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Judges 4 · Providence Baptist Church - Sermons

• 0:00
  Well, good morning. I invite you to take your copy of God's Word and turn to Judges chapter 4.
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  In The Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan, Christian, the primary character, tells his companion the story of another allegorical character by the name of Little Faith.
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  Little Faith, on his journey to the celestial city, falls asleep for a time and upon waking is assaulted by three rogues who are called faint heart, guilt, and mistrust.
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  Allegorically, these all exist within this character, Little Faith.
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  They rob him and they leave him barely enough to finish his journey.
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  In Mark chapter 9, the father of a boy with an unclean spirit comes to Jesus and says,
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  If you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.
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  And Jesus replies to him,
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  If you can, all things are possible.
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  For one who believes, immediately the father of the child cried out and said,
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  I believe, help my unbelief.
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  Mark chapter 9.
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  Jesus subsequently heals the boy.
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  Little Faith's faith was small.
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  He was troubled by a lack of courage and trust, yet he reached the celestial city and was welcomed there.
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  The boy's father expressed a mixture of belief and doubt, yet the Lord of healing healed his boy.
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  Faltering faith.
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  Faltering faith.
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  Small faith, but sufficient faith.
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  Do you ever identify with these characters?
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  Feel like you are just barely hanging on?
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  I do at times.
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  In fact, you may notice in your bulletin that it says Judges chapters 13 through 16, which was the story of Samson.
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  And I decided in this week I would rather study and consider the story we're going to see in Judges chapter 4 for my own sake.
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  And so, in today's text, there's another character, little faith kind of character.
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  And I hope that our consideration of him, as it served my soul, will also be of great encouragement to your soul today.
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  So, Judges chapter 4, before I lead us in reading it, beloved, this is God's word to us, written for his glory and our good.
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  And so, we would all do well to listen to it in order to believe its promises and to obey its commands.
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  Judges chapter 4, beginning in verse 1.
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  And the people of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord after Ehud died.
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  And the Lord sold them into the hand of Jabin, king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor.
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  The commander of his army was Sisera, who lived in Heresheth Hagoyim.
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  Then the people of Israel cried out to the Lord for help, for he had 900 chariots of iron, and he oppressed the people of Israel cruelly for 20 years.
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  Now, Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, was judging Israel at that time.
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  She used to sit under the palm of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim,
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  and the people of Israel came up to her for judgment.
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  She sent and summoned Barak, the son of Abinoam, from Kadesh Naphtali, and said to him,
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  Has not the Lord, the God of Israel, commanded you,
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  Go gather your men at Mount Tabor, taking 10,000 from the people of Naphtali and the people of Zebulun?
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  And I will draw out Sisera, the general of Jabin's army, to meet you by the river Kishon,
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  with his chariots and his troops, and I will give him into your hand.
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  Barak said to her, If you go with me, I will go, but if you will not go with me, I will not go.
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  And she said, I will surely go with you.
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  Nevertheless, the road on which you are going will not lead to your glory,
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  for the Lord will sell Sisera into the hand of a woman.
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  Then Deborah arose and went with Barak to Kadesh.
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  Excuse me, Barak.
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  I'm trying to say it differently than the president's name.
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  Barak.
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  And Barak called out Zebulun and Naphtali to Kadesh,
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  and 10,000 men went up at his heels, and Deborah went up with him.
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  Now Heber, the Kenite, had separated from the Kenites the descendants of Hobab, the father-in-law of Moses,
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  and had pitched his tent as far away as the oak in Za'ananim, which is near Kadesh.
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  When Sisera was told that Barak, the son of Abinoam, had gone up from Mount Tabor,
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  Sisera called out all his chariots, 900 chariots of iron, and all the men who were with him,
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  from Heresheth, Hogoyim, to the river Kishon.
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  And Deborah said to Barak,
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  For this is the day in which the Lord has given Sisera into your hands.
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  Does not the Lord go out before you?
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  So Barak went down from Mount Tabor with 10,000 men following him.
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  And the Lord routed Sisera and all his chariots and all his army before Barak by the edge of the sword.
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  And Sisera got down from his chariot and fled away on foot.
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  And Barak pursued the chariots and the army to Heresheth, Hogoyim,
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  and all the army of Sisera fell by the edge of the sword.
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  Not a man was left.
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  But Sisera fled away on foot to the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite,
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  for there was peace between Jabin the king of Hazor and the house of Heber the Kenite.
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  And Jael came out to meet Sisera and said to him,
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  Turn aside, my lord, turn aside to me, do not be afraid.
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  So he turned aside to her into the tent, and she covered him with a rug.
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  And he said to her,
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  Please give me a little water to drink, for I am thirsty.
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  So she opened a skin of milk and gave him a drink and covered him.
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  And he said to her, Stand at the opening of the tent,
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  and if any man comes and asks you, is anyone here, say no.
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  But Jael, the wife of Heber, took a tent peg and took a hammer in her hand.
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  Then she went softly to him and drove the peg into his temple
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  until it went down to the ground while he was lying fast asleep from weariness.
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  So cool.
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  So he died.
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  And behold, as Barak was pursuing Sisera,
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  Jael went out to meet him and said to him,
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  Come and I will show you the man whom you are seeking.
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  So he went into her tent, and there lay Sisera dead with a tent peg in his temple.
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  So on that day God subdued Jabin the king of Canaan before the people of Israel.
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  And the hand of the people of Israel pressed harder and harder against Jabin the king of Canaan
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  until they destroyed Jabin king of Canaan.
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  Now I shared with you last week as we overviewed the book of Judges
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  that a pattern is presented in the text,
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  which is seen in today's chapter very clearly.
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  Number one, the people rebel.
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  There's the death of one of the judges,
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  and some time passes,
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  and the people rebel.
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  We see this in verse one.
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  And the people of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord after Ehud died.
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  So that's the first step in the pattern that we see.
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  Secondly, we see that God hands them over to the people of the land.
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  In this case, it's into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan,
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  who reigned in Hazor.
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  So there's this regional thing going on in the land at this time.
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  So it's likely this area that's under the command of Jabin the king.
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  And we see that he has a commander, a general by the name of Sisera,
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  and a mighty army.
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  And that's what's being communicated to us in verse three.
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  And the reason that people cry out for help
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  is there's this insurmountable army of 900 chariots of iron.
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  It was like the tanks of their day.
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  And we see that Jabin oppresses the people of Israel cruelly for a time of 20 years.
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  So that's the second step.
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  God in judgment hands them over to the people of the land.
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  Thirdly, we see that God shows them mercy by raising up a judge.
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  And in this case, most commentators agree two judges in the form of Deborah and Barak.
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  So you'll see them often in lists, Deborah slash Barak,
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  that they together were judging at this time
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  and delivering Israel from their oppressors.
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  Now in Hebrew, the name Deborah means to pronounce.
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  And we will see why that's such a fitting name for her in just a moment.
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  At this point, we're not going to focus most of our attention on Deborah today,
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  but rather on Barak.
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  But I want to address the egalitarian argument
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  that Deborah serving as a judge in the book of Judges
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  justifies women serving in the office of pastor.
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  We believe that the office of pastor or elder, same word, congruous,
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  is reserved for qualified men.
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  And both of these stipulations are important.
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  Men, but not just men, but qualified men, are to hold the office.
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  And today is not for a sermon on that in particular,
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  but this is what we believe the office is meant to who it is meant to be held by.
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  Deborah is undoubtedly used of God in this instance in Israel's history.
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  Women generally have been and are most certainly used by God in the life of His church.
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  We have every reason to be incredibly thankful for the beautiful ways
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  that the women of our church are vital to the function of our church.
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  Very important to be sure.
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  Ladies, we are extremely grateful for you.
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  But it is reckless hermeneutics that want to draw parallels
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  between the office that Deborah holds here and the church office of pastor.
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  So I just want to take that off the table for us.
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  Deborah, in this episode, is the person of greater faith.
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  She is more to be emulated in this chapter.
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  We're going to focus, as I said, much of our attention on Barak today,
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  but not for his superior faith, but rather his weakness of faith.
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  Of interest and perhaps in clever juxtaposition,
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  the Hebrew name Barak means lightning.
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  So this general of Israel's army, General Lightning,
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  will need the prompting of Deborah to carry out God's purpose for him.
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  I think that's meant to be striking, especially to readers of Hebrew,
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  that this guy, General Lightning,
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  Deborah has to approach and remind him of what God had said to him.
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  So that was the third step.
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  God shows mercy to his people by raising up a judge.
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  Fourthly, the judge, by God's help, delivers the Israelites,
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  and they have rest.
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  And so we see that in verse 23 and 24.
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  On that day, God subdued Jabin, the king of Canaan, before the people of Israel.
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  Earlier in the chapter, we see that the people are routed,
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  and I wish we had more storyline there to understand how it is that those people were conquered.
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  But I think the point where our fixation is supposed to be is that God accomplished it.
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  The details of exactly how they fought that battle are not terribly important.
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  What is important is that God did that work,
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  these 10,000 men against this mighty army with these 900 chariots of metal.
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  So on that day, God subdued Jabin, the king of Canaan, before the people of Israel.
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  And the hand of the people of Israel pressed harder and harder against Jabin, the king of Canaan,
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  until they destroyed Jabin, king of Canaan.
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  And then, at the end of chapter 5, which records a song sung by Deborah and Barak,
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  we read,
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  And the land had rest for 40 years.
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  So we see that cycle once again.
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  The judge, by God's help, delivers the Israelites,
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  and they have rest.
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  But then, the last step, the judge dies,
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  and the people return to their wickedness.
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  Remember, I read to you in verse 1, right?
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  It was Israel again being wicked because Ehud had died.
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  And then we see in Judges chapter 6 and verse 1,
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  The people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord.
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  And the Lord then gives them into the hand of Midian,
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  and the cycle goes round and round.
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  So there is this framework re-presented to you and seen clearly in chapter 4.
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  I also want you to remember the repeated stanza toward the end of the book.
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  In those days, there was no king in Israel.
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  Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.
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  You see this in places like Judges 21 and verse 25.
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  Israel needed a king.
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  This reality is temporally fulfilled in the ascension and reign of King David.
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  We talked about this a little bit last week.
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  Saul was given to them as the king that they deserved,
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  and he did not serve them well.
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  They were meant to wait on the Lord
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  and have the king that he intended for them to have,
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  which we see temporal fulfillment in King David.
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  But ultimately,
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  we see this fulfillment in the ascension and present reign of the Lord Jesus Christ.
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  David was always meant to show God's people
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  a greater king that would come
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  and have an imperishing reign.
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  The totality of the Old Testament speaks of promises made.
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  The totality of the New Testament speaks of promises kept.
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  Let's not forget this morning,
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  as we look at this story with minds toward Barak,
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  that this book speaks loudly to us of Christ.
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  The failings of the people are meant to show us
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  we need a savior and a king who will reign forever.
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  At the beginning of this chapter,
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  after the introduction of the oppression that Israel is experiencing,
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  we are introduced to Deborah,
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  who is working at the task that we more readily associate
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  with the title of judge.
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  We see most of the judges are just coming in there slaying the enemy,
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  but here we see her,
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  this prophetess,
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  this wife of Lapidoth.
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  Lapidoth,
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  the Hebrew actually means of Lapidoth,
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  so maybe a city,
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  but here it's translated the wife of Lapidoth,
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  was judging Israel at that time.
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  And we get some clarification on that in verse 5
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  as she sits under a palm that's named after her,
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  her palm tree,
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  the palm of Deborah,
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  between Ramah and Bethel
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  in the hill country of Ephraim.
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  And the people of Israel came up to her for judgment.
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  They were coming to her and bringing her questions.
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  Help us to settle this matter between us,
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  and this is what she is doing.
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  I mentioned a moment ago that in Hebrew,
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  the name Deborah means to pronounce.
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  Additionally,
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  we see her called a prophetess.
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  And I think the significance of the name
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  and the role are made evident to us
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  in the next two verses.
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  Notice what she does at the beginning of verse 6.
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  She sent and summoned Barak,
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  the son of Abinoam from Kadesh Naphtali.
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  She brings him to her and says to him,
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  Has not the Lord,
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  the God of Israel,
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  commanded you,
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  go gather your men at Mount Tabor,
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  taking 10,000 from the people of Naphtali
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  and the people of Zebulun,
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  and I will draw out Sisera,
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  the general of Jabin's army,
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  to meet you by the river Kashan
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  with his chariots and his troops,
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  and I will give him into your hand.
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  Deborah brings Barak before her
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  and does not tell him something new.
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  She's not received a word from the Lord
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  that she's now passing along to him.
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  She's asking him a question.
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  Didn't God say,
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  Do such and such,
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  and I will accomplish?
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  Hasn't God commanded you to do something,
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  promised your success in the carrying out of the task,
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  and yet you have not done it?
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  That's the implied question that hangs there at the end.
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  Barak,
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  General Lightning,
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  has failed to believe God's word.
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  God himself has spoken this word to him,
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  and nothing has happened.
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  And this is why Deborah summons him
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  and asks him this question.
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  We have no indication of how much time has passed
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  between God speaking to Barak
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  and Deborah speaking to Barak.
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  But it has been enough time
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  that God is using Deborah
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  to prompt Barak to action.
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  Why has Barak failed to believe God's word?
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  I suggest to you that he is being driven by fear.
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  He's observing the state of the enemy.
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  He is saying,
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  How could it be possible
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  that God would do this thing for us?
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  Because look,
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  they have 900 chariots of iron.
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  There's this cruel oppression going on
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  we see in verse 3.
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  And Barak doesn't believe
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  that God will,
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  in spite of that,
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  deliver his people.
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  At this point,
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  we want to think Barak
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  so ridiculous.
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  God has made a promise.
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  Why are you afraid, Barak?
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  I want to wag my head at him
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  for the shame of his weak faith.
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  But you and I,
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  we are just like Barak.
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  I really desire to identify more readily
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  with Deborah or with JL.
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  But in this story,
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  in this chapter,
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  I am most like Barak.
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  You are most like Barak.
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  We have a record of promises made
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  and promises kept.
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  We have clear commandments given to us
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  and yet we fail to believe God's Word.
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  We are prompted by others.
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  The reading of the Bible
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  or a good book explaining the Bible.
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  The counsel of a dear, wise friend.
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  The hearing of a sermon.
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  Barak's faith was small.
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  He expressed this further
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  in his response to Deborah.
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  Barak said to her,
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  this is a striking verse,
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  if you will go with me,
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  I will go.
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  But if you will not go with me,
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  I will not go.
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  So just on the very surface, right,
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  Barak has been given a commission,
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  a charge by God,
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  and a guarantee of success.
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  There's no doubt about God's Word there.
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  He will accomplish this task.
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  I will give him into your hand,
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  is what God says there in verse 7.
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  And the response in verse 8
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  is if you will go with me, Deborah,
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  I will go.
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  But if you will not go with me,
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  I will not go.
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  It's an astounding little faith response.
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  But it's even more so that
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  if this phrase draws your mind
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  to another time
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  that a similar thing was said.
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  Back in Exodus chapter 33
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  in verse 15,
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  this is after the golden calf incident,
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  and there's some interaction
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  between Moses and God
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  and some reissuing of promise.
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  And then Moses says to God
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  in verse 15,
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  if your presence will not go with me,
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  do not bring us up from here.
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  Moses' request there
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  is a good and legitimate one.
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  It has as the proper object of faith
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  God Himself.
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  And I think this record of Barak's response
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  is meant to draw out that juxtaposition.
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  Little things are supposed to fire off
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  in our brain and go,
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  whoa, whoa, whoa.
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  This is not an act of faith at all.
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  In whom is Barak trusting?
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  He seems to be placing his faith in Deborah
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  rather than the God
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  who issued the command
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  and who made the promise.
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  His request is even more shameful
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  when you consider that Deborah is a woman.
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  If you were to read
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  the biblical narrative through,
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  you would remember in Joshua chapter 1,
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  and verse 14,
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  the following command.
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  Your wives,
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  your little ones,
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  and your livestock
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  shall remain in the land
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  that Moses gave you
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  beyond the Jordan.
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  But all the men of valor among you
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  shall pass over
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  armed before your brothers
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  and shall help them.
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  It's an aside,
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  but it's the shame of a nation
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  when it sends its women
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  to fight its wars.
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  If you're reading this narrative through,
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  right,
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  if you're seeing this very command given,
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  the men were meant to go
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  and conquer the land
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  back in Joshua 1 and verse 14.
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  They failed to do that task,
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  and now we see
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  this general,
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  Barak,
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  general lightning,
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  requesting that Deborah
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  go with him
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  to the war.
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  And astute readers
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  should see both Barak's
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  lack of faith
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  and his subsequent request
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  as so shameful.
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  But beloved,
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  we do the very same thing.
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  We fail to believe God's word,
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  and we look to alternative means
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  to see his promises fulfilled,
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  rather than just trusting
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  that our God,
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  who has spoken,
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  will do exactly
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  what he said
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  he will do.
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  Now,
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  in spite of all that,
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  in spite of that small faith
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  of Barak,
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  he goes up.
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  He goes.
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  And God is faithful
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  to his word.
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  We see in verse 15,
• 24:20
  And the Lord routed Sisera
• 24:22
  and all his chariots
• 24:24
  and all his army
• 24:25
  before Barak
• 24:26
  by the edge
• 24:27
  of the sword.
• 24:29
  So they fight.
• 24:30
  We see the evidence of that,
• 24:31
  right?
• 24:31
  The sword itself
• 24:32
  is taking place,
• 24:34
  but the emphasis is placed
• 24:35
  on the Lord
• 24:37
  doing this work.
• 24:39
  How is it possible
• 24:40
  if they defeated him?
• 24:41
  I don't know.
• 24:42
  Again,
• 24:42
  I wish we had the details,
• 24:43
  but we're meant to see
• 24:44
  that it's God himself
• 24:46
  who accomplished it.
• 24:48
  God uses Barak's
• 24:49
  small,
• 24:51
  but sufficient faith
• 24:52
  and accomplishes his purpose
• 24:54
  on behalf
• 24:55
  of his people.
• 24:58
  However,
• 24:59
  this is not without
• 25:01
  its temporal judgment
• 25:02
  on Barak.
• 25:05
  Remember,
• 25:06
  back in verse 9,
• 25:07
  Deborah says,
• 25:09
  I will go with you,
• 25:10
  nevertheless.
• 25:11
  The road on which
• 25:12
  you are going
• 25:13
  will not lead
• 25:14
  to your glory.
• 25:16
  This small faithness
• 25:18
  for the Lord
• 25:19
  will sell Sisera
• 25:20
  into the hand
• 25:21
  of a woman.
• 25:24
  And we see that
• 25:25
  to be the case
• 25:26
  in just a few
• 25:27
  short verses.
• 25:29
  Barak is denied
• 25:30
  the praise
• 25:31
  of defeating Sisera
• 25:32
  because,
• 25:33
  as we read,
• 25:34
  it is J.L.
• 25:34
  who deals
• 25:35
  the final blow.
• 25:38
  It's an incredible account
• 25:40
  and it's just one
• 25:41
  of my favorites.
• 25:42
  The Bible is full
• 25:43
  of stories
• 25:44
  that eclipse
• 25:45
  the fiction
• 25:46
  of our days.
• 25:48
  We have
• 25:49
  limitless resource
• 25:50
  to make great movies
• 25:51
  from the Scripture.
• 25:54
  But I want to leave off
• 25:55
  this account
• 25:55
  at this point.
• 25:56
  There's much that can be said
• 25:58
  about it.
• 25:59
  But I want to leave it off
• 26:00
  with this
• 26:01
  weak,
• 26:02
  sufficient faith
• 26:03
  of Barak
• 26:04
  in mind
• 26:05
  and take you
• 26:06
  elsewhere
• 26:06
  in the Bible.
• 26:08
  So if you will,
• 26:09
  please join me
• 26:10
  in Hebrews chapter 10.
• 26:32
  I just want to pick up
• 26:33
  the last verse
• 26:34
  of Hebrews chapter 10.
• 26:35
  So verse 39
• 26:36
  and then we're going
• 26:37
  to read a little bit
• 26:38
  into chapter 11.
• 26:40
  The book of Hebrews
• 26:47
  is being written
• 26:48
  to encourage
• 26:49
  those Christians,
• 26:52
  this little church
• 26:54
  we believe
• 26:54
  is meeting out
• 26:55
  on the outskirts
• 26:56
  of Rome,
• 26:58
  largely made up of,
• 26:59
  perhaps not exclusively,
• 27:01
  but largely made up of
• 27:02
  Jewish converts
• 27:03
  to Christ.
• 27:04
  They had suffered much.
• 27:06
  We see the evidence
• 27:06
  of that throughout
• 27:07
  the pages of the book
• 27:08
  of Hebrews.
• 27:09
  Hebrews.
• 27:10
  And it's meant
• 27:11
  to press them on.
• 27:12
  And so in verse 39,
• 27:13
  the author of Hebrews
• 27:14
  says,
• 27:14
  we are not of those
• 27:15
  who shrink back
• 27:16
  and are destroyed,
• 27:18
  but of those who have
• 27:19
  faith
• 27:20
  and preserve
• 27:21
  their souls.
• 27:23
  And then he defines
• 27:24
  faith in chapter 11
• 27:25
  and verse 1.
• 27:26
  Now,
• 27:27
  faith
• 27:27
  is the assurance
• 27:29
  of things
• 27:30
  and the conviction
• 27:32
  of things
• 27:33
  not seen.
• 27:35
  It's a confidence.
• 27:38
  What we hope
• 27:39
  will come to pass,
• 27:40
  what God has said
• 27:41
  will come to pass,
• 27:42
  will in fact
• 27:42
  come to pass.
• 27:45
  For by it,
• 27:46
  verse 2 says,
• 27:47
  the people of old
• 27:48
  received their commendation
• 27:51
  or you could think
• 27:51
  approval.
• 27:53
  They were accepted
• 27:54
  by that faith
• 27:56
  in the promises
• 27:58
  of God.
• 28:00
  And the author
• 28:01
  of Hebrews
• 28:01
  then runs
• 28:02
  a litany
• 28:03
  of examples
• 28:04
  of faith.
• 28:05
  You may have
• 28:06
  heard this called
• 28:07
  the hall of faith.
• 28:08
  Like you would picture
• 28:08
  walking down it
• 28:09
  and there's pictures
• 28:10
  of these individuals
• 28:11
  hung on the walls
• 28:13
  as you walk down it.
• 28:14
  Again,
• 28:15
  meant to strengthen
• 28:16
  this poor,
• 28:18
  beleaguered
• 28:18
  little church.
• 28:19
  People with a
• 28:21
  small faith.
• 28:23
  They're being encouraged
• 28:24
  throughout this
• 28:25
  chapter.
• 28:26
  And he lists off
• 28:27
  a bunch of
• 28:28
  different people
• 28:28
  but then in
• 28:29
  Hebrews chapter 11
• 28:30
  and verse 32,
• 28:32
  read with me
• 28:33
  what he says,
• 28:34
  and what more
• 28:35
  shall I say?
• 28:37
  For time
• 28:38
  would fail me
• 28:39
  to tell
• 28:40
  of Gideon,
• 28:43
  Barak,
• 28:45
  Samson,
• 28:45
  Jephthah,
• 28:46
  of David and Samuel
• 28:47
  and the prophets.
• 28:50
  The author lists
• 28:51
  four judges
• 28:53
  from the book of Judges.
• 28:54
  He lists
• 28:54
  four of them.
• 28:56
  He could have selected
• 28:57
  any of the judges
• 28:58
  or any other characters
• 29:00
  for that matter.
• 29:00
  There's a bunch of
• 29:01
  characters of faith
• 29:01
  in the scripture.
• 29:03
  But as he's saying,
• 29:04
  I don't have time
• 29:05
  to talk in total
• 29:06
  about these people.
• 29:08
  In all of this,
• 29:10
  this great list
• 29:11
  of faith,
• 29:13
  Barak.
• 29:14
  Not Deborah.
• 29:16
  Not J.L.
• 29:18
  But Barak.
• 29:20
  Of all people
• 29:21
  makes this list.
• 29:24
  And I am convinced
• 29:25
  that his name
• 29:26
  sits there
• 29:27
  in Hebrews 11
• 29:28
  to encourage
• 29:30
  our small
• 29:32
  but sufficient
• 29:33
  faith.
• 29:36
  I need Barak
• 29:38
  to sit in
• 29:39
  Hebrews chapter 11
• 29:41
  and go to this story
• 29:42
  and see this man
• 29:43
  who just seems
• 29:45
  to barely pull it off.
• 29:47
  The power of the army
• 29:50
  at his fingertips.
• 29:50
  The promise of God
• 29:52
  that Cicero
• 29:53
  would be delivered
• 29:54
  into his hands
• 29:55
  and yet he waits
• 29:56
  for Deborah
• 29:58
  to prompt him
• 29:58
  to promise
• 29:59
  to go with him
• 30:00
  and then
• 30:01
  he finally
• 30:02
  acts.
• 30:04
  And we see
• 30:04
  that God does
• 30:04
  exactly what
• 30:05
  he said
• 30:06
  that he would do.
• 30:08
  and then we find
• 30:10
  him in Hebrews 11
• 30:11
  being mentioned
• 30:12
  as a man
• 30:15
  meant to spur
• 30:16
  us on
• 30:17
  to further
• 30:18
  faith.
• 30:21
  I am so glad
• 30:22
  this connection
• 30:23
  was made
• 30:23
  in my mind
• 30:24
  as I was
• 30:24
  reading through
• 30:25
  the judges
• 30:26
  and preparing
• 30:26
  for this.
• 30:27
  I know that name.
• 30:31
  Somewhere else
• 30:32
  in the Bible.
• 30:33
  Somewhere else
• 30:33
  I've seen the name
• 30:35
  Barak.
• 30:36
  Where?
• 30:37
  And here it was
• 30:38
  sitting right here
• 30:39
  in verse 32
• 30:41
  of Hebrews 11.
• 30:45
  Beloved,
• 30:45
  the life of Barak
• 30:46
  ought to be
• 30:47
  of great encouragement
• 30:48
  to our souls.
• 30:50
  Not because he's
• 30:51
  some massive hero
• 30:52
  of the faith.
• 30:53
  Let's all be
• 30:54
  like Barak.
• 30:55
  No,
• 30:56
  but rather
• 30:56
  because God
• 30:57
  is so gracious
• 30:58
  to his people
• 30:59
  even in his
• 31:00
  people's
• 31:01
  weakness.
• 31:05
  Barak should
• 31:05
  encourage our souls
• 31:06
  and the author
• 31:06
  of Hebrews
• 31:08
  agrees.
• 31:08
  He goes on
• 31:09
  in chapter 12
• 31:10
  verse 1.
• 31:12
  Therefore,
• 31:14
  since we are
• 31:14
  surrounded by
• 31:15
  so great
• 31:16
  a cloud
• 31:16
  of witnesses
• 31:18
  including
• 31:19
  this Barak,
• 31:21
  let us lay
• 31:21
  aside every
• 31:22
  weight and sin
• 31:23
  which clings
• 31:24
  so closely
• 31:24
  and let us
• 31:25
  run
• 31:25
  with endurance
• 31:27
  the race
• 31:27
  that is set
• 31:29
  before us.
• 31:30
  Let us
• 31:31
  be encouraged
• 31:32
  by the little
• 31:34
  faith of Barak
• 31:34
  who acted
• 31:36
  all the same
• 31:37
  in all of
• 31:38
  his weakness
• 31:39
  and God
• 31:39
  accomplished
• 31:40
  his task
• 31:41
  through him.
• 31:44
  The author of
• 31:44
  Hebrews doesn't
• 31:45
  leave us off
• 31:45
  there.
• 31:45
  He takes us
• 31:46
  on to verse 2.
• 31:48
  Not looking
• 31:49
  to Barak,
• 31:50
  I think we
• 31:50
  could read here,
• 31:51
  but rather
• 31:52
  looking to
• 31:53
  Jesus.
• 31:55
  The man
• 31:56
  of perfect
• 31:57
  faith,
• 31:57
  the founder,
• 32:00
  the establisher,
• 32:01
  and the
• 32:02
  perfecter
• 32:03
  of our faith.
• 32:05
  Who for the
• 32:06
  joy that was
• 32:06
  set before
• 32:07
  him endured
• 32:07
  the cross
• 32:08
  despising the
• 32:10
  shame and
• 32:10
  is seated
• 32:10
  at the right
• 32:12
  hand of the
• 32:13
  throne of God.
• 32:15
  And so if we
• 32:15
  have for us
• 32:16
  this Jesus
• 32:16
  that's gone
• 32:17
  before us,
• 32:18
  who lived
• 32:19
  the perfect
• 32:19
  life that we
• 32:19
  needed,
• 32:20
  died the
• 32:21
  death that
• 32:21
  we deserved
• 32:22
  and is
• 32:22
  seated at
• 32:23
  God's right
• 32:24
  hand now.
• 32:25
  And we
• 32:25
  are being
• 32:26
  cheered on
• 32:27
  by all
• 32:28
  of them.
• 32:32
  And so
• 32:32
  there's a
• 32:33
  single application
• 32:33
  for today.
• 32:35
  Often I start
• 32:36
  out sermons
• 32:36
  by telling you
• 32:37
  what the
• 32:37
  points are
• 32:37
  going to be.
• 32:38
  You notice
• 32:38
  I did not
• 32:38
  do that.
• 32:41
  There's one
• 32:41
  single point.
• 32:44
  All of us
• 32:45
  at times are
• 32:45
  going to
• 32:46
  struggle with
• 32:47
  our faith.
• 32:49
  Do we
• 32:49
  believe that
• 32:50
  the things
• 32:51
  that God
• 32:51
  has said
• 32:52
  to be
• 32:52
  true are
• 32:52
  in fact
• 32:53
  true?
• 32:54
  And do we
• 32:54
  orient our
• 32:54
  lives in
• 32:55
  accordance
• 32:55
  with it?
• 32:56
  And we
• 32:56
  should be
• 32:56
  greatly
• 32:57
  encouraged
• 32:58
  by the
• 32:59
  life of
• 33:00
  Barak,
• 33:01
  mentioned in
• 33:02
  this great
• 33:03
  list of
• 33:04
  people of
• 33:05
  faith.
• 33:06
  That work
• 33:07
  that God
• 33:07
  has begun
• 33:08
  in us,
• 33:08
  he will
• 33:08
  bring to
• 33:09
  a close
• 33:10
  at the
• 33:10
  day of
• 33:11
  Christ.
• 33:12
  Press on,
• 33:13
  dear
• 33:13
  Christian.
• 33:14
  The celestial
• 33:15
  city is
• 33:15
  closer than
• 33:17
  you think.
• 33:18
  Let's pray
• 33:18
  together.