This Congregation meets at: Sunday Bible Class at 10:00 am. Sunday Worship Service at 11:00 am. Sunday Night Worship service at 6:00 pm. Wednesday Night Bible Class at 7:00 pm. Please be so kind to turn off your cell phone. Let’s be reverent. We are worshipping God.

February 4/2007 Lesson # 22

1.Adam 7. Isaac. 13.Joseph 22.Phineas 2. Cain 8. Jacob. 14. Aaron 23.? 3. Abel 9. Esau. 15. Nadab and Abihu 4. Enoch 10. Reuben. 16. Moses 5. Noah 11. Simeon. 17. Joshua 6. Abraham 12. Judah 18. Caleb 19. Gideon 19. Gideon 20. Samson 20. Samson 21. Jephthah 21. Jephthah We already studied:

Let’sTalkabout Judges 4:1-23.

Who was Barak? 1. Barak was a soldier from Kedesh, from the tribe of Nephtali. A military man who rescued Israel from the hands of the Canaanites. 1. The meaning of His name is “lightning” 1. He was the son of ABINOAM (Judges 4:6) 1. We don’t know much more about him but that he was faithful unto God.

Was Barak a man of Faith? Hebrews 11:32… “32 And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah, also of David and Samuel and the prophets”

Make war against Jabin! Judges 4:1… “1 When Ehud was dead, the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the Lord. God always punished sin! There is no way that we will receive blessings from God when we are doing evil. This is exactly what happened with the people of Israel. What was the consequence of their sin? God delivered his people to be punished by pagan people. In this case, Jabin, the king of the Canaanites.

Judges 4:2-3… “2 So the Lord sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor. The commander of his army was Sisera, who dwelt in Harosheth Hagoyim. God has a limit. There is only so much that he can take from us. Sometimes we think that because we are His people, God will tolerate sin in our lives. That’s deceiving ourselves. God will not tolerate sin from anybody. The example here is that even though Israel was his son, He did not spare the rod from him. God listens to our cry when we recognize that we are living in sin and that we are doing evil in the Lord’s sight. It is until then, when we recognize out transgressions, when God is willing to stretch His Arm to help us.

Judges 4:3… “3 And the children of Israel cried out to the Lord; for Jabin had nine hundred chariots of iron, and for twenty years he harshly oppressed the children of Israel. Harshly oppressed the children of Israel.

The writer again is very descriptive and very specific to tell us that they were treated without mercy; they were treated like real slaves. 450 years in Egypt were not enough. They were oppressed in the days of Gideon. In the days of Samson. In the days of Jephtah Now again this time in the days of Barak. Why is it that we don’t learn our lesson? Sin is cruel, sin punishes, and sin brings consequences…We seem to forget so soon!

Barak was NOT the Judge of Israel at that time, but a woman with the name of Deborah. She is the Judge and through her God would liberate his people from Jabin king of the Canaanites. Apparently, this woman Deborah is the one who had all of the power at that time because the Spirit of the Lord was on her. Judges 4:4… “4 Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, was judging Israel at that time. Deborah is Judging Israel and they cried to the Lord, later they came to her for help and this is what happened.

Judges 4:5… “5 And she would sit under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the mountains of Ephraim. And the children of Israel came up to her for judgment. How is Deborah planning to help the children of Israel? Well, obviously she cannot go to war, but she would select a warrior that could fight on her behalf. This is how our man Barak comes to the record. Judges 4:6,7… “6 Then she sent and called for Barak the son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali, and said to him, "Has not the Lord God of Israel commanded, 'Go and deploy troops at Mount Tabor; take with you ten thousand men of the sons of Naphtali and of the sons of Zebulun; 7 and against you I will deploy Sisera, the commander of Jabin's army, with his chariots and his multitude at the River Kishon; and I will deliver him into your hand'?"

Even though Barak is selected to become the liberator of Israel, this is how he responded to Deborah when she sent for him. Judges 4:8-10… “8 And Barak said to her, "If you will go with me, then I will go; but if you will not go with me, I will not go!" 9 So she said, "I will surely go with you; nevertheless there will be no glory for you in the journey you are taking, for the Lord will sell Sisera into the hand of a woman." Then Deborah arose and went with Barak to Kedesh. 10 And Barak called Zebulun and Naphtali to Kedesh; he went up with ten thousand men under his command, and Deborah went up with him.

Is Barak afraid? No, but the reality is that Barak knew that the Spirit of The Lord was on Deborah. All that he is asking for is assurance that God would deliver Jabin into his hands. Come with me so that you can tell me when it is the right time to attack. That is all he is asking. You know, God is with you and he will tell you when! This is kind of like the time where God called Gideon and Gideon tested the Lord twice just to make sure that yes, the Lord was with him. This was quite natural, and quite reasonable, and this is not an impeachment whatsoever, of Barak's faith.

Judges 4:11-13… “ 11 Now Heber the Kenite, of the children of Hobab the father-in-law of Moses, had separated himself from the Kenites and pitched his tent near the terebinth tree at Zaanaim, which is beside Kedesh. 12 And they reported to Sisera that Barak the son of Abinoam had gone up to Mount Tabor. 13 So Sisera gathered together all his chariots, nine hundred chariots of iron, and all the people who were with him, from Harosheth Hagoyim to the River Kishon.

Sisera is the commander of Jabin, king of the Canaanites. Don’t forget that they are ready to fight and Barak is finding his position in order to be ready for war. Someone went and told Sisera that Barak was ready to fight. So Sisera also prepared himself. Do you need faith to do that? Of course you do! You need to believe that God will deliver Jabin into your hands. The army of the Canaanites is big and this is probably the other reason why Barak wanted to take Deborah with him.

Judges 4:14-16… “14 Then Deborah said to Barak, "Up! For this is the day in which the Lord has delivered Sisera into your hand. Has not the Lord gone out before you?" So Barak went down from Mount Tabor with ten thousand men following him. 15 And the Lord routed Sisera and all his chariots and all his army with the edge of the sword before Barak; and Sisera alighted from his chariot and fled away on foot. 16 But Barak pursued the chariots and the army as far as Harosheth Hagoyim, and all the army of Sisera fell by the edge of the sword; not a man was left.

Do we recognize when God is with us? Do we recognize when God is fighting on our side? Barak, even though he was a man of faith, needed Deborah to tell him when to attack, under the protection of the Lord. Many of us don’t recognize when God is on our side and that is when we need our brethren to tell us when to attack Satan, and the wiles of fire that he sends upon us!

Romans 8:32… “31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? Isaiah 49:15… “15 "Can a woman forget her nursing child, And not have compassion on the son of her womb? Surely they may forget, Yet I will not forget you. Hebrews 6:10… “10 For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister.

The rest of the story is there to tell us about how Barak persecuted Sisera until he died. Barak is in the Bible for a reason. The man who was encouraged by a Woman. The valor of this man of God came because of the encouragement that he received from Deborah. Judges 4:14… “14 Then Deborah said to Barak, "Up! For this is the day in which the Lord has delivered Sisera into your hand. Has not the Lord gone out before you?" So Barak went down from Mount Tabor with ten thousand men following him.

God always finds ways to encourage us to follow in His ways and to be faithful in His name. When the Children of Israel came to Deborah crying for help she called Barak and said: “UP” for this is the day which the Lord has delivered Sisera into your hand. We have many Sisters who help us when we are timid or wavering if we should go or not. Many of our sisters know and understand the role of every Christian and they come and encourage us to get up and fight for the Lord. 1 Thessalonians 5:14… “14 Now we exhort you, brethren, warn those who are unruly, comfort the fainthearted, uphold the weak, be patient with all. Many of our sisters in this congregation have the virtue that Deborah had, when it comes to encouraging the men when we are down and weak in faith.

Many Christians underestimate Barak for not being a man like David or Moses or Noah…But you know what? Being in the book of Hebrews chapter 11 is a great blessing. In that chapter, only the true men of God who by patience and perseverance continued their lives without looking back. That’s exactly the case of Barak Hebrews 11:32… “32 And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah, also of David and Samuel and the prophets:

Hebrews 11:6… “6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. Romans 1:17… “17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "The just shall live by faith. Romans 1:17… “17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "The just shall live by faith.

Galatians 3:7… “7 Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham. Philippians 1:27… “27 Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel, Hebrews 11:39… “39 And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise,

Do you want to be in that book of faith? Follow then, these great men of faith and copy the good virtues that they showed unto God for the preservation of their souls. Are we learning? May the Lord bless us so that we can continue in his path.