Judges 4:1-5:31
Series: Here comes the Judge!
Introduction to series:
The book of Judges:
Is the history of the Judges of Israel and is connected with the previous book of Joshua, as a “link in the chain of books.” It describes the history of Israel under different leaderships, governments and their deliverances from other powers for about 410 years of history.
The book of Judges aims to demonstrate that defection from Jehovah incurs severe punishment and servitude. Only by turning back to God can restoration be enjoyed. Thus the judges were charismatic leaders, raised up by God to deliver His theocratic people. Only by heeding their Spirit-directed message and following them in deliverance against their enemies could restoration be accomplished. The OT judges performed two functions. By divine power and Spirit-anointed leadership they delivered the people from enemy oppression. Having accomplished this, they ruled over them and administered government in the name of Israel’s God… Since the book reports seven apostasies, seven servitudes to seven heathen nations, and seven deliverances, it is evidently put in a symmetrical form (From: The New Unger’s Bible Dictionary).
The activity of the Spirit of the Lord in the book of Judges is clearly portrayed in the charismatic leadership of the period. The deeds of Othniel, Gideon, Jepthah and Samson are attributed to the Spirit of the Lord. This same Holy Spirit is available to us today to do extraordinary spirit empowered exploits for the Kingdom of God. We just have to be willing to “Go” and to listen to the direction of the Lord.
2 key verses of Judges:
Judges 2:16: “Then the lord raised up judges, who saved them out of the hands of these raiders.”
JUDGES 17:6; 18:1; 19:1; 21:25: “IN THOSE DAYS THERE WAS NO KING IN ISRAEL; EVERY MAN DID WHAT WAS RIGHT IN HIS OWN EYES.”
Scripture Text: Judges 4 and 5
Sermon title: Deborah Prophetess!
Thesis: Deborah was a leader in Israel and revealed that a women can be chosen by God to lead His people. She was a woman of faith and she flowed in the prophetic realm getting divine insight in solving disputes and in hearing from God what to do and how to do it.
Historical Background:
Deborah is a unique character in the Bible. She is the only woman to be a Judge of Israel. Her story takes place between the years 1209 and 1169 B.C. She was a prophetess and Judge of Israel, the equivalent of king. How she came to be chosen for this position is not recorded but it is evident in her story that her leadership was honored. As Judge, she was also leader of the army of Israel.
The story of Deborah takes place during the third apostasy, or falling away from God. After God delivered the Israelites from Egypt into Israel, they went through seven apostasies. The Israelites intermarried with other tribes in the land and turned away from God into pagan practices. With each apostasy Israel suffers oppression and wars. And with each apostasy, God raises up a deliverer to rescue the Israelites from their oppression.
Women in leadership has been a hotly debated item especially in the church for decades.
Bickle notes, “Unfortunately, the effectiveness of the church throughout history has been diminished because the ministry of women has been so limited. The intransigent and sometimes chauvinistic position of some in the church is a result of long-held stereotypes about women, dysfunctional male-female relationships, and truncated view of early church history” (page 61, Growing in the Prophetic)
Women in the New Testament church did flow in the prophetic ministry of the church and helped in leading the church forward to victory all across the Roman Empire. It all started in Acts 2 but note especially verse 17-18 “In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women. I will pour out my Spirit in those days and they will prophesy.”
Case in point:
A number of women helped lead in the spread of Gospel and within the leadership of the church – See Acts -Priscilla, Chole, Lydia, Apphia, Nympha, the mother of John Mark, Phoebe literally called a deaconess of the church in Cenchrea (Romans 16:1).
Women flowed and functioned in the prophetic ministry of the church Philip had four daughters who were recognized as prophetesses in the church (Acts 21:8-9).
Mike Bickle sates, “Paul speaks about Junias, referring to her as being “outstanding among the apostles” (Romans 16:7, Nas). Some have debated the exact meaning of this verse. Until the Middle Ages, the indentity of Junia as a female apostle was unquestioned (Bickle page 62).
Joan of Arc is an example of a women leader who was called by God:
When she was twelve or thirteen she saw a bright light and heard voices while working in the fields. The voices, which Joan believed were either angels or saints and or even God, continued to lead and guide her. They gave her visions of the future and directed her to King Charles the V were she revealed to him a prayer he had prayed on a specific day where he asked God for help. She informed him in true humility that she was who God sent. Upon taking control of the army she drove out the prostitutes in the camp, commanded her army to repent before the Lord, go to church, and develop a personal relationship with the Lord. She went into battle driving back the English battle after battle. At the age of 19 she lead the French forces to victory and restored Charles to the throne. She was also betrayed and captured at the age of 19 and then stood trial for being a witch – for listening to the voices and was executed at 19. She cried out to Jesus as she was burned at the stake and asked that a cross be placed in front of her as she died. Many who witnessed her execution said a saint has been killed wrongly. She heard the voices tell her that she would be a martyr for the truth before her betrayal. She prophesied that 7 years later after her death the nation of France would unite and drive out England. Her death would expose the deceit of the leading church officials of the day and be a catalyst for uniting France. Her death sent shock waves through France even the executioner repented before God for doing his job, the Bishop in charge of her trial was pierced to the heart with grief and fear.
Video Clip: Joan of Arc – Talking to God – I add hearing from God!
Bickle notes, “Mark Twain studied the life of Joan of Arc for twelve years and concluded that her life was, “The most noble life that was ever born into this world save One.” Though it is impossible to discern between legend, facts, and spiritual anointing. Joan’s prophetic experiences seem somewhat similar to others I know who have been called to the prophetic ministry” (Page 64).
T.S. – So let’s explore the life and the calling of Deborah and learn that God uses women as well as men to bring deliverance for His people.
I. Deborah the prophetess
a. What does it mean to be a prophetess or a prophet? What does it mean to flow in the prophetic?
i. I found these definitions on the web for defining what a prophet or prophetess is:
1. Somebody who interprets divine will: somebody who claims to interpret or transmit the commands of a deity
2. Somebody predicting the future: somebody who predicts the future like "prophets of economic doom"
3. Advocate of something: somebody who advocates a cause or idea
4. Inspired leader: somebody considered to be an inspired leader or teacher.
ii. Mike Bickle wrote the book “Growing in the Prophetic.”
1. He says this about the Prophetic ministry:
a. Prophecy is the testimony of Jesus’ heart for His people. An angel told the apostle John that the “testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy” (Rev. 19:10). When the Holy Spirit reveals aspects of Jesus’ heart and will to us in various supernatural ways, we often refer to it as receiving or operating in the spirit of prophecy (Bickle page 35).
b. Grudman states, “Most prophecy is human words reporting something that God brings to mind.”
i. Bickle adds, “The Spirit conveys to our mind thoughts we communicate in contemporary language. They are a mixture of God’s words and man’s words that combine divine inspiration with the human process. Although it is possible to speak 100 percent accurate words from God, yet most often prophecy is a mixture” (page 35).
c. Bickle states, “It is the will of God for everyone who loves Jesus to prophesy. This really is the inheritance of every born again believer. I wish you all spoke with tongues, but even more that you prophesied (1 Corinthians 14:5). For you can all prophecy (1 Corinthians 14: 31). The manifestation of the Spirit means a demonstration of God’s Power. First Corinthians 12:7 says, ‘The manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all.’ I remind you again of the three purpose of simple prophecy. There are to bring edification, exhortation, and comfort to people: “he who prophesies speaks clarification and exhortation and comfort to men.” (1 Cor. 14:3) (Page 169).
b. Deborah was raised up by God and she flowed in this gift from God and He enabled her to lead with supernatural knowledge, wisdom and revelation.
i. The first thing that becomes obvious about the story of Deborah is how much it is like the story of Christ. Over and over again in the Old Testament, we see the Israelites ending up oppressed, often as a consequence of their own actions. And over and over again, we see God send a deliverer to rescue the Israelites. God seems to enjoy sending deliverers that the people would not expect. They certainly couldn’t have expected a woman to deliver them from the Canaanites. Jesus was not the Messiah that the Pharisees expected either. Yet, both deliverers got the job done. (Much of the following information was taken from www.essortment.com/all/deborahjudge_rsui.htm)
T.S. - Deborah was raised up by God to be a judge and she was given the prophetic gift to lead her people to victory but it did not happen until the nation called and cried out to the Lord for deliverance.
II. The cry for help by the oppressed gets God’s attention.
a. During the time of Deborah’s rule, the nation of Israel had been under domination by the Canaanites for twenty years. They had suffered terrible atrocities and finally began to cry out to God for deliverance from this enemy. (Judges 4:3).
i. When people do what it says in 2 Chronicles 7:14 “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”
1. We must cry out today for our nation, for our families, for our communities and for our churches. If we want a healing to come!
2. Last week we went to IHOP Kansas city and I was so impressed by so many people crying out to God to help them.
a. People were crying out because of the destruction of sin on their children, on their families, on their friends.
b. They were crying out for their schools and their neighborhoods.
c. They were crying out for the United States asking God to intervene on behalf of this nation.
3. When I went to Chicago IHOP on Friday night I heard many people crying out for their addicted loved ones, their neighborhoods and their communities and yes also for the USA.
4. We too must cry out to the Lord for our area - our school – our church – our families!
5. Because God will respond when we humbles ourselves and turn from our wicked ways!
a. James 5:13-16 “Is any of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of the righteous man is powerful and effective.”
b. The scenario for Israel:
i. Jabin ruled the Canaanites and the captain of their army was Sisera. The Canaanite army had 900 iron chariots and many more warriors to boot.
ii. Poor Israel had only 10,000 warriors; they were badly outnumbered. But God tells Deborah to instruct Barak, her general, to take their 10,000 soldiers up to the River Kishon on Mount Tabor. There, God would send Sisera and his 900 iron chariots and the Canaanite soldiers. God tells Deborah that the Israelites will win the battle. (Judges 4:6-7)
1. Deborah speaks the words of God to the general but the faith of the general in God is lacking because - Barak says he’ll obey this command only if Deborah accompanies him. She agrees. Remarkable. This general is given a prophecy that his army will win but won’t go to battle without Deborah. We can discern two things from this: that Barak had incredible faith in Deborah, if not in God, and that Deborah was a courageous and faithful woman.
2. This woman was not only going to serve on the front lines but lead the battle! This alone is astonishing for the times. That the woman would be so willing is almost unbelievable.
3. When God asks us to do things that seem outrageous or impossible, how willing are we to go ahead and do them? Deborah teaches us that with God all things are possible. No person is useless or not good enough to serve God. And, when we are willing to obey Him, God can work through us to achieve incredible victories, even against terrible odds.
4. Deborah doesn’t take any credit for her actions or for the victory their army was to enjoy. In Judges 4:8, she tells Barak that the honor will not be for him but for God. Her humility is a lesson to us. Too often, we are quick to grab the glory of our successes instead of thanking God for them. Jesus taught, “For whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 18:4 KJV)
c. The battle plan of God is carried out:
i. The Israelites defeat the Canaanites, killing them all. In Judges 5 we get a hint to how they won the victory, their chariots got stuck in the mud of the river valley, it even elides to this in Deborah’s song in Judges 5; 4, 20-21. God immobilized their chariots and the Israelites pounced on them as God handed them into their hands.
ii. The only one to escape was Sisera, their leader. Sisera fleed and hid out in the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite. He believed he was safe there, because the king of the Canaanites was at peace with the Kenites. But, Jael was no friend of the Canaanites or of Sisera. She slays Sisera, driving a tent stake through his head as he sleeps.
1. Point: There is nowhere to hide from God when we choose to fight against Him. God is the one who gave them their victory it was not by human hands but by the power of God.
2. This story tells us how God conquers evil and sin; it cannot be hidden from Him. He is all seeing, all knowing and all-powerful. We cannot hide our sins from Him, but if we confess them, He is faithful to forgive them. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9 KJV)
iii. The Song of Deborah - In Chapter Five of Judges, Deborah sings to the Lord with a grateful heart and gives thanks and praise to God for delivering the Israelites from the Canaanites. Even though she could certainly have bragging rights considering her position for the times and the success of the battle, Deborah instead gives all the glory to God. She also thanks Him specifically for what He has done for the nation in this song, it was recorded in the annuals of the history of Israel so that we today could receive comfort and courage to face the battles of today.
1. She recounts the miracles God has performed in the battle, the supernatural move of nature, the mud, the rain the hand of God in it all.
a. Point: What’s important in this song is that she is making an effort to recognize God’s intervention for them and she wants thank Him for it. So it is put in the form of a song that the nation would sing forever to God.
b. Bickle notes this about prophetic songs, “Anointed music has and always will be a means of communion and connection between God and His creatures above and below. It moves human affections in the deepest way. Music is a providential gift that God has bestowed upon His creation. Music has been woven throughout all created order. Throughout the Scriptures creation is referenced and exhorted to give praise to God in song. Likewise, God’s people are to sing “psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord” (Eph. 5:19). For all of eternity, we will be singing songs to the Lord” (Page 191).
2. How often do we even remember to mutter ‘Thank you’ let alone enumerate the things that God has done for us and thank Him for each one of them?
a. We should be singing songs of praise to God daily for His divine intervention in our life!
b. The Bible reveals that the Lord loves us to sing praise to His goodness and interventions in our lives just read the book of Psalms.
3. Her behavior is a model of gratitude for us to be imitated today.
a. I noticed at both IHOPS this last week many people kept journals where they wrote prays to God and wrote thank you notes to God for His many blessings in their lives.
i. They also sang prophetic songs written by many different people. All giving the honor to the Lord!
b. Bickle notes, “There will surely be an intensification of the Spirit’s work in releasing His songs before His second coming of Jesus. God’s treasury of Heavenly music will be opened up and releases to the body of Christ. This music will reflect a
a. Deborah’s story is largely about success against all odds.
i. Though everything about the times and the culture was against Deborah serving as the leader of the nation, she did. Though her army was vastly outnumbered, they won. Though her enemy tried to hide among sympathizers, one he believed to be on his side killed him anyway. Deborah didn’t allow the circumstances around her to overwhelm her or interfere with her belief in God’s promises to her.
ii. Application: I to struggle sometime with believing against all odds. I’m sure that I’m not alone. It’s easy to be overwhelmed by the circumstances of our lives and get caught up in them. Circumstances can fool us, if we let them. Our best approach in life is to place our faith and trust in the Lord.
iii. Had Deborah believed in the circumstances and not God, Israel would have remained under the oppression of the Canaanites. Don’t block the rewards God has for you with unbelief step out in faith and trust God.
b. Deborah’s courage and humility is a role model for all of us.
i. She kept her eyes focused on God and not the circumstances around her. She gave God the glory for the victory and she thanked Him specifically for what He did for her and her country. She reminds us that we all have the potential to do great things for God if we will only listen, trust and obey. (Much of the above information was taken from www.essortment.com/all/deborahjudge_rsui.htm)
Conclusion:
Throughout the book of Judges we see the need for Godly leadership – because without the Godly leadership the nation falls away from God and into sin and then oppression and destruction of the nation.
But we also see that if God’s people repent and humble themselves he will raise up men and women to lead the nation to deliverance. But it seems like prosperity or the good times always leads people away from the Lord and His ways. This causes them to do things their way which leads to evil which then brings the curse of God. It’s sad cycle that we all need to heed and learn from today.
Quote: In our comfort we never grow or develop instead we fall away but in challenges and faith moments we grow more mature but we are never comfortable.
3 point summary of sermon:
1. Deborah flowed in the gift of Prophecy – which means she shared the heartbeat of God with her people, which means she flowed in the gifts of knowledge, wisdom and discernment, which means she spoke what God told her to say.
2. The cry of the people as they humbled themselves and repented reached the ears of God so he rose up Deborah to lead them into victory against their oppressors. Then to honor this victory Deborah wrote a prophetic song giving God the glory for all to sing and remember this great victory.
3. Deborah trusted God even with overwhelming odds against her and her faith propelled her into becoming a mighty women of faith – a hero for the nation of Israel. Her trusting God brought 40 years of peace to the land.
