This is a part of a sermon series on the book of Judges. You can watch more here.
Sermon Manuscript
This morning we are going to continue a new series in the book of Judges in your Old Testament. If you like, you can turn to page 23 in our devotional. Or you can turn to the book of Judges in your bible.
Judges 4:1-3, “1 And the people of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord after Ehud died.”
There’s a phrase used throughout the book of Judges that we will see in our passage this morning, “And the people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord.” It means the people of Israel didn’t want to do what God’s Word wants us to do but the people of Israel did what they wanted to do.
It is as simple as common phrases that we might hear in our culture today like, “I just need to be true to myself.” It’s because God’s Word isn’t the authority in our life but we place ourselves as the authority.
We also say things like, “I need to do what makes me happy.” It’s because the assumption is that God’s Word isn’t best for us but we are the ones who knows what’s best for us.
We esteem values in our culture today like being tolerant and inclusive. It’s because it sounds wise and generous but at some point, everyone has a line where they aren’t tolerant and inclusive, so who or what gets to decide that line.
In our passage this morning we will see we want God’s Word to decide that line that we hold. Let’s look at Judges 4:1-3:
Judges 4:1-3, “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.”
If you weren’t here last Sunday you missed out because last Sunday we got to learn about Ehud, which is a powerful story. Any time you have little kids who think the Bible is boring, just read about Ehud in Judges 3.
Our passage this morning is going to be pretty fun also but in verses 1-3 we see our cycle that we have been going through repeated again. Do you see it?
The people of Israel do evil in the sight of the Lord again (#1). The Lord raises up a Canaanite king to bring judgment over Israel (#2). The people of Israel cry out in repentance (#3) because the people of Israel were living under judgment for 20 years.
I know we’ve said this throughout the book of Judges but you have to see God’s judgment isn’t one and done with Israel. It’s not like Israel made one misstep and the Lord got grumpy. The people of Israel are living in habitual patterns of sin that are so deeply embedded in their life that it takes them 20 years to soften their heart and turn to the Lord.
Doesn’t that happen in our life sometimes? Sometimes we think God isn’t that big of a deal. Sometimes we think we will do what is right in our own eyes. And sometimes the Lord brings judgment into our life through circumstances, difficulty, hardship and pain.
Maybe some of us are in that place right now in our marriage, in our business, in our parenting or our health and these places of pain become places of blessing to us because it is when we are in places of pain that we turn to the Lord. Amen?
We thought that marriage, business, child, or physical health was going to last forever. We thought those areas of life were going to be able to carry our dreams forever, so that we would live a fairy tale story but instead those fairy tales turn into nightmares that spiritually wake us up and draw us to the Lord. Praise God! Look at verses 4-5:
Judges 4:4-5, “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.”
In verses 4-5 we meet Deborah and Deborah is an interesting woman because sometimes people describe Deborah as a judge like Ehud or Othniel, because in verses 4-5 we see words like “judge” being attached to Deborah, but the words “judge and judgment” in the original language mean discern, rule, decide, because Deborah is playing an important role to help people make decisions as a “prophetess.”
But I think Barak, who we will meet in our next verse, is the one that is supposed to be stepping into this role as judge, military leader, but because Barak doesn’t step into his role as judge we see Deborah playing her part as a “prophetess.” Does that make sense?
Sometimes people hear the word “prophetess” and it sounds like someone you would meet on Bourbon Street in New Orleans but “prophetess” simply means someone who is proclaiming God’s Word.
Sometimes people will read about Deborah in Judges 4 and then people will make the argument that women should be Lead Pastors because look Deborah is leading Israel but the Old Testament equivalent of a Lead Pastor would have been a priest and we never see any women functioning in the role of a priest.
We see “prophetess” in Exodus 16, 2 Kings, Luke 2 with Anna in the temple, and Acts 21 with Philipps daughters but we never see female priests, so that our culture hears that today and it sounds oppressive toward women.
But God’s Word never says one role in the body of Christ is more important than the other. In fact, 1 Corinthians teaches us that all roles need one another so that we can function as a body to bring glory to the Lord.
In addition, Genesis 1 says that male and female are both made in the image of God, so that our value as men and women is the same to the Lord but there are different roles and responsibilities that are given to men and women so that we complement one another.
Just to be clear, we’re not talking about women leading in all areas. I would vote for a female president. I would follow a female supervisor. We’re talking about the local church and we’re not talking about leadership in the local church in general. Obviously, we have a female worship leader.
We have 4 people on staff and 3 of them are women but the role of elder is specifically for, not all men, but qualified men outlined in 1 Timothy 3, and we will get into why that is important practically in our passage this morning. Look at verses 6-7:
Judges 4:6-7, “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’?”
In verses 6-7 we meet Barak and just like Othniel and Ehud, Barak plays the role of the military leader in our passage. In addition, in Hebrews 11 Barak is listed in the Hall of Faith with Gideon, Barak and Samson as faithful men even though, in Judges 4 Barak isn’t going to look that faithful.
In verses 6-7 we see Deborah speak on behalf of the Lord. Do you see that? Has not the Lord commanded you, “Go!” Deborah gives Barak the who, what, where and how this battle is about to take place and that the Lord will give Barak victory.
At first glance this might not seem like that big of a deal to us but back in verse 3 we saw that the enemy is bringing 900 chariots of iron, which would have been like a modern tank going up against Israel which had sticks and rocks.
The soldiers of Israel would have literally felt the ground shaking beneath their feet that has been pounding Israel for 20 years, so this is a huge challenge being presented to Barak. You with me? Look at verse 8:
Judges 4:8, “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.”
Okay, I don’t know if you’ve been tracking with our passage this morning but this isn’t a good sign from your military commander, right?
Barak is the commander of the army who just heard from the Lord through Deborah that the Lord will bring victory and his response is, “I mean, I will go if you go but if you don’t go, I am not going to go.”
This is why I don’t think this is a passage to highlight the greatness of women. Women are great, but the bigger problem is the spiritual condition of the men in Israel. Does that make sense? This doesn’t take away from Deborah. Deborah is awesome. Back in verse 5 the people of Israel are coming to her for wisdom. Praise God!
Sometimes our culture says, “We shouldn’t judge.” Yes, we should. Deborah is a great example of showing judgment. We don’t want to judge and look down on one another but we want to be able to say, “This is right and this is wrong” not because we say but because God’s Word says. That’s the example we see in Deborah!
The reality is that as a people we are going to judge. Just look at the news. People are hurling out judgments left and right but the standard of our judgment today is based on what’s popular and majority view. Does that make sense? That’s terrifying!
Just in the last 2 years we have seen corporations, media and politicians change their standard of right and wrong, not based on a truth that is for all times, all places and all people but based on what’s popular or the majority view at the time. It’s like playing Magic 8-ball with our future, “Ask again later.”
Please don’t hear this as a slight toward Deborah. We need godly women like Deborah. We need godly men and women who will stand firm for what is true and speak judgments that are consistent with God’s Word because people don’t naturally drift toward godliness. Have you noticed this?
I hope you get the president you always wanted but more than a president we need godly men and women walking with the Lord speaking godly judgment, because people, families, churches, cities, states and countries don’t naturally drift toward godliness.
You know this. We naturally drift toward ungodliness, selfishness, greed, anger and immorality, so that we need godly men and women speaking godly judgment as we walk with the Lord. Look at verse 9:
Judges 4:9, “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.”
Again, in verse 9 we see a rebuke toward Barak because Barak is struggling to follow the Lord, so that Deborah needs to speak strength and encouragement to Barak but the woman being referenced isn’t Deborah but a woman we will meet in a minute.
I don’t want to go there just yet because I want us to see that Deborah doesn’t step into the role as the military commander. She doesn’t push Barak out of the way but instead she speaks life into Barak, she speaks encouragement into Barak, so that I think there are some powerful parallels for us to draw out this morning.
I feel like this passage captures where a lot of men are in our culture today. I am not talking about men being macho commanders that are excited to go fight. I am not even good at fighting. I have been in 4 fights my whole life, lost every one of them, so it’s not about machismo.
It’s about godly men having a clear call on their life as godly men. Genesis 2 Adam is giving spiritual responsibility to care for creation. Ephesians 5 husbands are to love their wives as Christ loved the church, so that husbands in the home are given God given gift of a spiritual covering over their home as husbands and fathers.
But instead it’s like our culture has beat men down so much that men’s default mode in our culture today is verse 8 toward women, wives and mothers like, “I will go if you go.” Do you sense this in our culture today? Do you see this trickling into our church today?
I will go to church if you go to church. I will pray with our family if you pray with our family. I will pour into our children if I have to pour into our children. I will stand firm in my faith if you make me. Otherwise I am going to get really busy with this work, really busy with this hobby and hopefully life will be so easy you don’t ask. Do you see this?
Listen to me, we need to remember Barak ends up in Hebrews 11 as a great man of faith but right now Barak is struggling. Maybe it’s because Barak is being lazy? Maybe the spiritual condition of Israel was so confusing Barak didn’t know what it meant to be a godly man? Maybe Barak saw a godly woman like Deborah and he’s hoping that Deborah will take the military lead? Maybe Barak is in this place because it’s just been a habit of being spiritually lulled into passivity?
It doesn’t really matter how men end up in place of spiritual passivity but this is something men and women need to be on guard against. We don’t want our men in a place of spiritual passivity like Barak but we also don’t want our wives picking up responsibilities that belong to the men, but instead we want husbands and wives walking with the Lord, living out their roles and responsibilities, so that we complement one another.
There have been times in my marriage where I have lost confidence, I’ve been lulled to sleep, I’ve given myself over to laziness and I am thankful for a wife that didn’t just pick up my slack and do it for me.
She could, because she’s amazing but instead she looked at me and says, “I still believe in you, I still believe the Lord is leading through you, I’m still following you, I need you to be a godly man that leads our home” and it makes a huge difference.
We don’t want our wives to have to do this every Monday but sometimes in difficult seasons these words are like water on a dry and weary soul. Look at verse 10:
Judges 4:10, “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.”
Deborah’s encouragement makes a difference. She didn’t yell. She didn’t condescend. She didn’t say, “Get out of my way, I can do this.” Deborah reminds Barak of God’s Word and it makes a huge difference. Look at verses 11-12:
Judges 4:11-12, “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.”
In verses 11-16 we see the description of Barak going to battle against Sisera, the 900 iron chariots and the Lord is victorious. The glory isn’t given to the Deborah. The glory isn’t given to Barak, but throughout the passage it is the Lord that is victorious, so that you think the passage is coming to an end until we get to verse 17. Jump down to verses 17-18:
Judges 4:17-18, “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.”
Okay, this is about to get intense. Literally! The enemy Sisera has fled and he comes across Jael another woman in the story, so that Jael invites Sisera into the tent and covers him with a rug. Look at verses 19-20:
Judges 4:19-20, “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.’”
Now, at this point you need to remember the Lord has promised victory to Barak back in verse 5 but Barak hesitates. Barak says he won’t go unless Deborah will go with him, so that we can listen to the Lord and obey His Word or He will move other people to accomplish His purpose. Does that make sense? Look at verse 21:
Judges 4:21, “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.”
You think? I don’t want to make light of death but that’s got to be the greatest line in Scripture. The Lord planned to give Sisera into the hands of Barak but Barak was struggling to trust in the Lord and follow Him, so the Lord moved through someone else.
Listen to me, we’re not picking on Barak. Sometimes we hit low points in life. Barak is honored in Hebrews 4 as a man of faith but right here we see Barak struggling and it’s okay to struggle but we don’t want to stay there because when we do we are going to miss out on what the Lord wants to do in your life.
God’s Word calls us to faith in Jesus’ life, death, resurrection, so that we are indwelled with His Holy Spirit to walk in His purpose for His glory. We want men and women who are walking in the power of the Holy Spirit. We want men and women who are confident in the Lord. We want men and women who are speaking His word into our families, our church, the workplace and our neighborhoods.
We want men and women who are standing firm in the Lord but if we aren’t interested or we are too entangled in the ways of this world He will simply accomplish His plans and purposes in other people. Does that make sense? Look at verse 22 as we close:
Judges 4:22, “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.”
Just like last Sunday we have to be on guard against Metaphorical and Behavioral Application when we read the Old Testament.
It would be easy to see how Sisera sought comfort in the tent, so we too need to be on guard aginst seeking comfort in the tents of this world because the enemy wants to drive a tent peg into our head.
And we need to be on guard against Behavioral Application, so that we just walk away esteeming Deborah or creating a list of how not to be like Barak but instead our eyes would be lifted to the Savior that is to come.
North Village Church
This sermon is brought to you by North Village Church, a non-denominational church in Austin. established in 2009 and built around Jesus and Bible teaching.
Are you looking for a church in Austin? At North Village Church we put Jesus at the center of our church family. We worship together every Sunday at 10:30am, encourage Christ centered fellowship through groups, and host special events such as Bible studies and Theological Training, to ensure that we are rooted in in God’s Word. We also serve our local community in association with several Austin based organizations.
North Village Church is made up of professionals, married couples, singles, and families who are wanting to experience the life-transforming power of Jesus. If you are a family with children or teens, we can support you with either or both our Kids Ministry and Youth Ministry.
You are welcome to contact us if you would like more information.
NVC Online
Unable to attend this Christian Church in Austin? Don’t worry, because, through God’s provision, we have created NVC online, an Online Church streaming a worship service every Sunday from 10:30am Central Time. You can also watch our short, powerful sermons on demand and follow us on Instagram for daily Christ centered content.