Judges 5:1-31 Comments by Stephen Ricker
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Deborah's Song
Comments for Study 5

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Memory Verse: 3:1
Questions
Outline
A MAP OF THE DIVISION OF CANAAN
A MAP OF THE UNITED KINGDOM OF ISRAEL
ISRAEL'S HISTORY
ISRAEL'S JUDGES

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I. I Will Sing and Make Music to the Lord (5:1-8)

>1. What did Deborah and Barak do? (1, 3)

* Judges 5:1 "On that day Deborah and Barak son of Abinoam sang this song:"

* Judges 5:3 "Hear this, you kings! Listen, you rulers! I will sing to the LORD, I will sing; I will make music to the LORD, the God of Israel."

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>What does it mean to offer ourselves? (2; Rom. 12:1-2; and 1 Peter 2:4-5)

* Judges 5:2 "When the princes in Israel take the lead, when the people willingly offer themselves-- praise the LORD!"

* Romans 12:1-2 "Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will."

* 1 Peter 2:4-5 "As you come to him, the living Stone--rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him-- you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ."

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>How do both of these acts bring glory to God?

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>2. What does verses 4 and 5 refer to? (Exodus 19:16-20)

* Judges 5:4-5 "O LORD, when you went out from Seir, when you marched from the land of Edom, the earth shook, the heavens poured, the clouds poured down water. The mountains quaked before the LORD, the One of Sinai, before the LORD, the God of Israel."

* Exodus 19:16-20 "On the morning of the third day there was thunder and lightning, with a thick cloud over the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast. Everyone in the camp trembled. Then Moses led the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. Mount Sinai was covered with smoke, because the LORD descended on it in fire. The smoke billowed up from it like smoke from a furnace, the whole mountain trembled violently, and the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder. Then Moses spoke and the voice of God answered him. The LORD descended to the top of Mount Sinai and called Moses to the top of the mountain. So Moses went up."

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>What can be learn about praising God? (Psalm 42:4, 77:10-15)

* Psalm 42:4 "These things I remember as I pour out my soul: how I used to go with the multitude, leading the procession to the house of God, with shouts of joy and thanksgiving among the festive throng."

* Psalm 77:10-15 "Then I thought, "To this I will appeal: the years of the right hand of the Most High." I will remember the deeds of the LORD; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago. I will meditate on all your works and consider all your mighty deeds. Your ways, O God, are holy. What god is so great as our God? You are the God who performs miracles; you display your power among the peoples. With your mighty arm you redeemed your people, the descendants of Jacob and Joseph. Selah"

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>3. What was life like in Israel when they served other gods? (6-8)

* Judges 5:6-8 "In the days of Shamgar son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the roads were abandoned; travelers took to winding paths. Village life in Israel ceased, ceased until I, Deborah, arose, arose a mother in Israel. When they chose new gods, war came to the city gates, and not a shield or spear was seen among forty thousand in Israel."

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>How does this explain what can happen in our lives? (Eze. 9:9-10; Matt. 11:20; Luke 13:1-5)

* Ezekiel 9:9-10 "He answered me, "The sin of the house of Israel and Judah is exceedingly great; the land is full of bloodshed and the city is full of injustice. They say, 'The LORD has forsaken the land; the LORD does not see.' So I will not look on them with pity or spare them, but I will bring down on their own heads what they have done."

* Matthew 11:20 "Then Jesus began to denounce the cities in which most of his miracles had been performed, because they did not repent."

* Luke 13:1-5 "Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. Jesus answered, "Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them--do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish."

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II. Israel's Princes (5:9-23)

>4. Since Israel didn't have kings yet, who were Israel's princes at this time? (9)

* Judges 5:9 "My heart is with Israel's princes, with the willing volunteers among the people. Praise the LORD!"

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>What were they instructed to do? (10-12)

* Judges 5:10-12 "You who ride on white donkeys, sitting on your saddle blankets, and you who walk along the road, consider the voice of the singers at the watering places. They recite the righteous acts of the LORD, the righteous acts of his warriors in Israel. "Then the people of the LORD went down to the city gates. 'Wake up, wake up, Deborah! Wake up, wake up, break out in song! Arise, O Barak! Take captive your captives, O son of Abinoam.'"

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>Are we to do the same?

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>5. What is depicted in verses 13-15a?

* Judges 5:13-15a "Then the men who were left came down to the nobles; the people of the LORD came to me with the mighty. 14 Some came from Ephraim, whose roots were in Amalek; Benjamin was with the people who followed you. From Makir captains came down, from Zebulun those who bear a commander's staff. 15a The princes of Issachar were with Deborah; yes, Issachar was with Barak, rushing after him into the valley."

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>Where were these lands and peoples?

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>What might this mean?

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>6. What does it mean to search one's heart? (15b-17)

* Judges 5:15b-17 "In the districts of Reuben there was much searching of heart. Why did you stay among the campfires to hear the whistling for the flocks? In the districts of Reuben there was much searching of heart. Gilead stayed beyond the Jordan. And Dan, why did he linger by the ships? Asher remained on the coast and stayed in his coves."

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>What tribes did not come to the aid of the others?

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>Why is it that some know what is right and yet do not do it? (Heb. 3:15, 4:1-2)

* Hebrews 3:15 "As has just been said: "Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion."

* Hebrews 4:1-2 "Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it. For we also have had the gospel preached to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because those who heard did not combine it with faith."

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>Who did fight? (18)

* Judges 5:18 "The people of Zebulun risked their very lives; so did Naphtali on the heights of the field."

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>7. Where did the kings come to fight against the Lord? (19-22)

* Judges 5:19-22 "Kings came, they fought; the kings of Canaan fought at Taanach by the waters of Megiddo, but they carried off no silver, no plunder. From the heavens the stars fought, from their courses they fought against Sisera. The river Kishon swept them away, the age-old river, the river Kishon. March on, my soul; be strong!"

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>What happened to them? (23)

* Judges 5:23 "'Curse Meroz,' said the angel of the LORD. 'Curse its people bitterly, because they did not come to help the LORD, to help the LORD against the mighty.'"

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>What does this foreshadow?

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III. Jael is Blessed (5:24-31)

>8. Who does the praise turn to? (24-25)

* Judges 5:24-25 "Most blessed of women be Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, most blessed of tent-dwelling women. He asked for water, and she gave him milk; in a bowl fit for nobles she brought him curdled milk."

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>What was she praised for? (26-27)

* Judges 5:26-27 "Her hand reached for the tent peg, her right hand for the workman's hammer. She struck Sisera, she crushed his head, she shattered and pierced his temple. At her feet he sank, he fell; there he lay. At her feet he sank, he fell; where he sank, there he fell--dead."

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>9. Why does the song turn to Sisera's mother? (28)

* Judges 5:28 "Through the window peered Sisera's mother; behind the lattice she cried out, 'Why is his chariot so long in coming? Why is the clatter of his chariots delayed?'"

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>What was assumed at Sisera's court? (29-30)

* Judges 5:29-30 "The wisest of her ladies answer her; indeed, she keeps saying to herself, 'Are they not finding and dividing the spoils: a girl or two for each man, colorful garments as plunder for Sisera, colorful garments embroidered, highly embroidered garments for my neck-- all this as plunder?'"

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>Why should we not be afraid even if the enemy is confident? (Rom. 8:31-35)

* Romans 8:31-35 "What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all--how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died--more than that, who was raised to life--is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?"

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>10. What is the future of God's enemies?

* Judges 5:31 "So may all your enemies perish, O LORD! But may they who love you be like the sun when it rises in its strength." Then the land had peace forty years."

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>What is the future of God's people?

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>How long did the land have peace?

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