1. The Dark Days of Israel’s Judges A Study of the Book of Judges The Dark Days of Israel’s Judges A Study of the Book of Judges Lesson 6 Judges 5:1-31 Israel’s New Song September 20, 2009

2. I.Introduction GOD IS THERE! Psalm 121:1-2 I will lift up my eyes to the mountains; From whence comes my help? My help comes from God. As I look toward these mountains; Sometimes they are hidden by the clouds, I know, though, they are there. At other times, as I look at them; They stand out dazzlingly clear- It seems I could touch them!

3. Each day I must remember- That steadfast mountains do not move- Whether seen or not. And so it is with the living God- We do not always sense His presence, With equal force each day. This may be due to our tired eyes, The crowded surroundings we are in, Or to our movement. But God is there-We're in His care. Lovingly He knows all about us! My help comes from God, Who made heaven and earth - And you - And me! (And- Mt. St. Helens) Byron Deffinbaugh

4. A.I’m not one for poetry, and yet... B.Judges 6 is a great poem C.Some things we must know about this poem: 1. It is the second half of our text, which begins at 4:1 and ends at 5:31c 2. Interpretive poems are not new (see Exodus 15) 3. This poem was penned by a prophetess -- Deborah. 4. This poem is prophecy. It looks backward and forward. 5. This poem tells us how we are to understand, interpret, and apply chapter 4.

5. II.A walk through the song A.The occasion and theme (vss. 1-2) 1. Occasion: the victory over Israel’s enemies 2. Praise the Lord 3. Because the leaders led & the people followed willingly B.Warning to heathen leaders (vss. 3-5) 1. Listen up, heathen kings (vs. 3a) 2. I will sing to praise the Lord (vs. 3b) 3. To the Lord, who went from Seir & Edom, and who was at Sinai, as nature testified (vss. 4- 5)

6. C.What a difference a day makes! (vss. 6-11) 1. Establishing the time and characters (vs. 6a) 2. How bad things had gotten (vss. 6b-8) 3. Ongoing celebration of God’s deliverance through His willing servants (vss. 9-11) D.Participants praised, bench warmers rebuked (vss. 12-23) 1. Willing participants: Deborah, Barak, Ephraim, Benjamin, Makir (Manasseh --Gen. 50:23), Zebulun, Issachar (vss. 12-15a); heroes: Zebulun & Naphtali (vs. 18) 2. Bench warmers: Reuben, Gilead (trans. Jordan), Dan, Asher (vss. 15b-17)

7. 3. Futility of fighting against God (vss. 19-22) 4. Meroz cursed (vs. 18) E.Jael is blessed (vss. 24-27) 1. Context: the cursing of Meroz (vs. 18). 2. Sisera’s mother (vss. 28-30) 3. Note the contrast between Meroz and Jael 4. This is full-blown praise, and nothing less! F.Sisera’s mother (vss. 28-30). What a contrast to Jael. G.The lesson to be learned (vs. 31a). H.Closing the account of chapters 4 & 5 (vs. 31b)

8. III.Conclusion – the message for then and now A.Here’s what happened – putting the pieces together. 1. Israel in distress 2. Through the prophetess, God summons Barak, issues orders, gives assurance of victory. 3. Barak goes with Deborah, summons Naphtali and Zebulun to Mt. Tabor 4. Sisera hears of this; gathers his army 5. Israel defeats Sisera 6. This song is sung and spread about 7. Other tribes assemble, Jabin destroyed 8. Some tribes hold back & are rebuked

9. B.This poem/song is the key to understanding Deborah’s role and contribution. 1. Deborah’s role is clear – she is a prophetess(4:4-7; 5:12) a.God speaks to Barak through Deborah b.Through Deborah this song is written 2. In this song, the woman honored is Jael 3. In this song, God is praised because the leaders led (not Deborah), and the people followed. 4. Deborah does not take over when men don’t lead; she inspires men to lead!

10. C.What can this poem do that prose (chapter 4) cannot? 1. It interprets history 2. It gives us a God-centered view 3. It projects the lessons of God’s past actions into the future (see Revelation 15:1-4) 4. It is a medium that inspires us to action D.Our text is a challenge to leaders – to lead. E.Our text is a challenge to all – to follow. F.Our text challenges us to lead in a way that inspires others to follow, when the enemy is strong and our resources are few – but God is on our side! Each of us has a role to play.

11. Copyright © 2009 by Robert L. Deffinbaugh. This is the edited PowerPoint presentation of Lesson 6 in the series, The Dark Days of Israel’s Judges, prepared by Robert L. Deffinbaugh for September 20, 2009. Anyone is at liberty to use this lesson for educational purposes only, with or without credit.