Chp. 4-5 Women on a mission in the North
Judges 4:1-24
“The Honey Bee of Israel”
- Intro.
- Vs. 1-3 Abounding sin, abounding grace
- Vs. 4-9 A mother in Israel
- Vs. 10-16 God’s best work
- Vs. 17-24 Walk softly and carry a big stake
Intro
Harry Truman the 33rd president defined leadership as “The ability to get men to do what
they don’t want to do and like doing it!” Christian leadership is dependent upon four characteristics:
- Godly character
- Submission to biblical truth
- A servant heart
- The empowerment of the Holy Spirit
Without the church fulfilling this role society will quickly turn to the culture to fill the vacuum with its values. The Lord has called every believer to be a disciple maker this will require us to build into others lives of the three things that every person has been given Time, Talent and Treasure! Deborah was just such a women and Chapters 4-5 give a narrative then a poetic account of the events of her ministry.
Vs. 1-3 Abounding sin, abounding grace
Vs. 1-3 The first 3 judges centered on the southern region of Israel but Deborah’s ministry takes place around the Northern region and the Sea of Galilee. Hazor was a very large fortified city around fifteen miles north of the Sea Galilee. In Josh 11:1 Joshua had burned Hazor but because the Israelites hadn’t driven out the Canaanites they had rebuilt the city. Josephus tells us that Joshua and the children of Israel faced a king (Jabin) with 20,000 Iron chariots and won. But now 150 years later Jabin (a title not a name) had a army with 900 chariots of iron which he used to oppress the children of Israel for twenty years. Deborah describes the situation in her song written in chapter 5 of Judges where she writes in verse 8 “There was war in the gates; not a shield or spear was seen among forty thousand in Israel.” Militarily Israel was in a hopeless situation as they had no weapons facing a nation armed to the teeth but that wasn’t their real problem was they had left the true and living God. They didn’t need the weapons of the world they need the every present power of the Living God. You would think by this time the nation would have begun to say, “Hey, have you noticed that that every time we follow after the god’s of this world we some foreign king oppresses us until we god back to the Living God?”
So once again Israel finds themselves in bondage to that which they refused to drive out of their lands and once again they cry out to God not to forgive their sins but rather to change the consequences of their actions! Friends there is a big difference between “religious reformation” and “spiritual revival”. Reformation only temporarily reforms outward conduct while revival permanently alters inward character. Is the cry of your heart only for God to change the consequences of your actions or is it for Him to forgive your sins? Has your life turned into oppression you don’t have to wait 8 years, 18 years or 20 years to turn to the Lord, get your heart right now! Don’t settle only for comfort ask for cleansing! That is the story of Judges as they certainly abounded again and again in doing evil but God abounded more and more in grace! David wrote in Psalm 18:35 “You give me your shield of victory, and your right hand sustains me; you stoop down to make me great.”
Vs. 4-9 A mother in Israel
Vs. 4-9 Deborah’s name means a “Honey Bee” which certainly fits her character: A Bee’s wax is the most heat-resistant wax there is as it can withstand heat up to 141 degrees but at that temperature bees began to join together flapping their wings at 190 times per second to cool their hive, very industrious! They also are extremely discerning as they have over 2000 plates in their antennae which they use to identify the proper lowers in which to draw nectar. Finally bees are best known for producing sweet honey. And all of that fits Deborah how? Well she was very industrious, extremely discerning, had a sweet disposition but man did she pack a powerful sting! (Courson). God granted them grace but did so in a humbling way by raising up a woman to deliver them. A mother because they were acting like children! (Jud. 5:7) Beyond her husband’s name in verse 4 (Lapidoth) we only know two things about her:
- She was a prophetess, a spokesperson for the Lord which would suggest that she was filled with the Holy Spirit.
- She was a judge, and based upon verse 5 people would travel to the hills of Ephraim to have their disputes settled by her. That means that unlike her predecessors she judged before she delivered where as they judged after they delivered.
She was an exceptional woman and leader and there are four insights into her character given to us that we ought to apply in our own lives.
- She saw a need and was committed to do something about it: In Judges 5:6-7 she writes “In the days of Shamgar, son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the highways were deserted, and the travelers walked along the byways. Village life ceased, it ceased in Israel, until I, Deborah, arose, arose a mother in Israel.” Far too often leaders are caught between uncritical lovers and unloving critics. Love without criticism brings stagnation and criticism without love brings destruction. But love with criticism brings instruction. Leaders need to know where they are going.
- She wasn’t afraid to enlist help: In 4:6a we are told that she “Sent and called for Barak”. Israel had a military problem and she needed a military leader to do what she couldn’t do. She was directed to a man named “Lightning” from the region that was oppressed. She was enough to know her limitations as well as the teams she put together.
- She motivated the team: In 4:6-9 we are told that she said “Has not the Lord God of Israel commanded.. and I will deliver them into your hand.” Barak was a gifted man but he needed to be spiritually encouraged to take up the fight. She did so by sharing the Word of God, reminding them of the promises of God and third proved that she herself believed what she said as she was willing to go herself.
- She had a plan: Verses 6-7 list a very specific plan that no doubt God gave her even though it left the 10,000 troops very vulnerable seeing that they were at the foot of the mountain mere fodder for 900 iron chariots. Essentially they were little more than decoys. Folks, seeing a need is easy having a plan and willing to commit to it yourself is another deal altogether.
The plan was to meet the enemy where they were the strongest and Israel the weakest in the Megiddo Valley at the Kishon River which was not a river unless it rained, and this was the dry season. Only by faith could Deborah have carried out these plans and it makes sense that Barak said, “Hey look sister if that is what you are hearing from the Lord I’ll go if you go.”
Vs. 10-16 God’s best work
Vs. 10-13 The fact that Barak demands that Deborah go with him reveals that Barak trusted her relationship with God more than his own relationship with God. She has a prophetic word for Barak saying, “There will be no glory for you”, but the fulfillment was not from her but rather from another lady Jael (verse 21). Barak and all who went with him showed courage and trust in God to go out against Sisera and his army. With no weapons to fight against a technologically advanced army (having 900 chariots of iron), God led them to fight on a plain, putting them at a big disadvantage. Heber the Kenite was a distant descendant of Israel, through Jethro the father-in-law of Moses and Abraham’s 2nd wife Keturah. The actually battle was conducted by Barak in which the nation had three certainties going into the fight:
- They were out manned: Israel had 10,000 soldiers, Sisera had 900 Iron chariots plus foot soldiers.
- They were out-supplied: Deborah wrote that Israel did not have a shield or spear among forty thousand in Israel.
- They were out-positioned: Mount Tabor rises 1,300 above the valley floor and their backs were against it.
Yet that is exactly what God had commanded them to do. Ever notice that God does His best work when we can’t do ours? God wanted to teach the nation that it wasn’t the things the world looked to it was faith in God that produced the victory. Amazingly in Hebrews 11:32 Barak’s name is listed as a man of faith but there is no mention of Deborah’s.
Vs. 14-16 In verse 15 we are told that the Lord “routed” Sisera and the word there means to “cause confusion” how did this happen? First the Canaanite god Baal was the god of storms and this must have added to the confusion in the mind of Sisera and his army. Second according to chapter 5:4-5 and 5:21 we are told that “The earth trembled and the heavens poured water and the torrent of Kishon swept them away, that ancient torrent, the torrent of Kishon.” God brought about the victory by bringing a flash flood which caused muddy conditions making the chariots of iron a hindrance, not a help in the battle.
Vs. 17-24 Walk softly and carry a big stake
Vs. 17-24 There was only one thing left to happen and that was the fulfillment of Deborah’s prophecy. Sisera left on foot and ran into a non Jewish tent and a lady whose name means “mountain goat”. Sisera has every reason to think he was safe as he and Heber had an agreement and Jael acted like she was there to protect him. Verse 11-12 suggests that it was Heber and Jael that warned Sisera that the Jews were about to revolt as they were gathering an army. It seems as though this family was playing both sides for their own benefit. Thus Barak was out done by a gentile woman using a household tool as it was the women’s job to set up the tent. Jabin and Sisera controlled the Kenites so he was thinking that Heber and Jael would still be under their control as Sisera headed to the house for protection. Jael has a plan to take care of Sisera that involved the most unlikely weapons:
- A blanket
- A warm glass of milk
- A tent peg
Now Sisera is still ordering Jael around, “give me a drink of water” but she going to give it to him by pegging him down. Now spiritually I like this as this is how you deal with the old nature that is ordering you around coming into you tent to tell you what to do:
- Put the “Blanket” of God grace over it!
- Pour into it the “milk” of the word of God!
- Pin it down by “pegging” it through the thought life!
- Pound it down by “grounding” it in the love of God!
This was the last thing that went through Sisera’s mind, it is where we get the phrase walk softly and carry a big stake!
This is a placeholder. Notes will be added