Judges 6:1

Judges 6:1 says, And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD: and the LORD delivered them into the hand of Midian seven years.  Once again, after God delivered them, the people of Israel did evil in His sight, and He allowed them to be taken captive.  This time it was by the Midinites, and lasted for seven years.  Matthew Henry said this was Midianites near Moab, who had no real ruler, but lived by a mob attitude and were known for their feroushiness.  We don't need to get caught up in a similar cycle today as followers of Christ.  Verse two adds, And the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel: and because of the Midianites the children of Israel made them the dens which are in the mountains, and caves, and strong holds.  Since the Midianites had defeated them, the Israelites lived in caves in the mountains that they made their strongholds. They chose flight over fight, because they knew God was not with them.  Sometimes we run away from evil in this world instead of confronting it head on because we do not have enough faith in God.  Verse three continues, And so it was, when Israel had sown, that the Midianites came up, and the Amalekites, and the children of the east, even they came up against them;  After the Israelites sowed their crops, the Midianites and Amalekites and others came up against them.  Verse four states, And they encamped against them, and destroyed the increase of the earth, till thou come unto Gaza, and left no sustenance for Israel, neither sheep, nor ox, nor ass.  The Midianites and Amalekites destroyed all of Israel’s crops and livestock, leaving them with nothing.  God had given them a land flowing with milk and honey, and all they had to do was remain faithful to Him to keep it, but they wouldn't.  We as Christians today have God's promise that He will meet all our needs and keep us safe in the presence of our enemies if we only remain faithful, but we often allow doubt to keep us from receiving His blessings.  Verse five adds, For they came up with their cattle and their tents, and they came as grasshoppers for multitude; for both they and their camels were without number: and they entered into the land to destroy it.  The Midianites and the Amalekites came up like a swarm of grasshoppers in number, destroying everything before them and taking it for their own.  Still, had they remained faithful to God, the number of enemies would not have mattered.  This is still true today.  Verse six continues, And Israel was greatly impoverished because of the Midianites; and the children of Israel cried unto the LORD.  The people of Israel became greatly impoverished because of the Midianites, and once again called out to God.  Sometimes, we tend to forget about God until we find ourselves in need, then we once again call out to Him.  Verse seven declares, And it came to pass, when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD because of the Midianites.  Verse eight adds, That the LORD sent a prophet unto the children of Israel, which said unto them, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I brought you up from Egypt, and brought you forth out of the house of bondage;  After the people of God called out to Him, He raised up a prophet who began to declare His word to them.  We today as followers of Christ have One much better than a prophet, the Holy Spirit, to strengthen us and declare God's word of guidance to us.  Verse nine continues, And I delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all that oppressed you, and drave them out from before you, and gave you their land;  God reminded them that He had given them their land, just as we need to remember that He has given us everlasting life today.  We need never be in despair as long as we remain faithful to God.  Verse ten concludes, And I said unto you, I am the LORD your God; fear not the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but ye have not obeyed my voice.  God then reminded them that He was their God and that they had no reason to fear any other false god, and neither do we today as Christians.  Yet, they had again chosen not to obey His voice. We must never forget God's word today as Christians. 

Judges 5:20

Judges 5:20 says, They fought from heaven; the stars in their courses fought against Sisera.  Deborah sang that even the stars fought against Sisera.  Matthew Henry says this may be a reference to the hail that helped in defeating Sisera, which would have blocked out the stars, but it definitely refers to being at war with the One Who created the stars.  Verse twenty-one adds, The river of Kishon swept them away, that ancient river, the river Kishon. O my soul, thou hast trodden down strength.  Then she sang of the river Kishon sweeping away multitudes who hoped to escape through it, and once more this was something that God Himself controlled.  Whatever enemy we may be facing today, as followers of Christ, our God is immensely more powerful than the most powerful enemy we will ever face.  Verse twenty-two continues, Then were the horsehoofs broken by the means of the pransings, the pransings of their mighty ones.  The sound of the horsehoofs was broken by the flooding river.  Their chariots, of which they were so proud, were made useless by God, just as He can make the most powerful weapon of mankind useless today.  Verse twenty-three declares, Curse ye Meroz, said the angel of the LORD, curse ye bitterly the inhabitants thereof; because they came not to the help of the LORD, to the help of the LORD against the mighty.  Then, Deborah sang of a curse being placed on Meroz, which Matthew Henry says was probably a city of Israel near the fighting, for not coming to fight in the war against Sisera.  We who profess to be Christians cannot set safely on the sidelines, because we are still at war with sin and evil in the world today.  Verse twenty-four adds, Blessed above women shall Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite be, blessed shall she be above women in the tent.  Deborah then sang of a blessing on Jael for her part in the victory.  Those who serve God most faithfully will be blessed, if not in this world, then in the one to come.  Verse twenty-five continues, He asked water, and she gave him milk; she brought forth butter in a lordly dish.  When Sisera asked Jael for water, she gave him milk instead.  He thought she was on his side in the war against Israel.  Verse twenty-six states, She put her hand to the nail, and her right hand to the workmen’s hammer; and with the hammer she smote Sisera, she smote off his head, when she had pierced and stricken through his temples.  Then Deborah sang of Jael's action in killing Sisera when he thought he was safe enough to sleep.  Today, we are told to love our enemies, but we still cannot surrender our loyalty to God and our acknowledgement that we are at war with the forces of sin and evil.  Verse twenty-seven adds, At her feet he bowed, he fell, he lay down: at her feet he bowed, he fell: where he bowed, there he fell down dead.  Though Sisera might have been a powerful man at one time, he was brought down by a woman.  No matter how powerful our enemies may be today, as long as we remain faithful to God, they will be brought down one day.  Verse twenty-eight says, The mother of Sisera looked out at a window, and cried through the lattice, Why is his chariot so long in coming? why tarry the wheels of his chariots?  Deborah sang of the mother of Sisera looking and listening for the chariots return, and asking what could have happened to them.  She expected a quick victory, because of the number of chariots Sisera had to use in the war against Israel.  As Christians, many of our enemies today expect to have a quick victory over us, but if we remain faithful to God, they will be left sitting and asking what happened.  Verse twenty-nine adds, Her wise ladies answered her, yea, she returned answer to herself,  She looked to her wise ladies, who aren't really identified as to why they were referred to as wise ladies, for answers and they said yes, they should be back, then she attempted to answer the question herself.  We are never going to find the answers we are looking for today until we look to God.  All the wisdom of the world outside of the wisdom that comes from God when we put our faith in Jesus Christ will never provide us answers to any problem.  Verse thirty continues, Have they not sped? have they not divided the prey; to every man a damsel or two; to Sisera a prey of divers colours, a prey of divers colours of needlework, of divers colours of needlework on both sides, meet for the necks of them that take the spoil?  Sisera's mother then  asked had he not quickly defeated the Israelites and divided the spoils of war.  She was expecting a quick and easy victory over God's people, but she was so wrong.  The people of the world may expect a quick and easy victory over Christians today, but if we remain faithful to God,  they will always be left sitting and asking what happened.  Verse thirty-one concludes, So let all thine enemies perish, O LORD: but let them that love him be as the sun when he goeth forth in his might. And the land had rest forty years.  Deborah closed the song by asking for the death of God's enemies and for His blessings on His people, and then we are told that the people of Israel lived at peace for forty years.  As followers of Christ, spiritually all our enemies have already been defeated and we have God's everlasting blessing on us.  We are a part of God's everlasting kingdom as soon as we accept Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord, and no enemy can truly defeat us as long a we remain true to Him. We have everlasting peace spiritually as long as we remain faithful to Him. 

Judges 5:9

Judges 5:9 says, My heart is toward the governors of Israel, that offered themselves willingly among the people. Bless ye the LORD.  Deborah sang of the other governors of Israel who had like herself under her leadership tried to call the them back to God and were willing to die in war for Israel.  Not every governor was bad during the bad times of Israel, and not every government official is bad today.  Verse ten adds, Speak, ye that ride on white asses, ye that sit in judgment, and walk by the way.  These were the nobility or rich people of Israel who had been blessed by Israel's redemption, and she called on them to judge fairly.  Verse eleven continues, They that are delivered from the noise of archers in the places of drawing water, there shall they rehearse the righteous acts of the LORD, even the righteous acts toward the inhabitants of his villages in Israel: then shall the people of the LORD go down to the gates.  Deborah continued by referring to those who had been delivered from the noise of war reminding them that God had delivered them and that they should follow the righteous acts of God before they sat in judgment.  We as Christians have been delivered from the power of sin and death, and we need to follow the righteous of God in all that we do.  Verse twelve states, Awake, awake, Deborah: awake, awake, utter a song: arise, Barak, and lead thy captivity captive, thou son of Abinoam.  Deborah called on Barak and herself to awake and be stirred up for following through on the victory and praising God for it.  We as followers of Christ already have the victory today, but we at times may be lax in praising God and need to awaken to praising Him.  Verse thirteen adds, Then he made him that remaineth have dominion over the nobles among the people: the LORD made me have dominion over the mighty.  Deborah then said God had appointed those who had dominion over the people of Israel, and she was appointed to have dominion over the mighty.  Since we still refer to ourselves as a Christian nation, it would be nice if our leaders were those appointed by God, but sadly this often isn't the case.  Verse fourteen says, Out of Ephraim was there a root of them against Amalek; after thee, Benjamin, among thy people; out of Machir came down governors, and out of Zebulun they that handle the pen of the writer.  Deborah then began to sing of those of different tribes of Israel who had served in different ways to bring about victory.  She started by referring to the tribe of Ephraim, who had cut off the Amalekites from helping Jabin, then of the tribe of Benjamin, Machir (half the tribe of Manasseh) and Zebulun.  Many kings allied themselves against the people of Israel, who had no king except God Himself.  We today as Christians have many forces allied against us, and we may be without an earthly leader, but God Himself is our leader.  Verse fifteen adds, And the princes of Issachar were with Deborah; even Issachar, and also Barak: he was sent on foot into the valley. For the divisions of Reuben there were great thoughts of heart.  Deborah sang that Issachar was with Barak as he fought in the valley.  Verse sixteen states, Why abodest thou among the sheepfolds, to hear the bleatings of the flocks? For the divisions of Reuben there were great searchings of heart.  Deborah then sang of the people of Israel who refused to help out during the war.  Many people today, even those who call themselves Christians, want to simply sit out the war against evil in the world today because they are personally safe.  Verse seventeen adds, Gilead abode beyond Jordan: and why did Dan remain in ships? Asher continued on the sea shore, and abode in his breaches.  She asked why the tribes of Gilead, Dan and Asher had not helped.  Verse eighteen continues, Zebulun and Naphtali were a people that jeoparded their lives unto the death in the high places of the field.  Then she referred to the tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali, who had been willing to die to free themselves from oppression.  Verse nineteen concludes, The kings came and fought, then fought the kings of Canaan in Taanach by the waters of Megiddo; they took no gain of money.  They were not fighting for material gain, but for freedom from bondage.  We today should likewise never serve God for material gains. 

Judges 5:1

Judges 5:1 says, Then sang Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam on that day, saying,  Deborah and Barak sang praises to God that day.  We should always sing praises to God as Christians today.  Verse two adds, Praise ye the LORD for the avenging of Israel, when the people willingly offered themselves.  They sang praise to God for delivering Israel when they willingly offered themselves.  God today will deliver anyone from the power and penalty of sin if we only offer ourself to Him by putting our faith in Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord.  Verse three continues, Hear, O ye kings; give ear, O ye princes; I, even I, will sing unto the LORD; I will sing praise to the LORD God of Israel.  They continued their song of praise by calling on other kings and princes to hear it.  We today need to praise God to all the world, even to those who may be in power and be attempting to destroy us, as many kings and princes were attempting to destroy Israel in that day.  Verse four states, LORD, when thou wentest out of Seir, when thou marchedst out of the field of Edom, the earth trembled, and the heavens dropped, the clouds also dropped water. They sang of God's power over the earth itself, as He made the earth tremble and clouds to drop rain.  God struck terror in His enemies by simply controlling the forces of nature, and He can still do so today if He chooses to.  Verse five adds, The mountains melted from before the LORD, even that Sinai from before the LORD God of Israel.  Deborah and Barak sang of God melting the mountains, and we are told if we have the faith of a mustard seed that we can move mountains, and we should praise God for this.  Verse six continues, In the days of Shamgar the son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the highways were unoccupied, and the travellers walked through byways.  They then sang of the days from Shamgar to the days of Jael when the people of Israel were afraid to travel the roads.  We today have been set free forever by the power of God through the death of His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ,the cross and His resurrection from the dead to defeat the power of sin and death forever.  We should boldly proclaim this to world today if we have accepted Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord.  Verse seven says, The inhabitants of the villages ceased, they ceased in Israel, until that I Deborah arose, that I arose a mother in Israel.  Deborah then spoke of being raised up as a deliverer, of Judge of Israel herself.  We today have no other Savior and Deliverer but Jesus Christ Himself, and we need to give all the praise and glory to Him.  Verse eight adds, They chose new gods; then was war in the gates: was there a shield or spear seen among forty thousand in Israel?  Deborah said that even though there were forty thousand Israelites there, they had either been unable or unwilling to go to war because they were putting their faith in other gods.  If we are going to win the war against sin and evil in the world today, it will be because of our faith in God and not because of our numbers or weapons.

Judges 4:17

Judges 4:17 says, Howbeit Sisera fled away on his feet 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.  Sisera fled to the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber, because there was peace between Jabin and Heber.  His chariot did him no good, and weapons will ultimately do the enemies of God today or at anytime no good.  Verse eighteen adds, And Jael went out to meet Sisera, and said unto him, Turn in, my lord, turn in to me; fear not. And when he had turned in unto her into the tent, she covered him with a mantle.  Jael invited Sisera to come into her tent and covered him with a mantle.  She was seemingly being kind to him.  Verse nineteen continues, And he said unto her, Give me, I pray thee, a little water to drink; for I am thirsty. And she opened a bottle of milk, and gave him drink, and covered him.  Sisera asked her for a little water, and she gave him a bottle of milk instead, then she covered him up again.  He had run away from the fight, and now he was hiding under the covers of a woman, who he probably still felt superior to.  Some people who are afraid to fight against their enemies today still feel superior to many people, especially those they feel are of a lesser status, as women were viewed at that time.  Verse twenty states, Again he said unto her, Stand in the door of the tent, and it shall be, when any man doth come and inquire of thee, and say, Is there any man here? that thou shalt say, No.  Sisera told Jael to stand watch at the door and if anyone asked if there was a man there to say no.  He didn't ask as he did for the water, but told her what to do this time.  If we help someone today, they may become more demanding if they need more help.  Verse twenty-one adds, Then Jael Heber’s wife took a nail of the tent, and took an hammer in her hand, and went softly unto him, and smote the nail into his temples, and fastened it into the ground: for he was fast asleep and weary. So he died.  As Sisera was sleeping, Jael took a nail and hammered it through his head, fastening him to the ground.  He may have felt safe because Jael seemed to be helping him, but he was in more danger than he had been in when he left the chariot and ran away.  He was trying to escape God's chosen people after he tried to kill them, but he could not escape God's judgment.  No matter how safe they may feel at the moment, no enemy of God today will ever escape His judgment either.  Verse twenty-two continues, And, behold, as Barak pursued Sisera, Jael came out to meet him, and said unto him, Come, and I will shew thee the man whom thou seekest. And when he came into her tent, behold, Sisera lay dead, and the nail was in his temples.  When Barack came in pursuit of Sisera, Jael went out and told him that she would show him the man he sought.  When Barack entered her tent he saw Sisera dead with a nail in his head.  Jael had chosen to be on the side of the people of Israel, even though her husband was at peace with Jaban.  Ultimately, every person has to decide whether they want to be friends with God's people or their enemies.  I don't believe we can really do both.  Verse twenty-three declares, So God subdued on that day Jabin the king of Canaan before the children of Israel. We are then told that God secured Jaban before the people of Israel, and not that Barack and the army of Israel did.  What we need to realize as followers of Christ is that He gives us victory over our enemies, and that we don't gain victory by our own power.  Verse twenty four adds, And the hand of the children of Israel prospered, and prevailed against Jabin the king of Canaan, until they had destroyed Jabin king of Canaan.  Then, we are told that the children of Israel prospered in their battle against Jaban and destroyed him.  As Christians, God has already secured the victory over all our sins for us if we live by faith in Jesus Christ, and we should prosper spiritually because of His victory,  and we should never take credit personally for what God does for us.

Judges 4:11

Judges 4:11 says, Now Heber the Kenite, which was of the children of Hobab the father in law of Moses, had severed himself from the Kenites, and pitched his tent unto the plain of Zaanaim, which is by Kedesh.  Heber, from the Kinites, the descendents of Moses's father-in-law, in the south, had moved to the north.  Verse twelve adds, And they shewed Sisera that Barak the son of Abinoam was gone up to mount Tabor.  They, which could mean the Kinites, showed Sisera where Barak was.  Matthew Henry says that if it were the Kenites that they might have thought this to be a kindness since there was peace between Jabin and that family at this time.  Whatever the reason, it brought to fulfillment Deborah's promise that the LORD would bring Sisera to Barak.  We as followers of Christ today may innocently do something that brings trouble to others, but we should never do so deliberately.  Verse thirteen continues, And Sisera gathered together all his chariots, even nine hundred chariots of iron, and all the people that were with him, from Harosheth of the Gentiles unto the river of Kishon.  Having heard this news, Sisera gathered all his chariots to go to war with Barak.  We can be certain today that Satan has gathered all his forces to go to war with Christians throughout the world.  If we as followers of Christ are living by God's standards, Satan should always know where to find us.  Verse fourteen states, And Deborah said unto Barak, Up; for this is the day in which the LORD hath delivered Sisera into thine hand: is not the LORD gone out before thee? So Barak went down from mount Tabor, and ten thousand men after him.  Deborah told Barak it was time to get up and go meet Sisera, because the LORD had gone before him and delivered Sisera into his hand.  What we can be certain of today as Christians is that no matter what happens in this world, Jesus Christ has gone before us to ensure our everlasting victory.  Verse fifteen adds, And the LORD discomfited Sisera, and all his chariots, and all his host, with the edge of the sword before Barak; so that Sisera lighted down off his chariot, and fled away on his feet.  God caused Sisera to be so uncomfortable that he left his chariot and fled the area.  This was even before Barak and his army got there.  We do not have to depend on vast armies to defeat evil in this world today as Christians, because God goes before us and defeats them for us as long as we remain faithful to Christ.  Verse sixteen continues, But Barak pursued after the chariots, and after the host, unto Harosheth of the Gentiles: and all the host of Sisera fell upon the edge of the sword; and there was not a man left.  Though Sisera had fled his chariots, evidently the others in the chariots fled in their chariots, but it did them no good.  All of Sisera's army fell before the sword.  We need to always acknowledge that no matter how powerful our enemies may seem today  that God has already secured our victory over them, so we simply need to claim that victory. 

 

Judges 4:1

Judges 4:1 says, And the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the LORD, when Ehud was dead.  After Ehud died, the people of Israel again did evil in the sight of the LORD.  Verse two adds, And the LORD sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, that reigned in Hazor; the captain of whose host was Sisera, which dwelt in Harosheth of the Gentiles.  This time, God allowed them to be defeated by Jabin, king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor.  Joshua had defeated a king by that name in a city by that name, so this was probably an ancestor, after the city had been rebuilt.  We often face the same sin once again, even when we think we have totally destroyed it from our life.  Verse three continues, And the children of Israel cried unto the LORD: for he had nine hundred chariots of iron; and twenty years he mightily oppressed the children of Israel.  The people of Isreal once again cried out to God, because Jabin had nine hundred iron chariots and he mightily oppressed them.  He oppressed them for twenty years. There are many countries with a lot of powerful armies today, some of which are oppressing and killing Christians, but we need to make sure that God isn't allowing it because of our sinfulness as professed followers of Christ.  Verse four states, And Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, she judged Israel at that time.  Deborah who was called a prophetess, was the judge of Israel at this time.  She was intimately acquainted with God and inspired by the Holy Spirit.  I believe that God still works through both men and women to reach the world with His gospel, and all Christians are indwelled by the Holy Spirit and are empowered by Him if they are obedient to God's word.  Verse five adds, And she dwelt under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in mount Ephraim: and the children of Israel came up to her for judgment.  Deborah lived under the palm tree that would become known by her name.  Matthew Henry says she either had a house under the palm tree, or it was a seat of judgment for her.  Either way, the people of Israel came to her for direction, not because she was the head of the government, but because she was directed by the Spirit of God. We need to not look for the government to solve all our problems, but we need to look to God and His leadership through the power of the Holy Spirit.  Verse six says, And she sent and called Barak the son of Abinoam out of Kedeshnaphtali, and said unto him, Hath not the LORD God of Israel commanded, saying, Go and draw toward mount Tabor, and take with thee ten thousand men of the children of  Naphtali and of the children of Zebulun?  Deborah called Barak and asked him had not God called on him to take ten thousand men of the tribes of Naphtali and Zebulun and go toward Mount Tabor.  Evidently he had, but hadn't acted on it.  When God calls on us to do something for Him today, we need to act and not wait for someone else to point out what we need to be doing.  Verse seven adds, And I will draw unto thee to the river Kishon Sisera, the captain of Jabin’s army, with his chariots and his multitude; and I will deliver him into thine hand.  Deborah continued by asking Barak if God had not promised to draw Sisera, the head of the army of Jabin to him with his chariots and to deliver him into Barak's hand.  We as followers of Christ have already been given the power to defeat all our enemies spiritually, yet we often fail to live as though we believe this.  Verse eight states, And Barak said unto her, If thou wilt go with me, then I will go: but if thou wilt not go with me, then I will not go.  Barak said if Deborah would go with him he would go, but if she wouldn't, he wouldn't.  We need to follow God's direction even if we go alone into the battle against evil in the world today.  Verse nine adds, And she said, I will surely go with thee: notwithstanding the journey that thou takest shall not be for thine honour; for the LORD shall sell Sisera into the hand of a woman. And Deborah arose, and went with Barak to Kedesh.  Deborah said that she would go with him, but that when she did, Barak would receive no honor, but people would say that Sisera was delivered into the hand of a woman, and she went with him.  We need to go and do what God calls us to do without demanding that someone else goes with us.  Verse ten continues, And Barak called Zebulun and Naphtali to Kedesh; and he went up with ten thousand men at his feet: and Deborah went up with him.  Barak called the army as God had commanded, and Deborah went with him.  Since we as followers of Christ are all a part of God's army, we need to obediently go where He sends us.