Pastor Allan Kircher
Shell Point Baptist Church
Aug. 25, 2013
Judges 4:1-24
DEBORAH: A WOMAN OF CONVICTION AND COURAGE
Intro: The book of Judges is a gritty, dirty book.
• Filled/sin, violence/judgment of God.
• Action book/appeals more/men than women.
• A modern counterpart/action/war movies men find far more appealing than/romantic comedies preferred/ladies.
Book/Judges actually elevates/position/women/Israelite society.
• Chapters before us today
• Introduced/two women used by God in great ways, for his glory.
• Deborah and Jael.
• One/respected leader/nation—other/simple housewife.
• Different walks of life/both used/God/remarkable ways.
I want/move thru chapters 4-5/point out some facts that present themselves in this tale of sin, judgment, war, faith, and victory.
I want you to see:
• How God used a courageous, faithful woman to deliver His people from bondage and oppression.
• that God is still using women for His glory every single day.
Let’s walk through these verses together and meet Deborah: A Woman Of Conviction And Courage.
I. v. 1-3 THE SPIRITUAL MELTDOWN IN ISRAEL
These verses describe the horrible spiritual conditions that existed in Israel during the time if Deborah.
A. v. 1 Their Corruption
After Ehud delivered Israel from Eglon/Moabites, the land had rest from war for 80 years
• As long/Ehud lived/judged/nation/People followed God served Him.
• Ehud passed from/scene/People returned/sinful ways.
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We are told that they “again did evil in the sight of the Lord” Judges 5:8 says, “They chose new gods”.
• Turned their back/God/salvation/followed/gods/Canaanites
• A spiritual void/their lives/they walked away from/Lord.
Children/Israel/picture/what we see all too often/our churches.
• People will follow God for a while
• then when there is a spiritual void in their lives
• They turn away from God and seek their own ways.
Perhaps:
• Caught up in the world.
• It is because someone said something?
• Sad when we base our faith/those around us/not on/Lord.
• Our faith should be in God/not in any man.
This kind of thing happens when believers get their eyes on men and not on the Lord, Heb. 12:1-3.
• We need to be very careful!
• old enemies from/past will rise up when you least expect
• That sin you thought was conquered will defeat you if you give it an opportunity!
• You aren’t safe until you get home to glory and are delivered from this flesh, Rom. 7:14-25; 1 Cor. 10:12.
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B. v. 2 Their Chastisement
• Israel rebelled against God
• He responded/giving them over/their enemies/punishment.
• The Bible says He “sold” them.
• God abandoned them/life they chose for themselves.
• They paid a terrible price for their rebellion.
• They were literally driven/their highways/their homes.5:6
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Still a high price to pay for disobedience/will/Lord.
• When we choose our ways over His ways
• when we choose to follow other gods instead of Him
• We can expect His displeasure.
• He will send chastisement into our lives
I don’t know about you, but I do not want to experience the displeasure/chastisement/Lord in my life.
• Only way to avoid/keep short accounts/Him
• confess sin when it appears in our lives
• If I choose to go on in my sins
• I can expect God to touch my life in ways I will not like.
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He might touch me through my:
• Flesh by bringing sickness or other sorrows into my life, Psa. 51:3; 40:12; 38:1-11.
• Family/working through them/bring me back/Him, 2 Sam 12.
• Finances by bringing me to a place of want where I realize where my supply comes from, Hag. 1:6.
• Future by allowing me to reap the full consequences of what I have sown, Gal. 6:7.
I don’t know how God will work in your life or mine, but I do know that He will work.
We may sin, but we will never get away with it, Num. 32:23.
C. v. 3 Their Cry
• Israel oppressed/Jabin/his armies/20 years.
• As far as Israel was concerned, Jabin/undefeatable.
• He possessed/powerful army anchored/900 chariots/iron.
The helpless armies of Israel were no match for this enemy. Judges 5:8, the Israelites possessed no weapons.
• They were a conquered, defeated people.
• People without hope.
They came/place where they were tired/their situation.
• They called/Lord and He heard them.
• notice that they did not cry out in repentance
• They cried out for deliverance from their problems.
• Most people in our day never learn that lesson either.
People call/Lord so He will deliver them from their problems, while they fail to deal/root of their problem, their sin.
• If we really want/delivered/oppressive effects of evil
• harsh whip of chastisement
• We must deal honestly with our sins before the Lord.
Our goal should:
• not just be to escape our problems
• Be to be found pleasing to the Lord.
• Not just be to have an easier time in life
• Be to be right/Lord in every area of our lives.
If we ever learn/seek/Lord’s will above all things, we could be spared a lot/hardships we are forced to face in life.
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II. v. 4-24 THE SPECIAL MINISTRY OF DEBORAH
A. v. 4-5 Her Position – The Bible is very clear;
• Deborah was both a “prophetess” and a “judge”.
• Means “Bee”, she was as busy as a bee!
• Industrious, sharp perception (discernment), great usefulness, sweetness/her friends, sharpness/her enemies.
• “prophetess” suggest/received direct revelation from Lord
• Shared that word with His people.
• Deborah is not the only “prophetess” mentioned/Bible.
Others include: Miriam, Ex. 15:20; Huldah, 2 Kings 22:14; Anna, Luke 2:36; and the four daughters of Philip, Acts 21:9.
• God laid His hand/these women/poured His truth through them in an age when there was not a complete Bible.
• In this age, we have a completed Bible. God does not call women to preach in this age, 1 Tim. 2:8-15.
• Word “judge” lets us know she settled disputes among/people of Israel, v. 5.
• Came to her/their problems/she rendered judgment
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B. v. 6-7 Her Prophecy
Deborah receives/word/Lord/calls Barak/take 10,000 soldiers/go to war/enemy.
• Lord promises/defeat Sisera/Canaanite general.
• God promises a great victory, if they will simply trust Him. And go to war.
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C. v. 8-9 Her Problem
• Deborah has a word from the Lord.
• She shares that word with Barak
• Finds Barak seems to be afraid to follow that word.
• He is willing to go/battle/only if Deborah will go with him.
• She agrees to go, but tells him that since he depended on a woman, the glory of victory will be given to a woman!
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D. v. 10-24 Her Partner
• Barak/Israel go to war/Sisera/Canaanites.
• Barak gets 10,000 own tribe/Naphtali/Zebulon
• Later, the ranks swelled to 40,000,
• Volunteers/Benjamin, Ephraim, Manasseh/Issachar
• Some of the tribes refused to come
• Those which did saw God give them a great victory.
• Same goes with us also!
• Considering/fact Israel had no weapon/no standing army,
• Barak/Deborah did was an amazing act of faith.
• They trusted God and He have them a great victory!
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Verse 15 tells us that God “discomfited” Sisera and his armies.
• As they fought, God allowed/Kishon River/overflow/banks
• iron chariots/Sisera became stuck/mud
• Soldiers were swept away by the currents.
• All the soldiers of Sisera were slain
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• Seeing his army was defeated
• Sisera fled the battlefield on foot
• Tent of a man named Heber, who was/Kenites.
• Kenites sided with Israel.
This particular family, however, had turned on the rest of the tribe and took sides with Sisera and his army.
Tent story…..
• That culture/woman’s responsibility put up/take down/tents.
• Jael used swinging hammer/This woman was not stupid
• Sisera came/her tent/foot/he had been defeated in battle.
• If she was found with him……
• Jael was a wise woman!
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Let me stop here and say a word about women in the church.
• Thank God for the women!
• They are not second class saints.
• They fulfill a vital role in God’s kingdom work.
If all the women were removed from the average local church, the work of the church would grind to a halt.
• Watched ladies work/men just stood around and talked.
• Most men are spoiled.
• Mothers did everything/them when they were growing up.
• Their wives have done everything for them since they have been married and they don’t know how to do anything but grunt work outside.
• Women hold a vital place in the work of the church.
They are the ones who:
• For the most part, teach our children.
• Have/compassion/drives/outreach ministries/church.
• Bring/gifts of grace, love and mercy to the table.
By and large/more dependable than/men, when it comes to be being involved the church.
• Tremendous influence on the children/church.
• I thank God for the godly, active women in this church!
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III. 5:1-31 THE SWEET MUSIC OF VICTORY
The victory over Sisera results in Barak and Deborah launching into song.
• Song recorded for us/chap 5.
• Song praise/God Who gave them victory over their enemy.
A. v. 1-12 They Praised God For His Virtues
• He gave them unity so they could raise and army
• Lord Who/given them victory/past would not fail them now
• God, in His faithfulness, gave them Deborah to lead them
• God allowed them to defeat their enemies
• freed them from the bondage of their oppressors
• They praise God for His power in their lives.
• That is a valid reason for praise in this day.
• Take a moment to inventory your life.
• Hasn’t God been good to you?
• You are saved and blessed beyond words.
• He is worthy of our love, worship and praise!
B. v. 13-18 They Praised God For His Volunteers
When the call went out for volunteers/only half/tribes came/fight.
• The rest refused to go to war.
• Look at 5:23….
• By the way, things have not changed today.
• The majority of the work is carried out by a minority/people.
I thank God:
• For those who are willing to work!
• Those/counted/teach/classes, sing/choir
• come out/prayer service, support special meetings/church,
• Those who go to work/Lord in these dark days.
I believe God still blesses those who fight and work for Him!
C. v. 19-23 They Praised God For His Victory
• Enemy/defeated/power of God.
• He sent rain/defeated/900 iron chariots/Canaanites.
• One raindrop is a tiny, fragile thing
• but when it is united with many other raindrops
• It becomes a thing of great power.
We look at our world today and wonder whether we can have victory anymore.
• I want to say that we can!
• If we will stand together and fight the good fight of faith,
• God will empower us and lead us to victory for His glory.
• You see, it isn’t numbers/gets the job down/power of God
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D. v. 24-31 They Praised God For His Vessels
They close their song by praising the Lord for His unsung heroes.
• Bravery of Jael in slaying Sisera.
• Her act of bravery allowed the nation to enjoy victory.
• God always has His people.
• He has those secret ones through whom He is working.
• The prayer warriors, the silent servants
• the people who do the little things that no one notices
• The people who serve behind the scenes.
• There is a God in Heaven Who sees who you are
• He watches what you do.
• Carry on, and He will bless you in His way, in His time
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Conc:
• Let me encourage you to keep on serving the Lord.
• I know the way gets weary/path gets steep.
• One day Jesus is coming. When He does, He is taking His children home with Him.
• When we get there, we will stand before Him and give an account of our service to Him.
On that day, if you have been faithful, you will receive rewards for everything you have ever done for His glory.
Others, who have lived for themselves, will see everything burn up and perish.
• But, you who are faithful, will hear Him say, “Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.”
So, turn from sin, live for Jesus and look for the day when He balances the books. It will be worth it all then!
