Did God Use Barak Again After He Failed With Debaorah
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Deborah and Jael
I. Introduction
Did you lot know that of the Forbes 100 most powerful women, 3 are supreme court justices (or judges), 9 are the heads of state (or the leaders of their countries), and four of them are first ladies (known because they are wives)? Of these 16 powerful women, 8 of them tell us that they are mothers besides. We see in our modern world that women have been honored for their gifts and talents and have grown into roles of power and influence.
Last calendar week, we talked about the i of the nigh helpless of women, Hagar, a slave in a foreign land, who is taken as a 2nd married woman to Abram simply to produce an heir. In dissimilarity, here, we get to talk almost two women who were on the opposite spectrum. Deborah was amongst the powerful aristocracy of State of israel during the time of the judges, and Jael proved her valor through a courageous human activity. We'll see that fifty-fifty in the ancient world of the Bible, there were women honored for their gifts and talents and who had roles of ability and influence in God'south kingdom. We run into Deborah and Jael in Judges iv and 5.
Deborah was known for her wisdom and discernment in deciding disputes betwixt the Israelites. She was a prophetess, receiving straight words of revelation from God. She was a leader of the entire Israelite nation. Like we saw with Mary 2 weeks ago, she knew her primary role was to follow God, in all the aspects of her life. Similar the 16 powerful women of today, Deborah, likewise, was a guess, a leader of her nation; she also was a married woman and a mother.
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Jael also stepped into her divinely appointed task at the correct time. She, like Deborah, rose to the occasion and was able to deliver the people of God from their oppressors.
Through their stories, nosotros'll encounter how God sends a redeemer. The Lord rescues his people from themselves by sending a judge to deliver them from the oppressive evil at work in their world.
II. Context of the Book of Judges in the Whole Bible
Before we spring in, I want to requite u.s. a trivial context on the book of Judges. I desire us to come across how it fits into God'south overall story of redemption in the Bible. We know that God's story culminates in the NT with the sending of his own son, to rescue or redeem humanity. We know how the story ends, but sometimes we don't know how to read and understand these OT stories. And so we take to beginning by seeing them every bit a part of the larger whole.
The book of Judges comes early in God'southward story. Information technology is after Israel's fourth dimension of slavery in Egypt and afterward God dramatically rescues them through the Red Sea from their oppressors (a story very similar to the one nosotros accept hither). After wandering in the wilderness, they finally were able to enter the Promised Land.
This is where the book of Judges comes in. The Israelites are in the country, simply they are still surrounded by their enemies. They don't yet have a king, and they oasis't been sent Jesus Christ. Nosotros'll run into though, that considering all of God's story points forward to Christ, there will be ideas and themes in this story in Judges, that bespeak us to Christ equally the ultimate redeemer and leader of his people.
III. The Circle of Repentance in Judges iv-5
Open your Bibles to Judges 4 and 5 . These ii chapters tell the story of the simply female person approximate in Israel's history, really, the just female leader of the people of Israel. Affiliate four tells the story in narrative grade, and Chapter 5 retells the story equally a song of praise, written in poetry, praising the Lord for his role in the story. The 2 chapters complement each other and requite us a full picture of what happened during the time of Deborah. I am going to weave the 2 chapters together here where Ch. 5, the song, sheds light on Ch. iv, the narrative.
A. Stages 1-iii: Evil, Oppression, Crying Out
Starting in verse 1, nosotros read:
"Afterward Ehud [the previous guess] died, the Israelites once again did evil in the eyes of the LORD. So the LORD sold them into the hands of Jabin, a male monarch of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor. The commander of his army was Sisera, who lived in Harosheth Haggoyim. Because he had nine hundred fe chariots and had cruelly oppressed the Israelites for xx years, they cried to the Lord for assist" (Judges 4:1-3).
We learn that the people of State of israel had gotten themselves into this situation because of the evil that they had done, which would include serving the gods of the Canaanites (Judges 5:8). And then the Canaanites, Jabin and his commander Sisera, had 900 fe chariots, and they cruelly oppressed the Israelites for 20 years. For 20 years, the people of State of israel were abused and oppressed, beaten downward both physically and emotionally by this Canaanite king.
1. The Circle of Repentance Defined
In the volume of Judges, at that place is a common blueprint that emerges in each of the stories. Over and over over again in the book, we find a circle of repentance with v stages that the people become through. In that location are 5 stages and we see all of them play out in this story. The v stages of the circle of repentance in the book of Judges are:
- State of israel does evil in the eyes of the Lord; they fall abroad from God, frequently beginning to serve the gods of the other people in their land (we run into this in 4:i).
- They are oppressed. God sends others to oppress them for their defiance and seeking their own means (nosotros run across this in 4:2-three).
- They weep out to God for help. The oppression is too much for them to deport, so they turn back to God and weep out to him, usually in a last-ditch effort and act of desperation (information technology took them 20 years in this case) (we run across this in 4:3).
- God raises upwardly a deliverer for them: a judge. The judge is usually a military leader who saves the people (this will be the bulk of the story).
- The fifth and last phase is peace. God gives the people and the state peace and rest for the life of the judge (we won't run into this until the very last poetry of the story in 5:31).
But, like I said, information technology's a bike, so it repeats. After a time of peace, the people forget the Lord again, do evil, are oppressed, weep out, so a new approximate is raised upwardly to deliver them and give peace, again.
2. Their Oppression
So after turning from God, the Israelites in this day were oppressed. We learn from the next affiliate, Judges v:6-8, what their oppression was like. Look in verse 6, we see that the roads were abandoned and travelers took to winding paths, out-of-the-way, because they were agape. In poetry 7, we run into that village life had ceased—at that place was no social interaction—and in poetry eight, that in that location was non a shield or spear amid forty,000 in Israel. Not only were they afraid, and hiding out, simply they had no means of protection either. They were completely weak and vulnerable and under the control of Jabin and his powerful chariots.
B. Stage 4: God Raises Upward a Deliverer: Deborah
It's at this indicate in the story that we meet Deborah. Look back at Ch. 4, verse four , nosotros read:
"Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, was leading [or judging] Israel at that time. She held courtroom under the Palm [tree] of Deborah…and the Israelites came to her to have their disputes decided" (Judges iv:4-5).
Deborah was both a prophetess and a approximate or leader for the people. The simply other judge in Scripture that was also a prophet was Samuel, who nosotros studied last fall.
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What qualities do you think she would need to fill these roles (prophet, leader, guess, wife, mother- 5:vii)? How about: wisdom, discernment, sympathise hearts of men and women and children, trust in God, residual of many roles, etc.
i. Deborah equally Guess
We're studying a judge in the book of Judges, merely what was an ancient judge? Was it someone who held courtroom with a gavel, similar in our modernistic day? Well, there's an aspect in which Deborah does exercise this equally she settles disputes among the people, but the ancient judge was also a ruler, a rescuer, and deliverer for the people from their enemies. The function went well beyond settling cases of disagreement. What they practice is a gift and calling from God; they delivered their people.
ii. Deborah as Prophetess
In poesy 6, we see God speaking through her, giving his programme of rescue for the Israelites. She sends for Barak, son of Abinoam, saying:
"The LORD, the God of Israel, commands you: 'Go, accept with you ten thousand men of Naphtali and Zebulun and lead the manner to Mount Tabor. I will lure Sisera, the commander of Jabin'due south army, with his chariots and his troops to the Kishon River and give him into your hands'" (Judges 4:6-7).
God reveals to her to summon Barak to atomic number 82 the people out from under the oppressive hand of Jabin.
Just, nosotros see in his response, a lack of faith in this discussion from God. In poetry 8, he says, "If you go with me, I will get; but if y'all don't go with me, I won't go." Barak wavers. He hears the command of God, but he'south willing to disobey if Deborah doesn't become with him. His response goes to show that there really wasn't any male person leadership in Israel at that time. Deborah replies in verse 9 that she will go with him, merely because of the way he's responded, she says, "the award volition not be yours, for the LORD will paw Sisera over to a woman." A woman will be the one to deliver Israel and to give them the peace and residual.
Then verses 9-10 both tell us that "Deborah went with him."
What exercise you recollect Deborah would be feeling as she goes into battle with ten,000 men? Perchance: scared, agape, or trusting in God?
What would give her the emotional forcefulness/religion to do this? Maybe the roles she's already been chosen to, her past interactions with God, trust in her abilities, having received direct words from God (prophecy), wisdom in deciding disputes, trust God'southward word is truthful…
Aye, then her strength would come up from God. In Judges v:2-3 , she praises God, and says that the people willingly volunteered themselves to serve with God, then she sings to the Lord. In 5:9, she says her heart is with Israel'due south princes and willing volunteers. She gains force from the people—her community—as well as God. After nosotros'll see she has strength in God because she sees him at work in nature…and because she knows the Lord has gone out ahead of them (see verses 4:14, 5:21, and 5:31).
3. Deborah as Commander of the Boxing
Side by side, nosotros motion to the scene of the battle in Ch. 4, verses 12-sixteen (Judges four:12-16) . Barak'due south ten,000 men are to fight the 900 iron chariots of Sisera. While the numbers might seem to be in Israel's favor, they are still severely outmatched. The riders of the iron chariots had been oppressing them for 20 years, you lot'll call back. And then, Barak goes, because Deborah is with him. And nosotros see that she'south at present taking on a military leadership role as well. In poesy 14, we see she's the ane who commands the troops, giving the battle weep to "Become!" The Lord has revealed to her that today is the mean solar day they will defeat Sisera. The Lord says that he has gone out before them. While Deborah goes with the troops and with Barak, the Lord has gone out ahead of them.
And so Barak'southward men accuse downwards the mountain toward Sisera and his chariots, and poesy 15 says that "the Lord routed Sisera and all his chariots." Not Barak routed Sisera, merely the Lord did. We learn that Sisera abandons his chariot and flees on foot; meanwhile all the other men were killed past the sword (verses xvi-17).
four. The Lord as Deliverer
What has happened though, we don't really go much more information here in Ch. four? We do know that it's the Lord'south boxing and that he had a hand in it, just how could they trounce the fe chariots and why would Sisera abandon his? Ch. five gives u.s. more information about the fashion God wins this battle for them. So await at Ch. 5, the second ½ of verse 4, we run across that "the earth shook, the heavens poured, the clouds poured downward water. The mountains quaked before the LORD, the I of Sinai, before the LORD, the God of Israel" (Judges 5:4b-5). God sends a tempest. The ground would plow to mud, and fe chariots on wheels pulled behind horses aren't going to get also far. The chariots would become stuck, and Sisera's power would be rendered ineffective.
Ch. 5, verses xx-21 adds that "From the heavens the stars fought, from their courses they fought against Sisera. The river Kishon swept them away, the age-old river, the river Kishon. March on, my soul; exist stiff!" says Deborah (Judges 5:20-21). So the rain and the swelling of the river swept away the power of Israel'southward oppressors. The Lord routes the ground forces by his mighty hand and his mighty power. The battle was non won past man, only by the Lord. God is the divine warrior who ultimately rescues his people, using the team of Deborah and Barak to help behave out his programme. (Verse 21 tells us that Deborah'south soul gains strength from seeing God working a natural phenomenon.)
5. Jael as God's Instrument
Just what's happening with Sisera? Dorsum to Ch. four, verse 17-22 , remember that he escapes; he flees from the battle equally the only survivor. On his escape route, exhausted, he comes upon the tent of an ally.
Poesy 17 tells united states that he comes to the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, who had friendly relations with the Canaanite king Jabin. But, 5erse eleven above tells usa that he would be distantly related to the Israelites too, by marriage through Moses. And so he would have loyalty to both sides.
In verses 18-21, we learn that Jael, lures Sisera into her tent, telling him not to be afraid. He accepts her hospitality. She covers him and offers him milk to drinkable, rather than the water he requests. She promises to divert anyone who comes looking for him, simply as before long every bit he falls asleep, she carries out a different programme. She takes a tent peg and a hammer and drives it through his caput, killing him instantly.
When Barak comes looking for him, Jael calls out to him, telling him in verse 22, "'Come, I will evidence you lot the man you lot're looking for.' So he went in with her, and in that location lay Sisera with the tent peg through his temple—dead."
Jael has simply killed a man. What are nosotros to brand of Jael's actions? Is she a hero or a treacherous woman? What would do you recall would drive her to do this?? Are we to follow her atomic number 82?
- remember that the laurels would go to a woman, it was already prophesied
- this is in warfare
- nosotros should not follow her lead… (see below, "aboriginal warfare vs. modern")
6. Jael'due south Actions Blest
Let's look at what this story has to say about Jael's actions. Ch. 5 sheds more lite for us. Look at verse 24 with me:
"Nigh blest of women be Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, nigh 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 mitt reached for the tent peg, her right paw 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 anxiety he sank, he vicious; where he sank, there he savage—dead" (Judges five:24-27).
Here Jael is chosen near blessed of women for her part in killing the commander of the oppressive army. She is the one who literally delivers the people in this story; she is God's instrument. Dorsum in Ch. 4, verse 23, the writer says that "On that solar day God subdued Jabin, the Canaanite king." Jael, a adult female and married woman, a tent-dweller and foreigner, stepped into the function that God called her to. She was willing to save the people from their enemies and to rescue them when needed. She dealt the decisive blow that saved the people.
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seven. Ancient Warfare vs. Modern
Merely what about for us? Are we to follow her example in battle? Do you call up that God wants united states to be certain and kill our enemy if he always is passing by our house? The NT would definitely tell us no, this is not God'south way now that he has sent Jesus. Past the standards of ancient warfare, though, these two women were both heroes. But today, nosotros don't fight battles similar they did in the OT. At present that we live in the NT times, our enemies are the spiritual forces of darkness.
Ephesians half dozen:12 reminds us that "our struggle is not against flesh and claret, but against the rulers, confronting the authorities, against the powers of this dark earth and confronting the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." Since Christ has come, the battle is different…He has already won, so instead of literal armor, we put on the spiritual armor of God. Yes, nosotros volition still see flesh and blood enemies, just we are non to fight them in the aforementioned way. We are to use our spiritual weapons and armor.
C. Phase 5: Peace
At the finish of this story, Ch. v verse 31, we come across the final phase in the circumvolve of repentance, after Sisera died, "then the land had peace forty years." The circle for this judge was complete. The cycle of Deborah as judge with Jael every bit her warrior concluded with lasting peace for 40 years.
Four. Christ every bit Ultimate Deliverer and Giver of Peace
Let's begin to wrap up past looking at what would this story have meant for the original hearers? They would take seen that through Deborah and Jael'due south courage and faith, the Lord rescues his people State of israel from the trouble they got themselves into by doing evil in his sight. God sends a judge to redeem the people from their oppression and situation. But since it's a circle of repentance, it happens over and over over again; they needed a new judge, each time they got themselves into this circle. The point of this story in Judges is that God intervenes to send someone to assist rescue Israel during times of oppression.
For us, nosotros have to await not just at how the original hearers would have taken this story, only how we are to take it now that Christ has come. In the context of the whole Bible, nosotros larn that God is the ultimate one who redeems his people, even equally we saw in this story—information technology was God who routed the army. Every bit nosotros await forward to the NT, nosotros come across that Jesus is the redeemer, he is the leader, who finally and ultimately delivers his people from themselves. Deborah and Jael'southward story, these two women, point the states to Christ's work. Exterior of a saving relationship with Christ, we are weak and poor, oppressed by the spiritual forces of darkness; we are in need of God'southward divine intervention. We demand Christ as our savior, redeemer, and judge to fight the battles for us, because nosotros accept no promise of winning them on our own or of bringing lasting peace on our ain. Only he tin do it.
V. Application and Conclusion
What does this mean for you and me? Well, we no longer take to acquit the oppressive weight of evil. Nosotros don't have to wait for the redeemer, the deliverer, he's already been sent. We don't have to wait for God's peace; it also has already been sent.
Now yes, we may still today see this same circle of repentance play out in our ain lives; we are human after all… We need to be aware of it, but nosotros besides need to recognize that nosotros are not left in information technology. We demand to apologize when we stray from God and come back to him. The more nosotros abound in our Christian walk, the less we should enter into the depths of this bike. What I mean is that nosotros shouldn't motility so far out in defiance that we don't even admit the Lord anymore. We demand to learn to recognize that he has been there, correct beside us, all along, and that he has already rescued united states from our worst boxing with sin and evil.
In decision, God'due south hope is that he is the one who provides the victory and the one to accomplish it: his son.
As women, we need to exist willing to stride into the roles he has called u.s. and to utilise the gifts he has given us. We too need to learn to have strength in our organized religion in God and trust in him to deliver us, from whatsoever our situation may exist.
Questions for Discussion and Application:
- What is an area of your life right now where yous feel trapped in the circumvolve of repentance (disobey, feel oppressed, cry out, be delivered, then take peace)? How can you lot begin to move forrard out of this?
- How has God called yous to step out equally a woman to a role that might be uncomfortable for you? How practice these women'south stories help us gain perspective on God in our ain lives?
Next Bible Study lesson on Women in the Bible by Keeley
Source: https://www.lifeandfaithcollide.com/bible-study/women-in-the-bible/deborah-and-jael/
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