RETURN TO SYLLABUS
JUDGES 4
LESSON #05
THE ESSENCE OF HUMILITY

• MEMORY VERSE: ROMANS 2:11

• WE HAVE SEEN THE FIRST TWO REPETITIONS OF THE CYCLE IN THE BOOK OF JUDGES.
• WE LEARNED THAT GOD USES WEAK INSIGNIFICANT PEOPLE.
• AN IMPORTANT THING TO REMEMBER IS THAT THE WEAK PERSON MUST ALSO RECOGNIZE AND ACKNOWLEDGE THAT HE IS WEAK IN HIS OWN STRENGTH.
• THIS IS THE ESSENCE OF HUMILITY.
• IF A WEAK PERSON DOES NOT ACKNOWLEDGE HIS OWN WEAKNESSES, HE IS EITHER IN DENIAL OF REALITY AND FILLED WITH PRIDE, OR HE IS INCREDIBLY STUPID.

• READ JDG 4:1-9 CYCLE #3 == DEBORAH AND BARAK
• =1= SIN (1)
• WHEN EHUD DIED, THE INFLUENCE FOR GOOD WAS GONE AND THE PEOPLE FELL BACK INTO SIN. WE ARE NOT TOLD OF ANY NEW SPECIFIC SIN, SO THE ASSUMPTION IS THAT THEY AGAIN BEGAN TO WORSHIP OTHER GODS AND TO INTERMARRY WITH PAGAN TRIBES.
• =2= SERVITUDE (2)
• GOD ALLOWED THEM TO SUFFER THE CONSEQUENCES OF THEIR SIN, WHICH RESULTED IN SLAVERY UNDER KING JABIN OF THE CANAANITES.
• BECAUSE THE CANAANITES HAD IRON WEAPONS, AND ESPECIALLY 900 IRON CHARIOTS, THE ISRAELITES WERE AT A DISADVANTAGE, HUMANLY SPEAKING.
• BECAUSE THE ISRAELITES WERE NOT TRUSTING GOD, THEY VIEWED THEIR SITUATION FROM A HUMAN POINT OF VIEW.
• IF A PERSON OR A NATION IS TRUSTING GOD, EVEN A TECHNICAL, FINANCIAL, OR A PHYSICAL DISADVANTAGE IS NO DISADVANTAGE AT ALL BECAUSE GOD IS ON YOUR SIDE.
• FOR 20 YEARS THE PHYSICAL AND TECHNICAL STRENGTH OF THE ENEMY INTIMIDATED THE ISRAELITES.
• SISERA, THE CANAANITE GENERAL WAS ESPECIALLY FEARED.
• THE NAME, SISERA, MEANS = TO ARRAY (TO PUT IN PROPER ORDER SUCH AS TROOPS).
• =3= SUPPLICATION (3)
• FINALLY, WHEN THEY REALIZED THEIR WEAKNESS AND ACKNOWLEDGED IT, THEY CRIED TO GOD FOR HELP.
• =4= SALVATION (4-9)
• WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT DEBORAH?
• THE NAME, DEBORAH, MEANS = HONEYBEE.
• IN OUR CULTURE IT IS A SWEET, ENDEARING NAME THAT DOES NOT DEPICT HER STRENGTH OF CHARACTER AND FORMIDABLE POSITION.
• HOWEVER, HER NAME ALSO MEANS, = TO ARRANGE IN ORDERLY MOTION.
• SHE HAD A GIFT OF FACILITATING AND ADMINISTRATION.

• DEBORAH WAS A PROPHETESS, A WIFE, AND A JUDGE, AND PERHAPS A MOTHER. (JDG 5:7)
• SHE WAS THE WIFE OF LAPIDOTH, WHICH MEANS = TO SHINE AS A BURNING LAMP.
• SHE DWELT UNDER A SPECIAL PALM TREE, BETWEEN RAMAH AND BETHEL.
• BETHEL MEANS = HOUSE OF GOD.
• RAMAH MEANS = A HIGH PLACE
• IT WAS A SEAT OF IDOLATRY.
• SHE WAS RESPECTED AS A COUNSELOR, SETTLING DISPUTES.
• THE SCRIPTURE INDICATES THAT SHE WAS MORE THE JUDICIAL TYPE OF JUDGE.
• DEBORAH HAD A STRONG CHARACTER AND A KEEN PERCEPTION OF RIGHT AND WRONG.

• WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT BARAK?
• THE NAME, BARAK, MEANS = LIGHTNING FLASHING
• HIS NAME SPEAKS OF THE POWER OF CHRIST DISPLAYED. (MAT 24:27)
• BARAK WAS A MILITARY COMMANDER WHO AT FIRST APPEARED WEAK IN FAITH, HIDING BEHIND A WOMAN’S SKIRTS.
• READ HEB 11:32-33
• IT IS INTERESTING THAT BARAK APPEARS IN THE HALL OF FAME CHAPTER FOR THOSE WHO WERE STRONG IN FAITH.
• WHY DO YOU THINK BARAK WAS UNWILLING TO OBEY GOD AND DEBORAH?
• THE ISRAELITES HAD SUFFERED FOR A LONG TIME UNDER JABIN. THEREFORE, HE PROBABLY THOUGHT THE SITUATION WAS HOPELESS.
• HE MAY NOT HAVE BEEN SURE THAT THE IDEA WAS FROM GOD.
• FROM THE WAY VERSE 6 READS, GOD HAD CALLED BARAK TO GO TO BATTLE AGAINST THE CANAANITES BUT BARAK DID NOT ACT. THEREFORE, DEBORAH TELLS HIM OF GOD’S CALLING.
• DEBORAH GIVES HIM THE BATTLE PLAN (6-8)
• THE LOCATION…MT TABOR TO THE RIVER KISHON, WHICH IS THE VALLEY OF MEGGIDO. (THE PLACE OF ARMAGEDDON)
• THE ARMY…10,000 TROOPS FROM THE TRIBES OF NAPHTALI AND FROM ZEBULON. (THE TWO TRIBES MOST AFFECTED BY THE CURRENT OPPRESSION OF THE CANAANITES.)
• GOD’S ASSURANCE OF VICTORY.(7)
• THE COMMAND CAME FROM A WOMAN AND NOT ANOTHER MAN.
• PERHAPS BARAK WAS UNWILLING BECAUSE HE THOUGHT IT WAS EASY FOR A WOMAN TO GIVE ORDERS WHEN SHE DID NOT HAVE TO GO TO BATTLE.
• WHEN HE CHALLENGES DEBORAH, SHE TAKES UP THE CHALLENGE TO GO TO BATTLE WITH HIM.
• THE CONSEQUENCES OF UNWILLINGNESS MEANS THAT BARAK WILL NOT GET THE CREDIT FOR THE DEFEAT OF SISERA BUT A WOMAN WILL.
• BARAK PROBABLY THOUGHT THAT DEBORAH WOULD BE THE ONE TO GET THE CREDIT. HOWEVER, IT TURNS OUT TO BE A DIFFERENT WOMAN, JAEL.

• READ JDG 4:10-24 DELIVERANCE BY THE HAND OF A WOMAN
• THE ISRAELITES WON THE INITIAL BATTLE AGAINST SISERA’S ARMY. IN FACT IT WAS A TOTAL SLAUGHTER, EXCEPT THAT SISERA HIMSELF ESCAPED.
• BARAK AND DEBORAH HAD 10,000 TROOPS ON TOP OF MOUNT TABOR, ON THE EAST END OF THE VALLEY OF MEGGIDO. SISERA’S TROOPS AND 900 IRON CHARIOTS WERE NEAR THE RIVER AT THE WEST END OF THE VALLEY.
• JUDGES 5 AND THE HISTORIAN, JOSEPHUS, GIVES US MORE DETAILS ABOUT THE BATTLE.
• WHEN THE BATTLE WAS CLOSE, A GREAT STORM BROKE AND GREAT HAIL, WIND, AND RAIN BLEW INTO THE FACES OF THE CANAANITES GIVING THEM A GREAT DISADVANTAGE.
• THE RAIN CAUSED THE RIVER TO FLOOD AND THE 900 IRON CHARIOTS GOT STUCK IN THE MUD.
• THIS BATTLE IS A PREFIGURE OR TYPE OF THE BATTLE OF ARMAGEDDON THAT WILL OCCUR AT THE END OF THE TRIBULATION PERIOD THEREFORE, SISERA REPRESENTS AND PREFIGURES THE ANTI-CHRIST.
• READ REV 16:21
• JAEL, THE WIFE OF HEBER THE KENITE (A GENTILE):
• THE NAME, JAEL, MEANS = WILD GOAT. IT ALSO MEANS = TO ASCEND AS A WILD GOAT.
• AT THAT TIME THE KENITES WERE A NOMADIC, GENTILE PEOPLE, FRIENDLY TO BOTH THE ISRAELITES AND THE CANAANITES. THE KENITES WERE THE PEOPLE OF JETHRO, MOSES’ FATHER-IN-LAW.
• THE CODE OF HOSPITALITY AT THAT TIME WAS STRICT, ESPECIALLY IN THE LIVES OF NOMADIC CULTURES. JAEL VIOLATED THAT CODE OF HOSPITALITY IN FAVOR OF THE ISRAELITES.
• SHE COMMITTED FALSEHOOD, TREACHERY, AND MURDER TOWARD SOMEONE SHE HAD AGREED TO HOUSE AND PROTECT.
• SHE DROVE A TENT PEG THROUGH HIS HEAD.
• THIS BATTLE AND THE DEATH OF THE SUPREME COMMANDER, SISERA, WAS THE TURNING POINT IN THE DEFEAT OF THE CANAANITES AND KING JABIN.
• DEBORAH’S PROPHECY WAS FULFILLED. VICTORY CAME BY THE HAND OF A WOMAN, JAEL.

• =5= SILENCE
• ACCORDING TO JDG 5:31, THE LAND HAD PEACE FOR 40 YEARS.

• SUMMARY AND APPLICATION:
• BARAK APPEARS TO BE WEAK IN FAITH AND YET GOD HONORS HIM IN THE LIST OF FAITH HEROES IN HEB 11. WHY:
• OFTEN FAITH IS WEAK AT THE ONSET OF A PROBLEM. HOWEVER, GOD LOOKS AT THE UNDERLYING CHARACTER OF A PERSON.
• BARAK RECOGNIZED AND ACKNOWLEDGED HIS WEAKNESS. DEBORAH ENCOURAGED HIS FAITH, AND BARAK FULFILLED HIS CALLING OBEDIENTLY.
• IT IS THE END RESULT THAT PUTS HIM IN THE HALL OF FAME OF FAITH’S HEROES.
• THE ESSENCE OF HUMILITY THAT DEFEATS PRIDE IS THE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF ONE’S WEAKNESSES SO THAT HE MIGHT THEN TURN TO GOD FOR HELP.
• READ MAT 5:3
• THOSE WHO ARE POOR IN SPIRIT ARE THOSE WHO ACKNOWLEDGE THEIR NEED FOR GOD’S HELP BECAUSE THEY ARE WEAK IN THEMSELVES.
• READ PSA 10:4-6
• READ PRO 29:23

• APPLICATION OF JUDGES 4
• MAKE A LIST OF YOUR HUMAN WEAKNESSES FOR WHICH YOU MUST TRUST GOD IN ORDER TO FULFILL WHAT GOD WANTS YOU TO DO FOR HIM.

• DAILY REMIND YOURSELF OF GOD’S ALL-SUFFICIENT PRESENCE AND POWER THAT ENABLES YOU BY READING PHIL 4:13.

• PREPARATION FOR JUDGES 5
• READ JDG 5:1-31 THE SONG OF DEBORAH
• WHAT IMPRESSIVE PHRASES DO YOU SEE IN THIS SONG?
• WHY DOES THE ANGEL OF THE LORD REBUKE THE TRIBES OF ISRAEL?
• HOW CAN GOD COMMEND JAEL FOR SUCH A CRUEL ACT OF MURDER?

• MEMORY VERSE? JUDGES 5:31a