The Battle Belongs to The Lord
Judges 4:1-24
We will be looking at Judges Chapter 4 today, and this is what we need to know before we get there.
What has happened in the previous chapters of Judges? Let’s get the background.
Joshua has died, and all the people that knew the Lord and saw his mighty works have died. A generation has arisen that does not recognize the Lord or remember all the mighty things he has done for Israel. They completely abandoned worshiping the Lord. They are actively sinning against God. They are worshiping false gods. They have disobeyed God’s covenants and commandments.
God’s anger burned against the Israelites, and he “gave” them over and “sold them into the hands of their enemies. But God raised up judges who were the mouthpieces and the hands and feet of God. They were men and women who were his hands of justice who saved the Israelites from their enemies. However, after each judge died, the Israelites returned to their sin and worshiped other gods. The Bible records that they were worse off than before the judge had come. This is the cycle found throughout the Book of Judges. Israel sins, God raises up a judge, Israel is delivered, the judge dies, and Israel returns to their sin.
Who has judged before we get to chapter 4? Othniel, Caleb’s (Caleb was one of the twelve spies sent out to recon the land back in Numbers 13:30) younger brother and from the Tribe of Judah, was used to deliver Israel from the Mesopotamians and God gave Israel rest for forty years.
Ehud, from the Tribe of Benjamin, was used to deliver Israel from the Moabites and God gave Israel rest for eighty years.
Shamgar, no tribe was mentioned. But what is interesting is that “Son of Anath” could refer to the name of a Canaanite warrior goddess, which would be ironic that God used a non-Israelite to deliver the Israelites from the Philistines. (Foreshadow of Samson?)
Let’s get to our next judge. Look at Judges 4.
Judges 4:1 (NLT)
1 After Ehud’s death, the Israelites again did evil in the Lord’s sight.
Notice what we read right away? The Israelites again did evil in the sight of the Lord.
There’s a cycle. God delivers them, then they forget about the way that God delivered them, and then they go back to sin. They go back to worshiping the idols of the land.
And what’s interesting is that we do the exact same thing. When we’re experiencing trials and tribulations, and we’re going through something, we think, why is this happening? And sometimes it happens because we’re sinning or someone else is sinning. Or God is allowing us to go through something to test us, or the enemy is seeking to tempt us, and we get out of sorts. We think, what am I going to do? And then we go to that thing, or to that person that we know we shouldn’t go to, and we sin against the Lord because we think that’s where we’re going to find salvation.
The Israelites did the exact same thing.
Joshua 24:19-20 (NLT)
19 “Then Joshua warned the people, “You are not able to serve the Lord, for he is a holy and jealous God. He will not forgive your rebellion and your sins.
20 If you abandon the Lord and serve other gods, he will turn against you and destroy you, even though he has been so good to you.”
The Israelites knew the cost of what sinning against God would be. They knew what would happen, yet they failed to obediently serve and worship God. So, what does God do? Exactly what he said he would do!
Judges 4:2-3 (NLT)
2 So the Lord turned them over to King Jabin of Hazor, a Canaanite king. The commander of his army was Sisera, who lived in Harosheth-haggoyim.
3 Sisera, who had 900 iron chariots, ruthlessly oppressed the Israelites for twenty years. Then the people of Israel cried out to the Lord for help.
First, look at what we see here about God. We see the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, and Gideon never changes! In fact, it is impossible for God to change. There is nothing in this universe that can ever cause God to change.
He has never ceased to exist, and he will never stop existing. God never compromises or changes his values or character. God is not surprised by anything anyone does or will do. God will forever be a covenant-keeping God.
God will always be perfectly righteous and merciful. God will forever be the author of love and the author of justice. God’s unchanging existence means that he will accomplish his purposes and his plans, period.
Psalm 33:11 (NLT)
11 “The LORD’s plans stand firm forever; His intentions can never be shaken”
Psalm 18:30 (NLT)
30 “God’s way is perfect. All the LORD’s promises prove true”
Because God is unchanging and because his words are forever true, he does exactly what he promises! He gives the people of Israel over to the Canaanites.
Because I really like asking questions, here is a question we should ask. Who was Jabin, Sisera, and why does scripture give us very specific details about nine hundred iron chariots?
Jabin was the King of Canaan at this time. What is interesting about King Jabin was the fact that nearly 160 years after Joshua and the Israelites had nearly destroyed the Canaanites, this King Jabin had rebuilt and established a twenty-year reign of terror over the Nation of Israel.
Sisera was the captain of Jabin’s army and the real menace behind King Jabin’s power. Sisera’s home base was near Mount Carmel slopes in the city of Harosheth-ha-goiim. Scholars believe Sisera’s home base may have been located in what is now known as Manasseh Hills in Israel. (Archaeologists have uncovered chariot linchpins in this area.)
The military power of the Canaanites is seen by the fact that they had nine hundred chariots of iron; it is believed that the Israelites had none. These nine hundred iron chariots are like our modern-day Abram Tanks. They were very powerful and very lethal.
Just a side note, scholars believed that the Canaanite army had nearly 3,000 chariots, 10,000 horsemen, and 300,000 footmen. So, King Jabin and Sisera were not really in a place of being defeated anytime soon. Basically, King Jabin and his captain Sisera’s army were seemingly indestructible.
Judges 4:4-5 (NLT)
4 Deborah, the wife of Lappidoth, was a prophet who was judging Israel at that time.
5 She would sit under the Palm of Deborah, between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites would go to her for judgment.
Here we come face to face with our fourth judge of Israel. And what is surprisingly refreshing is that the fourth judge of Israel is a woman.
Now, I say refreshing because later on in the Book of Judges, we get some rather interesting characters who, yes, are used by God to judge and save the Nation of Israel from their enemies. But oftentimes, these characters like Samson and Gideon prove to be just as sinful and disobedient as the People of Israel.
However, Deborah is known for being a godly and righteous woman. In Judges 5:7, Deborah is known as “The Mother of Israel.”
The Palm of Deborah is actually located between Ramah and Bethel in the hills of Ephraim. Deborah was not found sitting at Bethel or at Shiloh, where the ark was at this time, but outside of the town. She was centrally located in the hill country of Ephraim and was accessible to the entire Nation of Israel.
What is quite fitting is that the name “Deborah” is translated as “Honey Bee.” And this is a fitting name because we see Deborah serving as the voice of God judging and giving out the “sweet” justice of God’s laws and statutes.
What we will also see from our “Honey Bee” is that she also stings very much like a bee.
Really quick, before we move to our next verses, I want us to be reminded of one other woman God used, which helps drive home our main point this morning. Esther was used to save the People of Israel from annihilation at the hands of Haman.
Esther 4:14 (NLT)
14 “For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?”
Every single season of life God has you in, he has put you there for a specific purpose. And who are we to not believe and rest in the fact that it is for his time? I ask myself that question constantly for this place. God has brought me and my wife here for such a time as this. I don’t know what that time is, but I believe and trust that the time God is preparing and bringing to light is going to be amazing, that he has gone before me, that the battle that he brought me into has already been completed, that he has victory. And so, really, what I have left to do is this: to respond in obedience or disobedience.
God reminds us through Esther that God’s plans and purposes are not dependent on us, but we are invited to be a part of “a battle that has already been won!”
When God invites us to join him, we either respond in obedience or disobedience.
I’ve heard it said this way. When you know that God has invited you to be a part of something, and you actively choose not to join him, you are in disobedience, and he will get someone else because God’s plans and purposes are not dependent on us. God may want to transform your life. He may want to use someone here in this room to do it. If that someone in this room says no, then you are acting in disobedience, and you are missing out on seeing God transform a life. God may want to radically use you to transform the culture; God can use us to do that – we’ve seen it time and time again. But if you say “no,” then you are going to miss out, and God’s going to use someone else.
Right now, we all have had or will have moments and opportunities when God invites us to join him where he is already moving or will move. It may be sharing the Gospel with a family member, a friend, a co-worker, or a stranger.
Let me explain what I mean by a battle that has already been won. I love my wife so much. Ever since we’ve been married, and before we were married, when we were courting, I would always read my message to her. She is so patient with me. She sits there and listens to me, and afterward, she asks me questions.
And I asked her a question this time and said, “What do you think I mean when I say a battle that has already been won?” She paused, looked at me, and said, "I think what you think you’re saying is the overarching picture is because we have a God who never changes anything that he invites us into, he has already seen to completion. He’s already won it." And I said, "yeah! That’s pretty much it."
Let’s look at these next verses and see the main point come alive.
Judges 4:6-7 (NLT)
6 One day she sent for Barak son of Abinoam, who lived in Kedesh in the land of Naphtali. She said to him, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, commands you: Call out 10,000 warriors from the tribes of Naphtali and Zebulun at Mount Tabor.
7 And I will call out Sisera, commander of Jabin’s army, along with his chariots and warriors, to the Kishon River. There I will give you victory over him.”
Notice the details and notice what God has already said would happen. He tells Deborah to call Barak because I am going to initiate this battle between this army that Jabin and Sisera have, and I’ve already given you victory.
And then, he gives very specific locations for them to gather and where this battle will take place. I love that God is so detailed in his assignments that when he invites us into an assignment, he gives details. He doesn’t always give us every detail, but God gives us enough details at times; when we go, we know that God is in it.
We see God reaffirming our “Honey Bee” as an authentic and genuine prophetess. Whenever God spoke through a judge and a prophet, whatever God said would happen actually happened. God had given Deborah a message, and the message says this: Call out 10,000 warriors from the tribes of Naphtali and Zebulun at Mount Tabor. 7 And I will call out Sisera, commander of Jabin’s army, along with his chariots and warriors, to the Kishon River. There I will give you victory over him.”
The Creator of the Heavens and the Earth and Sky and all that is in them tells Deborah that he will destroy the armies of Jabin and Sisera. Basically, God tells Deborah, “The battle has already been won.” Rally my warriors, and by the way, I am going to use Barak to lead my armies to an already-decided victory! Seems pretty straightforward, right?
And check this out. God wanted Barak and the ten thousand warriors to assemble at Mount Tabor. What is so unique about Mount Tabor is that it rises steeply 1,843 feet above sea level and is located at the northeast corner of the Jezreel Valley. Mount Tabor would serve as a strategic military advantage over the chariots of Sisera’s army because they could not go up the mountain.
Jezreel Valley is a very important crossroad and was incredibly strategic for military purposes. Also, the place where God would give Barak and the armies of Israel victory over Sisera is also known as the future Battle of Armageddon, referred to in Revelation.
Look at how Deborah and Barak respond to God’s assignment.
Judges 8-10 (NLT)
8 Barak told her, “I will go, but only if you go with me.”
9 Very well,” she replied, “I will go with you. But you will receive no honor in this venture, for the Lord’s victory over Sisera will be at the hands of a woman.” So Deborah went with Barak to Kedesh.
10 At Kedesh, Barak called together the tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali, and 10,000 warriors went up with him. Deborah also went with him.
How many warriors showed up? Ten thousand. This shows us that when God invites us into an assignment, he’s going to give us what we need to accomplish that assignment.
What did we just witness in these verses?
The God of Israel had invited Barak to join him in a battle that had already been decided. But, Barak seemingly resists God’s invitation with what appears to be a cowardly response… “I will go, but only if you go with me.”
Now, before we reach any conclusions, it is interesting to be reminded that Deborah is serving as God’s judge and prophet of Israel. And, in many instances where God calls a judge (like Gideon) or a person (like Moses), he not only reassures those he invites with the promises of him being with them, but also uses various signs (like Gideon’s fleece) to reinforce his promises.
Either way, whether Barak was acting out of fear and hesitancy or simply requesting that Deborah goes with him and the army as a reassurance of God’s presence, we are told that the honor and victory would go to a woman.
Regardless, the main point of these verses remind us that:
God’s plans and purposes are not dependent on us, but we are invited to be a part of “a battle that has already been won!”
And when God invites us to join him, we either respond in obedience or disobedience.
Interestingly enough Hebrews says this.
Hebrews 11:30-34 (NLT)
30 It was by faith that the people of Israel marched around Jericho for seven days, and the walls came crashing down.
31 It was by faith that Rahab the prostitute was not destroyed with the people in her city who refused to obey God. For she had given a friendly welcome to the spies.
32 How much more do I need to say? It would take too long to recount the stories of the faith of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and all the prophets.
33 By faith these people overthrew kingdoms, ruled with justice, and received what God had promised them. They shut the mouths of lions,
34 quenched the flames of fire, and escaped death by the edge of the sword. Their weakness was turned to strength. They became strong in battle and put whole armies to flight.
Why would the Holy Spirit have the writer of Hebrews include Barak in the Biblical Hall of Fame? Perhaps we should also deeply ponder this?
Let’s look at verses 11-16.
Judges 4:11-16 (NLT)
11 Now Heber the Kenite, a descendant of Moses’ brother-in-law Hobab, had moved away from the other members of his tribe and pitched his tent by the oak of Zaanannim near Kedesh.
12 When Sisera was told that Barak son of Abinoam had gone up to Mount Tabor,
13 he called for all 900 of his iron chariots and all of his warriors, and they marched from Harosheth-haggoyim to the Kishon River.
14 Then Deborah said to Barak, “Get ready! This is the day the Lord will give you victory over Sisera, for the Lord is marching ahead of you.” So Barak led his 10,000 warriors down the slopes of Mount Tabor into battle.
15 When Barak attacked, the Lord threw Sisera and all his chariots and warriors into a panic. Sisera leaped down from his chariot and escaped on foot.
16 Then Barak chased the chariots and the enemy army all the way to Harosheth-haggoyim, killing all of Sisera’s warriors. Not a single one was left alive.
There are almost 350,000 people against 10,000. When Barak attacks, coming down from Mount Tabor, and they are charging the enemy, they are saying the battle has already been won. The battle belongs to you, and we are going to charge this enemy, and we are going to defeat it. And as they are doing that, God is the one that causes them to go into a panic. And it is such a panic that they flee from the Lord. When they do flee, it is a complete and utter massacre.
So, what just happened? Well, we are introduced once again to Heber the Kenite who we know was related to Moses’ brother-in-law Hobab. Hobab was the brother-in-law of Moses (Numbers 10:29) and was the one of Jethro, the Kenite (Judges 1:16) who was serving as a priest in Midian (Exodus 3:1). We don’t know for sure whether the Kenites all dwelt in the region of Midian or whether Jethro simply chose to live there, but we do know that part of the land promised to Abraham was the land belonging to the Kenites (Genesis 15:19). We do know from Judges 1:16 that these Kenites went up with the Sons of Judah to conquer and settle that region of Negev near Arad.
Now, there seems to have been some sort of division between the sons of Hobab as they dwelt in the southern regions of Judah. We are not told what caused the division, only that Heber had been separated.
While many translations say that this was merely Heber moving away from home, there seems to be the implication that something had happened to him. Either way, we do not know why, apart from God’s purposes.
And at the heart of this verse, we see once again God’s plan and purpose coming to light. God’s plans are not dependent on anyone or anything. He had already planned to give honor and the victory over Jabin and Sisera to a woman.
Yes, Heber is making a statement by separating himself from the covenant people to live on the border of Canaanite territory, but God uses Heber’s move to carry out his divine move.
Just to be clear. It was probably Heber who told Sisera about Barak’s movements to go to war, and what happens? God calls out the entire army of Jabin and Sisera exactly as he said he would.
Now, what we also see happening besides the entire army of Sisera being thrown into a panic is Sisera dismounting his chariot and fleeing on foot.
Let’s ask a question. Why would Sisera leave what was absolutely a weapon of advantage over the Israelites?
Judges 5:4-5 (NIV)
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.
5 The mountains quaked before the Lord, the One of Sinai, before the Lord, the God of Israel.
Judges 5:20-22 (NIV)
20 “From the heavens the stars fought, from their courses they fought against Sisera.
21 The river Kishon swept them away, the age-old river, the river Kishon. March on, my soul; be strong!
22 Then thundered the horses’ hooves—galloping, galloping go his mighty steeds.”
It is believed that on the day of this battle, a severe storm and rain fell from the heavens. And according to Deborah and Barak’s song in Chapter 5 of Judges, this is exactly what happened. This is important for a number of reasons. The rain created a lot of water! Chariots and water do not mesh well! God gave the Israelites a strategic advantage over the army of Sisera by essentially removing their greatest weapons from the battle. The panic and disarray caused by God among the army of Jabin and Sisera was so complete that it brought one of the strongest fighting forces to its knees before God and the Nation of Israel.
Let’s look at verse 17.
Judges 4:17-19 (NLT)
17 Meanwhile, Sisera ran to the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, because Heber’s family was on friendly terms with King Jabin of Hazor.
18 Jael went out to meet Sisera and said to him, “Come into my tent, sir. Come in. Don’t be afraid.” So he went into her tent, and she covered him with a blanket.
19 “Please give me some water,” he said. “I’m thirsty.” So she gave him some milk from a leather bag and covered him again.
What we see happen here is Sisera runs to Heber’s tent. Jael greets him and offers Sisera safety and security. She gives him milk – this milk was curdled and fermented. She hides him with a rug.
Judges 4:20-24 (NLT)
20 “Stand at the door of the tent,” he told her. “If anybody comes and asks you if there is anyone here, say no.”
21 But when Sisera fell asleep from exhaustion, Jael quietly crept up to him with a hammer and tent peg in her hand. Then she drove the tent peg through his temple and into the ground, and so he died.
22 When Barak came looking for Sisera, Jael went out to meet him. She said, “Come, and I will show you the man you are looking for.” So he followed her into the tent and found Sisera lying there dead, with the tent peg through his temple.
23 So on that day Israel saw God defeat Jabin, the Canaanite king.
24 And from that time on Israel became stronger and stronger against King Jabin until they finally destroyed him.
What we see happen here is Jael fulfills Deborah’s prophetic proclamation God had orchestrated and is given honor and victory. Barak witnesses first-hand what Deborah had told him God would do. God defeated Jabin and the armies. The Israelites destroyed King Jabin because of God’s plans and promises.
What this means for us:
God’s plans and purposes are not dependent on us, but we are invited to be a part of “a battle that has already been won.”
And when God invites us to join him, we either respond in obedience or disobedience.
Here’s the practical application.
God may want to invite you to be a part of his plan.
Ask the Holy Spirit to show you where God is moving.
Wait for God’s invitation.
Decide, will you move in obedience or act in disobedience.
If you are obedient, you will get to see the battle and the victories, and the promises first-hand. The battles that we face today belong to the Lord, and he already has victory over them.
What has happened in the previous chapters of Judges? Let’s get the background.
Joshua has died, and all the people that knew the Lord and saw his mighty works have died. A generation has arisen that does not recognize the Lord or remember all the mighty things he has done for Israel. They completely abandoned worshiping the Lord. They are actively sinning against God. They are worshiping false gods. They have disobeyed God’s covenants and commandments.
God’s anger burned against the Israelites, and he “gave” them over and “sold them into the hands of their enemies. But God raised up judges who were the mouthpieces and the hands and feet of God. They were men and women who were his hands of justice who saved the Israelites from their enemies. However, after each judge died, the Israelites returned to their sin and worshiped other gods. The Bible records that they were worse off than before the judge had come. This is the cycle found throughout the Book of Judges. Israel sins, God raises up a judge, Israel is delivered, the judge dies, and Israel returns to their sin.
Who has judged before we get to chapter 4? Othniel, Caleb’s (Caleb was one of the twelve spies sent out to recon the land back in Numbers 13:30) younger brother and from the Tribe of Judah, was used to deliver Israel from the Mesopotamians and God gave Israel rest for forty years.
Ehud, from the Tribe of Benjamin, was used to deliver Israel from the Moabites and God gave Israel rest for eighty years.
Shamgar, no tribe was mentioned. But what is interesting is that “Son of Anath” could refer to the name of a Canaanite warrior goddess, which would be ironic that God used a non-Israelite to deliver the Israelites from the Philistines. (Foreshadow of Samson?)
Let’s get to our next judge. Look at Judges 4.
Judges 4:1 (NLT)
1 After Ehud’s death, the Israelites again did evil in the Lord’s sight.
Notice what we read right away? The Israelites again did evil in the sight of the Lord.
There’s a cycle. God delivers them, then they forget about the way that God delivered them, and then they go back to sin. They go back to worshiping the idols of the land.
And what’s interesting is that we do the exact same thing. When we’re experiencing trials and tribulations, and we’re going through something, we think, why is this happening? And sometimes it happens because we’re sinning or someone else is sinning. Or God is allowing us to go through something to test us, or the enemy is seeking to tempt us, and we get out of sorts. We think, what am I going to do? And then we go to that thing, or to that person that we know we shouldn’t go to, and we sin against the Lord because we think that’s where we’re going to find salvation.
The Israelites did the exact same thing.
Joshua 24:19-20 (NLT)
19 “Then Joshua warned the people, “You are not able to serve the Lord, for he is a holy and jealous God. He will not forgive your rebellion and your sins.
20 If you abandon the Lord and serve other gods, he will turn against you and destroy you, even though he has been so good to you.”
The Israelites knew the cost of what sinning against God would be. They knew what would happen, yet they failed to obediently serve and worship God. So, what does God do? Exactly what he said he would do!
Judges 4:2-3 (NLT)
2 So the Lord turned them over to King Jabin of Hazor, a Canaanite king. The commander of his army was Sisera, who lived in Harosheth-haggoyim.
3 Sisera, who had 900 iron chariots, ruthlessly oppressed the Israelites for twenty years. Then the people of Israel cried out to the Lord for help.
First, look at what we see here about God. We see the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, and Gideon never changes! In fact, it is impossible for God to change. There is nothing in this universe that can ever cause God to change.
He has never ceased to exist, and he will never stop existing. God never compromises or changes his values or character. God is not surprised by anything anyone does or will do. God will forever be a covenant-keeping God.
God will always be perfectly righteous and merciful. God will forever be the author of love and the author of justice. God’s unchanging existence means that he will accomplish his purposes and his plans, period.
Psalm 33:11 (NLT)
11 “The LORD’s plans stand firm forever; His intentions can never be shaken”
Psalm 18:30 (NLT)
30 “God’s way is perfect. All the LORD’s promises prove true”
Because God is unchanging and because his words are forever true, he does exactly what he promises! He gives the people of Israel over to the Canaanites.
Because I really like asking questions, here is a question we should ask. Who was Jabin, Sisera, and why does scripture give us very specific details about nine hundred iron chariots?
Jabin was the King of Canaan at this time. What is interesting about King Jabin was the fact that nearly 160 years after Joshua and the Israelites had nearly destroyed the Canaanites, this King Jabin had rebuilt and established a twenty-year reign of terror over the Nation of Israel.
Sisera was the captain of Jabin’s army and the real menace behind King Jabin’s power. Sisera’s home base was near Mount Carmel slopes in the city of Harosheth-ha-goiim. Scholars believe Sisera’s home base may have been located in what is now known as Manasseh Hills in Israel. (Archaeologists have uncovered chariot linchpins in this area.)
The military power of the Canaanites is seen by the fact that they had nine hundred chariots of iron; it is believed that the Israelites had none. These nine hundred iron chariots are like our modern-day Abram Tanks. They were very powerful and very lethal.
Just a side note, scholars believed that the Canaanite army had nearly 3,000 chariots, 10,000 horsemen, and 300,000 footmen. So, King Jabin and Sisera were not really in a place of being defeated anytime soon. Basically, King Jabin and his captain Sisera’s army were seemingly indestructible.
Judges 4:4-5 (NLT)
4 Deborah, the wife of Lappidoth, was a prophet who was judging Israel at that time.
5 She would sit under the Palm of Deborah, between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites would go to her for judgment.
Here we come face to face with our fourth judge of Israel. And what is surprisingly refreshing is that the fourth judge of Israel is a woman.
Now, I say refreshing because later on in the Book of Judges, we get some rather interesting characters who, yes, are used by God to judge and save the Nation of Israel from their enemies. But oftentimes, these characters like Samson and Gideon prove to be just as sinful and disobedient as the People of Israel.
However, Deborah is known for being a godly and righteous woman. In Judges 5:7, Deborah is known as “The Mother of Israel.”
The Palm of Deborah is actually located between Ramah and Bethel in the hills of Ephraim. Deborah was not found sitting at Bethel or at Shiloh, where the ark was at this time, but outside of the town. She was centrally located in the hill country of Ephraim and was accessible to the entire Nation of Israel.
What is quite fitting is that the name “Deborah” is translated as “Honey Bee.” And this is a fitting name because we see Deborah serving as the voice of God judging and giving out the “sweet” justice of God’s laws and statutes.
What we will also see from our “Honey Bee” is that she also stings very much like a bee.
Really quick, before we move to our next verses, I want us to be reminded of one other woman God used, which helps drive home our main point this morning. Esther was used to save the People of Israel from annihilation at the hands of Haman.
Esther 4:14 (NLT)
14 “For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?”
Every single season of life God has you in, he has put you there for a specific purpose. And who are we to not believe and rest in the fact that it is for his time? I ask myself that question constantly for this place. God has brought me and my wife here for such a time as this. I don’t know what that time is, but I believe and trust that the time God is preparing and bringing to light is going to be amazing, that he has gone before me, that the battle that he brought me into has already been completed, that he has victory. And so, really, what I have left to do is this: to respond in obedience or disobedience.
God reminds us through Esther that God’s plans and purposes are not dependent on us, but we are invited to be a part of “a battle that has already been won!”
When God invites us to join him, we either respond in obedience or disobedience.
I’ve heard it said this way. When you know that God has invited you to be a part of something, and you actively choose not to join him, you are in disobedience, and he will get someone else because God’s plans and purposes are not dependent on us. God may want to transform your life. He may want to use someone here in this room to do it. If that someone in this room says no, then you are acting in disobedience, and you are missing out on seeing God transform a life. God may want to radically use you to transform the culture; God can use us to do that – we’ve seen it time and time again. But if you say “no,” then you are going to miss out, and God’s going to use someone else.
Right now, we all have had or will have moments and opportunities when God invites us to join him where he is already moving or will move. It may be sharing the Gospel with a family member, a friend, a co-worker, or a stranger.
Let me explain what I mean by a battle that has already been won. I love my wife so much. Ever since we’ve been married, and before we were married, when we were courting, I would always read my message to her. She is so patient with me. She sits there and listens to me, and afterward, she asks me questions.
And I asked her a question this time and said, “What do you think I mean when I say a battle that has already been won?” She paused, looked at me, and said, "I think what you think you’re saying is the overarching picture is because we have a God who never changes anything that he invites us into, he has already seen to completion. He’s already won it." And I said, "yeah! That’s pretty much it."
Let’s look at these next verses and see the main point come alive.
Judges 4:6-7 (NLT)
6 One day she sent for Barak son of Abinoam, who lived in Kedesh in the land of Naphtali. She said to him, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, commands you: Call out 10,000 warriors from the tribes of Naphtali and Zebulun at Mount Tabor.
7 And I will call out Sisera, commander of Jabin’s army, along with his chariots and warriors, to the Kishon River. There I will give you victory over him.”
Notice the details and notice what God has already said would happen. He tells Deborah to call Barak because I am going to initiate this battle between this army that Jabin and Sisera have, and I’ve already given you victory.
And then, he gives very specific locations for them to gather and where this battle will take place. I love that God is so detailed in his assignments that when he invites us into an assignment, he gives details. He doesn’t always give us every detail, but God gives us enough details at times; when we go, we know that God is in it.
We see God reaffirming our “Honey Bee” as an authentic and genuine prophetess. Whenever God spoke through a judge and a prophet, whatever God said would happen actually happened. God had given Deborah a message, and the message says this: Call out 10,000 warriors from the tribes of Naphtali and Zebulun at Mount Tabor. 7 And I will call out Sisera, commander of Jabin’s army, along with his chariots and warriors, to the Kishon River. There I will give you victory over him.”
The Creator of the Heavens and the Earth and Sky and all that is in them tells Deborah that he will destroy the armies of Jabin and Sisera. Basically, God tells Deborah, “The battle has already been won.” Rally my warriors, and by the way, I am going to use Barak to lead my armies to an already-decided victory! Seems pretty straightforward, right?
And check this out. God wanted Barak and the ten thousand warriors to assemble at Mount Tabor. What is so unique about Mount Tabor is that it rises steeply 1,843 feet above sea level and is located at the northeast corner of the Jezreel Valley. Mount Tabor would serve as a strategic military advantage over the chariots of Sisera’s army because they could not go up the mountain.
Jezreel Valley is a very important crossroad and was incredibly strategic for military purposes. Also, the place where God would give Barak and the armies of Israel victory over Sisera is also known as the future Battle of Armageddon, referred to in Revelation.
Look at how Deborah and Barak respond to God’s assignment.
Judges 8-10 (NLT)
8 Barak told her, “I will go, but only if you go with me.”
9 Very well,” she replied, “I will go with you. But you will receive no honor in this venture, for the Lord’s victory over Sisera will be at the hands of a woman.” So Deborah went with Barak to Kedesh.
10 At Kedesh, Barak called together the tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali, and 10,000 warriors went up with him. Deborah also went with him.
How many warriors showed up? Ten thousand. This shows us that when God invites us into an assignment, he’s going to give us what we need to accomplish that assignment.
What did we just witness in these verses?
The God of Israel had invited Barak to join him in a battle that had already been decided. But, Barak seemingly resists God’s invitation with what appears to be a cowardly response… “I will go, but only if you go with me.”
Now, before we reach any conclusions, it is interesting to be reminded that Deborah is serving as God’s judge and prophet of Israel. And, in many instances where God calls a judge (like Gideon) or a person (like Moses), he not only reassures those he invites with the promises of him being with them, but also uses various signs (like Gideon’s fleece) to reinforce his promises.
Either way, whether Barak was acting out of fear and hesitancy or simply requesting that Deborah goes with him and the army as a reassurance of God’s presence, we are told that the honor and victory would go to a woman.
Regardless, the main point of these verses remind us that:
God’s plans and purposes are not dependent on us, but we are invited to be a part of “a battle that has already been won!”
And when God invites us to join him, we either respond in obedience or disobedience.
Interestingly enough Hebrews says this.
Hebrews 11:30-34 (NLT)
30 It was by faith that the people of Israel marched around Jericho for seven days, and the walls came crashing down.
31 It was by faith that Rahab the prostitute was not destroyed with the people in her city who refused to obey God. For she had given a friendly welcome to the spies.
32 How much more do I need to say? It would take too long to recount the stories of the faith of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and all the prophets.
33 By faith these people overthrew kingdoms, ruled with justice, and received what God had promised them. They shut the mouths of lions,
34 quenched the flames of fire, and escaped death by the edge of the sword. Their weakness was turned to strength. They became strong in battle and put whole armies to flight.
Why would the Holy Spirit have the writer of Hebrews include Barak in the Biblical Hall of Fame? Perhaps we should also deeply ponder this?
Let’s look at verses 11-16.
Judges 4:11-16 (NLT)
11 Now Heber the Kenite, a descendant of Moses’ brother-in-law Hobab, had moved away from the other members of his tribe and pitched his tent by the oak of Zaanannim near Kedesh.
12 When Sisera was told that Barak son of Abinoam had gone up to Mount Tabor,
13 he called for all 900 of his iron chariots and all of his warriors, and they marched from Harosheth-haggoyim to the Kishon River.
14 Then Deborah said to Barak, “Get ready! This is the day the Lord will give you victory over Sisera, for the Lord is marching ahead of you.” So Barak led his 10,000 warriors down the slopes of Mount Tabor into battle.
15 When Barak attacked, the Lord threw Sisera and all his chariots and warriors into a panic. Sisera leaped down from his chariot and escaped on foot.
16 Then Barak chased the chariots and the enemy army all the way to Harosheth-haggoyim, killing all of Sisera’s warriors. Not a single one was left alive.
There are almost 350,000 people against 10,000. When Barak attacks, coming down from Mount Tabor, and they are charging the enemy, they are saying the battle has already been won. The battle belongs to you, and we are going to charge this enemy, and we are going to defeat it. And as they are doing that, God is the one that causes them to go into a panic. And it is such a panic that they flee from the Lord. When they do flee, it is a complete and utter massacre.
So, what just happened? Well, we are introduced once again to Heber the Kenite who we know was related to Moses’ brother-in-law Hobab. Hobab was the brother-in-law of Moses (Numbers 10:29) and was the one of Jethro, the Kenite (Judges 1:16) who was serving as a priest in Midian (Exodus 3:1). We don’t know for sure whether the Kenites all dwelt in the region of Midian or whether Jethro simply chose to live there, but we do know that part of the land promised to Abraham was the land belonging to the Kenites (Genesis 15:19). We do know from Judges 1:16 that these Kenites went up with the Sons of Judah to conquer and settle that region of Negev near Arad.
Now, there seems to have been some sort of division between the sons of Hobab as they dwelt in the southern regions of Judah. We are not told what caused the division, only that Heber had been separated.
While many translations say that this was merely Heber moving away from home, there seems to be the implication that something had happened to him. Either way, we do not know why, apart from God’s purposes.
And at the heart of this verse, we see once again God’s plan and purpose coming to light. God’s plans are not dependent on anyone or anything. He had already planned to give honor and the victory over Jabin and Sisera to a woman.
Yes, Heber is making a statement by separating himself from the covenant people to live on the border of Canaanite territory, but God uses Heber’s move to carry out his divine move.
Just to be clear. It was probably Heber who told Sisera about Barak’s movements to go to war, and what happens? God calls out the entire army of Jabin and Sisera exactly as he said he would.
Now, what we also see happening besides the entire army of Sisera being thrown into a panic is Sisera dismounting his chariot and fleeing on foot.
Let’s ask a question. Why would Sisera leave what was absolutely a weapon of advantage over the Israelites?
Judges 5:4-5 (NIV)
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.
5 The mountains quaked before the Lord, the One of Sinai, before the Lord, the God of Israel.
Judges 5:20-22 (NIV)
20 “From the heavens the stars fought, from their courses they fought against Sisera.
21 The river Kishon swept them away, the age-old river, the river Kishon. March on, my soul; be strong!
22 Then thundered the horses’ hooves—galloping, galloping go his mighty steeds.”
It is believed that on the day of this battle, a severe storm and rain fell from the heavens. And according to Deborah and Barak’s song in Chapter 5 of Judges, this is exactly what happened. This is important for a number of reasons. The rain created a lot of water! Chariots and water do not mesh well! God gave the Israelites a strategic advantage over the army of Sisera by essentially removing their greatest weapons from the battle. The panic and disarray caused by God among the army of Jabin and Sisera was so complete that it brought one of the strongest fighting forces to its knees before God and the Nation of Israel.
Let’s look at verse 17.
Judges 4:17-19 (NLT)
17 Meanwhile, Sisera ran to the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, because Heber’s family was on friendly terms with King Jabin of Hazor.
18 Jael went out to meet Sisera and said to him, “Come into my tent, sir. Come in. Don’t be afraid.” So he went into her tent, and she covered him with a blanket.
19 “Please give me some water,” he said. “I’m thirsty.” So she gave him some milk from a leather bag and covered him again.
What we see happen here is Sisera runs to Heber’s tent. Jael greets him and offers Sisera safety and security. She gives him milk – this milk was curdled and fermented. She hides him with a rug.
Judges 4:20-24 (NLT)
20 “Stand at the door of the tent,” he told her. “If anybody comes and asks you if there is anyone here, say no.”
21 But when Sisera fell asleep from exhaustion, Jael quietly crept up to him with a hammer and tent peg in her hand. Then she drove the tent peg through his temple and into the ground, and so he died.
22 When Barak came looking for Sisera, Jael went out to meet him. She said, “Come, and I will show you the man you are looking for.” So he followed her into the tent and found Sisera lying there dead, with the tent peg through his temple.
23 So on that day Israel saw God defeat Jabin, the Canaanite king.
24 And from that time on Israel became stronger and stronger against King Jabin until they finally destroyed him.
What we see happen here is Jael fulfills Deborah’s prophetic proclamation God had orchestrated and is given honor and victory. Barak witnesses first-hand what Deborah had told him God would do. God defeated Jabin and the armies. The Israelites destroyed King Jabin because of God’s plans and promises.
What this means for us:
God’s plans and purposes are not dependent on us, but we are invited to be a part of “a battle that has already been won.”
And when God invites us to join him, we either respond in obedience or disobedience.
Here’s the practical application.
God may want to invite you to be a part of his plan.
Ask the Holy Spirit to show you where God is moving.
Wait for God’s invitation.
Decide, will you move in obedience or act in disobedience.
If you are obedient, you will get to see the battle and the victories, and the promises first-hand. The battles that we face today belong to the Lord, and he already has victory over them.