Judges 4:1-24, If you refuse to serve, God will find someone else. You lose out on the blessing of God using you

Judges 4:1–10 (ESV) — 1 And the people of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord after Ehud died. 2 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. 3 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.


4 Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, was judging Israel at that time. 5 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. 6 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. 7 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’?” 8 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.” 9 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. 10 And Barak called out Zebulun and Naphtali to Kedesh. And 10,000 men went up at his heels, and Deborah went up with him.


• The 900 chariots were probably effective on the plains but not in the mountains
• What similarities to previous episodes do we see?
• The leader dies
• The people commit evil
• The people suffer (4:3 cruel oppression)
• The people cry for help
• God provides
• What differences do we see?
• The judge is existing during the time of the oppression
• The judge is female
• This is the first instance in scripture of gynaecocracy (government by women or a single woman). What do we note and what can we infer?
• OBSERVE:
• There is no negative connotation
• God speaks to her or at least through her
• She was esteemed
• She was obviously very wise if she was judging disputes
• INFER:
• There was no man willing to take on the leadership
• Barak's response to her indicates a fearfulness on the part of the men to lead
• There is honor in leadership
• What are some other examples of women as either leaders or prophets?
• Miriam (Exodus 15:20); Huldah (2 Kings 22:14); Anna (Luke 2:36); and Philip's four daughters (Acts 21:8-9)
• We also see Priscilla in a leadership role in the NT
• What is striking about Barak?
• He refuses God's command unless Deborah goes with him
• Adds credence to the lack of men to take on leadership. If the men don't lead, the woman will. The issue is not one of competence but of role
• When Deborah says that God will give the honor to a woman, what is the natural thought or response?
• That Deborah will get the honor
• Although, female leadership does not promote men's leadership
• APPLICATION: What responsibility do we have that we refuse to accept? Where are we fearful to step out in faith?


Judges 4:11–21 (ESV) — 11 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.


12 When Sisera was told that Barak the son of Abinoam had gone up to Mount Tabor, 13 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. 14 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. 15 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. 16 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.


17 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. 18 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. 19 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. 20 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.’ ” 21 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.


• What do we know of Heber?
• He is a descendant of Hobab, Moses' brother-in-law
• His name means ally
• He lived away from the other Kenites (Moses' Father-in-law)
• Kenite means "smith" as in blacksmith and that may have been a family trade (Constable) but we don't know
• There were friendly relations between the Jabin and Heber (he was playing both sides)
• Suggests that Heber was afraid to choose sides
• Heber looks the other way concerning the "cruel oppression" (vs 4:3)
• Why does Jael act as she did?
• She did not view Sisera neutrally
• She chose to take action, not to sit on the sidelines or play both sides
• What do Jael's actions show?
• Courage
• It was entirely possible that Sisera would have woken and she would have been overcome by Sisera (who was probably much stronger)
• If she misses, she is dead
• Jael does violate rules of hospitality, but Sisera also violates the rules as well. He should not have been in Jael's tent, nor should he have told her what to do
• One wonders where Heber is while his wife is playing host to Sisera?
• APPLICATION: We can be like Heber and try to play both sides -- in the world and not in the world -- walking with God and carousing with our pagan friends. There is nothing wrong with non-Christian friends, but if you refuse to live like Christ among them, then there is something very wrong. God is looking for men and women who have the courage to stand up to their convictions. Those are the people God uses


Judges 4:22–24 (ESV) — 22 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.


23 So on that day God subdued Jabin the king of Canaan before the people of Israel. 24 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.


• The honor goes to Jael. She and Deborah are the only two people willing to act on their own initiative. Heber and Barak are merely participants. The real work of God is done through the women
• Now, Judges does not have much commentary. It is non-fiction and it presents what happen without a lot of discussion. But do we see any negative commentary in the story?
• Maybe toward Barak
• Heber's actions are also questionable since he is friends with the oppressors
• In general, the men fair poorly while the women are to be praised
• APPLICATION: God wants to use your life. But if you are not willing to find time with him or be obedient to him, he will find someone else to work through. And that's not a good thing