Israel had, once again, turned from Godturned from God,

And was serving the false godsfalse gods of their neighbors.

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God brought them under the oppression of the Canaanites.

Twenty years

God raised up Deborah,

A prophetess and a judge,

To deliver Israel from oppression.

May 2, 2010

She wrote this songthis song in Judges chapter 5

Praising GodPraising God for deliverance, and telling even more of the good thingsgood things God had done.

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We will pick up tonight with verse 10.

10 SpeakSpeak, ye that ride on white asses, ye that sit in judgment, and walk by the way. 11 They that are delivered from the noise of archers in the places of drawing water, there shall they rehearserehearse the righteous acts of the Lord, even the righteous acts toward the inhabitants of his villages in Israel: then shall the people of the Lord go down to the gates.

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"Ye that ride on white asses" = rich

Ye that sit in judgment = leadership

Ye that walk by the way = poor

"Speak" = ponder and talk out loud.

4

Of the good things God has done.

God-given deliverance and victory.

12 Awake, awake, Deborah: awake, awake, utter a song: arise, Barak, and lead thy captivity captive, thou son of Abinoam. 13 Then He made him that remaineth have dominion over the nobles among the people: the Lord made me have dominion over the mighty.

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There's no time to relax and forget God.

Wake up and sing praises to Him.

Just because we nownow have peace and blessing, does not negatenot negate our need for God.

During good timesDuring good timesMany people have a tendency to drift into apathyto drift into apathy,

just living lifeliving life, doing their own thingown thing,

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God is treated like a spare tirespare tire, put awayput away and forgotten until

trouble comestrouble comes.

It's time to wake upwake up and singsing God's praises.

WalkWalk in His Spirit, and live lifelive life His Way.

14 Out of Ephraim was there a root of them against Amalek; after thee, Benjamin, among thy people; out of Machir came down governors, and out of Zebulun they that handle the pen of the writer. 15 And the princes of Issachar were with Deborah; even Issachar, and also Barak: he was sent on foot into the valley.

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Those who volunteeredvolunteered to help are praised.

God loves volunteersvolunteers; those who come willinglywillingly and freelyfreely to the job at hand.

15c For the divisions of Reuben there were great thoughts of heart. 16 Why abodest thou among the sheepfolds, to hear the bleatings of the flocks? For the divisions of Reuben there were great searchings of heart. 17 Gilead abode beyond Jordan: and why did Dan remain in ships? Asher continued on the sea shore, and abode in his breaches.

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No shows!Oh, they talkedtalked about going;

But they thought longlong and they thought wrongwrong.

She observes who kept away, and did not side with Israel, as might have been expected. Thus many are kept from doing their duty by the fear of troublefear of trouble, the love of easelove of ease, and undue affection to their worldly undue affection to their worldly business and advantagebusiness and advantage.

Narrow, selfish spirits care notcare not what becomes of God's church, so that they can but get, keep, and save money. All seek their own, Php 2:21. A little will serve those for a pretence (excuse) to stay at home, who have no mind to engage in needful services, because there is difficulty and danger in them.

Matthew Henry Concise Bible Commentary.

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18 Zebulun and Naphtali were a people that jeoparded their lives unto the death in the high places of the field. 19 The kings came and fought, then fought the kings of Canaan in Taanach by the waters of Megiddo; they took no gain of money.

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These courageous troops had no interestno interest in material gainmaterial gain.

They fought for the LordLord and Him aloneHim alone.

20 They fought from heaven; the stars in their courses fought against Sisera. 21 The river of Kishon swept them away, that ancient river, the river Kishon. O my soul, thou hast trodden down strength. 22 Then were the horsehoofs broken by the means of the pransings, the pransings of their mighty ones.

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God Himself foughtfought on Israel's side with the forces of naturenature.

The 900 iron chariots that Sisera was so proud of became useless in the muduseless in the mud of the overflowing

Kishon River.

23 Curse ye Meroz, said the angel of the Lord, curse ye bitterly the inhabitants thereof; because they came not to the help of the Lord, to the help of the Lord against the mighty.

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God has no use for those who stay home while others fight the battle.

The devil never restsnever rests, and neither can we take our easetake our ease while our brothers and

sisters do the workdo the work.

24 Blessed above women shall Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite be, blessed shall she be above women in the tent.

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Heber was not to be blessed;

Only his wife -- Jael.

Heber sided with the Canaanites, but Jael cast her lot with the children of God.

25 He asked water, and she gave him milk; she brought forth butter in a lordly dish. 26 She put her hand to the nailhand to the nail, and her right hand to the work-work-men's hammermen's hammer; and with the hammer she smote Sisera, she smote off his headshe smote off his head, when she had pierced and stricken through his temples. 27 At her feet he bowed, he fell, he lay down: at her feet he bowed, he fell: where he bowed, there he fell down dead.

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Jael used what she hadshe had to do the work of the Lord.

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Don't waste time lamentinglamenting what we don't have. UseUse what we do have.

28 The mother of Sisera looked out at a window, and cried through the lattice, Why is his chariot so long in coming? why tarry the wheels of his chariots? 29 Her wise ladies answered her, yea, she returned answer to herself, 30 Have they not sped? have they not divided the prey; to every man a damsel or two; to Sisera a prey of divers colors, a prey of divers colours of needlework, of divers colours of needlework on both sides, meet for the necks of them that take the spoil?

16

Sisera's mama was worried about his return,

But then she comforted herself, even as her maidens spoke comforting words to her.

17

"They are busy dividing the spoils of victory."

"Expensive clothes"

"Beautiful women"

31 So let all thine enemies perish, O Lord: but let them that love Him be as the sun when he goeth forth in his might. And the land had restrest forty years.

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God will destroy His foes and bless His friends.

Under Deborah's leadership, the Israelites turned away from the idolsidols of their neighbors.

They repentedrepented and turned back to GodGod.

Our Lord will give us His peaceHis peace when we livelive our lives His

Way.