notes. 

Intro: Judges: is what it says it is. It is a series about the history of Israel after the death of Joshua- the one who conquered the promised land. Judges are a portion of history between Joshua, the Kings, and the Prophets. The People became unsatisfied with God and began to worship idols. God set a cycle of events to bring his people back to him.

When I was young, I attended our home church. From my viewpoint the church leaders were all women. My Pastor was my Grandma, my mom and aunts were childrens leaders and ministers. When we did church functions it was always this group. Also as people began to attend our church we had a lot of single mothers and strong women all of them. God created a great church with these ladies. As I grew I remember one time reading my bible and someone talking to me about the importance of men in families and the church. This seemed odd to me because I did not really know any. But I wanted to be the man God was calling me to be. The views on Men and Women in church and family leadership are vast. And I will not be preaching on that today. But I want to tell you my prayer on that day. I said, “God if you want men to take a leadership role then why is my church full of Women leaders?” God answered me: he said “Because the Men wouldn't do it”

It was not a rebuke of women to me. It was a statement of fact by God that he will use whoever is willing to do the work he has to do. No person is disqualified, they can only disqualify themselves.

The past two weeks, we discussed the cycle that we will see throughout Judges:

I don’t want to walk through the cycle of Judges this week. I do want to put it up so that you can explain it to your neighbor who wasn’t here the past two weeks. 

Judges parallel’s Christ’s Kingdom on earth today. 1. God is in heaven, 2. He has a people called by his name, 3. He is using the world to help us grow and learn.

I need to make my point before we get into this: Churches or Religious Organizations will not always have a Prophet/Warrior/Leader in one person. In Judges like today we have multiple leaders to bring about church growth.

In times of church transition from leader to leader or even when a church has no pastor. God will use the willing to do what is necessary with the people he has on hand.

Romans 8:28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

If we believe this then as we walk through judges we will see some of our situations today.

We are again beginning the cycle.

1. Deborah (Judges 4:1-7)

Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord, now that Ehud was dead. So the Lord sold them into the hands of Jabin, king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor. Sisera, the commander of his army, was based in Harosheth Haggoyim. Because he had nine hundred chariots fitted with iron and had cruelly oppressed the Israelites for twenty years, they cried to the Lord for help. Now Deborah, a prophet, the wife of Lappidoth, was leading Israel at that time. She held court under the Palm of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites went up to her to have their disputes decided.

EXP: Here we go again! This is our 3rd sermon on judges and already, I am exhausted with the Israelites walking back into their sin. Isn’t it funny how we are fed up with their course over the past 130 years, but we do this same thing multiple times in the past 3 years.

God gives the rebellious Isrealites over to Jabin, King of Canaan. He has a military leader named Sisera. Sisera commanded 900 chariots and used them to ride into the cities and terrorize the Isrealites. This happened for 20 years. Finally they cried out to the Lord. God already has a prophet in Israel named Deborah. She is a wise prophet who helps judge between the people after the death of Ehud. 

ILL: Geography

5 She held court under the Palm of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites went up to her to have their disputes decided. She sent for Barak son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali and said to him, “The Lord, the God of Israel, commands you: ‘Go, take with you ten thousand men of Naphtali and Zebulun and lead them up to Mount Tabor. I will lead Sisera, the commander of Jabin’s army, with his chariots and his troops to the Kishon River and give him into your hands.’”

EXP(2): God Speaks to Deborah and he tells her to call Barak and tell him it is time for him to be a warrior leader and deliver Israel. She says Get 10,000 men from 2 other tribes and lead them to Mount Tabor, She is lead Sisera dn his army to the Kishon River valley and there you can defeat him.

ILL: People 

Deborah- Prophet of God/Leader of Israel (Ephriam?)

Barak- Leader of Armies (Naphtali)

Sisera- Canaan leader of Armies

Jabin- King of Canaan

Heber and Jael- get to in a minute (Kenites/Levi (adopted))

Israel is up against a King and Military leader. Sometimes we think the world is just too big for us. The church just needs a leader and the enemy has a King and a strong Military leader. God never wants us to feel inadequate. I love that his answer to this is to ensure the people of Israel that he can have both as well. 

APP: God is not afraid of what the world has or he does not need to show what he can do. He assigns these people and this plan to again instill confidence in the Israelites (or us)

T.S.:So Deborah called Barak and gave him the plan.

2.Ehud kills Eglon (Joshua 4:6-16)

She sent for Barak son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali and said to him, “The Lord, the God of Israel, commands you: ‘Go, take with you ten thousand men of Naphtali and Zebulun and lead them up to Mount Tabor. I will lead Sisera, the commander of Jabin’s army, with his chariots and his troops to the Kishon River and give him into your hands.’” Barak said to her, “If you go with me, I will go; but if you don’t go with me, I won’t go.” “Certainly I will go with you,” said Deborah. “But because of the course you are taking, the honor will not be yours, for the Lord will deliver Sisera into the hands of a woman.” So Deborah went with Barak to Kedesh. There Barak summoned Zebulun and Naphtali, and ten thousand men went up under his command. Deborah also went up with him.

EXP: I wanted to back up to 6 because I want you to understand how full proof God’s plan is. Deborah is leading the heavy chariots, pulled by horses and built for speed into a low valley between two mountains. It is generally a spillway in the rainy season. It is wet. We know because the next chapter in Judges is a song of victory from Deborah and Barak. This is what is says in Judges 5:4

“When you, Lord, went out from Seir, when you marched from the land of Edom, the earth shook, the heavens poured, the clouds poured down water. 

Seir- South (this is Deborah’s march)

Edom- North (Where Barak comes from)

The plan was to cause the chariots to be stuck in the mud and to be of no effect. 900 chariots with 3-4 men =3600. To win by hand to hand combat, to win by overwhelming the men (10,000). The chariot fighters are not hand to hand combat fighters. This is why no king had chariots or horses in Israel until Solomon. Because they were worthless to defend the land. 

So, Deborah delivers the plan to Barak and prophecies that God is going to send rain. It is a sure thing. 

Barak is skeptical. He doesn't see the rain, so he tells Deborah, you say it will happen, then you come with me. So Deborah tells him that is fine, but because of your unbelief the victory will go to a woman. 

ILL: 

Now Heber the Kenite had left the other Kenites, the descendants of Hobab, Moses’ brother-in-law, and pitched his tent by the great tree in Zaanannim near Kedesh. When they told Sisera that Barak son of Abinoam had gone up to Mount Tabor, Sisera summoned from Harosheth Haggoyim to the Kishon River all his men and his nine hundred chariots fitted with iron. Then Deborah said to Barak, “Go! This is the day the Lord has given Sisera into your hands. Has not the Lord gone ahead of you?” So Barak went down Mount Tabor, with ten thousand men following him. 15 At Barak’s advance, the Lord routed Sisera and all his chariots and army by the sword, and Sisera got down from his chariot and fled on foot. Barak pursued the chariots and army as far as Harosheth Haggoyim, and all Sisera’s troops fell by the sword; not a man was left. 

APP: Victory in God can seem too easy that we become skeptical, too. God does exactly what he says. The rain comes, the chariots are stuck, the occupying army is defeated and the leader Sisera runs away on foot.

T. S.: The story is not over because the leader still exists. In order for movements to die, leaders need to be removed.

3. God Delivers Israel (Judges 4:17-23)

Sisera, meanwhile, fled on foot to the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, because there was an alliance between Jabin king of Hazor and the family of Heber the Kenite. Jael went out to meet Sisera and said to him, “Come, my lord, come right in. Don’t be afraid.” So he entered her tent, and she covered him with a blanket. “I’m thirsty,” he said. “Please give me some water.” She opened a skin of milk, gave him a drink, and covered him up. “Stand in the doorway of the tent,” he told her. “If someone comes by and asks you, ‘Is anyone in there?’ say ‘No.’” But Jael, Heber’s wife, picked up a tent peg and a hammer and went quietly to him while he lay fast asleep, exhausted. She drove the peg through his temple into the ground, and he died. Just then Barak came by in pursuit of Sisera, and Jael went out to meet him. “Come,” she said, “I will show you the man you’re looking for.” So he went in with her, and there lay Sisera with the tent peg through his temple—dead.23 On that day God subdued Jabin king of Canaan before the Israelites.

Judges 5:31b: Then the land had peace for 40 years.

EXP: Sisera the leader runs from the battle and finds a house of Heber. The bible tells us that the Kenites (Moses’ in laws, who were adopted to Israelites) have made an arrangement with Canaan. So Sisera feels like he found a friend. As a matter of fact, Jael, who is home alone, invites him to take refuge in her home. Then she feeds him and gives him some warm milk and makes him feel secure. When he goes to sleep she takes a tent peg and a hammer (drive peg into wood)  and drives it through his temple. Killing him. Then when the army comes by looking she shows them his body. Israel is saved by a woman, and has peace for 40 years.

ILL: I want to take a liberty and talk about the Kingdom of God that exists today. There are times in our history where Men and Women of God have led our churches with seemingly everything we needed. A Great man of God. Then there are times when it seems the functions of church or Kingdom are given to multiple people who must learn how to work together to accomplish what God is doing on the earth. 

APP: God knew there were going to be times when we would not have Moses or Joshua. But we would have Barak that can lead an army but doesn't talk to God. And a Deborah who has a connection with God but who isn’t a warrior. There are going to be times when people are just home and know how to drive a tent peg. This is the case for the American church. 

T.S.: The Kingdom of God is often made up of multiple leaders who take God’s plan and defeat the enemy. Barak and Deborah combined to govern Israel for 40 years. This is a departure from the all-in-one ruler. God will use whosoever will to establish and grow his kingdom on earth.

God will use the willing to do what is necessary with the people he has on hand.