WEBVTT 00:00:00.060 --> 00:00:05.219 A few months ago, we learned a modern hymn by Matt Boswell and Matt Papa called, 00:00:05.540 --> 00:00:06.839 Our God Will Go Before Us. 00:00:07.339 --> 00:00:09.960 Here's how the chorus goes, if you don't remember. 00:00:10.740 --> 00:00:12.480 Our God will go before us. 00:00:13.160 --> 00:00:15.580 The Lord of hosts is with us. 00:00:16.660 --> 00:00:21.480 Oh, praise the one who leads us on, for his grace will bring us home. 00:00:22.160 --> 00:00:26.060 The setting of that song is Exodus chapter 33. 00:00:26.059 --> 00:00:32.000 Perhaps you remember God is kind of fed up with the Israelites at Mount Sinai. 00:00:32.719 --> 00:00:39.280 And he comes and he tells Moses, I'm going to give the people the land and I'm going to send my angel before you, but I'm not going with you. 00:00:39.759 --> 00:00:41.219 And you remember what Moses did. 00:00:41.340 --> 00:00:47.320 He intercedes on behalf of the people and he says, God, if you're not going, we're not going. 00:00:47.420 --> 00:00:48.179 I'm not going. 00:00:48.579 --> 00:00:49.799 We're going to where you go. 00:00:49.899 --> 00:00:50.739 We need you with us. 00:00:50.739 --> 00:00:55.340 And of course, God is pleased by Moses' prayer and his intercession. 00:00:55.340 --> 00:01:05.659 And he comes back and he says, we'll tell you what, I'm not only going to give you the land, but my very presence is going to go before you into the land. 00:01:07.219 --> 00:01:11.300 Guaranteeing victory for them as they would fight battle by battle. 00:01:11.879 --> 00:01:19.640 Guaranteeing blessing for them as they wandered through the wilderness as they ultimately went into the land of promise. 00:01:20.659 --> 00:01:24.060 And it's a wonderful story there in Exodus 33. 00:01:24.060 --> 00:01:26.780 But it's really not unique to Moses. 00:01:27.560 --> 00:01:35.620 It's not the only time that we see God's people looking at God in this way, thinking, if you're not going with this, we're not going. 00:01:35.740 --> 00:01:41.800 And it's not the only time ever that we see the promise of God's presence in the scriptures either. 00:01:41.799 --> 00:01:55.659 In fact, this section of Exodus 33 really is part of a thread that courses through all of the scripture, showing God's presence and power to save and to lead his people. 00:01:55.659 --> 00:02:06.859 And the story that we find in Judges 4 and 5 is another part of this amazing thread of grace that goes through the scriptures. 00:02:06.859 --> 00:02:12.960 And of course, like all of the narratives in this particular book, the main point is this. 00:02:13.500 --> 00:02:17.800 The main point of this story is God saves his people. 00:02:18.280 --> 00:02:24.939 We must say it every Sunday as we're working through this book because that is the point of the book and it's the point of all of the stories. 00:02:25.419 --> 00:02:30.120 God saves his people and he does it out of amazing steadfast love and mercy. 00:02:30.120 --> 00:02:36.480 And there's a number of features in this passage that make this apparent to us. 00:02:37.340 --> 00:02:45.460 Dale Ralph Davis hopefully shows that this chapter, chapter 4 at least, has a chiastic structure. 00:02:45.700 --> 00:02:46.860 And we've talked about that a lot. 00:02:46.920 --> 00:02:49.879 We talked about that a lot in our study of the seven churches in Revelation. 00:02:50.439 --> 00:02:54.180 We've seen this literary technique at other places in Judges as well. 00:02:54.180 --> 00:03:03.379 He sees this as another chiastic structure, at least in chapter 4, with the central focus falling on verse 14. 00:03:03.620 --> 00:03:05.400 Set your eyes on verse 14, would you? 00:03:07.560 --> 00:03:08.920 And Deborah said to Barak, 00:03:09.620 --> 00:03:16.460 Up, for this is the day in which the Lord has given Sisera into your hand. 00:03:17.159 --> 00:03:21.120 Does not the Lord go out before you? 00:03:21.879 --> 00:03:22.960 Now that's helpful, isn't it? 00:03:22.960 --> 00:03:32.560 It's helpful when the Lord uses the literary artistry of the people, the humans that he used to write his word, 00:03:32.680 --> 00:03:35.439 to help us come to a better understanding of the point. 00:03:35.800 --> 00:03:39.800 And even as we look at just the basic structure of how this chapter is laid out, 00:03:39.939 --> 00:03:42.159 when we get to the heart of it, what do we see? 00:03:42.600 --> 00:03:44.680 Has not the Lord gone out before you? 00:03:44.920 --> 00:03:51.600 This is the day that the Lord will deliver Sisera, your enemy, into your hand. 00:03:51.599 --> 00:03:55.359 But you don't have to acknowledge the chiasm to see the point. 00:03:56.500 --> 00:04:02.159 The fingerprints of God's saving action are all over both of these chapters. 00:04:02.159 --> 00:04:11.840 Not only does the author explicitly say at the end of chapter 4 that it was God who subdued Jabin before the people of Israel, 00:04:11.840 --> 00:04:18.500 but the song of Deborah and Barak in chapter 5 is a song of worship, 00:04:19.139 --> 00:04:24.439 specifically praising God for his saving work in their lives. 00:04:24.439 --> 00:04:28.719 There is no getting around what the bottom line of this text is. 00:04:28.860 --> 00:04:33.600 The bottom line is that God alone can save his people. 00:04:33.920 --> 00:04:36.219 He alone can provide salvation. 00:04:37.220 --> 00:04:48.920 And no enemy, no enemy will ever prevail against those on whom he has set his steadfast love, his saving love. 00:04:49.159 --> 00:04:49.800 No enemy. 00:04:49.800 --> 00:04:52.780 Jesus says this in a different way about the church. 00:04:53.639 --> 00:04:54.319 He says, 00:04:55.319 --> 00:04:56.680 This church is my church. 00:04:57.100 --> 00:05:00.199 On this confession, Peter, I will build my church. 00:05:00.600 --> 00:05:05.180 And the gates of hell themselves cannot prevail against it. 00:05:05.680 --> 00:05:08.160 And this becomes so abundantly clear in this story. 00:05:09.240 --> 00:05:11.300 And significant to this particular record 00:05:11.300 --> 00:05:17.900 is that it gives us so much information about how God delivered Israel. 00:05:17.899 --> 00:05:22.679 It's unique, at least in the stories that we've seen up to this point, the other judges, 00:05:22.979 --> 00:05:26.419 we see that God raises up a judge and that he delivers. 00:05:26.759 --> 00:05:33.620 But in this text, we start to get a lot of information about how God actually went about doing that. 00:05:34.359 --> 00:05:36.719 And the story is recorded in two distinct forms. 00:05:37.239 --> 00:05:42.060 In chapter 4, it's told in simple prose or narrative form. 00:05:42.060 --> 00:05:49.000 But in chapter 5, the whole story is repeated in poetry, in song. 00:05:49.800 --> 00:05:56.620 And we're going to examine both of these accounts in tandem as we go through the message today. 00:05:56.819 --> 00:06:01.540 Chapter 5 expounding upon the story that's laid out for us in chapter 4. 00:06:02.199 --> 00:06:06.100 And of course, there is an abundance of spiritual lessons for us as we go through. 00:06:06.100 --> 00:06:11.900 If you like to keep notes and you want to keep track of my personal breakdown of the text, 00:06:12.020 --> 00:06:13.320 then write this down first. 00:06:13.560 --> 00:06:16.460 First thing we see here is a ruthless enemy. 00:06:17.220 --> 00:06:19.520 A ruthless enemy. 00:06:19.840 --> 00:06:21.580 Look at the first three verses of chapter 4. 00:06:21.579 --> 00:06:29.379 And the people of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. 00:06:29.379 --> 00:06:36.120 And the Lord sold them into the hand of Jabin, king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor. 00:06:36.800 --> 00:06:41.979 The commander of his army was Sisera, who lived in Harasheth Hagoyim. 00:06:42.439 --> 00:06:45.120 Then the people of Israel cried out to the Lord for help. 00:06:45.120 --> 00:06:53.480 For he had 900 chariots of iron, and he oppressed the people of Israel cruelly for 20 years. 00:06:54.079 --> 00:07:00.720 So this seemingly endless cycle of apostasy continues with Israel after Ahud's death. 00:07:01.819 --> 00:07:08.819 And despite God graciously giving the people in their land 80 years of peace and rest, 00:07:09.759 --> 00:07:12.959 the people of Israel persist in their disobedience. 00:07:12.959 --> 00:07:19.759 They persist in idolatry and were told again doing what was evil in the sight of the Lord. 00:07:20.799 --> 00:07:22.959 And then the cycle of that continues once again. 00:07:23.319 --> 00:07:30.099 The Lord himself sells them into the hand of Jabin, the king of Canaan, 00:07:30.159 --> 00:07:36.159 or a Canaanite king who was ruling at this point in the northern region near Galilee. 00:07:36.299 --> 00:07:40.759 So Hazor is probably 12 miles or so north of the Sea of Galilee. 00:07:40.759 --> 00:07:46.339 So you think where you read of Jesus' ministry, primarily headquartered in the New Testament, 00:07:46.620 --> 00:07:54.500 where he was raised, all of the action happening in this story is in that particular region of Israel. 00:07:56.379 --> 00:08:01.339 Jabin, though, isn't the character on which the story focuses its attention. 00:08:01.339 --> 00:08:09.279 Instead, the primary enemy in view throughout this chapter is a man named Sisera, 00:08:09.719 --> 00:08:17.500 who ruthlessly oppressed the people with this massive show of military power. 00:08:18.379 --> 00:08:22.699 Now, it's easy for us to read through a verse like that or even a phrase like that 00:08:22.699 --> 00:08:26.699 and not think so much about what this experience was like. 00:08:26.699 --> 00:08:35.840 So maybe it would be helpful for us for just a moment to consider what happens when an enemy king takes over. 00:08:36.860 --> 00:08:42.100 This is an enemy occupation of their land and of their homes. 00:08:42.939 --> 00:08:48.759 First thing an occupying army will want to do is have a dramatic show of power. 00:08:49.200 --> 00:08:55.799 And that dramatic show of power crushes any thoughts of a village uprising against them, right? 00:08:55.799 --> 00:08:56.939 And how do they do that? 00:08:57.079 --> 00:08:59.519 They show great strength. 00:09:00.059 --> 00:09:05.459 And as they come in to take over the particular land, it involves a lot of murder. 00:09:05.919 --> 00:09:07.359 That's how you scare the people, right? 00:09:07.839 --> 00:09:11.179 That's how you convince them not to uprise against you. 00:09:11.539 --> 00:09:18.219 And here we're told Sisera has basically these ancient tanks, 900 iron chariots. 00:09:18.319 --> 00:09:19.959 It was a tremendous show of power. 00:09:19.960 --> 00:09:28.700 And he clearly wasn't afraid to use them because then we're told that he cruelly oppresses the people of Israel for 20 years. 00:09:29.480 --> 00:09:34.560 That's what life is like when an occupying enemy comes into town. 00:09:35.420 --> 00:09:36.820 And what else do they do? 00:09:36.920 --> 00:09:42.360 Once they come into town, they begin to set up their forms of government and they oppress the people. 00:09:43.180 --> 00:09:48.040 Enemy occupation usually results in a seizure of private property. 00:09:48.039 --> 00:09:50.480 Your home is no longer your home. 00:09:50.939 --> 00:09:54.559 Your home belongs to whoever wants it from the enemy army. 00:09:55.539 --> 00:09:59.379 And if you want to resist them, they'll just take your life and take your home anyways. 00:10:00.559 --> 00:10:01.620 Seizure of property. 00:10:02.579 --> 00:10:03.480 That's not it. 00:10:04.599 --> 00:10:05.639 Heavy regulation. 00:10:07.099 --> 00:10:10.599 They keep you from having all the things that you need to flourish in life. 00:10:10.839 --> 00:10:13.019 High taxation comes along with this. 00:10:13.019 --> 00:10:17.719 It makes everyday life absolutely miserable for the subjugated people. 00:10:18.039 --> 00:10:25.579 And Deborah's song gives us a brief look that conveys these conditions. 00:10:25.819 --> 00:10:28.839 Just flip over to chapter 5 and look at verses 6 through 8. 00:10:28.840 --> 00:10:35.740 In the days of Shamgar, son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the highways were abandoned. 00:10:36.200 --> 00:10:38.620 The travelers kept to the byways. 00:10:38.700 --> 00:10:42.480 So the first thing we find in the song is the people can't travel freely. 00:10:43.120 --> 00:10:48.460 They can't just, in peace, go where they want to go because they know there's a great threat. 00:10:48.560 --> 00:10:49.600 There's a great danger there. 00:10:49.800 --> 00:10:51.920 Can you imagine living in that kind of scenario? 00:10:52.919 --> 00:10:59.719 Here you've spent however many years of your life enjoying peace and liberty and freedom here in the United States or North Carolina or whatever it is. 00:10:59.720 --> 00:11:06.320 And then suddenly, like's happening in Israel right now to this weekend, suddenly an enemy army comes in and tries to invade. 00:11:06.440 --> 00:11:09.519 And now you don't have the right to just go wherever you want to go. 00:11:10.200 --> 00:11:13.139 You don't have the freedom to travel where you want to travel. 00:11:13.240 --> 00:11:18.120 In fact, if you even tried to, you're probably going to lose your life or at least be hurt in a significant way. 00:11:18.220 --> 00:11:21.480 She continues, the villagers ceased in Israel. 00:11:21.480 --> 00:11:25.399 People aren't leaving their homes and the ones that do are dying. 00:11:25.580 --> 00:11:30.639 They ceased to be until I, I, Deborah, arose as a mother in Israel. 00:11:31.039 --> 00:11:36.820 When new gods were chosen, that is leaders of towns and armies, then war was in the gates. 00:11:37.700 --> 00:11:41.539 Was shield or spear to be seen among 40,000 in Israel? 00:11:42.159 --> 00:11:43.620 This is part of regulation. 00:11:44.300 --> 00:11:46.139 What's the first thing the enemy army does? 00:11:46.320 --> 00:11:50.480 They come in and they take the weapons because they don't want you to come back at them, do they? 00:11:51.480 --> 00:11:59.279 So people, they don't have sword, they don't have spear in Israel anymore because Jabin the king and Sisera, his right-hand man, have taken over. 00:12:00.120 --> 00:12:05.379 But the truth is, when an occupying army comes in like this, substantial regulation and taxation, 00:12:05.940 --> 00:12:13.259 that's nothing compared to the personal loss and tragedy that comes with an experience like this. 00:12:15.000 --> 00:12:17.840 Personal property is stolen as spoils of war. 00:12:17.840 --> 00:12:23.160 The men that weren't killed were enslaved. 00:12:24.300 --> 00:12:29.639 Their wives and their daughters raped and trafficked among the people that have come in. 00:12:31.100 --> 00:12:38.280 At the end of Deborah's song, she tells this story or she gives this imagery of Sisera's mom after Sisera's been defeated. 00:12:38.279 --> 00:12:42.039 Sorry if I just spoiled the story for you, but Sisera loses. 00:12:42.480 --> 00:12:47.959 And we get to the end and she presents this imagery of Sisera's mom is hanging out the window and she's wondering, 00:12:48.079 --> 00:12:51.779 why is it taking him so long to get home and to console her? 00:12:51.919 --> 00:12:58.819 There are these princesses who say, well, it takes time to do everything that Sisera and the army are doing. 00:12:58.939 --> 00:13:02.620 And read with me what they expect the army to have been doing. 00:13:02.620 --> 00:13:04.720 Chapter 5, verse 28. 00:13:05.080 --> 00:13:10.220 Out of the window she peered, the mother of Sisera welled through the lattice. 00:13:10.860 --> 00:13:13.019 Why is his chariot so long in coming? 00:13:13.419 --> 00:13:15.919 Why tarry the hoofbeats of his chariots? 00:13:16.580 --> 00:13:18.399 Her wisest princess's answer. 00:13:18.500 --> 00:13:19.919 Indeed, she answers herself. 00:13:20.720 --> 00:13:23.080 Have they not found and divided the spoil? 00:13:23.419 --> 00:13:24.299 Do you know what that means? 00:13:24.659 --> 00:13:25.779 They're going house to house. 00:13:25.899 --> 00:13:26.940 They're taking what they want. 00:13:27.000 --> 00:13:28.060 They're leaving nothing behind. 00:13:28.059 --> 00:13:31.619 A womb or two for every man? 00:13:32.919 --> 00:13:34.500 They take your wives. 00:13:35.179 --> 00:13:36.399 They take your daughters. 00:13:37.119 --> 00:13:39.059 They treat them like slaves. 00:13:39.679 --> 00:13:41.179 They take advantage of them. 00:13:42.459 --> 00:13:44.679 Spoil of dyed materials for Sisera. 00:13:44.839 --> 00:13:46.979 Spoiled of dyed materials embroidered. 00:13:47.000 --> 00:13:49.979 Two pieces of dyed work embroidered for the neck. 00:13:50.639 --> 00:13:51.699 Embroidered for the neck. 00:13:52.259 --> 00:13:52.719 I spoil. 00:13:53.719 --> 00:13:56.099 That's what it's like when an enemy army comes in. 00:13:56.100 --> 00:13:57.120 For 20 years. 00:13:57.779 --> 00:13:59.060 For 20 years. 00:14:00.040 --> 00:14:03.279 Israel lives in that condition. 00:14:05.379 --> 00:14:08.279 But as ruthless of an enemy as Sisera was. 00:14:09.420 --> 00:14:10.980 He wasn't their greatest enemy. 00:14:13.800 --> 00:14:17.340 Israel's fiercest, most ruthless enemy. 00:14:18.120 --> 00:14:19.879 Was their own sin. 00:14:21.840 --> 00:14:23.779 That's their greatest enemy here. 00:14:23.779 --> 00:14:24.220 Sisera. 00:14:25.339 --> 00:14:26.899 Sisera was only an issue. 00:14:27.620 --> 00:14:30.220 Because they persisted in rejecting God. 00:14:31.480 --> 00:14:33.419 Because they continued to disobey. 00:14:33.620 --> 00:14:35.980 Because they continued to abandon him. 00:14:36.059 --> 00:14:38.740 And to pursue the gods of Canaan instead. 00:14:40.220 --> 00:14:41.879 And so even after times of peace. 00:14:41.980 --> 00:14:44.220 And after giving them more than enough time. 00:14:44.299 --> 00:14:45.740 To see the error of their way. 00:14:45.899 --> 00:14:47.679 And to turn away from that error. 00:14:47.799 --> 00:14:48.319 And that sin. 00:14:48.399 --> 00:14:49.799 And to turn back to God. 00:14:49.799 --> 00:14:53.120 Still they wasted God's kindness. 00:14:53.120 --> 00:14:54.259 As Paul says. 00:14:54.579 --> 00:14:57.299 Storing up wrath for themselves. 00:14:57.299 --> 00:14:58.859 On the day of wrath. 00:14:59.219 --> 00:15:01.859 When God's righteous judgment would be revealed. 00:15:02.639 --> 00:15:06.120 And God's righteous judgment did ultimately come. 00:15:06.579 --> 00:15:09.639 And it came in the form of Jabin king of Canaan. 00:15:09.919 --> 00:15:12.799 And Sisera with his 900 chariots and his army. 00:15:13.019 --> 00:15:15.219 That were doing whatever they wanted to do. 00:15:15.359 --> 00:15:16.579 To the people of Israel. 00:15:16.580 --> 00:15:20.100 And the people were left crying out to the God. 00:15:20.220 --> 00:15:21.620 That they had rejected. 00:15:22.120 --> 00:15:23.520 Over and over. 00:15:23.940 --> 00:15:25.379 And over and over. 00:15:30.080 --> 00:15:31.320 When I was growing up. 00:15:31.460 --> 00:15:35.060 The senior saints in our church would often remind me. 00:15:35.900 --> 00:15:38.440 Sin will take you farther than you want to go. 00:15:39.320 --> 00:15:41.840 Sin will keep you longer than you want to stay. 00:15:42.920 --> 00:15:45.720 Sin will cost you far more than you want to pay. 00:15:46.980 --> 00:15:48.540 Is that not the story of Israel? 00:15:50.180 --> 00:15:50.960 Every time. 00:15:52.340 --> 00:15:53.020 Every time. 00:15:54.180 --> 00:15:55.340 But to be honest with you. 00:15:55.440 --> 00:15:57.440 This is nothing compared to what hell will be. 00:15:57.520 --> 00:15:59.220 For those who do not know the Lord. 00:16:01.700 --> 00:16:03.120 Isn't that the parallel for us? 00:16:04.259 --> 00:16:06.639 We see the destructive consequences of sin. 00:16:06.720 --> 00:16:07.879 And as believers we see that. 00:16:07.940 --> 00:16:08.720 And we see okay yes. 00:16:08.820 --> 00:16:11.040 We face the corrective judgment of the Lord. 00:16:11.120 --> 00:16:13.340 But then we look around at the unbelievers in our lives. 00:16:13.379 --> 00:16:16.300 And we see they do not face the corrective judgment of the Lord. 00:16:16.299 --> 00:16:19.339 They face the punitive judgment of the Lord. 00:16:22.219 --> 00:16:26.079 The conditions for Israel under the reign of Jabin king of Canaan. 00:16:26.519 --> 00:16:30.740 Is nothing compared to what eternity will be like in a devil's hell. 00:16:31.479 --> 00:16:31.939 Nothing. 00:16:31.940 --> 00:16:36.220 And yet God is still so kind. 00:16:36.320 --> 00:16:41.760 That's just to extend his mercy over and over and over to you and to the people in your life. 00:16:41.759 --> 00:16:46.700 If they will but turn to him and trust in Christ they'll be forgiven. 00:16:47.220 --> 00:16:48.600 They'll be restored. 00:16:48.600 --> 00:16:55.139 And yet they wasted it just like Israel wasted it. 00:16:55.139 --> 00:17:03.319 It's a reminder that what Israel really needed was something that none of these deliverers could actually provide for them. 00:17:04.319 --> 00:17:08.700 They needed someone who would not only save them from an enemy occupation. 00:17:09.480 --> 00:17:12.379 But from the depravity of their sinful hearts. 00:17:12.380 --> 00:17:15.260 They needed new hearts. 00:17:15.820 --> 00:17:17.660 They needed forgiveness of sin. 00:17:17.980 --> 00:17:20.060 They needed peace with God. 00:17:20.400 --> 00:17:21.480 And so do we. 00:17:22.600 --> 00:17:24.360 And there's only one Savior. 00:17:24.900 --> 00:17:25.880 Only one. 00:17:26.400 --> 00:17:28.180 Who has ever defeated the enemy. 00:17:28.560 --> 00:17:29.580 The ruthless enemy. 00:17:29.920 --> 00:17:31.600 Of sin and death. 00:17:32.080 --> 00:17:32.960 And it's not Barak. 00:17:33.080 --> 00:17:33.920 And it's not Ahud. 00:17:34.080 --> 00:17:34.880 And it's not Samson. 00:17:34.940 --> 00:17:35.840 It's not any of the others. 00:17:36.480 --> 00:17:37.480 It's Jesus. 00:17:38.160 --> 00:17:40.240 Jesus alone can do this. 00:17:41.480 --> 00:17:42.079 Romans 8. 00:17:42.180 --> 00:17:47.460 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 00:17:48.200 --> 00:17:55.319 For the law of the spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. 00:17:55.319 --> 00:18:00.860 For God has done what the law weakened by the flesh could not do. 00:18:01.360 --> 00:18:06.339 By sending his own son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin. 00:18:06.339 --> 00:18:08.519 He condemned sin in the flesh. 00:18:08.779 --> 00:18:13.759 In order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us. 00:18:14.359 --> 00:18:16.459 Who walk not according to the flesh. 00:18:16.980 --> 00:18:18.399 But according to the spirit. 00:18:18.939 --> 00:18:20.819 There's a ruthless enemy in this story. 00:18:21.559 --> 00:18:24.439 We see it take shape in the form of a man named Sisera. 00:18:24.559 --> 00:18:28.579 But really what's behind that is the deep depravity of the hearts of Israel. 00:18:28.899 --> 00:18:32.000 The same depravity that pervades each and every one of our hearts as well. 00:18:32.000 --> 00:18:33.579 Number two. 00:18:34.220 --> 00:18:36.579 We see a chosen deliverer. 00:18:37.220 --> 00:18:39.680 A chosen deliverer. 00:18:40.079 --> 00:18:50.299 Now this narrative I told you stands out first because it tells us how God identified and instructed his deliverer. 00:18:50.500 --> 00:18:51.880 We haven't got this up to this point. 00:18:52.220 --> 00:18:56.380 We're just told of Othniel and we're told of Ahud and we're told of Shamgar. 00:18:56.380 --> 00:19:01.700 But we're really not told how God went about working in that scenario to raise them up. 00:19:01.920 --> 00:19:03.560 But this story actually tells us. 00:19:03.860 --> 00:19:05.700 And God's chosen judge. 00:19:05.920 --> 00:19:07.120 The deliverer here. 00:19:07.460 --> 00:19:09.560 Is a man named Barak. 00:19:10.060 --> 00:19:13.060 He's from the tribe of Naphtali. 00:19:14.020 --> 00:19:17.760 And the way his calling takes place is actually quite fascinating. 00:19:18.100 --> 00:19:19.420 Three things I want to point out to you. 00:19:19.540 --> 00:19:21.200 And just bear with me as we work through it okay. 00:19:21.200 --> 00:19:22.539 First thing is this. 00:19:22.860 --> 00:19:24.640 Let's notice Barak called. 00:19:25.220 --> 00:19:26.620 Barak called. 00:19:26.740 --> 00:19:28.340 Look at verse 4 of chapter 4. 00:19:28.759 --> 00:19:30.660 Now Deborah a prophetess. 00:19:31.200 --> 00:19:32.620 The wife of Lapidoth. 00:19:32.920 --> 00:19:35.039 Was judging Israel at that time. 00:19:35.840 --> 00:19:37.680 She used to sit under the palm of Deborah. 00:19:37.860 --> 00:19:39.580 Between Ramah and Bethel. 00:19:39.680 --> 00:19:40.960 In the hill country of Ephraim. 00:19:41.819 --> 00:19:44.180 And the people of Israel came up to her for judgment. 00:19:44.180 --> 00:19:48.180 She sent and summoned Barak the son of Abinoam. 00:19:49.140 --> 00:19:51.100 From Kedesh Naphtali. 00:19:51.920 --> 00:19:52.640 And said to him. 00:19:53.240 --> 00:19:55.720 Has not the Lord the God of Israel commanded you. 00:19:56.259 --> 00:19:56.620 Go. 00:19:57.340 --> 00:19:58.920 Gather your men at Mount Tabor. 00:19:59.100 --> 00:20:02.480 Taking 10,000 from the people of Naphtali. 00:20:03.000 --> 00:20:05.440 And the people of Zebulun. 00:20:06.160 --> 00:20:07.420 And I will draw out Sisera. 00:20:07.600 --> 00:20:09.360 The general of Jabin's army. 00:20:09.480 --> 00:20:11.580 To meet you by the river Kishon. 00:20:12.259 --> 00:20:13.660 His chariots and his troops. 00:20:13.660 --> 00:20:16.620 And I will give him into your hand. 00:20:17.400 --> 00:20:18.779 Now look back with me at verse number 4. 00:20:18.880 --> 00:20:20.160 Now Deborah a prophetess. 00:20:20.240 --> 00:20:21.279 The wife of Lapidoth. 00:20:21.460 --> 00:20:23.940 Was judging Israel at that time. 00:20:24.680 --> 00:20:26.560 And this is one of those passages. 00:20:26.560 --> 00:20:29.180 That makes complementarians like us. 00:20:29.259 --> 00:20:30.960 Squirm a little bit when we come to it. 00:20:31.040 --> 00:20:31.200 Right? 00:20:32.160 --> 00:20:34.040 Complementarian meaning we believe. 00:20:34.259 --> 00:20:35.759 That God makes men responsible. 00:20:35.759 --> 00:20:36.900 For leading their home. 00:20:37.100 --> 00:20:38.440 And for leading the church. 00:20:39.480 --> 00:20:40.820 And opponents to this view. 00:20:41.200 --> 00:20:43.320 Typically we refer to them as egalitarians. 00:20:43.319 --> 00:20:44.939 Will often point to Deborah. 00:20:45.179 --> 00:20:46.480 As a proof case. 00:20:46.599 --> 00:20:49.240 As a proof case for their particular perspective. 00:20:49.240 --> 00:20:50.740 Of God's order. 00:20:51.519 --> 00:20:53.119 And I don't want to get too distracted on it. 00:20:53.159 --> 00:20:54.200 But since we're here. 00:20:54.659 --> 00:20:55.819 We might as well deal with it. 00:20:55.859 --> 00:20:56.059 Right? 00:20:57.639 --> 00:20:59.099 Deborah is called a prophetess. 00:20:59.159 --> 00:20:59.759 In verse 4. 00:20:59.839 --> 00:21:00.539 That's significant. 00:21:00.700 --> 00:21:02.399 So we have to start by understanding. 00:21:02.400 --> 00:21:04.620 And defining what a prophet is. 00:21:04.620 --> 00:21:05.720 And how they function. 00:21:06.759 --> 00:21:07.960 A prophet is very simple. 00:21:08.100 --> 00:21:09.259 A prophet in the Old Testament. 00:21:09.259 --> 00:21:10.900 Is a person. 00:21:11.019 --> 00:21:12.940 A spokesperson for God. 00:21:13.460 --> 00:21:15.480 To a particular people. 00:21:16.320 --> 00:21:17.900 And we see this come through. 00:21:18.000 --> 00:21:19.600 This definition come through very clearly. 00:21:19.860 --> 00:21:21.460 With Moses and Aaron. 00:21:21.680 --> 00:21:23.440 This verse is on the screen for you. 00:21:23.519 --> 00:21:24.620 Exodus chapter 7. 00:21:24.740 --> 00:21:25.280 Says this. 00:21:25.279 --> 00:21:26.700 The Lord said to Moses. 00:21:26.700 --> 00:21:27.099 See. 00:21:27.519 --> 00:21:29.399 I have made you like God. 00:21:29.559 --> 00:21:30.059 To Pharaoh. 00:21:30.559 --> 00:21:31.920 And your brother Aaron. 00:21:31.920 --> 00:21:33.019 Shall be your prophet. 00:21:33.839 --> 00:21:34.740 You shall speak. 00:21:34.839 --> 00:21:36.200 All that I command you. 00:21:36.660 --> 00:21:37.680 And your brother Aaron. 00:21:37.799 --> 00:21:38.700 Shall tell Pharaoh. 00:21:39.059 --> 00:21:40.680 To let the people of Israel. 00:21:41.099 --> 00:21:42.240 Go out of his land. 00:21:42.720 --> 00:21:44.059 So what does a prophet then do? 00:21:44.399 --> 00:21:45.819 A prophet takes the message. 00:21:45.920 --> 00:21:47.220 Given to him or her. 00:21:47.420 --> 00:21:48.180 By God. 00:21:48.359 --> 00:21:49.920 And communicates it directly. 00:21:49.920 --> 00:21:50.759 To the people. 00:21:50.960 --> 00:21:52.000 That God has sent them. 00:21:52.059 --> 00:21:53.480 To communicate it to. 00:21:53.480 --> 00:21:56.140 And then we have to acknowledge also. 00:21:56.500 --> 00:21:57.940 That prophets like. 00:21:58.900 --> 00:21:59.339 Elijah. 00:21:59.740 --> 00:22:00.440 And Samuel. 00:22:00.700 --> 00:22:01.279 And Isaiah. 00:22:01.500 --> 00:22:01.980 And though they. 00:22:02.620 --> 00:22:03.940 Functioned indefinitely. 00:22:04.259 --> 00:22:04.720 In Israel. 00:22:05.579 --> 00:22:07.160 Many of the biblical prophets. 00:22:07.500 --> 00:22:09.200 Did not have that kind of function. 00:22:10.200 --> 00:22:11.079 It's not that. 00:22:11.259 --> 00:22:12.620 Like once you choose your career. 00:22:12.960 --> 00:22:14.299 And you just get in deep enough. 00:22:14.380 --> 00:22:15.519 Where now this is you're stuck. 00:22:15.640 --> 00:22:17.039 And this is just what you have to do. 00:22:17.319 --> 00:22:18.180 That's not always. 00:22:18.279 --> 00:22:18.900 In fact mostly. 00:22:19.039 --> 00:22:20.460 That's probably not how it happened. 00:22:20.460 --> 00:22:21.960 With the Old Testament Israelites. 00:22:22.720 --> 00:22:23.380 Many times. 00:22:23.380 --> 00:22:25.020 We see God using a prophet. 00:22:25.080 --> 00:22:25.780 Or a prophetess. 00:22:25.900 --> 00:22:27.600 In a particular moment. 00:22:27.780 --> 00:22:29.760 To communicate a particular message. 00:22:29.760 --> 00:22:32.200 In that historical moment. 00:22:33.340 --> 00:22:33.780 Deborah. 00:22:34.320 --> 00:22:35.880 Is one of four women. 00:22:36.120 --> 00:22:37.080 In the Old Testament. 00:22:37.160 --> 00:22:38.720 And there's several in the New Testament as well. 00:22:38.940 --> 00:22:40.160 But Deborah's one of four. 00:22:40.240 --> 00:22:40.980 In the Old Testament. 00:22:41.400 --> 00:22:43.340 Who are referred to as a prophetess. 00:22:43.580 --> 00:22:44.740 In a positive way. 00:22:45.060 --> 00:22:45.900 Let me just give you the others. 00:22:45.980 --> 00:22:46.460 And a reference. 00:22:46.660 --> 00:22:48.020 And you can look this up if you'd like. 00:22:48.440 --> 00:22:49.860 First we see Miriam. 00:22:50.180 --> 00:22:52.240 That's the sister of Moses and Aaron. 00:22:52.240 --> 00:22:55.000 We find this in Exodus chapter 15. 00:22:55.579 --> 00:22:56.839 She's called a prophetess. 00:22:57.319 --> 00:23:00.279 And she prophesied through a song. 00:23:01.200 --> 00:23:03.500 So she leads the women with their tambourines. 00:23:03.559 --> 00:23:04.319 And they sing a song. 00:23:04.579 --> 00:23:05.519 She's called a prophetess. 00:23:05.559 --> 00:23:06.859 Because the message of God. 00:23:07.099 --> 00:23:07.859 To the people. 00:23:08.019 --> 00:23:08.759 And through the people. 00:23:08.839 --> 00:23:09.519 And through Miriam. 00:23:09.640 --> 00:23:11.460 Was through this song. 00:23:12.620 --> 00:23:14.220 She wasn't a prophetess. 00:23:14.220 --> 00:23:15.400 Just speaking things all the time. 00:23:15.460 --> 00:23:16.599 It was that particular moment. 00:23:16.680 --> 00:23:16.819 Right? 00:23:16.819 --> 00:23:19.519 Then there's this woman named Huldah. 00:23:19.899 --> 00:23:21.779 In 2 Kings 24. 00:23:22.379 --> 00:23:23.359 Or 2 Kings 22. 00:23:23.500 --> 00:23:23.939 Excuse me. 00:23:25.039 --> 00:23:26.779 She only appears one time. 00:23:26.879 --> 00:23:29.919 And she prophesies a message of judgment from God. 00:23:30.159 --> 00:23:31.500 To Judah. 00:23:32.159 --> 00:23:34.439 And a message of blessing from God. 00:23:34.659 --> 00:23:36.519 To King Josiah. 00:23:36.859 --> 00:23:38.200 Because he had repented. 00:23:38.859 --> 00:23:40.399 And God sent a message through Huldah. 00:23:40.899 --> 00:23:44.019 The third one is Isaiah's wife. 00:23:44.019 --> 00:23:46.799 And we find this in Isaiah chapter 8. 00:23:47.079 --> 00:23:48.220 Now this one's really interesting. 00:23:48.619 --> 00:23:50.480 She's called a prophetess. 00:23:50.619 --> 00:23:53.879 But she prophesied through the naming of her son. 00:23:54.779 --> 00:23:55.500 So she's pregnant. 00:23:55.660 --> 00:23:56.319 And God says. 00:23:56.680 --> 00:23:58.480 I want you to name your son. 00:23:58.740 --> 00:23:59.460 This name. 00:23:59.519 --> 00:24:00.420 And it's a really long one. 00:24:00.460 --> 00:24:01.200 And a really weird one. 00:24:01.240 --> 00:24:03.359 But I want you to name your son this song. 00:24:03.500 --> 00:24:04.859 Because that was a message. 00:24:04.859 --> 00:24:07.059 To the nation of Israel. 00:24:07.139 --> 00:24:08.220 The northern tribes. 00:24:08.500 --> 00:24:11.200 Of how God was going to judge them. 00:24:11.259 --> 00:24:11.920 And punish them. 00:24:12.000 --> 00:24:13.980 And she is called a prophetess. 00:24:14.279 --> 00:24:15.759 For naming her son. 00:24:16.019 --> 00:24:17.660 What God instructs her to name. 00:24:17.720 --> 00:24:18.259 So we see. 00:24:18.400 --> 00:24:19.099 That when we. 00:24:19.240 --> 00:24:20.139 We see prophecy. 00:24:20.299 --> 00:24:21.539 That's not the same thing as pastor. 00:24:21.700 --> 00:24:22.700 Absolutely it's not. 00:24:22.819 --> 00:24:24.660 But it's interesting the way that it functions. 00:24:24.839 --> 00:24:26.639 And there's different ways that it functions. 00:24:26.879 --> 00:24:27.839 Now let's get back to Deborah. 00:24:29.139 --> 00:24:31.259 Given the context of Judges 4. 00:24:32.619 --> 00:24:34.279 Deborah's prophetic function. 00:24:34.660 --> 00:24:37.220 Was limited to this historical moment. 00:24:38.420 --> 00:24:40.579 20 years of oppression under Sisera. 00:24:40.579 --> 00:24:41.179 Deborah. 00:24:41.179 --> 00:24:44.419 The people are now crying out to God. 00:24:44.919 --> 00:24:46.480 Please help us. 00:24:47.259 --> 00:24:50.159 And God decides he's going to speak through this woman. 00:24:50.379 --> 00:24:51.559 Named Deborah. 00:24:52.099 --> 00:24:54.740 To answer their cries. 00:24:55.279 --> 00:25:00.159 We aren't to assume that Deborah was functioning indefinitely in this role. 00:25:00.160 --> 00:25:01.900 But the leaders of Israel. 00:25:01.900 --> 00:25:04.040 Were going up to her. 00:25:04.400 --> 00:25:06.560 To receive the judgment. 00:25:06.820 --> 00:25:08.200 Not just judgment in general. 00:25:08.560 --> 00:25:09.680 But the judgment. 00:25:10.000 --> 00:25:11.900 On this particular cry. 00:25:11.900 --> 00:25:13.360 To God. 00:25:13.640 --> 00:25:15.680 To see what his answer would be. 00:25:15.940 --> 00:25:16.460 Now remember. 00:25:17.400 --> 00:25:19.860 Deborah is not the judge in this story. 00:25:20.300 --> 00:25:21.580 She's not the deliverer. 00:25:23.080 --> 00:25:24.779 Barak is the judge. 00:25:24.779 --> 00:25:35.299 Deborah was the means by which God identified Barak as his instrument of salvation. 00:25:36.180 --> 00:25:38.740 Which introduces an interesting question here, doesn't it? 00:25:39.000 --> 00:25:41.539 Why wouldn't God have just spoken through the priest? 00:25:42.539 --> 00:25:45.039 Why wouldn't he have just spoken through the high priest? 00:25:45.879 --> 00:25:47.940 Well, there's an answer for us in the text. 00:25:48.440 --> 00:25:51.700 It's where Deborah is situating herself. 00:25:51.700 --> 00:26:04.819 One of the themes of this story has to do with God using faithful women to fill in the gap left by weak and sinful men. 00:26:05.980 --> 00:26:14.900 That Deborah spoke near but separate from the tabernacle in Shiloh sets her against the Levitical priest. 00:26:15.480 --> 00:26:19.080 Because all the Levitical priests had started to pursue Baal. 00:26:19.079 --> 00:26:22.159 They weren't acting on God's behalf. 00:26:22.779 --> 00:26:26.879 So God raises up this faithful woman in the absence of faithful men. 00:26:27.099 --> 00:26:31.179 And he speaks through her this message to the nation of Israel. 00:26:31.399 --> 00:26:39.579 He uses her to raise up his judge and his savior and his deliverer that will fight and deliver the people. 00:26:40.819 --> 00:26:42.039 And here's the thing. 00:26:42.639 --> 00:26:47.919 God can and does speak through whomever he chooses. 00:26:47.920 --> 00:26:48.400 Whoever. 00:26:49.400 --> 00:26:49.800 Whoever. 00:26:51.740 --> 00:26:58.980 His use of Deborah does not negate the apostolic command for male headship in the home and the church. 00:26:58.980 --> 00:27:05.460 And to insist that it does is a serious biblical misinterpretation and misuse of the Bible. 00:27:05.460 --> 00:27:21.920 But Deborah does teach us that God's parameters for use in his purposes even within the church are often less rigid than what our parameters are for women's use in the church. 00:27:21.920 --> 00:27:24.580 And we need to take a lesson from this. 00:27:24.980 --> 00:27:38.019 We need to be careful not to stifle the work of God through faithful women that he does through them by taking the apostolic commands of the New Testament further than what they were ever intended to go. 00:27:38.019 --> 00:27:45.079 So, I'll leave it there. 00:27:46.279 --> 00:27:48.759 Back to your regular scheduled programming here. 00:27:48.759 --> 00:27:56.240 God uses Deborah to speak his will to the people of Israel. 00:27:56.920 --> 00:28:06.839 And she identifies Barak, the son of Abinoam, from Kedesh-Naptali, as the man God has raised up to deliver the people. 00:28:06.839 --> 00:28:12.439 God called and instructed Barak and his instruction is clear. 00:28:12.579 --> 00:28:21.099 He's to gather 10,000 men from Naphtali and Zebulun and on Mount Tabor, which was near Sisera's headquarters. 00:28:22.319 --> 00:28:28.119 And once he was there, God was going to draw out Sisera's army and give him into Barak's hand. 00:28:28.579 --> 00:28:30.799 It's a guaranteed victory from God. 00:28:31.659 --> 00:28:35.220 All Barak needs to do is obey the Lord's command. 00:28:35.220 --> 00:28:36.900 That's all he has to do. 00:28:37.740 --> 00:28:38.759 Guaranteed victory. 00:28:39.799 --> 00:28:42.559 So, we have Barak called. 00:28:43.160 --> 00:28:46.120 Number two, Barak wavered. 00:28:47.140 --> 00:28:48.220 He wavered. 00:28:49.440 --> 00:28:50.240 Verse eight. 00:28:52.660 --> 00:28:53.720 Barak said to her, 00:28:54.720 --> 00:28:56.660 If you will go with me, I will go. 00:28:57.460 --> 00:29:01.380 But if you will not go with me, I will not go. 00:29:02.579 --> 00:29:04.680 And she said, I will surely go with you. 00:29:04.680 --> 00:29:09.420 Nevertheless, the road on which you are going will not lead to your glory. 00:29:10.440 --> 00:29:13.220 For the Lord will sell Sisera into the hand of a woman. 00:29:14.440 --> 00:29:17.720 And Deborah arose and went with Barak to Kedesh. 00:29:18.799 --> 00:29:21.580 Now, let's put ourselves in Barak's sandals for a moment. 00:29:21.579 --> 00:29:25.199 The instructions from God are clear. 00:29:26.000 --> 00:29:30.019 But the Lord has not explained how the victory will actually take place. 00:29:30.279 --> 00:29:31.099 Do you notice that? 00:29:32.059 --> 00:29:35.039 God says, I want you to get 10,000 men and go to Mount Tabor. 00:29:35.199 --> 00:29:37.480 And then I'm going to bring this fierce enemy to you. 00:29:38.159 --> 00:29:39.720 And I'm going to deliver him into your hand. 00:29:39.839 --> 00:29:41.740 But it doesn't say how he's going to do that. 00:29:41.740 --> 00:29:47.980 You ever have a sense that God is calling you to something or he's leading your life in a particular way. 00:29:48.099 --> 00:29:55.099 And you have the spirit and the affirmation of Christians around you and of pastoral leadership in your life. 00:29:55.099 --> 00:29:57.500 But it's still pretty scary because you don't know how it's going to work out. 00:29:57.700 --> 00:30:00.039 And you don't know exactly how God's going to do this thing. 00:30:01.000 --> 00:30:03.599 This happens every time a Christian decides to get married. 00:30:03.720 --> 00:30:06.879 And when they find out that they're pregnant with their first child and other things. 00:30:06.940 --> 00:30:08.420 You're choosing careers and all this stuff. 00:30:08.480 --> 00:30:10.940 And you've got a sense of this is what God's doing in my life. 00:30:10.980 --> 00:30:12.639 But how in the world is this going to work? 00:30:13.980 --> 00:30:15.339 It's nerve-wracking, isn't it? 00:30:16.139 --> 00:30:19.200 Now, can you imagine God tells you, I want you to take 10,000 men. 00:30:19.240 --> 00:30:23.799 And I want you to go fight this massive army that's way stronger and way better than you. 00:30:24.579 --> 00:30:26.319 And just trust me, it's going to work out. 00:30:27.339 --> 00:30:28.639 Well, that would be hard to do, wouldn't it? 00:30:30.039 --> 00:30:34.839 Israel's army would begin on the protected highland of Mount Tabor. 00:30:34.960 --> 00:30:42.119 But eventually, they were going to have to go down into the plain where Sisera's army would meet them with these 900 chariots of iron. 00:30:43.039 --> 00:30:48.980 And as far as military strategy goes, Barak is smart enough to know this is not a good situation for him. 00:30:50.359 --> 00:30:53.539 And he couldn't foresee how God was actually going to make them victorious. 00:30:53.539 --> 00:31:00.700 As is typical in the scriptures, what we find here is that God doesn't provide explanations. 00:31:01.899 --> 00:31:03.960 He gives promises. 00:31:05.539 --> 00:31:12.180 And success was only going to come for Barak if he trusted the Lord and obeyed his command. 00:31:12.180 --> 00:31:16.080 This is an important lesson. 00:31:16.200 --> 00:31:17.779 We don't need to quickly dismiss this. 00:31:19.779 --> 00:31:22.660 We often want God to explain all the details of our lives. 00:31:22.740 --> 00:31:24.900 We want him to give us all the plans and lay it out for us. 00:31:24.920 --> 00:31:26.100 But he just doesn't do that. 00:31:26.500 --> 00:31:27.600 He never does that. 00:31:27.599 --> 00:31:32.219 Instead, he gives promises. 00:31:33.259 --> 00:31:40.139 Promises based on his holiness, based on his perfect character, based on his perfect faithfulness in history. 00:31:40.139 --> 00:31:44.740 And what he calls us to do is just trust the promise. 00:31:45.279 --> 00:31:48.799 Trust the promise and obey the word. 00:31:48.799 --> 00:32:03.740 And spiritual flourishing in your life and in my life, just like in Barak's life, will only come when you stop asking God for explanations and you just start resting on his promises. 00:32:05.319 --> 00:32:07.559 That's when spiritual flourishing happens. 00:32:08.099 --> 00:32:10.539 That's when God does the big things in our lives. 00:32:10.539 --> 00:32:20.139 Not when we get on our knees and we keep demanding that he provide answers, but when we finally just trust what he said and obey what he's instructed. 00:32:21.599 --> 00:32:26.659 Now, Barak's response here, it sounds very much like Moses in the verse I quoted earlier, doesn't it? 00:32:27.159 --> 00:32:28.980 There's one giant difference. 00:32:30.579 --> 00:32:31.920 Moses tells God in prayer. 00:32:32.039 --> 00:32:35.420 He says, God, if you're not going, I'm not going. 00:32:35.980 --> 00:32:40.119 He bases his movement based on what God has said. 00:32:40.539 --> 00:32:42.859 And what God has commanded and what God has promised. 00:32:43.659 --> 00:32:44.639 Barak is very different. 00:32:45.379 --> 00:32:49.659 Barak, on the other hand, does not base his response on what God has said. 00:32:50.339 --> 00:32:55.139 He wouldn't move forward unless Deborah was with him. 00:32:56.220 --> 00:32:57.359 This is a problem. 00:32:59.180 --> 00:33:01.759 His answer is neither yes or no. 00:33:03.659 --> 00:33:09.319 Revealing a significant weakness in his faith and in his leadership. 00:33:10.539 --> 00:33:18.019 He essentially tries to take the burden of obedience off of himself and put it on Deborah instead. 00:33:18.299 --> 00:33:19.200 That's what he's doing here. 00:33:20.220 --> 00:33:21.779 Man, we know what this is like. 00:33:23.859 --> 00:33:29.079 Barak is the husband who, when facing a crucial moment of decision and leading his family, 00:33:29.619 --> 00:33:32.720 puts the final burden of obedience on his wife. 00:33:32.720 --> 00:33:39.279 God makes clear what his desires are for us. 00:33:39.339 --> 00:33:40.900 We see it clearly in the word. 00:33:41.960 --> 00:33:47.299 And he's laid the responsibility of leading our homes, the responsibility of leading our church, 00:33:47.620 --> 00:33:49.160 on our shoulders, men. 00:33:49.779 --> 00:33:50.700 On our shoulders. 00:33:50.700 --> 00:33:54.799 And then that crucial moment comes. 00:33:54.920 --> 00:34:00.319 And after weighing all the evidence and even including the wise counsel of our wives and of other women in our church, 00:34:00.380 --> 00:34:03.640 even after doing all of that, we'll stop and we'll look at our wife and we'll say, 00:34:03.900 --> 00:34:06.160 if you don't want to do it, we won't do it. 00:34:06.160 --> 00:34:12.840 Or we'll say something of, we looked at all this stuff, just tell me what you want to do. 00:34:14.240 --> 00:34:16.960 And we're doing exactly what Barak did here. 00:34:18.139 --> 00:34:23.099 We're showing cowardice, weakness, a failure to lead. 00:34:24.340 --> 00:34:29.240 And we're taking the responsibility that God has given to us, we're taking the burden of that, 00:34:29.380 --> 00:34:33.800 and we're trying to force it off of our shoulders, and we're trying to force it onto our wives instead. 00:34:33.800 --> 00:34:45.120 I'm not talking about wisely gaining counsel from your wives and the process of decision making. 00:34:45.220 --> 00:34:47.700 You'd be a fool not to do that. 00:34:50.720 --> 00:35:00.660 I'm talking about our tendency through a lack of faith and strong leadership to skirt our responsibility to lead. 00:35:00.659 --> 00:35:08.579 Christians want to often criticize women who seem to take control of their homes or their churches. 00:35:08.699 --> 00:35:13.759 But I'm convinced that more often than not, it's not a domineering woman that's the problem. 00:35:14.000 --> 00:35:16.659 It's often a cowardly, passive man. 00:35:19.159 --> 00:35:20.839 And fortunately for us, 00:35:20.840 --> 00:35:27.680 God isn't afraid to raise up faithful wives and mothers to stand in the gap 00:35:27.680 --> 00:35:32.380 when their husbands fail to fulfill their God-given responsibility. 00:35:33.660 --> 00:35:36.220 How many times did you go to a church service growing up 00:35:36.220 --> 00:35:38.700 and you look over and you see that woman who's there, faithful, 00:35:39.160 --> 00:35:42.340 every Sunday, Sunday after Sunday after Sunday 00:35:42.340 --> 00:35:44.920 with kids in tow and her husband's nowhere to be found. 00:35:45.000 --> 00:35:45.620 What's she doing? 00:35:45.619 --> 00:35:47.359 She's standing in the gap. 00:35:50.359 --> 00:35:53.819 She's leading not because she wants to usurp the authority of her husband, 00:35:53.920 --> 00:35:55.480 but because her husband fails to lead. 00:35:56.980 --> 00:35:58.500 Isn't that what Barak's doing here? 00:36:00.219 --> 00:36:02.319 God says, here's what I want you to do. 00:36:03.259 --> 00:36:04.119 Here's the promise. 00:36:04.239 --> 00:36:05.059 I'm going to give you victory. 00:36:05.199 --> 00:36:06.319 And he looks at Deborah and he says, 00:36:06.380 --> 00:36:07.480 well, you tell me what you want to do. 00:36:07.539 --> 00:36:08.779 Whatever you say, that's what I'm going to do. 00:36:09.739 --> 00:36:10.059 No. 00:36:10.059 --> 00:36:15.079 And Deborah's response to Barak's hesitation is not positive. 00:36:17.039 --> 00:36:20.900 She isn't flattered and Barak isn't praised. 00:36:21.440 --> 00:36:22.779 It's quite the opposite, actually. 00:36:24.159 --> 00:36:27.799 She agreed to go with his army and affirm that God would give them the victory, 00:36:27.940 --> 00:36:33.179 but she said there would be a significant loss of honor for Barak. 00:36:34.779 --> 00:36:39.299 In our day of radical feminism, Barak would be esteemed for his actions here. 00:36:39.300 --> 00:36:45.260 But Deborah believed a man should lead like a man has been created to lead. 00:36:46.600 --> 00:36:50.140 And the fact that the honor would go to a woman was a statement of judgment, 00:36:50.760 --> 00:36:54.140 judgment from God on Barak's failure. 00:36:54.300 --> 00:36:55.100 It's not praise. 00:36:56.480 --> 00:36:57.400 So we see Barak called. 00:36:57.500 --> 00:36:58.380 We see Barak wavered. 00:36:58.420 --> 00:37:00.440 But now thirdly, then we get to a positive part here. 00:37:00.980 --> 00:37:02.600 We see Barak obeyed. 00:37:03.440 --> 00:37:04.300 He obeyed. 00:37:04.940 --> 00:37:05.519 Verse 10. 00:37:05.519 --> 00:37:10.940 And Barak called out Zebulun and Naphtali to Kedesh. 00:37:11.880 --> 00:37:13.800 10,000 men went up at his heels. 00:37:14.539 --> 00:37:16.719 And Deborah went up with him. 00:37:17.980 --> 00:37:19.159 Now men be encouraged. 00:37:19.340 --> 00:37:21.400 In the end, Barak did what he was called to do. 00:37:22.099 --> 00:37:24.019 And God blessed him for it. 00:37:24.019 --> 00:37:31.780 Reminding us that no faith and weak faith are very different things. 00:37:32.980 --> 00:37:34.820 It's not that Barak has no faith. 00:37:34.880 --> 00:37:36.059 He has great faith. 00:37:36.940 --> 00:37:38.199 But he does falter. 00:37:38.880 --> 00:37:39.800 And he does have a weak faith. 00:37:39.980 --> 00:37:41.199 That's not the same thing. 00:37:41.420 --> 00:37:44.860 Though a weak faith robs us of a measure of blessing and honor, 00:37:44.960 --> 00:37:46.539 as we see happen with Barak here, 00:37:46.539 --> 00:37:49.860 a weak faith is not ultimately disqualifying. 00:37:51.579 --> 00:37:56.980 In fact, Barak's faith and leadership grow in God's grace as this story progresses. 00:37:57.420 --> 00:37:59.860 And later passages that refer back to this, 00:38:00.159 --> 00:38:01.199 they don't mention Deborah. 00:38:01.519 --> 00:38:02.860 They don't mention Jael. 00:38:03.219 --> 00:38:04.920 They mention Barak. 00:38:06.199 --> 00:38:08.440 1 Samuel 12, Hebrews 11, 00:38:08.679 --> 00:38:11.739 emphasize that Barak was God's chosen man 00:38:11.739 --> 00:38:14.279 who acted with great faith in God's promise. 00:38:14.759 --> 00:38:15.480 This is important. 00:38:16.480 --> 00:38:18.340 Barry Webb explains it this way. 00:38:18.760 --> 00:38:21.139 He may have forfeited the lesser honor 00:38:21.139 --> 00:38:23.260 of being the one to kill Sisera, 00:38:23.400 --> 00:38:24.280 spoiler alert there, 00:38:24.820 --> 00:38:27.099 but not the far greater honor 00:38:27.099 --> 00:38:30.079 of being God's agent to rescue his people. 00:38:31.219 --> 00:38:32.440 Barak's faith was cautious, 00:38:32.860 --> 00:38:33.900 qualified at first, 00:38:33.900 --> 00:38:37.360 but when the command to go came a second time, 00:38:38.280 --> 00:38:39.519 he did not hesitate. 00:38:40.099 --> 00:38:41.659 This is important for us to recognize. 00:38:42.480 --> 00:38:43.079 Loved ones, 00:38:43.079 --> 00:38:46.079 failure in one moment 00:38:46.079 --> 00:38:48.960 does not mean failure 00:38:48.960 --> 00:38:50.659 in every moment. 00:38:52.460 --> 00:38:53.699 Isn't that encouraging? 00:38:55.319 --> 00:38:57.079 Here, Barak has this massive failure, 00:38:57.259 --> 00:38:59.099 this massive show of weakness, 00:38:59.239 --> 00:38:59.799 and yet, 00:39:00.360 --> 00:39:02.099 God redeems it. 00:39:02.099 --> 00:39:04.319 And he shows great faith, 00:39:04.400 --> 00:39:05.519 and the Lord blesses him, 00:39:05.559 --> 00:39:08.219 and the Lord uses him. 00:39:09.519 --> 00:39:13.559 His hesitation was met by a gracious lesson from God, 00:39:13.960 --> 00:39:15.980 one that he clearly heard and received. 00:39:16.960 --> 00:39:19.920 And if you're discouraged by failures of your past, 00:39:20.139 --> 00:39:23.759 you need to take courage in God's grace to this man 00:39:23.760 --> 00:39:26.080 and move forward, 00:39:26.700 --> 00:39:28.700 prepared to trust God's promises 00:39:28.700 --> 00:39:31.280 and obey his commands. 00:39:31.820 --> 00:39:33.100 That's what Barak does, 00:39:33.340 --> 00:39:34.740 and the Lord uses him tremendously. 00:39:35.540 --> 00:39:36.900 Okay, are you with me still? 00:39:37.340 --> 00:39:39.540 We're almost there, a promise, right? 00:39:39.900 --> 00:39:41.040 We've seen a ruthless enemy. 00:39:41.880 --> 00:39:43.760 We've seen God's chosen deliverer. 00:39:44.220 --> 00:39:44.740 Number three, 00:39:45.620 --> 00:39:47.140 a decisive victory. 00:39:48.140 --> 00:39:49.240 A decisive victory. 00:39:49.560 --> 00:39:50.340 Look at verse 12. 00:39:50.340 --> 00:39:52.300 When Sisera was told that Barak, 00:39:52.380 --> 00:39:53.620 the son of Abinoam, 00:39:54.059 --> 00:39:55.460 had gone up to Mount Tabor, 00:39:56.300 --> 00:39:58.280 Sisera called out all his chariots, 00:39:58.880 --> 00:40:00.559 900 chariots of iron. 00:40:00.640 --> 00:40:01.480 He brings them all, 00:40:01.579 --> 00:40:03.360 and all the men who were with him 00:40:03.360 --> 00:40:05.300 from Harasheth Hagoyim 00:40:05.300 --> 00:40:06.760 to the river Kishon. 00:40:07.980 --> 00:40:09.140 And Deborah said to Barak, 00:40:09.280 --> 00:40:09.579 Up, 00:40:10.280 --> 00:40:11.579 for this is the day 00:40:11.579 --> 00:40:14.420 in which the Lord has given Sisera into your hand. 00:40:14.760 --> 00:40:17.180 Does not the Lord go out before you? 00:40:17.179 --> 00:40:20.399 So Barak went down from Mount Tabor 00:40:20.399 --> 00:40:22.339 with 10,000 men following him. 00:40:22.539 --> 00:40:23.739 He's leading in the front, 00:40:24.480 --> 00:40:26.440 and the Lord routed Sisera 00:40:26.440 --> 00:40:27.759 and all his chariots 00:40:27.759 --> 00:40:28.719 and all his army 00:40:28.719 --> 00:40:29.960 before Barak 00:40:29.960 --> 00:40:31.659 by the edge of the sword. 00:40:32.659 --> 00:40:34.199 Sisera got down from his chariot 00:40:34.199 --> 00:40:35.279 and fled away on foot. 00:40:35.379 --> 00:40:37.159 Now look who the coward is in the story. 00:40:37.399 --> 00:40:39.139 And Barak pursued the chariots 00:40:39.139 --> 00:40:42.399 and the army to Harasheth Hagoyim, 00:40:42.859 --> 00:40:44.339 and all the army of Sisera 00:40:44.339 --> 00:40:45.779 fell by the edge of the sword. 00:40:45.780 --> 00:40:48.840 Not a man was left. 00:40:50.260 --> 00:40:51.500 So what do we find? 00:40:52.519 --> 00:40:53.480 God fulfilled 00:40:53.480 --> 00:40:56.280 every promise he made to Barak. 00:40:57.720 --> 00:41:00.600 Every promise he fulfilled it. 00:41:01.519 --> 00:41:03.540 Once the army gathered on Mount Tabor, 00:41:03.680 --> 00:41:04.740 God directed Sisera 00:41:04.740 --> 00:41:07.040 to go out and to meet them. 00:41:07.600 --> 00:41:09.100 And he doesn't just send Sisera. 00:41:09.660 --> 00:41:11.080 He directs Sisera's heart 00:41:11.080 --> 00:41:13.320 so that he takes every one of his soldiers. 00:41:13.320 --> 00:41:16.840 He takes all 900 of his chariots. 00:41:16.960 --> 00:41:18.620 God is preparing Barak 00:41:18.620 --> 00:41:20.300 not for a simple victory. 00:41:20.660 --> 00:41:21.860 He is preparing Barak 00:41:21.860 --> 00:41:23.500 for a decisive victory. 00:41:23.920 --> 00:41:25.780 Not a single chariot's gonna be left 00:41:25.780 --> 00:41:26.760 at the end of this thing. 00:41:27.039 --> 00:41:28.880 Not a single soldier's gonna be left 00:41:28.880 --> 00:41:29.900 at the end of this story. 00:41:30.280 --> 00:41:32.980 God is working not salvation only. 00:41:33.140 --> 00:41:35.180 He's working total salvation, 00:41:35.680 --> 00:41:38.140 complete deliverance for his people. 00:41:38.139 --> 00:41:41.099 And once Sisera's gathered his army, 00:41:41.519 --> 00:41:42.579 the word of the Lord 00:41:42.579 --> 00:41:44.559 comes through Deborah again. 00:41:45.099 --> 00:41:47.319 Does not the Lord go out before you? 00:41:47.599 --> 00:41:49.059 And without hesitation, 00:41:49.719 --> 00:41:51.259 Barak and his men descend 00:41:51.259 --> 00:41:52.279 into the plain, 00:41:52.719 --> 00:41:54.179 trusting that God would do 00:41:54.179 --> 00:41:55.599 as he promised. 00:41:57.259 --> 00:41:59.099 But these verses don't tell us 00:41:59.099 --> 00:41:59.980 how God did it. 00:42:01.239 --> 00:42:02.159 Chapter five does. 00:42:03.019 --> 00:42:03.639 Look with me. 00:42:04.000 --> 00:42:05.659 Chapter five, verses four and five. 00:42:05.659 --> 00:42:09.099 Lord, when you went out from Seir, 00:42:09.519 --> 00:42:12.379 when you marched from the regions of Edom, 00:42:13.059 --> 00:42:14.299 the earth trembled. 00:42:15.059 --> 00:42:16.099 The heavens dropped. 00:42:16.219 --> 00:42:18.539 Yes, the heavens dropped water. 00:42:19.739 --> 00:42:21.879 The mountains quaked before the Lord. 00:42:21.980 --> 00:42:24.339 Even Sinai before the Lord, 00:42:24.460 --> 00:42:26.339 the God of Israel. 00:42:26.599 --> 00:42:29.460 Look now down at verse 19 of chapter five. 00:42:29.719 --> 00:42:30.639 The kings came. 00:42:30.779 --> 00:42:31.259 They fought. 00:42:31.339 --> 00:42:32.699 They fought the kings of Canaan 00:42:32.699 --> 00:42:35.960 at Ta'anak by the waters of Megiddo. 00:42:36.739 --> 00:42:38.439 They got no spoils of silver. 00:42:38.859 --> 00:42:40.919 From heaven, the stars fought. 00:42:41.199 --> 00:42:42.159 From their courses, 00:42:42.379 --> 00:42:43.719 they fought against Sisera. 00:42:44.139 --> 00:42:45.779 The torrent, Kishon, 00:42:46.000 --> 00:42:47.239 swept them away. 00:42:47.539 --> 00:42:48.639 The ancient torrent, 00:42:48.779 --> 00:42:49.980 the torrent, Kishon, 00:42:50.099 --> 00:42:51.359 march on my soul. 00:42:52.039 --> 00:42:53.759 It's an amazing song, isn't it? 00:42:54.000 --> 00:42:55.539 And it gives us some indication 00:42:55.539 --> 00:42:56.980 of what God actually did here. 00:42:57.219 --> 00:42:58.339 And it's fantastic. 00:42:58.340 --> 00:43:02.320 God harnesses all of creation 00:43:02.320 --> 00:43:04.300 to do his bidding. 00:43:05.240 --> 00:43:06.140 And he does so, 00:43:06.200 --> 00:43:08.100 so that every person on that battlefield, 00:43:08.360 --> 00:43:09.100 every person, 00:43:09.260 --> 00:43:10.600 hearing this story later, 00:43:10.860 --> 00:43:13.700 every person reading Judges chapter four and five 00:43:13.700 --> 00:43:15.240 will know one thing is true, 00:43:15.880 --> 00:43:17.800 that the salvation and the victory 00:43:17.800 --> 00:43:20.019 belongs to God. 00:43:20.600 --> 00:43:23.460 He brought salvation to his people on that day. 00:43:23.500 --> 00:43:24.360 And how did he do it? 00:43:24.360 --> 00:43:27.940 He used rain and storm, earthquake. 00:43:28.480 --> 00:43:31.340 He raises the waters of the river Kishon 00:43:31.340 --> 00:43:34.599 and he drowns out the army. 00:43:35.599 --> 00:43:39.140 He makes their chariots ineffective. 00:43:41.200 --> 00:43:42.519 Now can you imagine this? 00:43:42.900 --> 00:43:44.500 This is why I think this would make such a good movie. 00:43:45.380 --> 00:43:46.240 Can you imagine this? 00:43:47.400 --> 00:43:48.840 Barak is on Mount Tabor. 00:43:49.820 --> 00:43:50.960 Maybe it's a sunny day. 00:43:51.039 --> 00:43:52.300 Who knows what's happening? 00:43:52.300 --> 00:43:55.160 All he knows is God has said I'm supposed to go 00:43:55.160 --> 00:43:56.580 and Deborah just said now's the time. 00:43:56.660 --> 00:43:57.200 I can't wait. 00:43:58.160 --> 00:44:01.180 And he leads his 10,000 men down the mountain. 00:44:01.780 --> 00:44:02.840 And maybe he's praying. 00:44:03.720 --> 00:44:04.760 Lord, I don't know what you're gonna do, 00:44:04.840 --> 00:44:06.019 but I hope you do it quick. 00:44:07.560 --> 00:44:09.560 And as he's going down the Mount Tabor 00:44:09.560 --> 00:44:12.300 into the plain where he sees the vast army of Sisera 00:44:12.300 --> 00:44:14.039 and the 900 chariots of iron, 00:44:14.260 --> 00:44:16.840 now perhaps all of a sudden he sees the clouds 00:44:16.840 --> 00:44:18.420 start to gather behind him 00:44:18.420 --> 00:44:20.160 and then go out before him 00:44:20.159 --> 00:44:22.519 and he sees the rain start to fall in front of him. 00:44:22.599 --> 00:44:24.940 And as the army's coming down from the mountain, 00:44:25.059 --> 00:44:25.639 they look out. 00:44:25.879 --> 00:44:27.859 And now what they see happening in the plain 00:44:27.859 --> 00:44:29.879 is not an army ready for battle. 00:44:29.940 --> 00:44:31.960 They see an army that's completely defeated 00:44:31.960 --> 00:44:33.819 before the battle even begins. 00:44:34.460 --> 00:44:34.879 Why? 00:44:35.019 --> 00:44:38.279 Because our God has gone before us. 00:44:38.519 --> 00:44:40.799 The Lord of hosts is with us. 00:44:41.659 --> 00:44:43.559 Praise the one who leads us home. 00:44:44.299 --> 00:44:47.119 His grace will lead us home. 00:44:47.119 --> 00:44:49.359 Though evil forms against us, 00:44:49.420 --> 00:44:50.579 the song goes on to say, 00:44:51.380 --> 00:44:53.940 All heaven will defend us. 00:44:54.880 --> 00:44:56.699 The gates of hell shall not prevail. 00:44:57.259 --> 00:45:00.339 For the battle is the Lord's. 00:45:02.400 --> 00:45:05.739 What a wonderful, praiseworthy lesson this is. 00:45:06.179 --> 00:45:08.239 God loads us with his promises 00:45:08.239 --> 00:45:11.420 and his commands that we trust and obey. 00:45:11.420 --> 00:45:14.820 And through that faith and obedience, 00:45:15.039 --> 00:45:18.280 he eventually shows us his mighty hand 00:45:18.280 --> 00:45:20.900 at work on our behalf. 00:45:23.280 --> 00:45:24.980 Isn't this what every unbeliever 00:45:24.980 --> 00:45:26.599 ultimately has to come to terms with 00:45:26.599 --> 00:45:28.500 as they're contemplating the person 00:45:28.500 --> 00:45:29.800 and the work of Jesus Christ? 00:45:30.780 --> 00:45:32.039 They don't have a lot of explanations. 00:45:32.220 --> 00:45:33.720 What they have is a promise from God 00:45:33.720 --> 00:45:35.380 that if you will come to Jesus, 00:45:35.539 --> 00:45:37.079 if you will trust in him, 00:45:37.159 --> 00:45:38.740 if you will obey him, 00:45:38.739 --> 00:45:39.919 you will receive life. 00:45:40.919 --> 00:45:41.739 It starts there, 00:45:41.779 --> 00:45:42.739 but it doesn't finish there 00:45:42.739 --> 00:45:44.619 every day of our lives. 00:45:44.939 --> 00:45:46.059 Every moment that our church 00:45:46.059 --> 00:45:47.259 takes another week forward, 00:45:47.459 --> 00:45:49.079 meeting in an elementary school 00:45:49.079 --> 00:45:50.699 and just hoping that more people 00:45:50.699 --> 00:45:51.859 would come and hear the gospel 00:45:51.859 --> 00:45:53.059 and that more people would come. 00:45:53.239 --> 00:45:54.459 We're praying this prayer, 00:45:54.579 --> 00:45:55.919 Lord, I don't know what you're gonna do, 00:45:56.859 --> 00:45:58.039 but I hope you do something. 00:46:00.039 --> 00:46:01.539 We're coming down Mount Tabor 00:46:01.539 --> 00:46:02.819 most days in our lives. 00:46:03.299 --> 00:46:04.979 And we don't know how it's gonna work out. 00:46:04.980 --> 00:46:07.159 But what we can trust is that 00:46:07.159 --> 00:46:08.679 God's gonna work it out. 00:46:09.199 --> 00:46:10.539 He's gonna do his work. 00:46:11.599 --> 00:46:13.980 And the victory is always gonna be decisive. 00:46:14.240 --> 00:46:15.400 Not a man will be left. 00:46:16.639 --> 00:46:17.280 Number four. 00:46:19.440 --> 00:46:20.400 A meek housewife. 00:46:21.500 --> 00:46:22.159 A meek housewife. 00:46:22.240 --> 00:46:23.219 And this is weird, isn't it? 00:46:23.360 --> 00:46:24.480 You don't expect this. 00:46:26.559 --> 00:46:27.780 The battle's over, 00:46:28.260 --> 00:46:29.519 but the story's not. 00:46:30.300 --> 00:46:31.860 We gotta deal with this whole thing 00:46:31.860 --> 00:46:33.059 that Deborah told Barack. 00:46:33.059 --> 00:46:35.019 The glory's gonna go to a woman, 00:46:35.119 --> 00:46:35.539 not to you. 00:46:35.579 --> 00:46:36.179 Because at this point, 00:46:36.239 --> 00:46:37.799 all the glory has belonged to Sisera, 00:46:38.279 --> 00:46:38.519 right? 00:46:38.799 --> 00:46:40.039 As far as human glory is concerned. 00:46:41.940 --> 00:46:43.299 Not a man was left from the army, 00:46:43.440 --> 00:46:44.039 but Sisera, 00:46:44.579 --> 00:46:46.259 the greatest prize of them all, 00:46:46.360 --> 00:46:47.299 had slipped away. 00:46:48.739 --> 00:46:50.400 Somebody's gonna have to go chase him down. 00:46:51.719 --> 00:46:52.960 And now to find out 00:46:52.960 --> 00:46:54.299 how exactly that plays out, 00:46:54.320 --> 00:46:55.360 we have to go back to verse 11. 00:46:55.460 --> 00:46:56.440 Look at verse 11 with me. 00:46:56.440 --> 00:46:58.880 Now Heber, the Kenite, 00:46:59.659 --> 00:47:01.400 had separated from the Kenites. 00:47:01.400 --> 00:47:03.280 The descendants of Hobab, 00:47:03.380 --> 00:47:04.920 the father-in-law of Moses, 00:47:05.099 --> 00:47:06.200 and had pitched his tent 00:47:06.200 --> 00:47:08.480 as far away as the oak of Zananim, 00:47:09.059 --> 00:47:10.660 which is near Kedesh. 00:47:11.480 --> 00:47:13.160 That's a weird insertion, isn't it? 00:47:14.019 --> 00:47:14.300 All right. 00:47:15.340 --> 00:47:16.440 Heber, the Kenite, 00:47:16.539 --> 00:47:17.300 we find out later, 00:47:17.340 --> 00:47:18.740 he has a wife named Jael. 00:47:18.840 --> 00:47:20.720 They belong to the Kenites 00:47:20.720 --> 00:47:25.700 who were at peace with Israel, 00:47:25.900 --> 00:47:28.220 though they were not Israelites themselves. 00:47:28.219 --> 00:47:30.139 And I mentioned before 00:47:30.139 --> 00:47:31.119 that one of the themes 00:47:31.119 --> 00:47:32.539 coursing through this whole story 00:47:32.539 --> 00:47:34.819 is that God uses faithful women 00:47:34.819 --> 00:47:36.179 to stand in the gap 00:47:36.179 --> 00:47:37.799 left by weak and sinful men. 00:47:37.959 --> 00:47:39.480 And we see it featured here again 00:47:39.480 --> 00:47:41.099 with Heber and Jael. 00:47:43.579 --> 00:47:45.239 Again, the Kenites aren't Israelites, 00:47:45.459 --> 00:47:46.779 but they're at peace with the Israelites. 00:47:47.000 --> 00:47:48.799 And the fact that Heber 00:47:48.799 --> 00:47:50.799 has left the Kenite people 00:47:50.799 --> 00:47:53.839 indicates that he's chosen 00:47:53.839 --> 00:47:55.779 to reject Israel and their God, 00:47:55.780 --> 00:47:59.140 and he's now made peace with the enemy. 00:48:00.060 --> 00:48:01.560 He's made peace with Jabin, 00:48:02.100 --> 00:48:03.740 king of Canaan. 00:48:04.560 --> 00:48:05.480 But isn't it interesting 00:48:05.480 --> 00:48:07.260 how God sovereignly directs 00:48:07.260 --> 00:48:09.620 every step, even of the unbeliever, 00:48:10.120 --> 00:48:12.760 and He puts Heber and Jael 00:48:12.760 --> 00:48:13.900 exactly where He wanted them 00:48:13.900 --> 00:48:15.060 for this moment to unfold. 00:48:15.380 --> 00:48:16.400 Now let's think about Jael 00:48:16.400 --> 00:48:17.100 for just a second 00:48:17.100 --> 00:48:17.920 before we get to the end. 00:48:19.600 --> 00:48:21.320 I remember when Julie and I got married 00:48:21.320 --> 00:48:22.820 almost 15 years ago now. 00:48:23.400 --> 00:48:25.280 She had grown up in Raleigh her whole life, 00:48:25.280 --> 00:48:26.600 and that's all she knew. 00:48:26.680 --> 00:48:27.640 That's where her family was. 00:48:27.700 --> 00:48:29.500 That's where her friends were. 00:48:29.700 --> 00:48:31.380 That's her whole life was in Raleigh. 00:48:31.540 --> 00:48:34.620 And I remember moving to Charlotte 00:48:34.620 --> 00:48:36.740 was something she was excited about 00:48:36.740 --> 00:48:37.420 and willing to do, 00:48:37.480 --> 00:48:39.300 but it wasn't an easy transition either 00:48:39.300 --> 00:48:41.140 because she's leaving something 00:48:41.140 --> 00:48:42.380 that she's known her whole life, 00:48:42.519 --> 00:48:43.720 and it's only two hours away, 00:48:43.800 --> 00:48:44.960 but that was still a difficult thing 00:48:44.960 --> 00:48:45.960 for her to have to go through. 00:48:46.640 --> 00:48:47.820 Many of you know what that's like. 00:48:49.100 --> 00:48:51.040 Now, I wonder if there was ever a moment 00:48:51.039 --> 00:48:54.139 where Jael was really complaining pretty hard 00:48:54.139 --> 00:48:55.880 about Heber, 00:48:56.380 --> 00:48:57.279 ripping her from her home 00:48:57.279 --> 00:48:58.519 and her family and her friends, 00:48:59.000 --> 00:49:00.420 taking her all the way up north 00:49:00.420 --> 00:49:02.460 where she may not even see him again, 00:49:02.539 --> 00:49:03.639 and now he's made peace 00:49:03.639 --> 00:49:06.000 with these people that she knows 00:49:06.000 --> 00:49:07.219 to be enemies of God 00:49:07.219 --> 00:49:08.599 and enemies of Israel. 00:49:10.039 --> 00:49:12.019 I wonder if she ever complained about that. 00:49:13.940 --> 00:49:15.159 I wonder how many times 00:49:15.159 --> 00:49:16.800 she laid in her bed 00:49:16.800 --> 00:49:18.280 and asked God, 00:49:18.380 --> 00:49:19.560 why are you doing this to me? 00:49:22.100 --> 00:49:23.360 Why are you doing this to me? 00:49:23.440 --> 00:49:25.140 Why are you turning my life upside down? 00:49:25.360 --> 00:49:26.580 She could have never known 00:49:26.580 --> 00:49:28.460 that God was working 00:49:28.460 --> 00:49:30.440 to use her in a way 00:49:30.440 --> 00:49:31.740 that would eventually 00:49:31.740 --> 00:49:33.240 lead her to be called, 00:49:33.320 --> 00:49:34.080 in chapter five, 00:49:34.620 --> 00:49:37.480 the most blessed of women. 00:49:39.280 --> 00:49:40.680 The lesson for Jael 00:49:40.680 --> 00:49:42.700 is the same as it is for Barak. 00:49:43.380 --> 00:49:45.240 Trust and obey. 00:49:45.239 --> 00:49:46.959 Remember, 00:49:47.179 --> 00:49:48.779 God doesn't deal in explanations. 00:49:48.959 --> 00:49:50.139 He deals in promises. 00:49:51.339 --> 00:49:53.000 That's a word for us to hear today. 00:49:53.959 --> 00:49:54.679 How many nights 00:49:54.679 --> 00:49:55.419 are you laying in bed 00:49:55.419 --> 00:49:55.679 thinking, 00:49:55.819 --> 00:49:55.919 God, 00:49:55.979 --> 00:49:56.939 why have you done this to me? 00:49:59.739 --> 00:50:01.439 Why is my life turned upside down? 00:50:02.399 --> 00:50:03.239 Trust and obey. 00:50:03.839 --> 00:50:04.579 Trust and obey. 00:50:06.039 --> 00:50:07.459 Let's get to what she actually does, 00:50:07.539 --> 00:50:08.699 how God uses her. 00:50:08.779 --> 00:50:10.059 Look with me at verse 17. 00:50:11.019 --> 00:50:12.319 Sisera fled away on foot 00:50:12.319 --> 00:50:13.399 to the tent of Jael, 00:50:13.779 --> 00:50:15.219 the wife of Heber the Kenite. 00:50:16.159 --> 00:50:17.159 For there was peace 00:50:17.159 --> 00:50:18.779 between Jabin the king of Hazor 00:50:18.779 --> 00:50:20.519 and the house of Heber the Kenite. 00:50:21.459 --> 00:50:22.959 Jael came out to meet Sisera 00:50:22.959 --> 00:50:23.679 and said to him, 00:50:24.000 --> 00:50:25.079 Turn aside, my lord. 00:50:25.199 --> 00:50:26.099 Turn aside to me. 00:50:26.179 --> 00:50:27.000 Do not be afraid. 00:50:27.879 --> 00:50:29.339 So he turned aside to her 00:50:29.339 --> 00:50:30.059 into the tent 00:50:30.059 --> 00:50:31.319 and she covered him with a rug. 00:50:32.359 --> 00:50:33.119 And he said to her, 00:50:33.199 --> 00:50:34.299 Please give me a little water 00:50:34.299 --> 00:50:35.479 to drink for I'm thirsty. 00:50:36.419 --> 00:50:38.399 So she opened a skin of milk instead 00:50:38.399 --> 00:50:39.879 and gave him a drink 00:50:39.879 --> 00:50:40.500 and covered him. 00:50:41.379 --> 00:50:42.279 And he said to her, 00:50:42.399 --> 00:50:43.659 Stand at the opening of the tent, 00:50:43.659 --> 00:50:45.119 and if any man comes 00:50:45.119 --> 00:50:45.859 and asks you, 00:50:46.000 --> 00:50:46.719 is anyone here, 00:50:47.039 --> 00:50:47.879 say no. 00:50:49.199 --> 00:50:50.259 But Jael, 00:50:50.359 --> 00:50:51.159 the wife of Heber, 00:50:51.279 --> 00:50:52.339 took a tent peg 00:50:52.339 --> 00:50:53.940 and took a hammer 00:50:53.940 --> 00:50:54.899 in her hand. 00:50:55.579 --> 00:50:56.960 Then she went softly 00:50:56.960 --> 00:50:57.839 to him 00:50:57.839 --> 00:50:59.299 and drove the peg 00:50:59.299 --> 00:51:00.259 into his temple 00:51:00.259 --> 00:51:02.059 until it went down 00:51:02.059 --> 00:51:03.019 into the ground 00:51:03.019 --> 00:51:03.839 while he was lying 00:51:03.839 --> 00:51:04.719 fast asleep 00:51:04.719 --> 00:51:05.440 from weariness. 00:51:06.000 --> 00:51:07.259 So he died. 00:51:07.260 --> 00:51:09.900 And behold, 00:51:11.180 --> 00:51:13.460 as Barak was pursuing Sisera, 00:51:13.940 --> 00:51:14.840 Jael went out 00:51:14.840 --> 00:51:15.500 to meet him 00:51:15.500 --> 00:51:15.860 and said, 00:51:16.020 --> 00:51:16.340 Come, 00:51:16.560 --> 00:51:17.600 and I will show you 00:51:17.600 --> 00:51:19.020 the man whom you are seeking. 00:51:19.680 --> 00:51:21.120 So he went into her tent 00:51:21.120 --> 00:51:23.260 and there lay Sisera dead 00:51:23.920 --> 00:51:25.680 with the tent peg 00:51:25.680 --> 00:51:27.260 in his temple. 00:51:29.640 --> 00:51:30.620 Isn't it amazing 00:51:30.620 --> 00:51:31.940 to see how God works 00:51:31.940 --> 00:51:33.560 all things for his glory 00:51:33.560 --> 00:51:34.800 and for the good 00:51:34.800 --> 00:51:35.440 of his people? 00:51:35.440 --> 00:51:37.200 Here's Heber 00:51:37.200 --> 00:51:38.800 and Jael. 00:51:38.980 --> 00:51:39.619 They seem to have 00:51:39.619 --> 00:51:40.280 nothing at all 00:51:40.280 --> 00:51:40.940 to do with this 00:51:40.940 --> 00:51:41.659 whole scenario. 00:51:42.240 --> 00:51:43.280 God perhaps turns 00:51:43.280 --> 00:51:44.700 their lives upside down 00:51:44.700 --> 00:51:45.619 and moves them up north. 00:51:45.720 --> 00:51:46.500 Now there's a completely 00:51:46.500 --> 00:51:47.039 different life 00:51:47.039 --> 00:51:47.539 that they're living 00:51:47.539 --> 00:51:48.800 and maybe Jael's wondering, 00:51:49.000 --> 00:51:50.119 Why is this even 00:51:50.119 --> 00:51:50.880 happening to me? 00:51:50.960 --> 00:51:51.500 And it's all 00:51:51.500 --> 00:51:52.440 for this moment. 00:51:52.700 --> 00:51:54.000 And what is this moment about? 00:51:55.780 --> 00:51:56.260 Salvation. 00:51:58.599 --> 00:51:59.619 God is working 00:51:59.619 --> 00:52:00.760 to deliver his people. 00:52:03.220 --> 00:52:04.340 God used the peace 00:52:04.340 --> 00:52:05.640 between Heber and Jabin 00:52:05.640 --> 00:52:06.620 to comfort Sisera 00:52:06.620 --> 00:52:08.559 and he used Jael's meekness 00:52:08.559 --> 00:52:09.960 to completely disarm him. 00:52:10.900 --> 00:52:11.820 Then he gave Jael 00:52:11.820 --> 00:52:12.400 the courage 00:52:12.400 --> 00:52:13.200 and sensibility 00:52:13.200 --> 00:52:14.940 to lull Sisera asleep 00:52:14.940 --> 00:52:17.100 and deliver the deadly blow 00:52:17.100 --> 00:52:18.640 to his head. 00:52:20.019 --> 00:52:21.700 And Deborah rejoices in this 00:52:21.700 --> 00:52:22.559 in chapter 5, 00:52:22.640 --> 00:52:23.300 verse 24. 00:52:23.640 --> 00:52:24.960 Most blessed of women 00:52:24.960 --> 00:52:25.860 be Jael, 00:52:26.059 --> 00:52:27.840 the wife of Heber the Kenite, 00:52:27.940 --> 00:52:29.059 of tent dwelling women, 00:52:29.180 --> 00:52:29.900 most blessed. 00:52:30.780 --> 00:52:31.700 He asked for water, 00:52:31.699 --> 00:52:32.779 where she gave him milk. 00:52:33.159 --> 00:52:34.159 She brought him curds 00:52:34.159 --> 00:52:35.159 in a noble's bowl. 00:52:35.799 --> 00:52:36.799 She sent her hand 00:52:36.799 --> 00:52:37.739 to the tent peg, 00:52:37.980 --> 00:52:38.799 her right hand 00:52:38.799 --> 00:52:40.059 to the workman's mallet. 00:52:40.319 --> 00:52:41.419 She struck Sisera. 00:52:41.719 --> 00:52:43.019 She crushed his head. 00:52:43.259 --> 00:52:44.000 She shattered 00:52:44.000 --> 00:52:45.099 and pierced his temple. 00:52:45.519 --> 00:52:46.359 Between her feet 00:52:46.359 --> 00:52:46.859 he sank, 00:52:46.939 --> 00:52:47.460 he fell, 00:52:47.759 --> 00:52:48.619 he lay still. 00:52:48.939 --> 00:52:49.859 Between her feet 00:52:49.859 --> 00:52:50.539 he sank, 00:52:50.779 --> 00:52:51.399 he fell. 00:52:51.719 --> 00:52:52.539 Where he sank, 00:52:52.639 --> 00:52:53.179 there he fell. 00:52:53.239 --> 00:52:53.819 I guess the author 00:52:53.819 --> 00:52:54.319 really needed 00:52:54.319 --> 00:52:55.099 to get that across. 00:52:56.879 --> 00:52:58.259 Dead is the final word. 00:52:59.619 --> 00:53:00.599 Dead he lies. 00:53:00.599 --> 00:53:02.059 Dead is the final word. 00:53:02.059 --> 00:53:03.339 It's an amazing story, 00:53:03.420 --> 00:53:03.739 isn't it? 00:53:04.980 --> 00:53:05.960 We're reminded here 00:53:05.960 --> 00:53:08.019 that God was not only 00:53:08.019 --> 00:53:09.420 defeating Israel's enemy, 00:53:11.059 --> 00:53:12.980 he was teaching Barak 00:53:12.980 --> 00:53:16.799 and us a lesson. 00:53:17.920 --> 00:53:19.039 It's no coincidence 00:53:19.039 --> 00:53:20.980 that Barak was the one 00:53:20.980 --> 00:53:22.000 pursuing Sisera 00:53:22.000 --> 00:53:23.139 when Jael met him 00:53:23.139 --> 00:53:23.980 on the way. 00:53:25.019 --> 00:53:26.819 The honor of killing Sisera 00:53:26.819 --> 00:53:27.940 could have belonged to him, 00:53:27.940 --> 00:53:29.700 but God gave Sisera 00:53:29.700 --> 00:53:31.599 into Jael's hand instead. 00:53:33.099 --> 00:53:33.300 Now, 00:53:34.039 --> 00:53:35.400 Barak wouldn't have walked away 00:53:35.400 --> 00:53:36.400 from that tent discouraged. 00:53:36.519 --> 00:53:37.519 I'm convinced of that. 00:53:39.420 --> 00:53:40.400 He might have felt 00:53:40.400 --> 00:53:41.159 the sting 00:53:41.159 --> 00:53:42.240 of the lesson. 00:53:43.619 --> 00:53:44.740 But I don't think 00:53:44.740 --> 00:53:45.639 Barak walks away 00:53:45.639 --> 00:53:46.300 from that tent 00:53:46.300 --> 00:53:46.880 discouraged. 00:53:47.340 --> 00:53:48.740 I think he walks away 00:53:48.740 --> 00:53:49.519 from that tent 00:53:49.519 --> 00:53:51.260 with a renewed sense 00:53:51.260 --> 00:53:53.280 that what God says, 00:53:53.679 --> 00:53:54.740 God does. 00:53:54.739 --> 00:53:57.039 God has now delivered 00:53:57.039 --> 00:53:58.039 the entire army 00:53:58.039 --> 00:53:58.919 into my hand 00:53:58.919 --> 00:54:00.179 and he did exactly 00:54:00.179 --> 00:54:01.099 as he said he would. 00:54:01.179 --> 00:54:02.259 He's taken the honor 00:54:02.259 --> 00:54:03.139 of killing Sisera 00:54:03.139 --> 00:54:03.919 away from me 00:54:03.919 --> 00:54:04.879 and he's given it 00:54:04.879 --> 00:54:05.619 to Jael. 00:54:07.779 --> 00:54:08.739 I think Barak 00:54:08.739 --> 00:54:09.559 gets the lesson. 00:54:10.559 --> 00:54:12.099 What God says he does, 00:54:12.179 --> 00:54:13.159 an invaluable lesson 00:54:13.159 --> 00:54:13.759 for Israel, 00:54:14.279 --> 00:54:15.279 an invaluable lesson 00:54:15.279 --> 00:54:15.879 for us. 00:54:17.639 --> 00:54:18.579 What he says 00:54:18.579 --> 00:54:19.179 in judgment, 00:54:19.639 --> 00:54:20.159 he does. 00:54:20.159 --> 00:54:22.719 So have ears to hear 00:54:22.719 --> 00:54:24.440 what he does 00:54:24.440 --> 00:54:25.059 in promise, 00:54:25.199 --> 00:54:26.079 says in promise, 00:54:26.599 --> 00:54:27.599 he accomplishes. 00:54:28.480 --> 00:54:30.019 Sometimes in unexpected ways, 00:54:30.099 --> 00:54:30.879 often in ways 00:54:30.879 --> 00:54:32.059 that we would never anticipate, 00:54:32.739 --> 00:54:34.219 but he always does 00:54:34.219 --> 00:54:34.920 what he says. 00:54:36.379 --> 00:54:37.359 Both accounts 00:54:37.359 --> 00:54:38.019 of the story 00:54:38.019 --> 00:54:39.179 conclude by fixing 00:54:39.179 --> 00:54:40.339 our eyes on God 00:54:40.339 --> 00:54:41.339 who delivers 00:54:41.339 --> 00:54:41.899 his people. 00:54:42.960 --> 00:54:43.679 Verse 23 00:54:43.679 --> 00:54:44.779 of chapter 4, 00:54:45.299 --> 00:54:46.219 So on that day, 00:54:46.399 --> 00:54:48.159 God subdued Jabin, 00:54:48.219 --> 00:54:49.119 the king of Canaan, 00:54:49.119 --> 00:54:50.239 before the people 00:54:50.239 --> 00:54:50.699 of Israel. 00:54:51.079 --> 00:54:51.799 Verse 31 00:54:51.799 --> 00:54:52.859 of Judges 5, 00:54:53.559 --> 00:54:55.139 So may all your enemies 00:54:55.139 --> 00:54:56.219 perish, O Lord, 00:54:57.139 --> 00:54:57.859 but your friends 00:54:57.859 --> 00:54:58.779 be like the sun 00:54:58.779 --> 00:54:59.500 as he rises 00:54:59.500 --> 00:55:00.159 in his mind. 00:55:02.920 --> 00:55:04.599 God went before Israel 00:55:04.599 --> 00:55:05.480 on Mount Tabor. 00:55:06.819 --> 00:55:08.880 He went before Barak 00:55:08.880 --> 00:55:09.980 to Jael's tent. 00:55:11.099 --> 00:55:12.259 He's gone before us 00:55:12.259 --> 00:55:12.880 in the person 00:55:12.880 --> 00:55:14.239 and work of Jesus Christ. 00:55:16.099 --> 00:55:16.980 He's the God 00:55:16.980 --> 00:55:17.679 of salvation. 00:55:17.679 --> 00:55:19.799 No enemy 00:55:19.799 --> 00:55:21.059 stands a chance 00:55:21.059 --> 00:55:21.679 against him. 00:55:22.579 --> 00:55:23.919 Even sin and death. 00:55:25.119 --> 00:55:25.819 As Paul says, 00:55:25.899 --> 00:55:26.699 what shall we say 00:55:26.699 --> 00:55:27.519 then to these things? 00:55:27.799 --> 00:55:28.940 If God is for us, 00:55:29.359 --> 00:55:30.739 who can be against us? 00:55:32.079 --> 00:55:33.500 He who did not spare 00:55:33.500 --> 00:55:34.239 his own son, 00:55:35.299 --> 00:55:36.139 but gave him up 00:55:36.139 --> 00:55:36.719 for us all. 00:55:37.399 --> 00:55:38.539 How will he not also 00:55:38.539 --> 00:55:40.279 give us graciously 00:55:40.279 --> 00:55:41.539 all things? 00:55:41.539 --> 00:55:43.800 He's also a God 00:55:43.800 --> 00:55:44.460 of promises, 00:55:44.679 --> 00:55:45.460 not explanations. 00:55:46.340 --> 00:55:47.340 What he says, 00:55:47.619 --> 00:55:48.619 he does. 00:55:49.820 --> 00:55:50.559 Our job, 00:55:51.300 --> 00:55:51.739 trust, 00:55:52.460 --> 00:55:53.259 and obey. 00:55:54.539 --> 00:55:56.000 Through unknown paths, 00:55:56.159 --> 00:55:56.960 through shadows, 00:55:58.059 --> 00:55:58.980 our hearts fear 00:55:58.980 --> 00:55:59.719 not tomorrow. 00:56:00.779 --> 00:56:02.099 For every step, 00:56:02.519 --> 00:56:03.599 his faithfulness 00:56:03.599 --> 00:56:05.279 is the truth 00:56:05.279 --> 00:56:06.259 that lights 00:56:06.259 --> 00:56:07.179 our way. 00:56:07.179 --> 00:56:37.159 Thank you.