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God Saved Israel through a Woman Judge named Deborah

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(Judges 4:23-24)

On that day God subdued Jabin, the Canaanite king, before the Israelites.

And the hand of the Israelites grew stronger and stronger against Jabin, the Canaanite king, until they destroyed him.

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Jabin, the king of Canaan attacked Israel.

The Israelites were people of God but they lost to Jabin, the king of Canaan.

Because Israel lost to Jabin, they needed to serve him.

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Sisera, the commander of Jabin’s army, had 900 chariots.

So they drove chariots so often that they bullied the Israelites and robbed all of their harvests.

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Why didn’t God help the Israelites?
That is because the Israelites did not serve God.
Instead of serving God, they served false idols and they went away from God.

For 20 years, the Israelites suffered.

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Only then, did the Israelites regret the fact that they had left God.

So they cried out and prayed to God for help.

God listened to their repenting prayers.

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To rescue Israel, God raised up one judge who could go to war and lead the army.
Before the time of the kings, God would rise up someone to lead Israel and that person was called a judge.

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But the judge for this time was not a man, it was a woman judge.

Deborah was a prophetess. God raised up this woman prophetess as the judge of Israel and let her do the war with Canaan.

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Deborah received orders from God.
Deborah called a general named Barak and told him the words of God.

"God of Israel is ordering you. Gather ten thousand men and go to Mount Tabor. God will lead Sisera, the commander of Jabin’s army, to that place. In that place, God will help you to take down the enemy. Go and do as you have been ordered."

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Barak received God’s orders but he did not obey right away and said to Deborah,

"If you are not going with me, then I will also not go. If you are coming with me, then I will go."

Even though Barak heard that God would help him, he was still afraid.

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Deborah replied to Barak, "Of course, I will go with you. But even though you will win this war; there will be no glory for you. God will give Sisera to one woman." Even after hearing that, the cowardly Barak still did not bravely say that he would go alone.

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Barak followed the orders of God.
Barak led the army and went up to Mount Tabor.
Hearing that news, Sisera drove 900 chariots and went to Kishon River, then they prepared for war.

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Barak’s army started to attack Sisera’s army.

But Sisera’s chariots did not work properly because God had disabled them.

That day, Barak took down all the armies of Sisera.

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Commander Sisera survived alone and ran away.

Fortunately, he found the tent of a person named Heber, who was a close friend with his king. Heber’s wife, Jael kindly welcomed Sisera.

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Jael gave warm milk to Sisera then she hid him with a blanket.

Sisera felt very comfortable so he fell into a deep sleep.

Jael realized that God helped Israel to win the war. Then, Jael killed Sisera.

Just like the prophecy of Deborah, the cowardly Barak was not able to render the work of killing Sisera.

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The army of Israel led by Deborah and Barak won the war, so Israel was able to escape from the hand of Jabin, king of Canaan.
God heard the repenting prayers of the Israelites so God freed them.

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God's people should follow the words of God and only then, God will protect.
Israel got punished because they sinned but when they confessed their sins, God raised a woman prophet, Deborah, and saved Israel.

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So through the sermon today, I hope you can realize two things.

First, you should never turn away from the words of God.

Second, if you did not follow the words of God, you should repent and go back to God. God forgives everything and recovers everything because God is the God of love.