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June, 1944
ACTU A L EXPER IEN CE S A book by Carleton E. Null that encourages In soul-winning. Incidents traversing the highways as the beau-brummel of hitch-hik ers. Thrilling results of prison ministry. Mr, Null has traveled over 275,000 miles by autb in Highway Evangelism. Priced at 25c so you can give copies to your friends.' Order from: BIBLE BOOK STORE, 526 15th St., Oakland 12, California. For Men in C F D I f l f T * and Others too! MJClA * A v l l Fiye N EW TRACTS . . . Appealing messages "Jjjr of amazing power. Beautifully printed in national colors. True soul-winners. Popular in - Camps and Overseas. Samples FREE. » Order NOW — have on hand when needed. Only Sc a doz.; 50c a 100. W rite today. . Faith, Prayer & Tract League w Dept. KB2, Muskegon Heights, Mich, t * BIBLES• TESTAMENTS W e carry one o f the la rgest stocks w est o f the M ississippi R iver. A lso religiou s and tem perance books. Lot Angeles 13, Calif. Your BEST Advertisement -rof meetings, services, etc. for Churches, Classes; Societies, or Personal use. The Kttle Monthly with a lot of power1. Four pages of soul-saving experi ences and testimonies, articles and poems. Your Announcement', imprinted-—price. O N LY $4.50 a thousand. ' Issued monthly. Send for FR EE sample, enclosing stamp for mailing. Write, phone, or call MUtrial 3820 RELIGIOUS BOOK SHOP 352 So. Spring St.
sage: told him what he was to do, and what she would do, and voiced God’s promise: “ I will deliver him [the enemy] into thine hand.” It is signifi-- cknt that when the Holy Spirit later refers to this incident, nothing is said of Deborah, but credit is given to Barak (cf. Heb. 11:32). Barak hesitated. He refused to start unless Deborah went with him. So “De borah arose, and went with Barak." Whatever might be the value of De borah’s presence, it would not add anything to Barak’s ability, nor make his mission any more successful, be cause he was to go at the command and in the presence of the Lord, not of Deborah. But it is a sign of human nature to desire something seen to lean upon wheh going in the service of the Lord. Ill, T he V ictory for I srael (13-16) Wheh Sisera, Jabin’s commander-in- chief, set out to quell the revolt of Israel, he gathered his nine hundred chariots-and a great host-of soldiers, for one great- blow that would settle the rebellion. He thought such an army would quickly subdue the small force mustered by Barak. Then Deborah cried' to Barafk that the time had come for the Lord to act. She would not allow Barak to think the victory would’ be won because of his leadership, or by the small army he led, but she said, “The Lord hath delivered Sisera into thine hand.” In Him, victory was assured. That day, “the "Lord discomfited Sisera . . . before Barak,” who pur sued the enemy until “there, was not a man left.”-As a part of this itriumph, the Lord used a woman in national life, when men had failed. The meas ure in which the huihan instruments are surrendered into the hands of the Loid is the measure in which the Lord uses those instruments,, whether men or women. Points and Problems 1. "And the Lord sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan" (Judg. 4:2). No Sooner had Israel sinned, than, her liberties were cur tailed and oppression began. Every time the child of God sins, he limits the power of his testimony and his field of usefulness. The Lord needs clean vessels to bear His message. 2. "The children of Israel came up to her for judgment" (v. 5). ,Deborah was the fourth of the judges who min istered in Israel in the days following Joshua. The statement of this text in dicates the relation that existed be tween the judges and the people. It appears that when the people found themselves in some difficulty or need ed particular help of some kind they went to the judge. The judge was God’s appointed deliverer. He deliv-
takest shall not be for thine honors for the Lord shall sell Sisera into the hand of a woman. And Deborah arose, and went with Barak to Kedesh. 13 And Sisera gathered together all his chariots, even nine hundred chariots of iron, and all the people'that were with him, from Harosheth of the Gentiles unto the river of Kishon. 14’ And Deborah said unto Barak, Ubi fo** this is the day in which the Lord hath de livered Sisera into thine hand: is not the Lord gone out before thee? So Barak went down from mount Tabor, and ten thousand men after him. 15 And the Lord discomfited Sisera, and all his chariots, and all his host, with the edge of the sword before Barak; so that Sisera lighted down off his chariot, and fled away on his feet. 16 But Barak pursued after the chariots, and after the host,- unto Harosheth of the Gentiles: and all the host of Sisera fell upon the. edge of the sword; and there was not a man left. ' LESSON TEX T: Judg. 4:1-9, 13-16. ’ g o l d e n TEX T: “ Who knoweth whether fhou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” (Esth. 4:14). DEVOTIONAL READING: Psa. 20. Outline and Exposition I, ' T he D istress ' ^ I srael (1-3) TT T NDER the rule of the judges, the people followed the Lord v J intermittently. But with the death of Ehud, the people gave them selves over to serve false gods. Because of this departure,-the'Lord delivered them into: the hand of an enemy, this time Jabin, king of Ca naan. For twenty years this pfigan king “mightily oppressed the children of Israel.” Had the nation obeyed the Lord’s original command when they entered the land, this pagan king never would have been there to op press them later (cf. Deut. 7:1-6). . When the oppression became un bearable, the people turned back to God. The Lord had allowed the dis tress ift order that Israel’s highest good might be: attained by their being forced to return to- God with the cry for deliverance. II. T he D eliverer for I srael (7 -9 ) While' it is true that God is pleased to use men for His public service, there are times when no proper man can be found among His people. At the time of today’s lesson, there was "no man capable of taking the leadership and bringing Israel out of bondage. Hence, God turned to a woman, Deborah, a prophetess. She was well known among the people. God’s servants of old always were well known, although not always honored among the people. Israel accepted this prophetess as their last hope in their distress. One of the great principles of God’s dealings with the human race since the fall is that the man should be in the place of leadership (cf. Gen. 3:16; 1 Cor. 11:3; 1 Tim. 2:12-14). Deborah recognized this principle, and called for Barak. She gave him God’s mes
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