The Battle and the Victory Belong to the Lord

Fear is An Interesting Concept

It is always interesting when we have biblical stories that address emotions and situations that everyone is familiar with. There’s a reboot of a classic show called the Wonder Years. The 2022 version zeroes in on a black family in the 60’s. It’s during a time in which many women were stay at home moms, nonetheless Lillian who is the mother works at an accounting firm after graduating from an HBCU in Alabama. There is one episode in particular in which she takes her youngest son to work and he is able to witness the fact that many men in the workplace ask her for solutions but rarely give her credit, so as they are up against a time crunch they run to her for advice but because she has grown tired of subpar pay and no credit the situation becomes very “you lack of preparation should not inconvenience me” and as the department begins to crumble not only does upper management realize how valuable she is but all the colleagues around her.

Historically there have been many instances in which women have not gotten the credit that they deserve. I believe it was James Brown that once said “It’s a man’s world but it wouldn’t be nothing, nothing, nothing with out a woman”. As we close out this series on the “Value of Our Sisters” I want to turn your attention to

Judges 4:7-10 “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’?” 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!” So she said, “I will surely go with you; nevertheless there will be no glory for you in the journey you are taking, for the Lord will sell Sisera into the hand of a woman.” Then Deborah arose and went with Barak to Kedesh. And Barak called Zebulun and Naphtali to Kedesh; he went up with ten thousand men under his command, and Deborah went up with him.”

Who is Deborah

During this time of Israel’s oppression God rises up a woman to take the lead. Not only a judge but a Prophetess, not only a prophetess but a wife! Understand that her message was from God. In the Bible we do not have many stories about prophetesses. I’m reminded of Miriam in Exodus 15:20 “Then Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took the timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances.” I’m reminded of Huldah in 2 Kings 22:14 “So Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam, Achbor, Shaphan, and Asaiah went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tikvah, the son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe. (She dwelt in Jerusalem in the Second Quarter.) And they spoke with her.” I’m even reminded of Anna in Luke 2:36 “Now there was one, Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, and had lived with a husband seven years from her virginity;”

The bible is not absent of iconic and legendary and influential women and neither should the church. The bible is very elaborative on her impact as the judge of Israel. Judges 5:7 “Village life ceased, it ceased in Israel, Until I, Deborah, arose, Arose a mother in Israel.” Her legacy was cemented in the oracles of Israel’s history or in this instance HER-story, so much so that when the book of Judges was compiled over 200 years later the giant palm tree still marked the place we read about in Judges 4:5 “And she would sit under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the mountains of Ephraim. And the children of Israel came up to her for judgment.” Her victory was so iconic that the Canaanites never reappeared as an enemy within Israel.

Fear and Cowardice

Leadership will often send you places you had no intention of going. Deborah a judge, ends up having to go to battle because the leader of the army did not want to go by himself. I do not want to exclusively equate this to fear but I will say he refused to go by himself. It might not have been fear as much as it could have been faith in the resources and faith in the promise of victory from God.

When God commissions us and gives a job to lead we have to do it with confidence.

Deborah informs him that “you will receive no honor in this venture”, “for the victory over Sisera will be at the hands of a woman”

Deborah doesn’t just go to tag along she plays an integral part in the battle. Do not lose confidence when you have to walk into a room that people who look like you are not normally in. Even if you did not have plans to be there, just know God sent you for a reason as well.

“At Kedesh, Barak called together the tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali, and 10,000 warriors went up with him. Deborah also went with him.

How often do we see women having to go to war in the bible, thank God for the women who are willing to put their life on the line for the betterment of their community.

This is what faith looks like, understanding the commandments to the point that fear is not an option, no matter how big the task, no matter how daunting the obstacle is.

Sure Israel had 10,000 warriors but Sisera had 900 chariots and the people of God had been oppressed for two decades. None of that mattered because Deborah knew God was on her side.

Sometimes It Be Your Own People

Judges 4:11 “Now Heber the Kenite, of the children of Hobab the father-in-law of Moses, had separated himself from the Kenites and pitched his tent near the terebinth tree at Zaanaim, which is beside Kedesh.”

Historically the Kenites had sided with the Israelites. They were not necessarily blood related but they had close family ties.

Family friends you call uncle and auntie. Oh, her, oh, Him - that’s my cousin. Ya’ll aren’t related by blood but they come to all the family functions and you love them like family.

They were a branch of the Midianites that had sided with the Israelites for a very long time. We have to be careful that we understand just because people struggle with you does not mean they will go to war with you.

Not only did he leave the Israelite camp but he set up camp in close proximity of Hazor. Understand that Hazor was the dwelling place of King Jabin. He not only abandoned Israel after all they had accomplished. This was not just any old tribe, this was the tribe that Moses’ wife Zipporah, his brother-in-law and father-in-law had come from.

Psalm 37:1-2 “Do not fret because of evildoers, Nor be envious of the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, And wither as the green herb.”

He thought he was saving himself from destruction but truly he was working on God’s behalf.

The enemy can call their chariots and all their soldiers but God has all the power.

Church we need not be in fear when the enemy mounts up in battle. We just need to get ready to fight for the victory that God has already promised on our behalf.

Get up and get ready for victory!

Judges 4:14 “Then Deborah said to Barak, “Up! For this is the day in which the Lord has delivered Sisera into your hand. Has not the Lord gone out before you?” So Barak went down from Mount Tabor with ten thousand men following him.”

Judges 4:16 “But Barak pursued the chariots and the army as far as Harosheth Hagoyim, and all the army of Sisera fell by the edge of the sword; not a man was left.”

Thank God for the Sisters that Do the Right Thing

Hospitality is the greatest tool in war. Women have power.

Judges 4:17–21 NKJV

However, Sisera had fled away on foot to the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite; for there was peace between Jabin king of Hazor and the house of Heber the Kenite. And Jael went out to meet Sisera, and said to him, “Turn aside, my lord, turn aside to me; do not fear.” And when he had turned aside with her into the tent, she covered him with a blanket. Then he said to her, “Please give me a little water to drink, for I am thirsty.” So she opened a jug of milk, gave him a drink, and covered him. And he said to her, “Stand at the door of the tent, and if any man comes and inquires of you, and says, ‘Is there any man here?’ you shall say, ‘No.’ ” Then Jael, Heber’s wife, took a tent peg and took a hammer in her hand, and went softly to him and drove the peg into his temple, and it went down into the ground; for he was fast asleep and weary. So he died.

In Judges 5 it speaks of her hospitality. The bible says blessed is she among the women in tents. Hospitality is shown because he asked for water, she gave him milk. She let ol’ buddy get real comfortable to execute her plan of loyalty. Brothers be careful when you make decisions based on fear and cowardice.

She not only gave him milk but she brought cream in the big bowl, let him get full and sleepy and then she drove a tent peg right through his skull! Thank God for the sisters that still make decisions based on loyalty even when the men in their life do not make the right decisions.

1 Peter 3:1 “Wives, likewise, be submissive to your own husbands, that even if some do not obey the word, they, without a word, may be won by the conduct of their wives,”

God’s Promises

God promised that Barak would not receive credit and that is exactly what happened. Barak may have taken charge and let the army. Barak may have went on a high speed chase to catch Sisera but it was a woman that saved the day.

Judges 4:22-24 “And then, as Barak pursued Sisera, Jael came out to meet him, and said to him, “Come, I will show you the man whom you seek.” And when he went into her tent, there lay Sisera, dead with the peg in his temple. So on that day God subdued Jabin king of Canaan in the presence of the children of Israel. And the hand of the children of Israel grew stronger and stronger against Jabin king of Canaan, until they had destroyed Jabin king of Canaan.”

We do not have to worry about defeat when God has already promised victory.

1 Corinthians 15:55 ““O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?””

With God I’ve already won the battle, with God I do not have to worry about the power of the enemy, with the power of God I can walk into battle no matter how many chariots you have, not matter how big your army is God said I’m going to win and I have to trust in that.

They drove nails in Jesus’ hands and feet because they thought they had the victory, they placed a crown of thorns on his head because they thought they had the victory, they buried in a tomb and thought the battle was over. It’s not just victory that belongs to the Lord, the battle is the Lord’s in the first place.

1 Samuel 17:47 “Then all this assembly shall know that the Lord does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord’s, and He will give you into our hands.””

So when you find yourself on the precipice of battle just know that not only is the victory in your hands because God gave it to you but also know that the battle belongs to the Lord, and He who controls the battle controls the outcome.