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THE KING’S BUSINESS
that victory is ours; and in every path He bids us enter, we have His own Word for it that the Lord is gone before us (John 10:4), and we may, therefore, always know that victory is sure (cf. 2 Sam. 5:24; Ps. 68:7,8). v. 15. “And the Lord discomfited Sisera and all his chariots, and all his host, with the edge of the sword before Barak." It was Jehovah, not Barak, who won the bat tle (cf. ch. 5:20, 21; Joshua 10:10; 2 Chron. 13:15-17). The victory was complete and overwhelming; God’s victories always are. Sisera came in a chariot and had to flee away on his own feet. All his host “fell upon the edge of the sword,” “there was not a man left.” Barak was completely triumphant. But it was not Barak who tri umphed, but God who triumphed through him, and in all our victories for God it is not we that win the victories, but He. But the honor of slaying Sisera himself went to Jael, and not to Barak (vs. 18-22). Barak was unwilling to go with God alone; he demanded a woman to help him (v. 8) and another woman got all the honor of the victory. Chap. 4:8-9. Barak would not go alone, v. 8; Exodus 4:10-14. He would go with Deborah, v. 8; Mat thew 14:30-31. Deborah promised to go with him, v. 9. Deborah did go with him, v. 10. (4) Destruction of Sisera and His Hosts.— Chap. 4:10-16. Barak and Deborah with an army at Kadish, v. 10. Sisera gathered his army, V. 13. Deborah gives the. command to advance, v. 14; Joshua 7:13. This was what Barak wanted of Deborah, v. 8. The Lord discomfited the enemy, v. 15; Joshua 10:10. Sisera fled alone, v. 17. (3) Decision of Barak.
match for the most enormous and perfectly equipped army. If we have God on our side we need never tremble, no matter how great are the forces opposed to us (Rom. 8:31). v. 14. “And Deborah said unto Barak, Up; for this is the day in which the LORD hath delivered Sisera into thine hand: is not the LORD gone out before thee?’' De borah was not in the least terrified' by the overwhelming ■forces of Sisera arrayed against them (v. 7). She had God’s word to depend upon, and the one who has God’s Word to depend upon may be always abso lutely without fear. But she had something more than God’s word to depend upon, she had God Himself to depend upon, and the one who has Jehovah to depend upon, and who really depends upon Him, will never fear (Ps. 27:1-3). There is something not only stirring but sublime in her words to Barak. The closing words of verse 14 were all that Barak needed to give him cour age for the conflict that was before him. Whenever we may know that the Lord has gone out before us, we need not fear to follow Him, and may be absolutely sure (1) Deborah the Prophetess. —Chap. 4:4-5. A woman judged Israel, v. 4; Exodus 18:113. God commanded Irsael to go to the judges, v. 5; Deuteronomy 17:8-12. God commanded Barak to lead His hosts, v. 6; Jeremiah 46:18. God named the size of the army, v. 6; Judges 4:10, 5:14-18. (2) Deliverance Promised. —Chap. 4:6-7. “I will deliver Sisera into thine hands,” v. 7; Joshua 8 :7. The promised place of deliverance, v. 7; Judges 5:21. The manner of deliverance described, v. 7. The honor of deliverance to be God’s, y. 9; 1 Samuel 2 :30. Sisera was to fall by the hand of a wo man, v. 9; 2 Samuel 21, 22.
THE LESSON OUTLINE
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