Judges 4: 1-8

» Jdg 4:1 “When Ehud was dead, the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the Lord.” » Sin will take you further than you wanted to go, cost you more than you wanted to pay, & keep you longer than you wanted to stay. » We cannot wink at our sin; we must confess it, repent of it, and forsake it.

» Jdg 4:2 “So the Lord sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor.” » God allowed their captivity to a king who reigned right in the Promised Land. » Sin starts on the inside, not the outside. Temptation (outside) is not sin until we embrace it (on the inside) in our hearts and minds.

» Jdg 3:4b “…Janin had 900 chariots of iron, and for 20 years he had harshly opposed the children of Israel.” » Give the devil an inch, he’ll insist on being a ruler. » Rom 6:16 “Don’t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can …obey God, which leads to righteous living.”

» Jdg 4:4-5 – Between Moses & Samuel, no one else filled all 3 roles of prophet, judge & military leader except Deborah, while continuing to be a wife & mother. » God saw her character, not her giftings. » Character, moral fiber and obedience will ALWAYS trump any talent, gifts and personality traits we possess.

» Jdg 4:6-10. Israel faced an impossible situation, but Deborah displayed confidence in her God. » Barak refused to go to war without Deborah. » Ps 20:7 “Some boast in chariots, some in horses, but we boast in the name of the Lord our God.” » My God is able to…….(you fill in the blank!)

» Jdg 4:13-16; 5:4 – As Israel moved forward in faith with God, the battle was already won! » Col 2: 15 “When He (Christ) had disarmed* the rulers & authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed# over them through Himself.” » *disarmed: aorist tense in Gr means “once & for all…” » #triumphed: complete, irretrievable subjugation

» Jdg 5:2 – They gave praise to God for His incredible faithfulness. The leaders and the people joined together to defeat the enemy and give God the glory. » There is no such thing as a small victory if God’s hand is in it; nor is there any room for any one person to get the credit. We’re in this together.

» Lord, show me anything (and I mean “anything”) that hinders me from becoming more like Jesus. » Lord, continue to teach me how to take captive every thought (and subsequent desire) to the obedience of Christ Jesus.

» “For I am confident, assured, and well established in this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect and mature it until the day of Christ Jesus.” » Phil 1:6