DEBORAH and Barak sang a song

Learn: Psalm 37:1-3

Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb. Trust in the LORD and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily shalt thou be fed.

Read: Judges 5: 1-31

NOTE: This chapter contains the poetic version of the prose account of the oppression of Israel by the Canaanite king Jabin and God’s deliverance by the hand of Barak and Jael.

1.What did Deborah and Barak praise the LORD for? v 2a

2. What kind of people did the LORD use in the deliverance of Israel?  v 2b  Also see verse 9.

3. Verse 3 calls for the leadership of the nations around Israel to listen with understanding to the praise to the LORD God of Israel that Deborah and Barak sang. The song is addressed to the LORD himself, but what did it tell the kings and princes concerning the LORD God of Israel?  vv 4-6a

4. Who was Shamgar?  Judges 3:31

5. In verse 6, we are introduced to Jael. Due to the oppression of the Canaanites during her time, what were some of the specific conditions that the people lived under, before the LORD’S deliverance? vv 6b, 7a

6. Though the LORD had promised Israel that he would drive out all their enemies and set them on high above all the nations (Deuteronomy 7:12-26), this is certainly not what we see happening during the time of Jael. Going back to Judges 2:20-23, what was the reason that this oppression by the Canaanites came upon Israel?

7. How did Deborah summarize the trouble of Israel and its cause?  v 8a

8. Verses 9-10 describe those who willingly gave themselves to serve the LORD among the people. Use the following Scripture to show who some of these that she called governors were. Judges 10:3, 4; Judges 12:13, 14

9. What was the result of the service and leadership of these governors of Israel? v 11

10. How did the rehearsing how God had delivered the nation from her enemies in the past affect Deborah and Barak?  v 12

11. Who gave Deborah and Barak the ability to rule (have dominion) over the people and in this way bring about deliverance for the people?   v 13   Use verse 23 to understand who “he” is.

12. Who is the “him that remaineth” that is spoken of in verse 13? See verse 12.

13. Who of the tribes of Israel (names of the sons of Jacob) put themselves under the command of Barak in order to fight the enemy of Israel?  vv 14, 15a, 18a 

14. Who refused to come and fight in the battle against the Canaanite enemy when Barak and Deborah called?   vv 15b-17

15. How are the tribes of Zebulon and Naphtali described?  v 18 

16. From verse 19 we understand that those who fought against Israel were an alliance of Canaanite kings, not only king Jabin’s army, since this verse says that they were not paid to fight, what were they planning to gain for their efforts?  v 30

17. The armies fighting against Israel were strong, what did the LORD do to bring about their defeat?  vv 4b, 20, 21

18. What emotion and behavior did trouble which came upon the armies produce in the horses of the enemy soldiers? v 22

19. Which people did the angel of the LORD say were to be cursed because they did not come to the aid of their brother Israelites?  v 23

20.  Who is the “angel of the LORD”?   Read Genesis 22:11-18 to get your answer.

21. Who was blessed above other women?  v 24

22. Who came to the door of Jael’s tent asking for a drink of water? v 26   Also see Judges 4:2.

23. Instead of water, Jael gave  _____________ a drink of ____________ in a large bowl fit for a ____________.  v 25

24. Sisera came to the tent of Jael looking for ________________and ______________. Judges 4:20, 1,  Instead, he met his _________________. Judges 5:27

25. Deborah had prophesied, that though the battle was won under the hand of Barak, it would be a woman who would get the honor for________________________________________________________________________. Judges 4:9

26. Now we are reminded that the enemies of the LORD have families which are often a participant in the evil doings. Who is brought to our attention in verse 28?

What is she doing?

What is her concern?

27. What did she and her wise ladies conclude?  vv 29, 30

28. What was the answer that Deborah and Barak sent back to all such enemies of the LORD and his people? v 31a

29. How long did the people of Israel have rest from their enemies after the great defeat of King Jabin and his general Sisera?  v 31b

30. We see that Judges 4 and Judges 5 both give record of the same battle, but one is written in prose and the other in poetry. Each account is accurate, but they share different details of what occurred, both before, during and after the battle. What details related in chapter 5 that were not found in chapter 4 do you find particularly interesting and why?

31. What is the example of a person from this lesson that will be helpful to you in your walk with the Lord?