sake of and the cause of the Gospel - this great strategic objective to take the gospel to the nations, we join the fight and please our commanding officer, the Lord Jesus.

And we’re here tonight (in part) to feed on the Lord Jesus - our commanding officer gives us our rations… our food… to grow us and strengthen us and sustain us for the fight…. Tonight we are getting our military meal - our rations - we’re being fed in WORD and n SACRAMENT.

PAUSE - BREAK OFF

This chapter on Deborah is remarkable. By the end of chapter 5 - God has heard the cries of his people… subdued his enemies… and brought his people peace.

Chapter 5 ends - with yet another cycle in the story of the Judges - “Then the Land had peace for forty years”.

But then….. tragically… cast your eye over into chapter 6 verse 1… it turns out that, for all her strengths, Deborah is not the saviour we need… the cycle is not broken, because we read….

Judges 6:1 NIV

The Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord, and for seven years he gave them into the hands of the Midianites.

We need one who will perfectly fight the battle…. To win the ultimate victory of sin and satan and death… the Lord Jesus - who goes to the cross to die…. He looks like an unlikely saviour… teh cross seems like an unlikely victory (in fact it looks like defeat)… and yet as the nails are driven - not through the heads of God’s enemies, but through the hands and feet of God’s son… their in apparent weakness is strength… there in apparent defeat is victory… there in death is our LIFE… their in that moment of sin’s condemnation - is our forgiveness - such is the greatness and work and saving power of our God - and all that we’ll celebrate in bread and wine - our victory meal.

Let’s pray