God Raises Up Barak- Judges 4&5

Let’s read Judges 4,

And the people of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord after Ehud died. And the Lord sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor. The commander of his army was Sisera, who lived in Harosheth-hagoyim. Then the people of Israel cried out to the Lord for help, for he had 900 chariots of iron and he oppressed the people of Israel cruelly for twenty years.

Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, was judging Israel at that time. She used to sit under the palm of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the people of Israel came up to her for judgment. She sent and summoned Barak the son of Abinoam from Kedesh-naphtali and said to him, “Has not the Lord, the God of Israel, commanded you, ‘Go, gather your men at Mount Tabor, taking 10,000 from the people of Naphtali and the people of Zebulun. And I will draw out Sisera, the general of Jabin's army, to meet you by the river Kishon with his chariots and his troops, and I will give him into your hand’?” Barak said to her, “If you will go with me, I will go, but if you will not go with me, I will not go.” And she said, “I will surely go with you. Nevertheless, the road on which you are going will not lead to your glory, for the Lord will sell Sisera into the hand of a woman.” Then Deborah arose and went with Barak to Kedesh. And Barak called out Zebulun and Naphtali to Kedesh. And 10,000 men went up at his heels, and Deborah went up with him.

Now Heber the Kenite had separated from the Kenites, the descendants of Hobab the father-in-law of Moses, and had pitched his tent as far away as the oak in Zaanannim, which is near Kedesh.

When Sisera was told that Barak the son of Abinoam had gone up to Mount Tabor, Sisera called out all his chariots, 900 chariots of iron, and all the men who were with him, from Harosheth-hagoyim to the river Kishon. And Deborah said to Barak, “Up! For this is the day in which the Lord has given Sisera into your hand. Does not the Lord go out before you?” So Barak went down from Mount Tabor with 10,000 men following him. And the Lord routed Sisera and all his chariots and all his army before Barak by the edge of the sword. And Sisera got down from his chariot and fled away on foot. And Barak pursued the chariots and the army to Harosheth-hagoyim, and all the army of Sisera fell by the edge of the sword; not a man was left.

But Sisera fled away on foot to the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, for there was peace between Jabin the king of Hazor and the house of Heber the Kenite. And Jael came out to meet Sisera and said to him, “Turn aside, my lord; turn aside to me; do not be afraid.” So he turned aside to her into the tent, and she covered him with a rug. And he said to her, “Please give me a little water to drink, for I am thirsty.” So she opened a skin of milk and gave him a drink and covered him. And he said to her, “Stand at the opening of the tent, and if any man comes and asks you, ‘Is anyone here?’ say, ‘No.’” But Jael the wife of Heber took a tent peg, and took a hammer in her hand. Then she went softly to him and drove the peg into his temple until it went down into the ground while he was lying fast asleep from weariness. So he died. And behold, as Barak was pursuing Sisera, Jael went out to meet him and said to him, “Come, and I will show you the man whom you are seeking.” So he went in to her tent, and there lay Sisera dead, with the tent peg in his temple.

So on that day God subdued Jabin the king of Canaan before the people of Israel. And the hand of the people of Israel pressed harder and harder against Jabin the king of Canaan, until they destroyed Jabin king of Canaan.

We read Judges 4 but you should understand that Judges 5 is connected very strongly to this text. View Judges 4&5 the same way that we came to understand the connection between Judges 1&2. The Holy Spirit decided to place two introductions into this book: Judges 1:1-2:5 and Judges 2:6-3:6.

• Judges 1 described Israel’s military successes and failures in the Promised Land.

• Judges 2 described the events that went on behind the scenes and the ramifications of them.

Similarly, in Judges 4 we are given the historical details of how God’s people cried out to the LORD and were delivered from their enemies. Then in Judges 5 we are given the behind the scene details.

In the Book of Judges there is a cycle that is repeated over and over again. This cycle is playing out at the national level and at an individual level. This cycle is playing out in your life, in the life of your family, in this church, and in the life of the larger community as well. In this cycle...

• Israel enjoys peace but this leads them to fall away from the LORD.

• When Israel does not repent God raises up an enemy to dicipline them.

• At some point Israel becomes miserable and they cry out to the LORD for help.

• The LORD responds mercifully and graciously by raising up a judge to deliver His people.

• That generation serves the LORD throughout their lives but the next generation forgets the LORD and do evil in the sight of the LORD. Therefore, the cycle starts all over again.

Our text begins with an admission that Israel has sinned in the eyes of the LORD. (4:1) Because of this the LORD sells them into the hand of their enemy (2). Israel has three enemies who oppress Israel for 20 years: King Jabin, His commander Sisera, and the people of Canaan. (3) When Israel cries out for help God raises up a deliverer (5:4-5) who will free Israel from their enemy. (4:4-10&21)

Judges 4:3 says, “Then the people of Israel cried out to the LORD for help…”.

Observation 1: This is not simply a cry to be freed from their enemies; No, Israel was repenting and returning to the LORD. This repentance is not clearly mentioned but it is implied when we read in Judges 6:1, ‘Israel did what was evil in the sight of the LORD’. For forty years (5:31) that generation repented and had lived in a faithful and godly manner. The same power that freed Israel from the Canaanites is the same power that frees the believer to glorify God with their life. (Ephesians 1:15-23; 3:14-21) Humility and repentance is our primary responsibility in times such as these. After we do this the blessings of true repentance will come. If we simply demand that God changes our miserable situation then we have neglected to repent and do the heart work that God requires.

Observation 2: Judges 4:3 implies that as Israel repented they desired to be delivered from their enemy but they did not have the ability to do this. We read, “Then the people of Israel cried out to the LORD for help, for (because) he had 900 chariots of iron  (with an army [7]) and he oppressed the people of Israel cruelly for twenty years.” (5:6-7)

Application: The same grace that brings us to repentance and justification is the same grace that creates the desire for sanctification. (Galatians 2:17-21) In this story Israel repents and their faith is expressed in their willingness to sanctify themselves by God’s gracious power. (5:1-2, 9, 18) Because God does this work in chapter 4 Israel will boast in the LORD. (5:3-5, 12) There are many who claim to have prayed ‘a prayer’ of salvation, but they should ask, “Has that first prayer produced a life of prayer and dependence upon God for sanctification?” This is what we see going on with Israel.

In Judges 4:4-10 we are introduced to Deborah and Barak. Deborah has been raised up as a judge in the hill country in Ephraim. The LORD blessed Deborah’s ministry, she is called a mother of Israel (5:7), and the people came to her for judgment.

Deborah played an important role at this time in Israel’s history. Before the LORD raised up Deborah the highways were a dangerous place (5:6). We read these words in Judges 5:7, “The villagers ceased in Israel; they ceased to be until I arose; I, Deborah, arose as a mother in Israel.” Through her prophetic ministry (4:4) revival and reformation began to take place in Israel. The Word of the LORD through Deborah produced the fruit of repentance and sanctification. Much like what we see…

• In Judges 6:7-8, “When the people cried out to the LORD...the LORD sent a prophet to the people of Israel.”

• In Matthew 3:1-2a&5, “In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, ‘Repent...Then Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region about the Jordan were going out to him...’”

As the people repent they begin to cry out to God for help (4:3) Deborah sends for Barak and says to him, “Has not the LORD, the God of Israel, commanded you, ‘Go, gather your men at Mount Tabor, taking 10,000 from the people of Naphtali and the people of Zebulun. And I will draw out Sisera, the general of Jabin’s army, to meet you by the river Kishon with his chariots and his troops, and I will give him into your hand.’” (6-7)

The words, “Has not the LORD, the God of Israel, commanded you…”, can be viewed in a couple of ways. First, Deborah asks Barak a question which can sound like she is confronting Barak for unbelief. Perhaps he hears this word and hesitates so Deborah says, “Has not the LORD, the God of Israel, commanded you, Go…Gather your army...I’ve given the enemy into your hand”.

We may read these words this way because of Barak’s reaction which seems to reveal some degree of faithlessness. Barak says, “If you will go with me, I will go, but if you will not go with me, I will not go.” (8) This response is pretty shocking since this is his response to God’s Word, “...if you will not go with me, I WILL NOT GO.”

Note: This narrative is similar to Judges 1:1-3 when Israel prays and God tells Judah to go up and fight. Judah lacks the faith to do this alone so he turns to the tribe of Simeon and asks them to go with them into battle. The mistake that Judah made that day is repeated here by Barak.

The seriousness of Barak’s response is seen in two ways. (9) First, Deborah immediately says, “I will surely go with you.” Deborah has faith and knows what God will do to the Canaanites. Secondly, then Deborah says, “Nevertheless, the road on which you are going will not lead to your glory, for the LORD will sell Sisera into the hand of a woman.” Barak is dependent upon the presence of Deborah since she is a prophet but her words remind him that it is the LORD who will provide the victory and his faith should be in Him and His Word.

The second way we could view the words, “Has not the LORD, the God of Israel, commanded you…”, is to see this as a statement that is meant to strengthen Barak’s faith to fulfill the role the LORD is calling him too.

There is a good cross reference for this in 1 Samuel 10:1, “Then Samuel took a flask of oil and poured it on his head and kissed him and said, “Has not the Lord anointed you to be prince over his people Israel? And you shall reign over the people of the Lord and you will save them from the hand of their surrounding enemies.” Notice that Samuel anoints Saul and kisses him and then says, “Has not the Lord anointed you to be prince over his people Israel?” These words are part of Saul’s anointing service which was already taking place.

Personal Note: It is commendable that Barak asks for Deborah to come with him. He probably does this because Deborah speaks the Word of the LORD. Better to have the Word of the LORD with us than a bigger army and many chariots and horses. (Psalm 20:7) I might have said to Deborah, “I will go if I can have 20,000 men to fight this battle, if not, I will not go!” If this is the case, Barak is to be commended for this request.

Barak and his 10,000 men routed the enemy and Sisera flees on foot away from the battlefield. He came to the tent of a woman name Jael who will be the woman who kills Sisera which was prophesied by Deborah in Judges 4:9. Then we read in Judges 4:23 that God subdued Jabin and from that day forward the hand of Israel pressed harder against him until he was destroyed.

Observation: Normally at this point in the cycle we would be told that Israel had rest until the death of that Judge. For example,

• When we considered Othniel this cycle was described in 5 verses. It began with the fact that Israel did what was evil in the sight of the LORD (7) and it ended with the fact that after God delivered them the land had rest for 40 years until Othniel died (11).

• Last week when we saw this same cycle played out in the life of Ehud and it took 18 verses. It also began with the fact that Israel again did evil in the sight of the LORD (12) and then it ended by telling us that the land had rest for eighty years until the judge died (3:30-4:1).

At this point in our story two things change in the normal structure of the Book of Judges. First, when we get to this part of our story we would expect to immediately read, “And the land had rest for forty years. The people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the LORD…”. These words, however, do not occur until the end of Judges 5:33-6:1. This should make us ask, “What is recorded between these two events which has interrupted the flow and structure of this book?”

Secondly, unlike what has come before and after this story there is no specific name or details given about Barak’s death in Judges 6:1, ““And the land had rest for forty years.” and “The people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, and the LORD gave them into the hand of Midian seven years.”

These two changes in the normal structure of the story seems to emphasize the importance of everything that is written in Judges 5:2-31a.

The answer to this question, ‘What is recorded between these two events which has interrupted the flow and structure of this book?’, is found in Judges 5:1, “Then sang Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam on that day.”

One of the neat things about this story is that you see these two godly people, who have exercised their faith in obeying the LORD for a great victory, and then we get to see them compose a powerful song of praise to the LORD. Judges 5:2-31 is a worship song, a song of praise, a song which glorifies the LORD. The fact that this song breaks the normal structure of this book in two ways emphasizes its importance.

Question: How many songs like this are being written today?  How many people might write Christian worship songs (or sermons) today who do not know God’s Word and have never fought and been victorious in spiritual battles?

Notice again that Judges 6:1 does not refer to the death of the judge. Question: “Is there was a reason that the text changes in structure and it does not speak of the death of the judge?”

This seems to emphasize this song which glorifies the LORD as Israel’s Judge. God’s people are to be looking to Him, believing in Him, loving Him, fearing Him, trusting Him, and glorifying Him. When Israel looks to their earthly judge they fall away when he dies, but if they would look to the LORD they should not fall away. (Matthew 14:22-33)

Consider how this song ends in verse 31, “So may all your enemies perish, O LORD! But your friends be like the sun as he rises in his might.” How long does Israel worship the LORD and keep their faith upon Him? After the song we read, “And the land had rest…”. (5:31) This is good news, but for how long? Will it last for a few generations? Will it last for the next several hundred years? We read, “And the land had rest for forty years.” That’s it.

How quickly the Israel stopped praising God. Doesn’t this make you want to say with the apostle Paul, “I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you… (1:6) O foolish child of God!” (3:1)

Question: If Israel drifted from worship this quickly, how are we doing in our worship of the LORD?

The LORD delivered His people from three powerful enemies: king Jabin, His commander Sisera, and his powerful army. Similarly, we to have been saved from three great enemies: indwelling sin, sin in the world, and Satan. Christ has destroyed the one who had the power of death and delivered us from lifelong slavery and misery. (Hebrews 2:14-15) Are we worshiping the LORD as we once did when this first happened to us? Or are we drifting and being hardened by the deceitfulness of sin? (Hebrews 3:13) Are we still coming to the wells of grace or are we neglecting them as is the habit of some? (Hebrews 10:24-25)

The LORD has been merciful and gracious to us. He has canceled the record of debt that stood against us and disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame. (Colossians 2:14-15) Therefore we are to sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs with thankfulness in our hearts to the LORD. (3:12-17)

The LORD has loved us and gave Himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God; therefore, are we continuing to walk in love and address one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our LORD Jesus Christ? (Ephesians 5:1-2 & 19-21)

How easy we can be those who say, “I follow Othniel, I follow Ehud, or I follow Barak” and neglect to follow the LORD. How easy we can say, “I follow Paul, I follow Cephas, I follow Apollos” and forget the LORD Jesus and all that He has done for us. Therefore Community Church let us determine to make all of life an expression of worship so that we glorify God in all things. (1 Corinthians 10:31)

The worship team is going to come up as I pray and we have an opportunity to direct our hearts and thoughts as we worship the LORD together.