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**POSSESSING THE PROMISES**
*Judges Series — Part 3*
**Deborah and Barak (With a Little Help from Jael)**
*Judges 4–5*
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**INTRODUCTION: THE STORY**
After Ehud — the left-handed assassin of King Eglon — Israel enjoyed 80 years of peace. It was the longest period of rest during the entire era of the judges.
And yet, predictably, they fell back into the cycle. Disobedience. Faithlessness. And this time they were sold into the hands of a Canaanite king named Jabin, who reigned in Hazor — a city the Israelites had previously destroyed under Joshua's leadership. The commander of Jabin's army was a man named Sisera, and his military calling card was 900 iron chariots.
This was the ancient equivalent of nuclear arms. Israel had nothing to compare to that kind of military strength. For 20 years they suffered under Jabin's oppression before they finally cried out to the Lord for help.
At that time, a woman was leading Israel. She was also a prophetess — a spokesperson for the Lord. Her name was Deborah, which means "honey bee." She held court under a palm tree where people came from all over to seek her wisdom and settle disputes. She was probably more of a judge in the traditional sense of the word than any other figure in this book — and it was quite a distinction, especially for a woman in that culture.
Led by the Lord, Deborah summoned a man named Barak and commissioned him to lead the battle against Sisera. She delivered this word from the Lord:
*"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. 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.'"* (Judges 4:6–7)
Barak's response is telling. He agreed to go — but only if Deborah went with him. If you don't go, I don't go.
This could be interpreted as deep respect for Deborah's leadership and her relationship with God. But Deborah's response suggests she read it differently — as hesitation, doubt, a lack of faith. After all, this was not Deborah's idea. This was a direct command from the Lord. Why wasn't that enough?
She agreed to go, but delivered a pointed warning: the honor for the victory would not go to Barak. It would go to a woman.
Initially you would assume that meant Deborah herself. But God already had another woman in mind — one we haven't met yet.
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**THE BATTLE AND JAEL**
Ten thousand volunteers from the tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali gathered, and the battle went entirely Israel's way. Sisera's army was routed. Barak pursued the chariots all the way back to Sisera's headquarters.
Sisera himself, however, had slipped away. He abandoned his troops — a cowardly move — and fled to the camp of the Kenites, a non-Jewish people who had historical ties to Israel. Moses had married a Kenite woman, and the two peoples had enjoyed friendly relations in earlier days. More recently, the Kenites had also maintained friendly relations with Jabin. Sisera expected to find safety there.
A Kenite woman named Jael came out to meet him. She welcomed him in, offered him milk to drink, and gave him a place to rest. Sisera, clearly running from something, told her: if anyone comes by, don't tell them I'm here.
Then something moved Jael to act. Perhaps she had heard about the Israelite victory. Perhaps her instincts told her that a man desperate not to be found was a dangerous man. Perhaps forces beyond her own understanding were at work. Whatever the reason, she picked up a tent peg and a hammer — in the ancient Near East, women were responsible for setting up the tents, so this was not unfamiliar equipment — and while Sisera slept, she drove the peg through his temple.
When Barak came searching for Sisera, Jael went out to meet him. Deborah's prophecy had come true. The honor went not to Barak, but to a woman — and not even a Jewish woman.
Israel then enjoyed 40 years of peace. God had come through again. An unlikely heroine had sealed an unlikely victory.
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**THE SONG OF DEBORAH: WHAT IT TEACHES US**
Judges 4 gives us the hard facts of the story. Judges 5 gives us the emotional response — a song Deborah sang after the victory. It is in this song that we learn something deeper about possessing the promises of God.
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**LESSON #1: GOD IS PULLING THE STRINGS BEHIND THE SCENES**
Reading through Deborah's song, God receives all the glory. Barak, Jael, Deborah, and the fighting men are all praised — but the song makes unmistakably clear that God was leading this battle from start to finish.
*"Kings came, they fought; the kings of Canaan fought at Taanach by the waters of Megiddo, but they carried off no silver, no plunder. From the heavens the stars fought, from their courses they fought against Sisera. The river Kishon swept them away, the age-old river, the river Kishon. March on, my soul; be strong!"* (Judges 5:19–21)
Scholar K. Lawson Younger Jr. writes in the NIV Application Commentary:
*"The entire account is deliberately constructed to emphasize the deliverance provided by Yahweh. He is the One pulling the strings, raising generals, deploying armies, dictating strategy, and effecting the victory. This passage encourages us to perceive God's sovereignty over history and our own lives. Whether it is in his chastening, in his compassionate deliverance, in his financial provision, or in his leading and guiding decisions, God is sovereign over life, and he is at work bringing his plan to fruition."*
I don't always understand when or how God works. But Scripture is clear — when God wants something accomplished, He gets it done. Somehow. Someway.
He parts seas. He causes the sun to stand still. He impregnates a virgin. He empowers a group of fishermen to speak languages they have never learned. He guides missionaries to places they never planned to go.
I believe He still does this today. I believe God put me in the right place to hear the gospel. I believe He guided my life and Henriann's life so that our paths would cross. I believe He has placed you exactly where you are for a reason.
God has never been portrayed in Scripture as unaware of what is going on — or as a God who has lost control of the situation. God is in control.
That doesn't answer every hard question. Many of you have questions for God. So do I. But we must never lose our grip on this truth: God is in control. We will never experience the blessing of His promises when we begin to doubt His power over our lives and over creation.
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**LESSON #2: A LACK OF TRUST RESULTS IN A LACK OF BLESSING**
Barak lost out on a great honor because he had reservations about God's control of the situation. And so do we.
On paper, Barak didn't stand a chance. 10,000 volunteers against 900 iron chariots. His hesitation is understandable. But it cost him something.
Younger writes:
*"When Christians fail to trust God, demanding assurance when God has already spoken, they lose out on the opportunity to be used by him to the fullest extent. We lose out on his good gifts. And worse, we may find ourselves expending all kinds of time and energy hopelessly trying to make up the difference."*
It is likely that when God calls you to do something, the odds will be against you. That is where faith comes in. That is where prayer comes in. James speaks directly to this:
*"If you need wisdom — if you want to know what God wants you to do — ask him, and he will gladly tell you. He will not resent your asking. But when you ask him, be sure that you really expect him to answer, for a doubtful mind is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. People like that should not expect to receive anything from the Lord."* (James 1:5–7 NLT)
We will come back to this theme when we get to Gideon. But for now — when God has spoken, trust is not optional. Hesitation has a cost.
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**LESSON #3: TOTAL PARTICIPATION FROM GOD'S PEOPLE IS EXPECTED**
One of the sub-themes running through Deborah's song is her sharp frustration that the whole of Israel did not show up for this battle. Two moments stand out:
*"But in Reuben's divisions there was much second-guessing. Why all those campfire discussions? Diverted and distracted, Reuben's divisions couldn't make up their minds. Gilead played it safe across the Jordan, and Dan, why did he go off sailing? Asher kept his distance on the seacoast, safe and secure in his harbors."* (Judges 5:15–17 MSG)
*"'Curse Meroz,' says the LORD's angel. 'Curse, double curse, its people, because they didn't come when God needed them, didn't rally to God's side with valiant fighters.'"* (Judges 5:23 MSG)
Failure to participate was considered an abomination. God expected everyone to be involved in His work. Non-involvement was unacceptable then — and it is unacceptable now.
You might be tempted to reason: God can pull the strings. Why should I risk my own resources? Why should I expend my own energy? God will get it done anyway. Someone else will teach the class. Someone else will fund the project. Someone else will lead the ministry.
In a sense, that thinking is correct. God will get it done — with or without you. But that thinking is robbing you of one of the greatest blessings available to a child of God: the privilege of being part of what He is doing.
The victory is sweetest to those who have fought the hardest. To those who have sacrificed the most. To those who have invested the most. It is great to watch your team win from the stands. But that feeling is nothing compared to being on the field, being part of the team, and celebrating the victory together.
Real blessing — the abundant life Jesus promised — does not come to spectators. It comes to participants.
God has a great work to accomplish in this region and in this world. I know He will get it done. But I want to be part of that victory. I want to be part of that team. I want to experience the joy Paul describes when he talks about the crown of righteousness waiting for those who have run the race well. And God wants that for each of you — but you will not feel it unless you join the team.
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**CONCLUSION**
Three lessons from Deborah, Barak, and Jael:
- **God is pulling the strings behind the scenes** — trust His sovereignty over your life and your circumstances
- **A lack of trust results in a lack of blessing** — when God has spoken, hesitation has a cost
- **Total participation is expected** — non-involvement is not neutrality, it is loss
God is in control. He will see His purposes through. The question is not whether He will accomplish His work — the question is whether you will have the joy of being part of it.
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*Judges Series — Part 3*
