Victorious Yahweh: Judges 5

Intro:

• Chicago Cubs

◦ Victory Song

◦ Victory Parade

• FCF: What are we to do in response to the deliverance of Yahweh?

• Big Idea: Praise Yahweh

Body

1. Praise Yahweh for His activity: 4-8

• Yahweh is Active: 4-5

◦ His is active in His deliverance from Egypt

◦ He is active in His Deliverance from Canaan

• Israel is Dormant: 6-8

◦ Main roads were abandoned

◦ They ceased

◦ They chose other gods and lacked war material

• Application: Praise for his activity and Warning for our idleness

◦ We must be awed by our God, who never ceases His saving work. The same God who delivered Israel from Egypt, then Jabin and Sisera, is the God who delivers us from sin and death. Furthermore, he will bring complete victory in the future at the return of Jesus. He is active and faithful to keep all of His promises. Throughout your day, think upon and recount His marvelous deeds and take comfort that He is still active.

◦ We must see that idleness and idolatry are things that commonly plague us as God’s people. In your work place it can be easy to grow idle in your faith. You may not see your work as valued by God, like say the work of a pastor or missionary. However, this simply is not true. You ultimately work for king Jesus and when you are at your work place you are His representative. This should drive us to work hard, work joyously, and work with a heavenly gaze. This will further drive us to discuss why it is that we work the way we do and point people with whom we work with to the God who delivers us.

2. Praise Yahweh for His willing people: 2, 9-11c, 11d-18, 23

• Yahweh is to be praised for raising up willing leaders: 2, 9

◦ Application: God still raises up leaders for his people. I can look back at church history and the history of Israel for that matter and praise God for the leaders He rose up. One man who I think we as baptist must all praise God for is Martin Luther. He stood up to Roman Catholic authorities and deafened the gospel and Holy Scripture from the hindrances that the Catholic Church put on it. Other such examples could be Billy Graham or now John Piper. However, God uses leaders in small congregations in big ways as well. If you have had godly leadership or have it now it is something to praise God for.

• Yahweh is to be praised for raising up willing followers: 13-15a, 18

◦ Application: Those of us who are leaders in the church must praise God for the willingness of our fellow congregants. Also, those who are not in leadership, formally, can thank God that their fellow congregants are willing and indeed do serve the Lord. No, church is perfect, nor is any individual in a church perfect. That all the more gives us reason to praise God when the church is unified in an effort to be faithful to our LORD.

• Rebuke for those who did not participate: 15b-17, 23

◦ Application: Though God is the one ultimately at work and who brings victory, there is a responsibility given to us to obey Him. This reminds me of Philippians where Paul says, “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” Or in Ephesians when He says, “For we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus for God works, which he prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” Those of us who know Jesus and claim to trust in Him as Lord and Savior are obligated and ought to desire to walk in obedience to Him. Are you faithful to what God’s word has called you to? Are you about furthering the gospel in serving Jesus or are you more concerned about serving yourself? James was right in saying, “So also faith by itself, it does not have works, is dead.” You need to seriously examine your life this coming week and ask yourself the questions I just posed. Let us not be a church like the tribes that did not join in God’s work. Let us be a church that is active in God’s mission.

3. Praise Yahweh for His victory: 19-22

• The battle from chapter 4 is here explained in greater detail. God brought victory by controlling the weather, eliminating the advantage of Canaan.

• Application: Why is it that we don’t share the gospel? Do we fear not having all the answers? Do we fear that we will be rejected? Why? Is not he who is in us greater than he who is in the world? Has Jesus lost all authority in heaven and on earth? Has He failed to keep His promise that he will be with us to the end of the age? I believe we all intellectually know the answers to these questions. However, when the rubber meets the road and situations present themselves we fail to believe them. I think this is often the case because we don’t have habits in place that foster these realities. We don’t visit the scriptures daily, we don’t pray, we don’t serve the poor, and we don’t take chances to see God’s power overcome what seems to be impossibilities. Let us as individuals vow to one another to be in the scriptures and to pray daily. Let us be a church that doesn’t fail to gather together, grow together, and serve together. A little church can do great things because the one they serve supplies the power and the victories.

4. Praise Yahweh for His servant: 24-30

• Sisera’s mother is mocked: 28-30

• Jael is blessed: 24-27

• Illustration: The story of my dad and the reading

• Application: Savoring the deliverance of Yahweh something we must do, but often fail to do. The salvation purchased for us in Jesus is something that has in many ways been reduced to cheesy T-Shirts, memes on social media, and Sunday School answers. Shouldn’t it be our treasure? When you cherish something you think about it often. You remember it. You talk about it. I’m know Christian men who can talk hours about sports teams, guns, and hunting. I know women who also can talk about the same things, while adding their children, clothing, and etc. Yet, many in these groups can hardly articulate the basic gospel message to me, let alone someone who doesn’t believe it or hasn’t heard it. I wonder what the church would be like if men thought about the gospel as much as they think about their sports team. Please, consider how you spend your time. Ask yourself, do I savor the salvation purchased for me by Christ? Do I savor Christ himself? Then evaluate your answer by the amount of time you think about the gospel and Christ himself. If it comes out to less than trivial things like sports then you have a problem. Repent and reorient your life around Him and His mission. Read the Bible, read books that discuss the faith, pray daily, and find someone who will teach you, and who you can teach.

Conclusion: Our Prayer and Our Calling: 31

• Our prayer: 31a

◦ The word translate, “so” points us to the prior section. That is the overthrowing of Sisera. Therefore, Deborah is praying that what happened to Sisera would happen to all God’s enemies. This line is a part of the fulfillment of the portion the Lord’s prayer, “Your kingdom come...” His kingdom comes by Him overthrowing the enemies of Him and His people. Indeed the kingdom of God will be fully materialized when Jesus returns. Part of His return will be the conquering of His enemies (2 Thess. 1:5-12), and the other will be the exalting of His people.

◦ Application: Let us indeed pray that God will bring justice here on earth. That means justice in general and specifically for those who call on the name of Jesus. There are brothers and sisters who right now are struggling under corrupt systems of government and oppressive pagan religions. There are even some in the states who struggle with a system that seems be at odds with them and there livelihood. Let us pray for God’s victory over the wicked.

• Our calling: 31b

◦ The phrase translated in the ESV, as, “But your friends” is more clearly translated by the NASB and NKJV as, “But let those who love Him.” With that now in view it is clear that the Deborah is alluding the first and primary obligation of the people of God. They are to love him. As Moses wrote, “You shall love Yahweh your God with all your heart, with your whole life, and with everything you have.” He then adds how they are to do this, “And these words which I am commanding you today shall be upon your heart.” Jesus put it this way, “If you love me, keep my commandments.” This concluding remark in Judges would have pricked the heart of Israelites who pursued after Baal and Asheroth, disobeying the first commandment, “You shall have no other God’s before me.”

◦ Application: If you do not love Yahweh, and therefore Jesus, you then will find yourself to be one of his enemies. Christians in this life will always war against sin and fail at times. Yet, if there is no disposition against or disdain for one’s personal sins or sin in general, then one can hardly claim to love Jesus. May we endeavor to love Jesus with all that we are in order that we may take comfort in Him as our savior. Love is not a feeling, but a commitment. Furthermore, love is fostered, confirmed, and strengthened by habits or disciplines. We as Christians claim to love Jesus, must orient our life in way that reflects that claim. We ought to be a people who cannot get enough of Jesus and thirst to know him more. Jesus died for you, will you live for him?

◦ Praise for His activity, willing people, victory, and servant.