Overview and Background:  What is God looking for in a leader?  The Word speaks clearly on what God is looking for; (God Speaking to Asa Through a Seer or Prophet)  II Chronicles 16:8-10 “Were the Ethiopians and the Lubim not a huge army with very many chariots and horsemen? Yet, because you relied on the LORD, He delivered them into your hand. 9 For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him. In this you have done foolishly; therefore from now on you shall have wars.” 10 Then Asa was angry with the seer, and put him in prison, for he was enraged at him because of this. And Asa oppressed some of the people at that time.” God’s requirement is clear and God has placed men to lead, but in the absence of male leadership, Deborah becomes the fourth Judge and Prophetess for the nation.  The year is rougly 1350 B.C. and Deborah is called by God and she calls Barak by the Word of the Lord to go and fight against the enemy. The promise to Barak is that God will provide the victory and so after some prodding Barak goes and God routes the enemy.  Then Baraka and his men defeat the entire army as the Lord predicted.                                                                             

Key Verses:

The Courage of Deborah!                                                                                  

Judges 5:2-3 " “When leaders lead in Israel, When the people willingly offer themselves, Bless the LORD! 3 “Hear, O kings! Give ear, O princes! I, even I, will sing to the LORD; I will sing praise to the LORD God of Israel.                                                                                                   

Judges 5:24-25 “Most blessed among women is Jael, The wife of Heber the Kenite; Blessed is she among women in tents. 25 He asked for water, she gave milk; She brought out cream in a lordly bowl.

The Song of Deborah                                                                                                                             

Judges 5:1-10 Then Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam sang on that day, saying: 2 “When leaders lead in Israel, When the people willingly offer themselves, Bless the LORD! 3 “Hear, O kings! Give ear, O princes! I, even I, will sing to the LORD; I will sing praise to the LORD God of Israel. 4 “ LORD, when You went out from Seir,When You marched from the field of Edom, The earth trembled and the heavens poured, The clouds also poured water; 5 The mountains gushed before the LORD, This Sinai, before the LORD God of Israel. 6 “In the days of Shamgar, son of Anath, In the days of Jael, The highways were deserted, And the travelers walked along the byways. 7 Village life ceased, it ceased in Israel, Until I, Deborah, arose, Arose a mother in Israel. 8 They chose new gods; Then there was war in the gates; Not a shield or spear was seen among forty thousand in Israel. 9 My heart is with the rulers of Israel Who offered themselves willingly with the people. Bless the LORD! 10 “ Speak, you who ride on white donkeys, Who sit in judges’ attire, And who walk along the road.                                                                                                                         

Judges 5:11-18 Far from the noise of the archers, among the watering places, There they shall recount the righteous acts of the LORD, The righteous acts for His villagers in Israel; Then the people of the LORD shall go down to the gates. 12 “ Awake, awake, Deborah! Awake, awake, sing a song! Arise, Barak, and lead your captives away, O son of Abinoam! 13 “Then the survivors came down, the people against the nobles; The LORD came down for me against the mighty. 14 From Ephraim were those whose roots were in Amalek. After you, Benjamin, with your peoples, From Machir rulers came down, And from Zebulun those who bear the recruiter’s staff. 15 And the princes of Issachar were with Deborah, As Issachar, so was Barak Sent into the valley under his command;  Among the divisions of Reuben There were great resolves of heart. 16 Why did you sit among the sheepfolds, To hear the pipings for the flocks? The divisions of Reuben have great searchings of heart. 17 Gilead stayed beyond the Jordan, And why did Dan remain on ships? Asher continued at the seashore, And stayed by his inlets. 18 Zebulun is a people who jeopardized their lives to the point of death, Naphtali also, on the heights of the battlefield.                                                                                                                                   

Judges 5:19-27  “The kings came and fought, Then the kings of Canaan fought In Taanach, by the waters of Megiddo; They took no spoils of silver. 20 They fought from the heavens; The stars from their courses fought against Sisera. 21 The torrent of Kishon swept them away, That ancient torrent, the torrent of Kishon. O my soul, march on in strength! 22 Then the horses’ hooves pounded, The galloping, galloping of his steeds.  23 ‘Curse Meroe,’ said the angel of the LORD, ‘Curse its inhabitants bitterly, because they did not come to the help of the LORD, to the help of the LORD against the mighty.’ 24 “Most blessed among women is Jail, The wife of Heber the Kentia; blessed is she among women in tents. 25 He asked for water, she gave milk; she brought out cream in a lordly bowl. 26 She stretched her hand to the tent peg, her right hand to the workmen’s hammer; she pounded Sis era, she pierced his head, she split and struck through his temple. 27 At her feet he sank, he fell, he lay still; At her feet he sank, he fell; Where he sank, there he fell dead.                                                                                                                             

Judges 5:28-31  “The mother of Sisera looked through the window, And cried out through the lattice, Why is his chariot so long in coming? Why tarries the clatter of his chariots?’ 29 Her wisest ladies answered her, Yes, she answered herself, 30 ‘Are they not finding and dividing the spoil: To every man a girl or two; For Sisera, plunder of dyed garments, Plunder of garments embroidered and dyed, Two pieces of dyed embroidery for the neck of the looter?’ 31 “Thus let all Your enemies perish, O LORD! But let those who love Him be like the sun When it comes out in full strength.” So the land had rest for forty yearrs.

Summary and Key Lesson:  The Courage of Deborah!  So what was the secret of the nation of Israel’s victory? First obedience to the voice of God, then trusting God to do what He promises He will do. God originally appeared to the nations during Moses’s rule and we are given a picture of the power of God. Exodus 19:16-19 “Then it came to pass on the third day, in the morning, that there were thundering and lightning’s, and a thick cloud on the mountain; and the sound of the trumpet was very loud, so that all the people who were in the camp trembled. 17 And Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. 18 Now Mount Sinai was completely in smoke, because the LORD descended upon it in fire. Its smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked greatly. 19 And when the blast of the trumpet sounded long and became louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him by voice.” Even though four of the tribes of Israel didn’t help and a nation called Meroz was cursed by God for failure to help, God had more than enough resources to lead Deborah, Barak and the nation to victory. And so, because of the courage of Deborah, Barak and another woman, Jael, the land has rest for forty years, because someone answered the call of God! 

Confidence in the Promises of God ! Memory Verses to Stand On !                                                

1) II Chronicles 16:9 “For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him.                                                                                                                         

2) Judges 5:31 “Thus let all Your enemies perish, O LORD! But let those who love Him be like the sun When it comes out in full strength."                                                                                                                                                     

3) Psalm 18:1-2 “I will love You, O LORD, my strength.2 The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer;My God, my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
4) Psalm 18:3 “I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised; So shall I be saved from my enemies.

5) Psalm 18:39  “For You have armed me with strength for the battle; You have subdued under me those who rose up against me.

6) Psalm 18:46-47 “The LORD lives! Blessed be my Rock! Let the God of my salvation be exalted.47 It is God who avenges me,And subdues the peoples under me.