Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Adult Sunday School Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/bb/bb20021117.htm

JUDGES AND RUTH: FACING GROUP APOSTASY AS INDIVIDUALS
Part IV: Overcoming The Fear Of Failure As God's Male Leaders
(Judges 4:1-5:31)
  1. Introduction
    1. 1 Timothy 2:9-15 reveals God wants men to lead in their marriages, homes, churches, businesses and governments: regardless what opposing "politically correct" ideas float about, God wants men to lead.
    2. However, men may not assume responsibility simply because they fear they may not get a following if they assume their headship, or might fail due to human lack, keeping them from filling these proper roles.
    3. Judges 4:1-5:31 is a study in how one handles the fear of a lack of followers in God's male leaders:
  2. Overcoming The Fear Of Failure As God's Male Leaders, Judges 4:1-5:31.
    1. In Judges 4:1-3, Israel needed a strong leader to deliver her from oppressors who had 900 iron chariots!
    2. However, not a single adult male had the FAITH in God so God could use him to lead the nation, 4:4-8:
      1. At this time, the woman, Deborah, judged Israel, Judges 4:4-5.
      2. The reason a woman judged Israel in spite of its patristic culture arose from a fear men had that they would not get a following or be successful in trying to overthrow the powerful Canaanites, Jud. 4:6-8:
        1. As a prophetess of God, Deborah received a message from the Lord to urge a man named Barak to lead the people of Israel to deliverance from Jabin's oppression, Judges 4:6-7.
        2. However, Barak agreed to fight providing the prophetess, Deborah came WITH him to ensure his success, Judges 4:8! Barak lacked the faith that God would use HIM or that GOD would cause ISRAEL to FOLLOW HIM to OVERTHROW the powerful Canaanites!
    3. Since Barak depended on the woman, Deborah, though God would give Barak victory, Deborah predicted the honor of the victory would go to a woman who would kill the Canaanite commander, Sisera, Jud. 4:9.
    4. Then, in the rest of the account, including Deborah's victory song following Israel's deliverance, the theme of the need for male leaders to trust God for total leadership blessing repeatedly surfaces:
      1. Barak attacked Jabin's forces with Deborah's encouragement, and Jabin the Canaanite was put to flight in spite of his superior weaponry of 900 iron chariots, Judges 4:10-16 with 4:3b.
      2. In the process, God used a Kenite woman, a Gentile woman of a nomadic tribe that was historically neutral to turn on Jabin's commander, Sisera, and kill him by stealth, 4:17-22; Z.P.E.B., v. 3, p. 783.
      3. Sisera's fall encouraged Israel to defeat eventually Jabin himself, Judges 4:23-24.
      4. Thus, the prophetess, Deborah along with Barak composed a song to commemorate the cause of this victory, and it provides a great lesson for men who are hesitant to assume responsible leadership:
        1. By way of introduction, Deborah's song gives praise to God for raising up Israel's followers to help in the battle victory, Judges 5:1-2. This not only recognized God's use of male warriors, but also focused on God's use of a Kenite woman to turn the tide by destroying Sisera herself!
        2. Then, this theme is variously portrayed in the rest of the song: (a) Negatively, the song details the great intimidation of males in Israel at the time, 5:3-11. (b) Positively, the acts of faith in Deborah and Barak are mentioned, 5:12-15b. (c) Negatively, Deborah detailed the faithless fear that kept some of the tribes from joining Balak to overthrow Jabin's forces, 5:15c-17. (d) However, the heroic exploits of the men of Zebulun and Naphtali are mentioned, 5:18. (e) Negatively, the town of Meroz in the area of the battle did not help Israel, so Deborah cursed it, 5:23. (f) Positively, God's own interventions to help Israel are listed, 5:19-22. (g) In closing, Deborah contrasted the great deed of the Kenite woman who slew Sisera with the fear of Sisera's mother, 5:24-27, 28-31a. (f) With this final emphasis on two women, a subtle critique on the faithlessness of Israel's men, the chapter closes in announcing Israel enjoyed peace for the next forty years, Judges 5:31b.
Lesson: When God wanted to USE Balak to deliver Israel, his fear of a lack of FOLLOWERS or his own human LACK for the job hindered him from total obedience, so he lost some reward in the victory!

Application: (1) If we MEN do not assume our GOD-ASSIGNED leadership roles for fear of how our FOLLOWERS will respond, or because we think we HUMANLY lack for the role in question, we SIN in UNBELIEF in GOD! (2) We must confess our unbelief, TRUST GOD and ACT for total blessing!