Barak, the man the Lord called to lead Israel's troops in the battle of Chapter 4, joins her in song. "On that day Deborah and Barak son of Abinoam sang this song: 'When the princes in Israel take the lead, when the people willingly offer themselves---praise the Lord!'" (Judges 5:1-2) In other translations the first part of verse 2 is rendered as "when leaders lead in Israel". Godly leadership is important for the health and success of a nation and its people. As the author of Proverbs 29:2 says, "When the righteous thrive, the people rejoice; when the wicked rule, the people groan."
Those whom the Lord calls to lead (whether it's to fulfill a political role or a spiritual role) need to be obedient to Him and lead. Deborah obeyed the Lord's calling to be the judge of Israel. Barak obeyed the Lord's calling to be the army general in the battle against the Canaanite army general Sisera and his troops. Because of the faith of Deborah and Barak, the people followed their example, including the Kenite woman named Jael in yesterday's passage who fought for Israel by slaying Sisera. Godly leadership is a blessing and, as Deborah says in verse 2, we should praise the Lord for it. We should also praise the Lord when the people follow godly leadership.
Deborah calls upon the leaders of the surrounding nations to hear and take heed to the song extolling the goodness of God on behalf of Israel. "Hear this, you kings! Listen, you rulers! I, even I, will sing to the Lord; I will praise the Lord, the God of Israel, in song." (Judges 5:3) To quote the lyrics from a praise song I sometimes hear on the radio, "I will sing of the goodness of God." That's what Deborah is doing here. God has been good to Israel and she won't be silent about it. God has been good and she will sing of His goodness.
It is believed that on the day Barak led 10,000 men to fight against Sisera and his men, the Lord sent a sudden torrential rainstorm. Rain is mentioned in this next passage and again later in Deborah's song when she speaks of the Kishon River sweeping away Sisera's soldiers. Some scholars suggest that a divinely sent downpour is why Sisera's nine hundred chariots with iron fittings were little use to him in battle; the chariot wheels became mired in mud. Whether or not there was a flash flood, Deborah's song makes it clear that the battle was won because the Lord fought for Israel. It's true that men and women had to be willing to fight off the heavy hand of their Canaanite oppressor, King Jabin, but without the Lord's help the Israelites would have been no match for Jabin's militarily superior army. "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. The mountains quaked before the Lord, the One of Sinai, before the Lord, the God of Israel." (Judges 5:4-5)
In this life we are going to face problems that are bigger than we are. We will have enemies (such as Satan, the enemy of our souls) who are stronger than we are. But there isn't anyone or anything bigger or stronger than our God! As the Apostle Paul so famously asked, "If God is for us, who can be against us?" (Romans 8:31) The Lord fought on the side of Israel and that's why the enemies of the Israelites couldn't stand before them. Deborah wants all the leaders of all the nations to take note of that because when they dare to oppose Israel they are opposing Israel's God and He is mighty in battle on behalf of Israel. Whoever touches them touches the apple (the pupil) of His eye, as He will assure them in Zechariah 2:8. No one can ignore a poke in the eye and the Lord can't ignore anyone who makes themselves the enemy of His people.
Join us tomorrow as Deborah continues singing the praises of the Lord and makes mention of men and women who trusted and obeyed Him and saw great victories because of their faith.
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