Judges 3:31-5:31 - Shamgar & Deborah
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Chapter 4 & 5 are two writing styles recording the same event (story & song). We’re going to start our time by reading through the song recorded in chapter 5 and then we will work through the story in chapter 4.
1 Then sang Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam on that day:
2 “That the leaders took the lead in Israel, that the people offered themselves willingly, bless the Lord!
3 “Hear, O kings; give ear, O princes; to the Lord I will sing; I will make melody to the Lord, the God of Israel.
4 “Lord, when you went out from Seir, when you marched from the region of Edom, the earth trembled and the heavens dropped, yes, the clouds dropped water.
5 The mountains quaked before the Lord, even Sinai before the Lord, the God of Israel.
6 “In the days of Shamgar, son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the highways were abandoned, and travelers kept to the byways.
7 The villagers ceased in Israel; they ceased to be until I arose; I, Deborah, arose as a mother in Israel.
8 When new gods were chosen, then war was in the gates. Was shield or spear to be seen among forty thousand in Israel?
9 My heart goes out to the commanders of Israel who offered themselves willingly among the people. Bless the Lord.
10 “Tell of it, you who ride on white donkeys, you who sit on rich carpets and you who walk by the way.
11 To the sound of musicians at the watering places, there they repeat the righteous triumphs of the Lord, the righteous triumphs of his villagers in Israel. “Then down to the gates marched the people of the Lord.
12 “Awake, awake, Deborah! Awake, awake, break out in a song! Arise, Barak, lead away your captives, O son of Abinoam.
13 Then down marched the remnant of the noble; the people of the Lord marched down for me against the mighty.
14 From Ephraim their root they marched down into the valley, following you, Benjamin, with your kinsmen; from Machir marched down the commanders, and from Zebulun those who bear the lieutenant’s staff;
15 the princes of Issachar came with Deborah, and Issachar faithful to Barak; into the valley they rushed at his heels. Among the clans of Reuben there were great searchings of heart.
16 Why did you sit still among the sheepfolds, to hear the whistling for the flocks? Among the clans of Reuben there were great searchings of heart.
17 Gilead stayed beyond the Jordan; and Dan, why did he stay with the ships? Asher sat still at the coast of the sea, staying by his landings.
18 Zebulun is a people who risked their lives to the death; Naphtali, too, on the heights of the field.
19 “The kings came, they fought; then fought the kings of Canaan, at Taanach, by the waters of Megiddo; they got no spoils of silver.
20 From heaven the stars fought, from their courses they fought against Sisera.
21 The torrent Kishon swept them away, the ancient torrent, the torrent Kishon. March on, my soul, with might!
22 “Then loud beat the horses’ hoofs with the galloping, galloping of his steeds.
23 “Curse Meroz, says the angel of the Lord, curse its inhabitants thoroughly, because they did not come to the help of the Lord, to the help of the Lord against the mighty.
24 “Most blessed of women be Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, of tent-dwelling women most blessed.
25 He asked for water and she gave him milk; she brought him curds in a noble’s bowl.
26 She sent her hand to the tent peg and her right hand to the workmen’s mallet; she struck Sisera; she crushed his head; she shattered and pierced his temple.
27 Between her feet he sank, he fell, he lay still; between her feet he sank, he fell; where he sank, there he fell—dead.
28 “Out of the window she peered, the mother of Sisera wailed through the lattice: ‘Why is his chariot so long in coming? Why tarry the hoofbeats of his chariots?’
29 Her wisest princesses answer, indeed, she answers herself,
30 ‘Have they not found and divided the spoil?— A womb or two for every man; spoil of dyed materials for Sisera, spoil of dyed materials embroidered, two pieces of dyed work embroidered for the neck as spoil?’
31 “So may all your enemies perish, O Lord! But your friends be like the sun as he rises in his might.” And the land had rest for forty years.
31 After him was Shamgar the son of Anath, who killed 600 of the Philistines with an oxgoad, and he also saved Israel.
3:31 - Shamgar
After Ehud
Son of Anath
Killed 600 Philistines with an oxgoad
He ALSO saved Israel (presumably in the same manner as the pattern)
As indicated by the song of Deborah, he is a contemporary of Deborah & Barak
4:1-24 - Deborah & Barak
1 And the people of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord after Ehud died.
1 - The people of Israel did evil again
Joshua dies, the people turn to the idols of the land
Othniel dies, the people turn to the idols of the land
Ehud dies, the people turn to the idols of the land
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.
2 - The Lord sold them to the hand of Jabin (& Sisera - commander)
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.
3 - The people of Israel cried out
900 chariots of iron & oppressed people 20 YEARS
cf: God’s promise concerning the land specifically called out HIS ability to take out the chariots
1 “When you go out to war against your enemies, and see horses and chariots and an army larger than your own, you shall not be afraid of them, for the Lord your God is with you, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.
4 Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, was judging Israel at that time.
About Deborah (Judges 4:4)
About Deborah (Judges 4:4)
1) Deborah was Prophetess
OT Female Prophets: Those named in the OT include
Miriam
20 Then Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a tambourine in her hand, and all the women went out after her with tambourines and dancing.
Huldah
14 So Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam, and Achbor, and Shaphan, and Asaiah went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tikvah, son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe (now she lived in Jerusalem in the Second Quarter), and they talked with her.
Noadiah
14 Remember Tobiah and Sanballat, O my God, according to these things that they did, and also the prophetess Noadiah and the rest of the prophets who wanted to make me afraid.
Isaiah’s wife is unnamed
1 Then the Lord said to me, “Take a large tablet and write on it in common characters, ‘Belonging to Maher-shalal-hash-baz.’
2 And I will get reliable witnesses, Uriah the priest and Zechariah the son of Jeberechiah, to attest for me.”
3 And I went to the prophetess, and she conceived and bore a son. Then the Lord said to me, “Call his name Maher-shalal-hash-baz;
4 for before the boy knows how to cry ‘My father’ or ‘My mother,’ the wealth of Damascus and the spoil of Samaria will be carried away before the king of Assyria.”
NT Female Prophets
Anna in the Temple - (SINGLE for ~70 years)
36 And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived with her husband seven years from when she was a virgin,
37 and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day.
Philip’s FOUR prophetess daughters (ALL SINGLE)
8 On the next day we departed and came to Caesarea, and we entered the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven, and stayed with him.
9 He had four unmarried daughters, who prophesied.
2) Deborah was the wife of Lappidoth
3) Deborah was Judging Israel
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.
5 - Sit under the palm of Deborah (between Ramah and Bethel in Ephraim)
8 And Deborah, Rebekah’s nurse, died, and she was buried under an oak below Bethel. So he called its name Allon-bacuth.
People would come to her for judgement
This reminds us of the advice given to Moses by Jethro in Exodus 18 -
21 Moreover, look for able men from all the people, men who fear God, who are trustworthy and hate a bribe, and place such men over the people as chiefs of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens.
22 And let them judge the people at all times. Every great matter they shall bring to you, but any small matter they shall decide themselves. So it will be easier for you, and they will bear the burden with you.
23 If you do this, God will direct you, you will be able to endure, and all this people also will go to their place in peace.”
The Lord has in His wisdom has created ROLES for us to play in His Kingdom.
Some of these roles are anatomically obvious…for instance a man cannot give birth to a child.
Some of these roles in spiritual authority and leadership are less clear to us
Scripture testifies to a division of roles based on gifting, gender, age, etc.
We believe that about priesthood in the OT, Elders in the church, Husbands and wives in the home, etc.
However, the Lord CAN and DOES work outside of this framework
This passage outlines TWO instances where a man is NOT stepping into the role He was called to
And in absence of a willing and able man, God uses two women to fill the VOID of leadership
The First example is here with Deborah
She is by gifting and calling, a prophetess…this is a well established role for females in the people of God throughout the OLD and NEW testament. It is a speaking role meant for the encouragement and instruction of the people of God…but it comes under the authority of the Priesthood in the Old Testament and the Eldership in the New Testament.
However, in the VOID of any man who fears God and is trustworthy to the office, SHE is ALSO judging in Israel rather than say, her husband Lappidoth or Barak or ANY OTHER God fearing man.
So, as you see Deborah speak during the rest of this story, she is actually speaking in her role as a prophetess, not as a judge...
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’?”
6 - She sent for Barak and said (PROPHESIED?)...
Has not the Lord, the God of Israel , commanded you to GO GATHER your men +10k of Zeb/Naph
7 - …as a prophetess she is speaking as though the LORD is the one speaking…so she continues...
I (THE LORD) will draw out Sisera, Jabin’s general, to meet you at river Kison with his chariots and troops and I (THE LORD) will give him into your hand!
8 - Barak’s response to Deborah is...
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.”
Barak THINKS he needs Deborah (who speaks on behalf of the Lord to come with him to assure his success)…Deborah is just the messenger, the prophetess. The Lord has ALREADY assured Barak’s victory…the Lord has spoken and it is as good as DONE.
Judges 4:9 (ESV)
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.”
9a - I will surely go with you (if that’s what you want) but you will forfeit your glory, for the LORD will sell Sisera into the hand of a woman,
The judgement on Barak for not believing what was revealed to him is that Sisera, the general, will be killed by a woman rather than by Barak.
This judgement for questioning the revelation given by God brings to recollection, Zechariah questioning the angel Gabriel when he showed up in the Temple to foretell John the Baptist’s birth…Zechariah was unable to speak until JtB was born. (Luke 1)
Judges 4:9–10 (ESV)
9 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.
9b-10 - Deborah went with Barak instead of separating and delivering Sisera into Barak’s hand
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.
11 - An Informant in the camp…(see in v 12 that Sisera was TOLD about Barak from someone (likely Heber the Kenite)…Heber chose AGAINST the testimony of Moses to instead align with Jabin and Sisera against Israel.
12-16 - The Battle
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.
12- Sisera told (by Heber…) about Barak’s movement
13 - Sisera assembles his chariots and goes to fight Barak
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.
14-16 - The Lord gives Sisera’s Army into Barak’s hand
14 - Deborah again PROHPECIES...the battle won by the LORD!
15 - The Lord routs Sisera’s army, but Sisera flees
16 - Barak defeats ALL the chariots
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.
17-21 - Jael & Sisera
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.
22 - Barak finds Sisera dead at the hands of Jael
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.
23-24 - God subdued Jabin, king of Canaan
Summary of the Song
The LORD’s will within it
GO WITH THIS
Reflecting on the oppression of Israel by Jabin and his 900 chariots…the size and strength of the enemy should never be a deterrent to our obedience
We don’t throw in the towel against sin because it’s hard to fight.
We don’t throw in the towel on a calling because it’s got obstacles.
Whatever the Lord calls us to do, it is His strength that will accomplish it.
I know this story was a lot to follow between Barak, Deborah, Lappidoth, Jabin, Sisera, Jael, the soldiers, Heber, etc … a lot of players in this story, but Judges 4:23 shows us the one in power...
23 So on that day God subdued Jabin the king of Canaan before the people of Israel.
God accomplished this work
God sold Isreal into the hand of Jabin because they did not walk in His ways
God responded in mercy to the cries (not repentance) of His people and rose up Barak and Deborah and Jael to defeat Israel’s enemies
We can tend to want to sit back and just wait for God to force His will upon us.
Doesn’t mean we don’t have a role to play
Doesn’t mean we can’t be confident in what we do
Doesn’t mean you can’t kindly accept a compliment
But let us not be found boasting in our strength because everything we have is from the Lord
The Bible celebrates great women of faith such as Sarah, Miriam, Rahab, Deborah, Mary, Anna, Tabitha, the daughters of Philip, and even here…
Deborah - A prophetess functioning as a judge (typically handled by the priesthood / men)
Jael - The assassin married to the ally of Israel’s enemy who forsook his tribal connection to Moses...
However, MEN, this passage presents a CHALLENGE to us. DEBORAH and JAEL stepped up and we celebrate their obedience to the Lord in that. HOWEVER they did so because the men who should have stepped up didn’t.
Our culture is lacking in strong and faithful men.
We have one problem of fathers who walk away from responsibility of raising their children
Whether by physically leaving
OR by being present but unaccounted for in the home
We have another problem in our churches of men who will not step up to disciple the next generation.
We CANNOT make excuses or comparisons any longer. We must seek the Lord and lead where the Lord has called us to lead...
In our homes
In our churches
In our friendships
There is a very real spiritual war going on
And many are enslaved to the gods of the land.
It is on us to lead the charge against the enemies in our midst.