Friends, our bible study today is all about Deborah (defined as bee) pictured above who judged the people from her house under a palm tree. The second picture is of an earlier judge named Shamgar who used an ox goad (a sharp stick used to poke and prod oxen) to slay 600 Philistine enemies. To start this bible study take time to study Judges 5:6 that says In the days of Shamgar (defined as sword), the son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the highways were unoccupied and the travellers walked through byways. The inhabitants of the villages ceased, they ceased in Israel, until that I Deborah arose, that I arose a mother in Israel.
OK, Brother Bob will tell you by the holy spirit through revelation what Judges 5:6 is speaking about. Before Deborah lived in the days of Shamgar, the children of Israel had to hide in mountains, caves, and dens, and all the villages and cities were empty as the children of Israel tried to survive from the oppressing Philistines and Canaanites who would rob and steal from any child of God found on an open highway or in a city. To survive, the children of Israel had to separate themselves from the highways and walk through the byways, backways, and shortcuts in the woods.
In the days of Shamgar, the Philistines removed all the blacksmiths from Israel to prevent the Hebrews from making swords and spears to defend themselves. 1 Samuel 13:19 says Now there was no smith found throughout all the land of Israel; for the Philistines said, Lest the Hebrews make them swords or spears. This is why Shamgar pictured above had to use an ordinary sharp stick or ox goad instead of a sword or spear to defend himself and slay 600 Philistines.
The story about Shamgar is found at Judges 3:31 and says And after him was Shamgar, the son of Anath, which slew of the Philistines 600 men with an ox goad; and he also delivered Israel. And the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the Lord, when Ehud (an earlier judge who slew a wicked king named Eglon) was dead. God used one man named Shamgar and a sharp stick to stop 600 Philistines because God was aiming that stick. Friend, like Shamgar who had no swords or spears to defend himself, Jesus will fight any enemies on your behalf and use everyday ordinary objects like Shamgar's sharp stick to defend you from all harm. Romans 8:31 tells us If God be for us, who can be against us? But, Brother Bob says pray for your enemies to repent and follow Jesus as God to avoid the wrath of God.
OK, years after Shamgar and Ehud lived, King Jabin of the Canaanites and his captain Sisera who had 900 chariots of iron arose and mightily oppressed the children of Israel for 20 years. This was because the people continued to do evil after the days of Shamgar and Ehud. A new judge arose named Deborah who lived under a palm tree pictured above during the twenty years of oppression from the Canaanites. Saints would come from all parts of Israel to Deborah's house under the palm tree to hear her wisdom and judgment as a leader and prophetess.
The story about how Deborah judged the people under a palm tree is recorded at Judges 4:2 that says And the Lord sold them into the hand of Jabin King of Canaan, that reigned in Hazor; the captain of whose host was Sisera, which dwelt in Harosheth of the Gentiles. And the children of Israel cried unto the Lord, for he had 900 chariots of iron, and 20 years he mightily oppressed the children of Israel. And Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth (defined as torches), she judged Israel at that time. And she dwelt under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in Mount Ephraim; and the children of Israel came up to her for judgment.
OK, let's move on with the story of Deborah. Now remember that Deborah proclaimed at Judges 5:6 that Israel got their freedom from Sisera and the Canaanites, and could inhabit openly their villages in peace when Deborah arose as a mother of Israel. Deborah did not boast and say Israel got the victory because she was a military leader, prophetess, or judge. Deborah stated that Israel could openly inhabit their villages in peace when I Deborah arose a mother in Israel. For all women of God reading this forevermore, learn a lesson from Deborah and remember the greatest career a woman could have is to be a mother. Deborah became a blessed leader because she was a blessed mother. It's OK for women to work and have careers which God will bless, but women should always like Deborah make their most important career to be a mother providing the best possible life for their kids. Brother Bob praises Jesus for all single moms who devote their lives to train their kids about our Lord Jesus as they become blessed mothers in our countries.
In the picture above, Deborah stood up as a mother and protected her kids from the Canaanites and Sisera, by not fearfully hiding in the byways, dens, and caves with her kids from the Canaanites. Deborah said I'm gonna be a good mother and fight for my kids and allow them to openly inhabit the villages in peace. Deborah said those Canaanites aren't getting my babies or robbing me of my stuff. Deborah said I'm gonna get a leader named Barak (defined as lightning who was scared and hiding in caves from the Canaanites) and get an army of 10000 footsoldiers from 40000 people in Israel with no swords or spears (stated at Judges 5:8) to fight these wicked Canaanites and protect my kids.
Deborah, a woman of great faith, had more confidence than fearful Barak. Barak was initially a sissy and said I'm afraid of the Canaanites and won't fight Sisera unless you Deborah come with me. Deborah agreed to go with Barak to fight Sisera and our Lord Jesus gave Deborah and Barak pictured above a great victory over the enemy Sisera. Because of Barak's initial cowardice to fight Sisera, honour was given to a woman named Jael to defeat and kill Sisera in her tent as she hammered a nail into Sisera's temple as Sisera slept. But God is merciful and by grace overlooked Barak's cowardice, and wow Barak was honoured as a great man of faith for going with Deborah to fight the Canaanites and subdue the Canaanites' kingdom at Hebrews 11:32.
The story about how Deborah asked Barak to fight Sisera and get freedom for her kids is recorded at Judges 4:6 and says And she sent and called Barak, the son of Abinoam out of Kadesh-naphtali and said unto him Hath not the Lord God of Israel commanded, saying, Go and draw toward Mount Tabor, and take with thee 10000 men of the children of Naphtali and of the children of Zebulun? And I will draw unto thee to the river Kishon Sisera the captain of Jabin's army with his chariots and his multitude, and I will deliver him into thine hand. And Barak said unto her, If thou wilt go with me, then I will go; but if thou wilt not go with me, then I will not go. And she said, I will surely go with thee, notwithstanding the journey that thou takest shall not be for thine honour; for the Lord shall sell Sisera into the hand of a woman. And Deborah arose and went with Barak to Kedesh.
OK, for my next picture we see how our Lord Jesus honoured Deborah and Barak's faith to fight the Canaanites with no swords or spears and only songs of praise. As Deborah and Barak sang songs of praise to our Lord Jesus, God caused angels and a flood from the river Kishon to defeat Sisera and his 900 chariots of iron. Judges 5:20 records how God used angels and a flood to defeat Sisera as Deborah and Barak sang praises for their victory.
Judges 5:20 says They fought from heaven; the stars (defined as angels) in their courses (defined as the ladderway that angels go up and down from heaven to earth) fought against Sisera. The river of Kishon swept them away, that ancient river, the river Kishon. O my soul, thou hast trodden down strength. Then were the horsehoofs broken by the means of the pransings, the pransings (defined as the galloping of a horse) of their mighty ones. God caused Sisera's horses and their horsehoofs to get stuck in the mud from the floodwaters of the Kishon river, allowing Deborah and Barak to destroy all the Canaanites. Friend reading this be encouraged and know that our Lord Jesus protects you constantly, always giving you the victory and say Hebrews 13:6 So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.
The name Deborah is correctly defined as bee because Deborah was sweet as honey at home as a mother to her kids, but boy did she have a stinger when she was a blessed leader that fought the devil and gave the people of Israel victory over the Canaanites where her kids and the children of Israel could peacefully inhabit the villages. Remember a good home is one where the man is the head, the woman the help, and the kids the hope. I pray in Jesus name all women reading this will be blessed mothers wanting their kids to have a better future by their acts of faith on this earth as mothers.
Friends everywhere, as you look at the above picture of the 10000 men with Deborah who sang praises to God to get victory over Sisera, remember our victory is in our praises to our Lord Jesus each day for dying for us all on the cross to defeat the devil. Praise Jesus as you read how Deborah and Barak's songs of praise defeated the enemy giving peace to the land of Israel.
Judges 5:1 says Then sang Deborah and Barak, the son of Abinoam on that day saying, Praise ye the Lord, for the avenging of Israel, when the people willingly offered themselves. Hear, O ye kings; give ear, O ye princes; I, even I, will sing unto the Lord; I will sing praise to the Lord God of Israel; Lord, when thou wentest out of Seir, when thou marchedst out of the field of Edom; the earth trembled, and the heavens dropped; the clouds also dropped water (wow Deborah and Barak's songs of praise caused the clouds to drop water and flood away the enemy Sisera). The mountains melted from before the Lord, even that Sinai, from before the Lord God of Israel.
Remember friend tell somebody did you do a good thing today? Then quote Psalm 92:1 and tell them It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing praises unto thy name, O most High. So lets all do a good thing today and right now wherever you are leap for joy and shout Thank you Lord Jesus and worship our Lord Jesus for dying for us on the cross giving us total victory over this world and the devil. Remember Psalm 22:3 tells us that God inhabitest the praises of Israel.
To end up the bible study today, let me state that Deborah and Barak's songs of praise remind me of how Jehoshaphat and his army sang praise and defeated the enemy. God told Jehoshaphat to not use any swords or spears to fight the Ammonite and Moabite enemies. God told Jehoshaphat when you fight the enemy, just put the singers in the front.
Picture this: As the singers for Jehoshaphat's army were picking and singing praises as they marched into battle, the enemy laughed and said that they were a bunch of fools and mocked them saying they are coming against us with just trumpets and flutes. But you know what happened. Jehoshaphat and his army sung the enemy to death. Preachers learn a lesson from this story and before you preach, get a good singer to praise Jesus to make the devil flee and make it easier for you to preach. Right now, in Jesus name Brother Bob prays that if anyone reading this will start praising Jesus for total victory over any situation, they will immediately be delivered and have total victory in every area of their lives.
The blessed story of how Jehoshaphat and his army sung the enemy to death through their praise is recorded at 2 Chronicles 20:21 and says And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the Lord, and that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army and to say, Praise the Lord; for His mercy endureth for ever. And when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten.
Since we are talking about blessed women in the bible I have to add a final note about Esther. We should all be like Esther who stated at Esther 4:16 If I perish, I perish, I'm going to see the King, willing to leave everything to serve our Lord. Like Esther, we should all be willing to leave everything in this world for Jesus and say If I perish, I perish, I'm going to see King Jesus. And Jesus like Ahaseurus will disregard the law that says we should die as sinners and bless us all greatly with eternal life and peace. I agree with Paul who stated at Philippians 3:8 Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord; for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ.
As always it has been a blessing writing to all my friends about our Lord Jesus. Feel free to email Brother Bob anytime at rz9tlm@gmail.com or write to Brother Bob Malkin, 2233 Pinetreee Lane, Apt. N., Reynoldsburg, Ohio 43068. (614) 604-7133. Till we meet again soon to lift up our Lord Jesus, everyone have a blessed day in Jesus name.
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