GOD SET US UP FOR THE VICTORY
JUDGES 4:4-16
Elder Clarence E. Weaver Sr.
DECLARATION
I am a child of God, born of the Spirit of God, filled with the Spirit of God, and led by the Spirit of God. I listen to my heart as I look to my spirit inside me. I will educate, train, and develop my human spirit to the Word of God.
INTRODUCTION
We all have mountains in our lives that we eventually have to face. In Judges 3:1-6 indicates that the Lord left large groups of the native peoples in Canaan to test the loyalty of the Israelites who had not fought in wars to control the land.
God also wanted the new generation of Israelites who had no previous battle experience to learn the art of warfare. The nations listed in these verse, would test the resolve of the Israelites to obey the Lord’s commands.
Regardless of your age or experience, God can use you to exercise leadership in your church and community for His glory. When we are faced with a dilemma, you should not go it alone. Even as leaders we can benefit from the advice of Pastors, teachers, Deacons (to name a few important people). God can use the input of significant others to steer you away from the harmful tendencies of others.
It never pays to rush into something without first praying and asking God to direct your path this will allow God to be on your side as you faced the mountains in your life.
The word "Cycle” means, An interval of time which a characteristic is repeated or a sequence of events occur. If ministry has taught me anything: Most people go through the same things over and over again. The key to breaking this vicious cycle is to understand it.
Ask yourself two questions as this message speaks to you:
(1) What am I repeating that I don’t want to?
(2) Where am I in this cycle?
I love this story about Deborah. Many people want to make this into a story about a woman. But I think it is a story about submitting to God and how to get
I. Deborah’s Command from God Judges 4:4-7, KJV
1. Deborah’s Work as a Judge: verse Judges 4:4-5
A. Deborah is the only woman leader mentioned in the Book of Judges who is also called a prophet. She is also one of a selected group of women in the Old Testament who are identified by that title. The others include Moses’ sister Miriam (Exodus 15:20), Hulda (2 Kings 22:14), possibly Isaiah’s wife (Isaiah 8:3), and Noadiah (Nehemiah 6:14). A prophet’s main duty was to be God’s mouthpiece, namely, to transmit His message to the people.
B. The tree where she regularly settled disputes later became know as the “Palm of Deborah.” The palm tree in Scripture is associated both with prosperity (Psalms 92:12) and leadership (Isaiah 9:14). She held court Between Ramah which Hebrew word is pronounce, raw-maw’ which means to betray (as if causing to fall): deceive or throw. And Bethel which Jacob named in (Genesis 28:19), which means a house of prayer.
In mount Ephraim which Hebrew mean to enunciate plainly, i.e. declare;-say, speak forth, utterance. Deborah name means short, to arrange or to use a figure of words to speak, to subdue answer, appoint, bid command, commune declare, destroy, give name, promise, pronounce, teach tell, think.
2. Deborah’s Summons for Barak: verses Judges 4:6-7
A. Deborah summon Barak, which means lighting or flashing sword, the son of Abinoam which means the father of pleasantness out of Kedesh which means consecrate, sanctify oneself.
Naphtali which means wrestle or struggle and said to him, The LORD (Yahweh), ordered him to take 10,000 men from the tribe of Naphtali.
Zubulun which means habitation. Barak was told to lead the way to Mount Tabor, a limestone peak which is 1,843 feet in elevation located in the northwest corner of the valley of Jezereel. Mount Tabor is steep and symmetrical in shape, with a rounded top.
B. Don’t let fear cause you to become disobedience.
We can imagine the dread that must have gripped Barak as he considered the divine summons related through Deborah. After all, the opposing forces were more powerful. In fact, from a human perspective the Canaanite foe was clear favorite in a battle against the Israelites. However, the all-powerful Lord would defend His people and enable them to gain a decisive victory over their oppressors. Without a doubt, God promise Barak that He would draw Sisera, with his powerful chariots and formidable troops, to the Kishon River.
II. Barak’s Victory through God Judges 4:8-16, KJV
1. Deborah’s Willingness to Accompany Barak: verses Judges 4:8-10
A. The Word of God is used to empower you to have a successful life. Despite the Lord’s assurance of victory, Barak refuse to lead the way to Mount Tabor unless Deborah accompanied him. Some see Barak’s timidity as a sign of cowardice. More likely, he was hoping Deborah’s presence as a prophetess would ensure success or enable him to have closer contact with the Lord for the important task.
Sometimes we need someone to help us to live a victorious life.
B. Deborah did not allow the deliverance of Israel to be hindered by Barak’s lack of confidence. Though Deborah promised to go with Barak, she said he would not receive the honor for the death of Sisera. Instead, the credit would go to a woman, who turned out to be Jael, which means can do good or benefited (see verses 21-22).
C. For a solider of that time, to have a woman take the honor from him would have been consider a disgrace. This ironic turn of event would serve as an embarrassing rebuke for Barak’s lack of trust. Despite his lack of enthusiasm, Barak did obey the Lord when Deborah accompanied Barak to Kedesh.
2. Barak’s Defeat Of The Canaanite Foe: Judges 4:11-16
A. The Mustering of the Enemy’s Forces: Judges 4:11-13
Judge 4:11 mentions Heber, a Kenite chief. The Kenites were a tribe of nomads skilled in metalworking. They descended from Hobab, who the King’s James version states that they were children of the father in law of Moses. Heber is mention because it would be his wife, Jael, who would kill Sisera, as Deborah prophesied (see verses 18-21).
B. Heber and some others of his clan told the Canaanites that Barak and his troops had established a camp at Mount Tabor.
Whenever you make up your mind and stand on God’s promises to face your mountains, struggles, and dilemma, it seem like everything that you are trying to overcome know exactly where you are.
C. On the basic of this intelligence, Sisera decided to relocate his forces from Harosheth Haggoyim to the Kishon River. Sisera’s decision undoubtedly seemed like a shrewd move to him, for it placed his chariots in the Valley of Jezereel. There these powerful weapons of war could freely maneuver and attack the disadvantaged Israelite troop at will.
I don’t know what you are going through right now. The fact may be true that you can’t make it through. I don’t know what stronghold the enemy might have on you, but know that God has sent Jesus and that he has gone ahead and defeated all your enemies against you, and you have the victory in Jesus Christ.
D. Sisera’s chariots proximity to the river would contribute to his undoing. The military commander stepped right into the trap God had prepared.
Romans 8:28: And we know that all things work together for the good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
1 Corinthians 10:3-6: (3) For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (4) (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down strong holds ;) (5) Casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God and bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; (6) And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.
3. The Response of Barak to Deborah’s Exhortation: Judges 4:14
A. On a human level, Barak’s hastily army had no chance against the Canaanite Army. But at the opportune time Deborah took the initiative when she directed Barak to lead his troops in battle against Sisera. Deborah assured Barak that the Lord had already given him the victory. God had gone ahead of the Israelites like their heavenly general.
When God’s Word empowers you, you must act on the timing of God to become victorious with your battles.
4. The Defeat of the Enemy Forces: Judges 4:15-16
A. Give God the credit for you victory. Despite the superior weaponry of the Canaanite Army that prevailed victorious, it was the Israelites who were successful.
The Bible is careful to credit the victory to the Lord. Just as Deborah had prophesied, God really had gone ahead see Judges 5:21), the Lord sent a torrent rain that flooded the Kishon River and soaked the Valley of Jezreel. The muddy soil made it virtually impossible for Sisera’s chariots to maneuver which made the Sisera and probably the rest of his troops abandoned their chariots and tried to escape on foot from the battle scene of the battle.
B. God will allow things that normal doesn’t happen to occur for Him to receive the glory. The Kishon River has often overflowed its river banks during the spring rain in Palestine. So the battle took place during the summer because Sisera would never have placed his chariots in such a precarious position during the springtime.
During the summer, however, when it never rains in Canaan, he would not hesitate to place his chariots in the valley near the river; but whatever season, the text says that God’s timing of the rain led to Sisera’s defeat.
C. Something is out of your control.
This turn of events was completed out of the control of Barak and Deborah. Without this rain (that is, without God’s help), the Israelite general would have lost the battle.
Sometimes God fulfills His promises in such a way that His people must acknowledge their powerlessness over certain events.
D. God gave Barak’s soldiers the ability to conquer the foe using only their swords, leaving no survivors.
Conclusion
Though Barak’s trust in God. he wavered at first, his named is mentioned in Hebrews 11:32 because of his faith in leading his army against Israel’s foe.
Indeed, Barak’s amazing victory over Sisera sharply contrasted with the Israelites’ former inability to fully expel the native people from the land.
The difference was a matter of obedience. Barak did exactly what God commanded, and God, in turn, gave His people the power to triumph over their foes.
When we do things the Lord’s way, relying on His strength, we can be assured of the victory in our lives.
Through the valiant efforts of Deborah and Barak (not to mention the heroic act of Jael, who ended Sisera’s life; see 4:17-22), God soundly defeated Jabin, the Canaanite king, in the sight of the Israelites (verse 23). From the very beginning, the Lord sovereignly worked through the course of events to bring about His will. The action of His people played the part in His plan to subdue Jabin and free the Israelites from the cruel oppression.
