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T HE K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S deliver from the wisdom of this world and from error and sin.—-Gaebelein. It is usually a mark of apostasy in a land when a woman is found in the place of leadership.— Eliott. Wife of Lapidoth — means “ firebrand” . He is typical of the Holy Spirit. The Word and the Spirit in the Word give the victory.— Anno. Bible. She judged Israel. She judged not as a princess by civil au thority, but as a prophetess and as God’s mouth to them, correcting abuses and redressing grievances, espe cially those' which related to the wor ship of God.—Henry. In this she stands out as an exception to the ordi nances of God. The headship and rule belong to man and not to woman. Her attitude in Israel was in consequence of the failure on the part of the men who should have been to the front as the witnesses for God. When the men failed utterly, God raised up the woman to their discredit.—Haldeman. v. 6. She called Barak. The name means “ lightning” and he certainly came upon the oppressors of Israel like the lightning of God in swift and utter destruction. So will our Lord come when He returns in judgment upon the enemies of God. (Matt. 24:27.)— Tor- rey. The Lord commanded. The Di vine method is ever to link command and promise as we discover in verse 7. — Devo. Com. Our word has authority only when it has God’s Word back of it. — Torrey. v. 7. I will draw unto thee. God drew them to Barak only that He might deliver them into his hand. When Sisera drew his forces together he de signed the destruction of Israel but God drew them as sheaves unto the floor of their own destruction.— Henry. Jabin had been an unconscious minister of God. Many men occupy that relation to heaven who are not aware of it. The reason Jabin had anything to do with Israel was that “ Israel had done evil in the sight of the Lord” (4 :1 ).
God sentenced Israel to this period of oppression and sorrow but heaven’s hour of deliverance had now struck .—1 People’s Bible. I will deliver. This is the promise that God makes to all who fight for Him under His dlrectioir, against His enemies, (cf Josh. 8:7:; 10:18; 11:6.) ^Torrey, v. 8. If thou wilt go with me. Not doubting the Word of God, Barak sees a difficulty. He himself had no prophet ic gift and from the very first he would have the men gather with the clear un derstanding that it is for religion as much as for freedom that they are tak ing arms, and how may this be se cured? Only if Deborah will go with him proclaiming the Divine summons and promise of victory. Against her will she takes part in military prepa ration. She did not care to be forced into the position as chief person in the campaign.—Watson. Some make this to be the language of weak faith. It seems rather to arise from a convic tion of the necessity of God’s presence and continual direction, the pledge and earnest of which he would reckon De borah’s presence to be.—Matthews. v. 9. I will surely go. Those who in God’s name call others to their duty should be very ready to assist them in it.— Sel. Shall not be for thine honor. As Barak was unwilling to go alone but must have an arm of flesh to lean upon, he was to miss the honor that he might have had and it should go to another, but Barak’s name has come down in God’s catalogue of heroes of faith. (Heb. 11:32.)—-Torrey. The supreme honor of the victory Would have been to take and slay Sisera with his own hand. He did not. A woman overthrew the captain of the Canaanitish host. This is a lesson for today. The larger part of the church of Christ today is under bonds to women. They have stepped 'into the place vacated by men. The honor is to the women. Little honor is to the men.—s-Haldeman.
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