June 1930
B u s i n E s s
T h e
K i n g ’ s
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them in the land. But they had lost their first love. Their vision was dimmed. Spiritual laziness had gripped them. The sad story of their coming short appears in the early chapters of the book of Judges. The failure of each tribe is enumerated (Judg. 1 :19-34). Of Judah it is said, “He could not drive out the inhabitants of the valley, because they had chariots of iron.” But was not Jehovah more than a match for armies with iron chariots (cf. 4:3, 6, 7) ? Of other tribes it is said that they did not drive out their foes; in some cases these alien people were made to minister to their needs and cater to their pride, for they became virtually slaves of Israel (I ‘.27, 28; 30-33). The tribe of Dan was forced back by their foes into the mountains (1:34), Failure to cut off the ancient inhabitants of Canaan led to compromise and danger. Judgment fell upon those who departed from God and served Baalim (2:11-15). It was at such a time of apostasy and consequent dis tress that God raised up the prophetess Deborah to bring at least a temporary de liverance to Israel. * * * T he H eart of the L esson Tj The Distress of Israel (1-3). V. 1. Did that which was evil. The evil thing in the sight of God was idolatry. The heathen nations whom Israel failed to exterminate became a snare. They soon a follower of Jehovah and a prophet (3: 20-28). During his rule, which may have been limited to southern Canaan, heathen ism was in a measure suppressed. V. 2. Jehovah sold them. Think of i t ! A people who had been redeemed from physical and spiritual. bondage in Egypt found the redemptive process reversed because of their apostasy. Into the hand of Jabin. This invasion came from the north of Palestine, a territory which Is rael, under Joshua, had failed to over come. That reigned in Hasor. This city is mentioned in Joshua (11:1-15). The king of that time, also named Jabin and possibly an ancestor of the one mentioned in Judges, was conquered by Joshua and his city burned. Apparently the city had been rebuilt. Sisera. The name means “battle array.” Evidently he was a soldier of great renown. Harosheth o f the Gen tiles. Sisera had a city of his own, not dwelling in the capitol if his master. The site of the city cannot be positively de termined. V. 3. Cried unto Jehovah. In the time of prosperity Israel forgot Jehovah. Af fliction turned their thoughts back to Him. Chariots o f iron. The adjacent Plain of Esdraelori was suitable for the use of war chariots. Mightily oppressed. The chil dren of Israel had no chariots nor even spears and shields (cf. 5:8). Therefore they were helpless before Sisera’s hosts. True, God was able to overthrow chariots as He did in the case of Pharaoh’s pur suing host at the crossing of the Red Sea, but Israel had lost her faith in God. intermarried w i t h t h e h'eathen, wor shiped their gods, and fell into the evil practices which w e r e always con nected with idol atry. When Ehud was dead. He was
II. The Deliverance (4-10). V. 4. Now Deborah, a prophetess. The name Deborah means “a bee.” She was one of a group of famous prophetesses known in the history of Israel [cf. Mir iam, sister of Moses, Huldah, in the days of King Josiah (2 Ki. 22:14); Noadiah, who attempted to destroy the faith and courage of Nehemiah (Neh. 6:14)]. She judged Israel. She heard civil cases that arose between the people and gave deci sions. Evidently she was a woman of reputation in the kingdom by reason of her lofty motives, her zeal for the re ligion of her fathers, her devotion to truth and right in every case submitted, and her prophetic insight into the future. V. 5. Dwelt under the palm tree. The verb may as well be rendered “sat,” used in the same sense as in English when it is said, “the court sat.” Some have sup posed this tree to have been the one under which Rebekah’s nurse, Deborah, was buried. The fact that that tree was called an oak (Gen. 35:8) seems to be against the theory. Between Ramah and Bethel. Ramah was a town belonging to the tribe of Benjamin. Bethel was the place where Jacob had his dream. It was about eleven miles north of Jerusalem. Deborah lived in the southern part of the territory be longing to Ephraim—north of Jerusalem. Came up to her for judgment. In this manner Deborah learned of the sad con dition of the people. She saw their com promise with heathenism, their military strength vanishing, their homes disrupted, their children carried away captive, and much more that gave her distress. V. 6. Sent and called Barak. Barak means “lightning.” The name scarcely seems to fit such a character as his. Out of Kedesh-naphtali. It was situated in the extreme north of Palestine in the ter ritory belonging to the tribe of Naphtali. It is to be distinguished from another Kedesh in the southern end of Judah’s territory. It was north of Hazor and therefore in the enemy’s territory. Barak thus had good opportunity to know and feel the distress of Israel. Hath not Je hovah . . . commanded. Deborah had clear vision and strong faith. It was enough that God had heard the cry of His distressed but repentant people. Draw unto mount Tabor. This mountain was near Nazareth and close to the Plain cf Esdraelon where Sisera would be ex pected to bring his army. Take with thee. He was instructed to summon 10,000 men from his own tribe, Naphtali, and the neighboring tribe of Zebulun. V. 7 . 1 will draw unto thee . . . . Sisera. Israel’s little army was quite in sufficient. But Jehovah with Israel’s army gave assurance of victory. The urgency of the situation made it impossible to seek for a large host from distant tribes. God drew the enemy’s army into a trap, where a band of peasants were able to conquer an army of trained soldiers. To the river Kishon. Near mount Carmel. It was on the southern bank of this river that Elijah slew the priests of Baal. V. 8. I f thou wilt go with me. Barak naturally felt that the présence of a cour ageous leader would inspire confidence. But might not Barak have received direct from God the same faith and courage that Deborah had? It is better to have con fidence in God than in the best of God’s people (Psa. 118:8, 9).
V. 9. I will surely go with thee. She acceded to Barak’s plea, but because he seemed to trust more in her presence than in the presence of God, the journey would not be to his honor. Sisera was to die by the hand of a woman and she would get the glory that Barak might have obtained (cf. 4:17-22). Barak did not, however, lose all honor; he had a little faith (cf. Heb. 11:32). Deborah went up with him. It was Deborah who gave the signal for the battle that followed (cf. 14). Her presence proved to be what was needed to rally Israel’s army. V. 10. Barak called Zebulun and Naph tali. These tribes sent the largest number of soldiers (cf. 5:18). But there were some also from Issachar, Benjamin, Eph raim and Manasseh (cf. 5:14, 15). The tribes of Dan, Gad and Asher refused to join in the conflict. Simeon and Judah held aloof (cf. 5:17). Ten thousand men. These were infantry soldiers, poorly armed. They went forward against Sisera’s much larger army well equipped because of the great number of iron cha riots they possessed. Deborah went up with him. Deborah’s strength lay in the fact that she depended upon the Word of God. In His name she approached the well disciplined heathen army without fear. There is something that stirs the soul of every reader in her word to Barak, “U p; for this is the day in which the Lord hath delivered Sisera into thy hand,” By faith she counted the victory already complete. * * * L esson Q uestions 1. What was the evil thing that the children of Israel did? Why was it called “evil in the sight of Jehovah” ? Is all sin to be considered evil in the sight of Je hovah? Who was Ehud? What had he done for Israel (cf. 3 :20-28) ? ' 2. What is meant by the words “Je hovah sold them” ? Did they actually be come slaves ? Under whose power were they oppressed? Had not God promised all of the land of Canaan to Israel? Why did not Israel overthrow the Canaanites as God commanded them to do (cf. Josh. 13:1; 18:3; Judg. 1:21-36; 2:1-3)? Where did Jabin dwell? Who was Sisera? Where did he live? 3. What did Israel do when they were afflicted? Do men usually wait until they are in trouble before they call upon God ? Is God ready to hear the cries of all who are afflicted (cf. Rom. 10:13)? What kind of formidable equipment did Jabin have? How long did he oppress Israel? 4, 5. What does the name Deborah mean? What other well-known woman in Israel had the same name? What was the work of a judge? Where did Deborah dwell? Does her dwelling place suggest that she was living a life of great sim plicity, not seeking to exalt herself? Does the language signify that she was- recog nized as appointed by God to her posi tion? Does she seem to have been highly respected ? 6. Whom did Deborah summon ? Where did he live? Was his,home in, the midst of heathen country where he could see and feel the oppression of the enemy? What does his name mean? How did Deborah find out what God had commanded? Did she tell Barak how many men to take with him? Did that number of men seem to Barak to be suf ficient? What tribes are mentioned from
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