Judges Chapter 4 Verse 1

• Nooooooo!   Again, the nation is so foolish! But one thing I want to point out. One thing that we cannot forget as we minister and serve others. Especially the kind that is so very frustrating. Where you throw your hands up and say, “What else can I do or say?!” We see this continual stupidity, indiscretion and irresponsibility from the people but what are we also seeing? Though Israel kept renouncing God, He keeps working with them! What else can we do? Pray. And know that Jesus lives continually to make intercession for sinful man! (Hebrews 7:25)

Judges Chapter 4 Verses 2 – 3

• So after the 80 years of rest with Ehud, they’ve now been in bondage for 20 and now their captor is much different than before. Eglon was a sluggard and a king who needed to call upon neighboring nations for strength. We have no details at all in the Bible or even in extra-biblical sources regarding Cushan-Rishathaim other than some speculation as to who he was. Seemingly insignificant…but now Jabin king of Canann…Jabin literally meaning “wise,” and…nine hundred chariots of iron!
• You have to understand, in the eyes, minds and hearts of the ancient world men of war, chariots were like tanks! Only a few of them were around. For one army to have 900 would have been considered possibly the world’s strongest land army! It was a status symbol of the ancient world! A mobile firing platform! With a chariot, firepower could be rushed wherever it was needed on very little notice!
• The secondary purpose of the chariot was its shock value. The chariots of the Canaanite army were iron-wheeled and so they could be used to tear through the ranks of enemy armies. Only the greatest of armies were able to maintain chariot squadrons. What’s the point? The enemies are getting stronger aren’t they? Why? Because Israel keeps straying from the Lord. Things will start small…a little compromise…something seemingly insignificant but before long…chariots…I’ve seen this happen so many times…

• And then, to get out of the situation…much death, which we’ll see in a few verses…Man we need to grow up and resolve to love the Lord. Give to Him our lives. Walk in wisdom. Grow up in the knowledge and application of His Word…lest we mess around and the enemies simply grow stronger and stronger!

• One last thing…speaking of tanks…do you know how many tanks the US has? As of the end of 2014, the US has 8,848 tanks. And get this…41,062 Armored Fighting Vehicles or (AFVs). 13,892 military aircraft. 473 naval ships of war. ($577B annual defense budget) Behind the US, in second place is Russia with 15,398 tanks. 31,298 AFVs. 3,429 military aircraft. 352 naval ships of war. ($60B annual defense budget) In third place, China. 9,150 tanks. 2,860 military aircraft. 673 naval ships of war. ($145B annual defense budget)
• This Global Fire Power website where I got all of this data from makes a statement on their summary page that, “Tank strength continues to be the primary symbol of power for any modern land army.” If it is now, with all of the military might and technology available, how much more then…the nation Israel has never faced such a terrifying opponent…its gotten MUCH worse because they will not mature…

Judges Chapter 4 Verses 4 – 8

• You know I think Deborah and Barak are given a bum rap from some folks. We really have no indication that Barak failed to do something God told him to do in taking leadership. Deborah was a mighty judge of God and Barak tests her. He is ready to listen to God for sure and we know that because he does go…he goes into battle against this fleet of tanks! But he tests Deborah, “I’ll go if you go with me. If you have heard from the Lord then put your faith where your mouth is!”

• And watch this, she goes…

Judges Chapter 4 Verse 9

• Ok. Notice Barak’s response to that. Nothing! Maybe he wasn’t in it for the glory!? Maybe he was in it for the sake of the Lord and his people. Deborah too! And so perhaps she is concerned about what it might do to him when folks praise Deborah and not him in the victory? I see her preparing him which is a strong leadership characteristic and I see him in action for the right reason…not for himself…a strong leadership characteristic.
• Folks have taken this to the extreme saying that Deborah was judging Israel because no man would…no man would lead so God used a woman…that’s an insult to women. I’m not so sure I’m with that. I see God using Deborah not because of what someone else isn’t but because of what she IS! Same goes for us…and I think we get tripped up sometimes on subjects that don’t trip up the Lord…and then we miss the things that do grieve Him…like His nation suffering…
• One last thing. Hall of faith. Deborah there? Anywhere else in the scriptures? Deborah exalted? No. Hall of faith. Hebrews 11…Barak there? Yes…I think we’ve let our imagination run wild with this account…and the fact is we have two strong leaders and they are both raised up by God to deliver His people…

Judges Chapter 4 Verses 10 – 16

• God gives them great victory against great odds! And we find out later, in the next chapter, that the Lord brought a down pour and it could be that the chariots were rendered useless on the soft ground. So cool! We face incredible odds sometimes but man we need to march because God is waiting there with the down pour…

Judges Chapter 4 Verse 17

• Now this guy Heber the Kenite is actually a distant descendant of Israel, through Jethro, who was the priest of Midean who was also the father-in-law of Moses who traces back to Abraham and his second wife Keturah…so this is some undercover family here…

Judges Chapter 4 Verses 18 – 24

• So God promised through Deborah that a woman would be credited with the defeat…and logically we thought it would be Deborah…but it wasn’t. It was Jael. A seemingly unknown tent wife…and notice…it was just a few verses ago that Sisera was on top of the world. Trusting in his chariots and earthly might and yet his end is this…don’t ever look at the social status or monetary wealth or business success and prominence of another and say to yourself, “man they’re really making it.” “They are really blessed by the Lord.” Remember Sisera.

• Psalm 20: 6- 7 says, “Now I know that the Lord saves His anointed; He will answer him from His holy heaven with the saving strength of His right hand. Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; (like Sisera) but we will remember the name of the Lord our God. They have bowed down and fallen; but we have risen and stand upright.” The blessing of the Lord is His anointing. And the eternal result? We stand in full strength!