IF A MAN WANT GO, GOD’S GOT A WOMAN WHO WILL
Judges 4:4-9
4 Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, was leading Israel at that time. 5 She held court under the Palm of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites came to her to have their disputes decided. 6 She sent for Barak son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali and said to him, "The Lord, the God of Israel, commands you: 'Go, take with you ten thousand men of Naphtali and Zebulun and lead the way to Mount Tabor. 7 I will lure Sisera, the commander of Jabin's army, with his chariots and his troops to the Kishon River and give him into your hands.'"
8 Barak said to her, "If you go with me, I will go; but if you don't go with me, I won't go."
9 "Very well," Deborah said, "I will go with you. But because of the way you are going about this, the honor will not be yours, for the Lord will hand Sisera over to a woman."
CHOSEN TO GOVERN GOD’S PEOPLE
After Johsua died, God chose Judges to govern Israel. As long as the judge lived, Israel followed God. When the Judge died Israel would fall into
Worshipping idol gods. God would punish them by allowing other kings to
Treat them horribly. They would cry out to God and He would appoint another Judge to lead them to freedom.
Deborah was the fourth Judge out of 12. She was chosen by God to Judge
Israel after the last judge died. Israel sinned against God and He sold them into the hands of the Cannanite King who treated them harshly. They cried out to God again and He gave them Deborah.
God does not tell us why He chose her over a man. We are not given any information on her background or family.What we do know is that she was a prophet, a judge, a poet and a singer and a wife.. She considered herself as the mother of Israel. She was well respected, fair and just in her Judgment. All of Israel came to her court to decide their disputes. Most of all she had strong faith in God.
She was the most faithful person in Israel at that time because God gave the message to her to tell Barak a leader of Israel’s army that He was commanding him to take an army and march to Mount Tabor and the Cannanites would be put in his hands.
Success was guaranteed because God would fight the battle. Barak decided he would go only if Debroah went with him. Barak’s problem was
Faith in the Word of God or faith that Debroah was giving him the word of
God. It may have been that Barak did not want it to be known by the other
Soldiers that he was taking orders from a woman. Whatever the reason was, God did not tell us. Sometimes we forget that people are in position because God put them there.
OBEDIENCE TO GOD’S WORD IS SUCCESS
Judges 4:6-7
"The Lord, the God of Israel, commands you: 'Go, take with you ten thousand men of Naphtali and Zebulun and lead the way to Mount Tabor. 7 I will lure Sisera, the commander of Jabin's army, with his chariots and his troops to the Kishon River and give him into your hands.'"
The important thing is Debroah agreed to go and was there to encourage
Barak to follow God’s instructions. One of the jobs of a good leader is to
Express confidence in the ability of others. It is good to know that we have
The backing of God’s chosen.
We all have choices that come with consequences or rewards. Deborah
Informed Barak that if she went, a woman would get the credit for the victory. Barak chose to let Deborah get the glory and if the mission failed
She would be blamed.
Judges 4:9-10
9 "Very well," Deborah said, "I will go with you. But because of the way you are going about this, the honor will not be yours, for the Lord will hand Sisera over to a woman." So Deborah went with Barak to Kedesh, 10 where he summoned Zebulun and Naphtali. Ten thousand men followed him, and Deborah also went with him.
In life God never gives us the whole plan at once. He guides us in our journey for Him. Each day is a new day with new problems. Therefore we
Must stay in continuous prayer with God. Deborah was the voice of God
In Barak’s life. She gave him encouragement and continued to remind
Him of God’s word.
NIV
A GOOD LEADER ENCOURAGES THE WEAK IN FAITH
Another job of a good leader is to tolerated the weakness of others and
Continue to remind them of the Word of God. Barak was commanded to
Get 10 thousand men from two tribes
Judges 4:12-16
12 When they told Sisera that Barak son of Abinoam had gone up to Mount Tabor, 13 Sisera gathered together his nine hundred iron chariots and all the men with him, from Harosheth Haggoyim to the Kishon River.
14 Then Deborah said to Barak, "Go! This is the day the Lord has given Sisera into your hands. Has not the Lord gone ahead of you?" So Barak went down Mount Tabor, followed by ten thousand men. 15 At Barak's advance, the Lord routed Sisera and all his chariots and army by the sword, and Sisera abandoned his chariot and fled on foot. 16 But Barak pursued the chariots and army as far as Harosheth Haggoyim. All the troops of Sisera fell by the sword; not a man was left.
LET GOD BE YOUR KING, NOT MAN
It is important for us to understand that God is the majority and the most powerful force on earth. No army is mightier than God. Sisera had 100 thousand troops including his 900 iron chariots. They were well trained and
Out numbered Israel 10 to 1.
God loured the Canaanite army in the valley along the Kishon river and disturbed their minds so they ran instead of fighting, allowing the Israelites
To chase and kill all of them. It was God who sold them into the hands of
The Canaanite King because of their sin. It was God who delivered them
Because of their prayers,
The problem with us is that sometimes we let our circumstance be our king. In those times, our circumstance is bigger than our God. The difference between Debroah and Barak was the size of their God.
Bebroah’s God was bigger than the world. Barak’s God was based on
His inability to see the unlimited power of God.
There is no doubt in my mind that Barak was a courageous solider.
But he had to be constantly reminded that God had set the stage for
Victory. Victory is our because God goes before us in any battle where
We put Him first. Any time you say “I will go if you go” says in my mind
That your god is smaller than the problem. Your god don;t have the power
To solve the problem. The God we serve is bigger than big, more powerful
Than all the powers in the world combined.
DEBORAH THE PROPHETESS
DEBORAH’’S PROPHETED gift was shown in the defeat of the Canaanite
Army , in the death of the leader of the Canaanite army, Sisera, and a woman Jael. killing Sisera
Judges 4:4
.But because of the way you are going about this, the honor will not be yours, for the Lord will hand Sisera over to a woman."
Judges 4:4
22 Barak came by in pursuit of Sisera, and Jael went out to meet him. "Come," she said, "I will show you the man you're looking for." So he went in with her, and there lay Sisera with the tent peg through his temple — dead.
God uses anyone He wants to carry out His plan of victory for you. He can
Use someone you never met to aid you. He can use someone who is not
Connected to the battle plan. Someone you least expect.
GOD BRINGS OTHERS INTO THE PLAN
Judges 4:17-21
17 Sisera, however, fled on foot to the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, because there were friendly relations between Jabin king of Hazor and the clan of Heber the Kenite. 18 Jael went out to meet Sisera and said to him, "Come, my lord, come right in. Don't be afraid." So he entered her tent, and she put a covering over him. 19 "I'm thirsty," he said. "Please give me some water." She opened a skin of milk, gave him a drink, and covered him up. 20 "Stand in the doorway of the tent," he told her. "If someone comes by and asks you, 'Is anyone here?' say 'No.'"
21 But Jael, Heber's wife, picked up a tent peg and a hammer and went quietly to him while he lay fast asleep, exhausted. She drove the peg through his temple into the ground, and he died.
Jael was not part of the problem, but God gave her opportunity to serve
And fulfill the prophecy. Sometimes God positions others to do the job you refused to do. Barak refused to take charge, but the job was done.
DEBORAH’S SUCCESS
Judges 4:23-24
23 On that day God subdued Jabin, the Canaanite king, before the Israelites. 24 And the hand of the Israelites grew stronger and stronger against Jabin, the Canaanite king, until they destroyed him.
Success cannot be measured in a day or one event. God defines success differently from man. Success with God is the life you live continuously in obedience to God’s Word. The Hebrew word for success means to be good. Under Deborah’s rule, Israel enjoyed 40 years of peace.
Isaiah 49:6
"It is too small a thing for you to be my servant
to restore the tribes of Jacob
and bring back those of Israel I have kept.
I will also make you a light for the Gentiles,
that you may bring my salvation to the ends of the earth."
Success is not defined as a personal accomplishment. It is what you do to free others from bondage and bring peace in their lives.
DEBORAH RECOGNIZED THE WORK OF OTHERS
The work of God is a corporate effort. God gives everyone gifts to
Serve in His plan of redemption.
Romans 12:6-8
6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. 7 If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; 8 if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.
NIV
One of the responsibilities of a leader is to give credit to those who serve.
In addition to encourage others in their work.
In her poetry she praised the sons of Emphraim, Benjamin. Zebulon, Issachar and Barak for their courage in battle.
She chastised the tribes of Reuben, Glead and Dan for refusing to serve while others risk their lives for Israel.
DEBORAH THE POET, SONG WRITER AND PRAISE LEADER
Judges 5:1-4
5 On that day Deborah and Barak son of Abinoam sang this song:
2 "When the princes in Israel take the lead,
when the people willingly offer themselves —
praise the Lord! 3 "Hear this, you kings! Listen, you rulers!
I will sing to the Lord, I will sing; I will make music to the Lord, the God of Israel.
When God fulfills His promises to us, we should celebrate with songs of praise. Nobody can tell you story of what God has done in your life like
You, You song of praise will encourage others to praise God and draw them closer to Him.
Nobody knows like you when you were down, God lifted you up. No one
Knows like you when you were sick that God was your doctor. No one knows like you when your heart was broken, God healed it. No one knows like you when you were down to your last dime that God provided.
You got a song that others need to hear. Someone is going through today
What you went through. A word of encouragement will lift them to higher heights.
The praise of God from you is an expression of your gratitude to the Lord you love.
DEBORAH THE MOTHER OF A NATION
There is no mention of Deborah having any children, but she considered the nation her children.
Judges 5:7-9
7 Village life in Israel ceased, ceased until I, Deborah, arose,
arose a mother in Israel. 8 When they chose new gods,
war came to the city gates, and not a shield or spear was seen
among forty thousand in Israel. 9 My heart is with Israel's princes,
with the willing volunteers among the people.
Praise the Lord!
It takes a mother to know her children and to know their needs. It takes
A mother to judge right from wrong between her children and treat them fairly. It takes another to model the word of God to doubtful children.
The job of a mother is to stand by her children and encourage them to do their best for the Lord. Deborah encouraged Barak to to use his skills to lead Israel into battle when he couldn’t see the victory God promised.
LESSONS WE CAN LEARN FROM DEBORAH
SHE WAS CALLED BY GOD
SHE WAS A FAITHFUL WOMAN
SHE ACTED ON THE WORD OF GOD
SPREAD THE WORD AND ALLOW OTHERS LEAD
SHE WAS A RESPECTED JUDGE
SHE WAS A GOOD LEADER
SHE WAS AN ENCOURAGER
SHE PRAISE THE LORD
