Judges 5B. Jewish society is fracturing. Men aren t leading as they once did. Women are carrying burdens they ought not bear

Transcription

1 Judges 5B The sng f Debrah is a revealing cmmentary n the circumstances f Israel s victry We ve studied the first part f that sng s far, and what s becming clear is that Israel is n lnger perating as a single natin under the Lrd Jewish sciety is fracturing Men aren t leading as they nce did Wmen are carrying burdens they ught nt bear Peple are ding what s right in their wn eyes As the peple enjyed the prsperity f the land, they sank int idlatry And then the Lrd struck Israel with calamity with the intent t wake them frm their unrighteusness After a perid f time, they wuld awake, and He wuld restre them Yet each time, that restratin has becme a bit harder t accmplish Chapter 5 is Debrah s hnest reflectin n the way Israel btained victry ver the Canaanite king In the first part, she highlighted the weakness f Israel in the face f their enemy And by cntrast, the Lrd s vercming pwer t win the battle n Israel s behalf S she takes time t praise the Lrd fr the victry Because as we will see in parts 2 and 3 tday, the peple certainly weren t united t win the battle And in the end, the victry is credited t a wman in a tent, Jael And because f her bravery, the natin will see a perid f rest again 2015 Verse By Verse Ministry Internatinal ( May be cpied and distributed prvided the dcument is reprduced in its entirety, including this cpyright statement, and n fee is cllected fr its distributin.

2 Judges 5B 2 f 12 We ll read part tw in a cuple f sectins Judg. 5:12 Awake, awake, Debrah; Awake, awake, sing a sng! Arise, Barak, and take away yur captives, O sn f Abinam. Judg. 5:13 Then survivrs came dwn t the nbles; The peple f the LORD came dwn t me as warrirs. Judg. 5:14 Frm Ephraim thse whse rt is in Amalek came dwn, Fllwing yu, Benjamin, with yur peples; Frm Machir cmmanders came dwn, And frm Zebulun thse wh wield the staff f ffice. Judg. 5:15 And the princes f Issachar were with Debrah; As was Issachar, s was Barak; Int the valley they rushed at his heels; Amng the divisins f Reuben There were great reslves f heart. Judg. 5:16 Why did yu sit amng the sheepflds, T hear the piping fr the flcks? Amng the divisins f Reuben There were great searchings f heart. Judg. 5:17 Gilead remained acrss the Jrdan; And why did Dan stay in ships? Asher sat at the seashre, And remained by its landings. Judg. 5:18 Zebulun was a peple wh despised their lives even t death, And Naphtali als, n the high places f the field. Part 2 f the sng is fcused n wh participated in the battle, starting with Debrah and Barak In v.12 we re reminded that the Lrd dictated the timing f the battle He called Debrah and Barak t mve when the time was right We knw already that the Lrd wn the battle But nw we re learning that the Lrd selected the timing fr the battle as well The Lrd called Debrah t awake and Barak t arise Debrah is tld t awake s she can sing a sng 2015 Verse By Verse Ministry Internatinal ( May be cpied and distributed prvided the dcument is reprduced in its entirety, including this cpyright statement, and n fee is cllected fr its distributin.

3 Judges 5B 3 f 12 Singing a sng represents her prphesying the wrd f the Lrd Her rle was t speak the instructins f the Lrd n cue And Barak was tld t arise, meaning t get up in respnse t the wrd f the Lrd And as he arse, he wuld take the enemy captive Meaning, he nly needed t respnd t the call f Gd s wrd t find success This is anther universal pattern amng all Gd s peple Every gd wrk begins with a call frm Gd by the wrd f Gd And all the peple f Gd are expected t d is arise t bey what they learn Yu can t bey what yu dn t hear And yu can t please the Lrd if yu hear but d nt bey The Lrd used a wman t issue the call and a man t lead Israel int bedience As Barak stepped frward t answer Debrah s call, his respnse led sme men frm surrunding tribes f Israel t jin him Ntice in v.14 in additin t thse expected frm Zebulun, a few men jined frm three ther tribes Ephraim jined and sme frm Benjamin And cmmanders frm Machir, which is the name fr western prtins f Manasseh Then in v.15 we hear that the leaders f Isaachar als participated Gegraphically, these fur tribes are mre r less n the way frm Ephraim t the area f the battle S it seems Barak picked up supprt as he traveled t the valley t fight The Lrd brught these fur grups alngside Barak t encurage him as he prepare t engage in a battle he had n idea hw t win 2015 Verse By Verse Ministry Internatinal ( May be cpied and distributed prvided the dcument is reprduced in its entirety, including this cpyright statement, and n fee is cllected fr its distributin.

4 Judges 5B 4 f 12 When yu step ut in respnse t the wrd f Gd and act in faith, yu can be sure the Lrd will shw Himself in unexpected ways t encurage yu I suspect Barak needed all the encuragement he culd get Remember, he needed Debrah s cmpany just t act in the first place And yet the Lrd did nt despise his fear The Lrd understd his flesh was weak, s He strengthened Barak s faith But pay attentin t the rder: insisted that Barak mve frward in faith, as weak as it was Once Barak was mving, the Lrd was ready t bring thers alngside Barak t encurage his bedience But this is the rder Gd requires Hear His wrd, step ut in faith, then receive cnfirmatin Like He said t Abraham: G t the place I will shw yu... Barak s primary army was prepared in Zebulun and Naphtali, but the Lrd sent these extra recruits t make sure Barak knew the Lrd was with him Smene has t hear Gd s calling first Smene has t take the first step f faith Gd appints men and wmen t serve as leaders fr that reasn...t get smething started amng His peple Then when the leader needs encuragement, the Lrd will bring thers t jin the wrk and cnfirm the Lrd s calling Fr Barak, the Lrd grew his army arund him even as he walked t the battle But unfrtunately, the sciety f Israel wasn t united in this effrt In fact, mst f the tribes were incapable f mustering the cnvictin r curage t respnd t the wrd f the Lrd Ntice at the end f v.15, we re tld there was a great reslve f the heart amng Reubenites when they heard f Barak s call 2015 Verse By Verse Ministry Internatinal ( May be cpied and distributed prvided the dcument is reprduced in its entirety, including this cpyright statement, and n fee is cllected fr its distributin.

5 Judges 5B 5 f 12 They recgnized this was an pprtunity t defeat the enemy in the land They heard that Debrah had declared the time had cme fr victry They were all fr kicking the Canaanites ut! But in v.16 we learn they remained with their flcks and didn t jin the battle They were cntent t enjy their life f leisure rather than d the hard wrk f respnding t the call f the Lrd And like Reuben, the tribes f Gad and eastern Manasseh (called Gilead) stayed put And the tribe f Dan stayed n ships, indicating they cntinued in their way f life in trading n the sea Likewise, Asher stayed n the seashre wrking the dcks This is the ther side f the cin We wn t get everyne amng Gd s peple mving in respnse t Gd s call Sme simply wn t make the trip As a pastr and Bible teacher, I see this pattern first-hand We can emphasize the call f scripture and call peple t respnd, but smetimes peple prefer the life they have ver the ne Gd is ffering There s smething in the wrld they prefer Maybe it s the security f their current lifestyle Maybe it s a fear f the unknwn Maybe it s just inertia In all cases, it s the mistake that Jesus described this way: Jhn 12:25 He wh lves his life lses it, and he wh hates his life in this wrld will keep it t life eternal Verse By Verse Ministry Internatinal ( May be cpied and distributed prvided the dcument is reprduced in its entirety, including this cpyright statement, and n fee is cllected fr its distributin.

6 Judges 5B 6 f 12 Lk at v.18, and yu see Zebulun and Naphtali making the right bargain Debrah says they despised their lives t the death and were willing t die n the high places The high places refers t the pagan wrship lcatins f the Canaanites This was a battle ver wrshipping the true Gd instead allwing pagans gds t pllute the land And these tw tribes were willing t leave their lives behind - even lse their earthly lives - t answer the call f the Lrd That s wh yu want standing with yu in ministry f any kind Yu want peple wh make answering the call f the Lrd mre imprtant that fitting int the wrld The Lrd wants thse peple t Peple wh will serve Him knwing that this wrld is in the prcess f passing away and nt wrth preserving As Jesus cmmanded Luke 9:62 But Jesus said t him, N ne, after putting his hand t the plw and lking back, is fit fr the kingdm f Gd. Ntice the fractured nature f the culture? A few are fllwing, and a grup are strngly cmmitted, but many thers are indifferent Nw yu see the effect f ding what is right in yur wn eyes Gd s peple were making judgments f when and hw t bey Gd based n circumstances and feelings They were searching their hearts instead f searching the scriptures and ding what they read When Gd spke t them thrugh a prphetess, they treated it as ptinal advice When Gd s appinted military leader began t fight, sme shrugged their shulders 2015 Verse By Verse Ministry Internatinal ( May be cpied and distributed prvided the dcument is reprduced in its entirety, including this cpyright statement, and n fee is cllected fr its distributin.

7 Judges 5B 7 f 12 We need t guard against this same kind f cmplacency and selfsatisfactin in ur pursuit f the Kingdm We have battles that need t be fught Frm time t time, the Lrd will place a calls upn ur lives He ll speak t us frm His wrd But dn t evaluate yur chice t bey based n feelings r circumstances Dn t lift yur hand frm the plw and lk back at the farmhuse Dn t be distracted by the life yu re leaving behind Keep eyes fr eternity and cnsider what yu re gaining Then Debrah describes the battle and we finally learn hw the peple f Israel were able t defeat an army withut even a single decent weapn Judg. 5:19 The kings came and fught; Then fught the kings f Canaan At Taanach near the waters f Megidd; They tk n plunder in silver. Judg. 5:20 The stars fught frm heaven, Frm their curses they fught against Sisera. Judg. 5:21 The trrent f Kishn swept them away, The ancient trrent, the trrent Kishn. O my sul, march n with strength. Judg. 5:22 Then the hrses hfs beat Frm the dashing, the dashing f his valiant steeds. Judg. 5:23 Curse Merz, said the angel f the LORD, Utterly curse its inhabitants; Because they did nt cme t the help f the LORD, T the help f the LORD against the warrirs. The battle tk place in the Jezreel Valley at Taanach, which was an ancient settlement abut 5 miles sutheast f Migidd Remember, the army f the Canaanites had mved t the far west t the Kishn river valley, which is abut 15 miles nrthwest f Taanach That river is fed frm springs and rainfall n Mt. Carmel 2015 Verse By Verse Ministry Internatinal ( May be cpied and distributed prvided the dcument is reprduced in its entirety, including this cpyright statement, and n fee is cllected fr its distributin.

8 Judges 5B 8 f 12 In v.19 Debrah says the army didn t plunder silver In ther wrds, the Israelites didn t cnquer the cities f the Canaanites by verwhelming them in might Rather, Debrah says in v.20 that the battle was wn by the stars f heaven In scripture, the wrd star can mean a little bject r it can stand as a symbl fr an angel In this cntext, it seems t mean the angels battled fr Israel Specifically, they angels brught trrents f water in v.21 Thse trrents f water rained dwn n Mt. Carmel causing the Kishn river valley t fld As the valley flded, it made the entire valley muddy and guess what desn t wrk very well in deep mud? Charits and hrses In v.22 Debrah describes the hves f the hrses beating the grund In the riginal Hebrew, it says the hrses heels were brken by the prancing in the mud This explains hw Israel was able t triumph ver a superir army They Canaanites were superir because f their charits But take their charits away, and they were just men And a larger, mtivated army can defeat a smaller ne The faith f these men was rewarded in the end They entered the battle willing t die But in the end the Lrd had a better plan D yu want t see miracles in yur life? Step ut in faith t the Lrd s call, and watch what He des next Or stay n yur ships r by yur flcks and never see the pwer f the Lrd wrking with yur weakness But Debrah desn t want us t frget the main theme f this sectin 2015 Verse By Verse Ministry Internatinal ( May be cpied and distributed prvided the dcument is reprduced in its entirety, including this cpyright statement, and n fee is cllected fr its distributin.

9 Judges 5B 9 f 12 Nt everyne in Israel respnded and even amng Naphtali, sme failed t respnd She curses the twn f Merz, which was a twn in Naphtali just west f the Hazr Even thugh Naphtali was a huge cntributr t the army, there were pckets f the tribe that wuldn t engage Perhaps the prximity f this twn t the Canaanite king s headquarters in Hazr scared them int inactin Once again, they preferred this life ver the kingdm f Gd This is the lessn f part 2 The cntrast between the brave men wh answered the call And thse wh wuldn t The sciety f Israel in the time f Judges was marked by fractures and waning willingness t hear the Lrd and answer Here s a peple nly a few generatins remved frm thse wh saw the Lrd part the Red Sea, and yet they are indifferent t fllwing Gd It s a reminder t all Gd s peple f hw easily ur flesh can reassert cntrl ver ur lives Gd has dne amazing things in each f ur lives, nt the least is saving us by faith And yet we re still prne t wandering r ignring His call If we re shaking ur finger at these senseless Israelites, dn t be t quick t judge Let s take ur wn advice and be sure we re always ready fr Gd s call t serve Him and never t cmfrtable t respnd Part three f Debrah s sng celebrates the wman wh ultimately brught the battle t it s cnclusin Judg. 5:24 Mst blessed f wmen is Jael, The wife f Heber the Kenite; Mst blessed is she f wmen in the tent Verse By Verse Ministry Internatinal ( May be cpied and distributed prvided the dcument is reprduced in its entirety, including this cpyright statement, and n fee is cllected fr its distributin.

10 Judges 5B 10 f 12 Judg. 5:25 He asked fr water and she gave him milk; In a magnificent bwl she brught him curds. Judg. 5:26 She reached ut her hand fr the tent peg, And her right hand fr the wrkmen s hammer. Then she struck Sisera, she smashed his head; And she shattered and pierced his temple. Judg. 5:27 Between her feet he bwed, he fell, he lay; Between her feet he bwed, he fell; Where he bwed, there he fell dead. Judg. 5:28 Out f the windw she lked and lamented, The mther f Sisera thrugh the lattice, Why des his charit delay in cming? Why d the hfbeats f his charits tarry? Judg. 5:29 ı Her wise princesses wuld answer her, Indeed she repeats her wrds t herself, Judg. 5:30 ı Are they nt finding, are they nt dividing the spil? A maiden, tw maidens fr every warrir; T Sisera a spil f dyed wrk, A spil f dyed wrk embridered, Dyed wrk f duble embridery n the neck f the spiler? Judg. 5:31 Thus let all Yur enemies perish, O LORD; But let thse wh lve Him be like the rising f the sun in its might. And the land was undisturbed fr frty years. Debrah retraces the steps f Jael as she curageusly defeats Sisera Debrah calls her the mst blessed f wmen That reminds us f what the angel says abut Mary in Luke 1 These tw wmen are cnnected in the sense that bth are chsen by Gd t perfrm a rle well beynd their statin in life Mary was a humble virgin, the last persn n earth yu wuld expect t give birth t the Messiah And Jael was a wife hlding dwn the tent, s she is the last persn yu might expect t win a decisive military battle But by Gd s pwer, bth f these wmen did miraculus things t free Gd s peple frm slavery t a pwerful enemy Jael freed Israel frm slavery t the Canaanite king and his frces 2015 Verse By Verse Ministry Internatinal ( May be cpied and distributed prvided the dcument is reprduced in its entirety, including this cpyright statement, and n fee is cllected fr its distributin.

11 Judges 5B 11 f 12 Mary gave birth t Messiah, Wh frees His peple frm slavery t the enemy Debrah graphically recunts the way Jael wn by killing Sisera, because we can t get enugh f that stry But ntice the imagery f the mighty warrir lying between the feet f this wman The sense is f a rle reversal Earlier he invaded a wman s tent, which nrmally wuld have meant nly ne thing Instead, he s the ne lying between her feet Then t finish the sng, Debrah creates the third and final cntrast in the sng In v.28 she intrduces a new imagined character t the stry Debrah imagines what the mther f Sisera is ding nw that her sn has been killed in this secret way The mther is described as lking ut her kitchen windw waiting fr her sn t cme hme frm the battle She is a pitiful wman, waiting in vain fr a sn t return When Sisera delays in returning, her handmaidens give her reassuring reasns fr his delay Surely he s dividing the spil, they say Dividing all the fine embridery and dyed clth And in a carse detail, the maidens says there must have been tw Jewish maidens fr every warrir What they mean f curse is that the raping f the Jewish wmen must be taking Sisera s army a little lnger than usual It s like they re saying, Oh I m sure he just gt held up at wrk... This cmment suggests that Jael s risk f being raped by Sisera was well funded She was clearly acting in self-defense even if her mtives were mixed 2015 Verse By Verse Ministry Internatinal ( May be cpied and distributed prvided the dcument is reprduced in its entirety, including this cpyright statement, and n fee is cllected fr its distributin.

12 Judges 5B 12 f 12 She has taken a sn frm his mther But it was the prper respnse t the sn s evil ways And his mther will suffer with him The cntrast here is easy t see: a pr, but triumphant Jael cntrasted with a rich, but devastated mther f Sisera This is a reminder that thse wh ppse Gd and Gd s peple will perish But thse wh lve the Lrd and His peple will triumph N ne wuld have predicted that Jael wuld have gained the upper hand ver Sisera s mther - Much less ver Sisera himself But in the end, the tables were turned Remember that as yu decide between fllwing the Lrd r seeking cmfrt in the wrld The wrld may appear t be the better ptin t ur flesh But ne day the tables will be turned The last will be first The least amng us will be the greatest Thse wh have made serving the Lrd their pririty will see the reward in the Kingdm 2015 Verse By Verse Ministry Internatinal ( May be cpied and distributed prvided the dcument is reprduced in its entirety, including this cpyright statement, and n fee is cllected fr its distributin.