The "song of Deborah" which is also called "the Deliverers song" for it tells us how God protects His own. This chapter goes much deeper into exactly what happened in the field down in the valley to those men and their chariots. We will see that God was in complete control of everything that happened on that day of Deborah's victory. God has always been in control, and He is in control today. Before you communicate with God, it is important to first communicate with Him through His Word. To understand what God is trying to say to you, you must first come to know His general plan from His Word, then He will speak to you and reveal what He wants you to do.
God spoke this letter to you and I, and the prophets and apostles wrote it down. In the letter our full instructions are given as to what He expects from each of us, when we call ourselves Christians. All of the instructions are in His Word and He expects us to read it and follow those instructions. God used stories of thing that actually happened to teach us His plan, and in most cases, even a child can understand them. Solomon, the wisest of all men told us that there is nothing new under the sun.
Ecclesiastes 1:9 "The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun."
Each of these stories of God's warriors in the Old Testament are given to us as examples of things that would come again in the future. The apostle Paul wrote of this in I Corinthians 10:11: "Now all these thing happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come." Deborah is singing the praises to God in this chapter, for it was God that used this brave woman in battle when there was no man that would stand up to face the enemy.
God used Deborah and the other woman, Jael, and together God used them to destroyed the entire army of the Canaanites, including the feared general Sisera and his nine hundred chariots. So we will not find out exactly how that battle of the chariots was won.
5:1-31-. The Deliverer's Song.
1,2-. Praise of Yahaveh. Avenging of Israel.
-2,3. Israel. People's voluntary service.
4-8. Contrasted states of the country.
9. Israel. Leaders' voluntary service.
10,11. Contrasted states of the country.
12-18. Contrasted conduct of the tribes.
19-22. Enemy. Battle and defeat.
23-27. Contrasted succor for Israel.
28-30. Enemy. Presumption and defeat.
31-. Praise to Yahaveh. Avenging of Israel.
Judges 5:1 Then sang Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam on that day, saying,
(No singing until after the victory. Cp. Ex.15:1.Only weeping before. Cp. 2:4 with Ex. 2:23,24. See Ex. 15:1 for the 10 songs.
A "song" seals the emotions of an event that has taken place. In this case, Deborah and Barak's song gives all the praise to God, and thanks for the victory.)
2 "Praise ye the LORD for the avenging of Israel,
When the People willingly offered themselves.
(This is the subject of the song; "Praise ye to Lord for the avenging of Israel." This word "avenging" is better translated from the Hebrew to be "leading" of Israel. God was the leader and He is the one that brought about the victory. When God was doing the leading, the People willing offered themselves in the service of the Lord. Even though many willingly went to battle, we will see that there were also many that were not so willing and feared for their lives.)
3 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.
(This is Deborah's song, and it is Deborah that is singing her song unto the Lord. She is singing this song to God and giving God the glory for the victory. When God does something special in your life, you need to thank Him immediately for that blessing. Talk to the Lord and thank Him for those blessings that He sends your way, after all, that is the reason that God created you and I in the first place.)
4 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.
(This is now taking us back into history, and Seir is of Edom are in the land of Rosh, in the land of Esau. When the people of Israel were willing to take a stand, God shook the earth, and a flood of water come down from the heavens. The Edomites in the land of Canaan had suppressed God's people, and even today this suppression goes on in the land of Esau's people. Russia moved to take God out of the lives of their people and their people became spiritually bankrupt and to the point of starvation.)
5 The mountains melted from before the LORD,
Even that Sinai from before the LORD God of Israel.
(There was an earthquake with torrents of rain, and with the rain and the shaking the top soil turned this battlefield to mud and muck. Keep in mind also that where "mountains" are used in God's Word, it also refers to "nations", and when a nation is evil, God will give it a shaking also. God will use whom ever and what ever is necessary by natural means that He chooses to cause the shaking that must be done.)
6 In the days of Shamgar the son of Anath,
In the days of Jael, the highways were unoccupied,
And the travellers walked through byways.
(Shamgar was the third judge that we read of in Judges 3:31.
Shamgar was the judged just prior to Deborah, while Jael was the young farm lady that ran the tent stake through the head of general Sisera. Deborah did the leading, but Jael was the one who finish the job for God. It had come to the point that people were afraid to walk the streets and byways in that day because of these Philistines. It took a few good people to make a difference and stand up and say, "That is enough". Then after Shamgar killed six hundred of these gangsters, the Philistines got the picture that it was not a safe practice their evil business against the Israelites anymore; and the robbing and stealing stopped.
Stop and take a look at what is happening in our cities today, for it is even spreading to the small town. The problem today is that when the robbers and thieves are caught, what is happening to them? A slap on the wrist and they are right back on the street to continue their trouble. Judge Shamgar sent a message in his day, and it didn't take long for the Philistines to catch on. When the thieves were caught, the judge put them to death right then and there, and peace soon came to the travelers. It took six hundred deaths to get the message across to these Philistines.)
7 The inhabitants of the villages ceased, they ceased in Israel,
Until that I Deborah arose,
That I arose a mother in Israel.
(Deborah was a prophet and a teacher besides being a judge. Many of the teachers and preachers of today say that women are not to be preachers and stand in the pulpits of a church. These are self-righteous hypocrites, for God will use anyone that He pleases, and Deborah was one of the best. She taught and preached and had her mind in tune with God. God used her because there wasn't a man in all Israel that had the guts and courage to make a difference. Think of it, the top general of the nation requiring this mother and teacher to lead all his troops into battle. It sounds like it could have come out of the military leaders of today.
When the nation trembled, and was afraid to make a stand, Deborah made that stand and led the troops into battle. Barak told Deborah that I will not lead my troops into battle unless you are there by my side, and Deborah jumped to her feet and said, let's go.)
8 They chose new gods;
(Cp. Deut.32:16)
Then was war in the gates:
Was there a shield or spear
Seen among forty thousand in Israel?
(There were forty thousand Israelite troops in the land, and yet there wasn't a one that would pick up his sword and spear and make a stand. They would rather bow down to new gods of the heathen that ruled over them, that take a stand and trust God for the victory. Mankind has not changed in four thousand years, and when our nation is being flooded by eastern religious thought, and Kenite fairy-tales of fly-away doctrines, it is easier to go along with that garbage, than to get down and study God's Word for the truth.
The teaching in most church houses today is that you don't have to know the plan of God, and study His Word from the book of Revelation, and the Old Testament, because it doesn't apply to you. What a lie; and the bad thing about it is that these same people that believe it are those that will grab on to fairy-tale and fly away doctrines and think nothing about it. They say all you have to do is believe, yet the babe in Christ is given nothing to believe in. Today we have millions of people that say they are in the army of God, and call themselves Christians, yet they have hung their shields of protection on the wall, and they will be taken immediately at the coming of the fake Christ, who is Satan. We are living in the final generation, and yet the church world has no idea of the times that they are living in. They have detached themselves from the Creator and His plan, and they could care less about it.
This is as the troops of Israel were in days of Deborah, and it took this woman to light the fire under them. There is a spiritual war going on and our people have lost the interest to fight and be part of that war. They just don't care, as the world is being swept into a new world order, and they have forgotten that it is God that gives us the victory. It is God that we rely on for our provision and the direction that we should be taking in our lives, and not the government.
In our generation the weapons of war is your gospel armor, all of the Word of God, for that is the only way that we can have an understanding of God's plan and how you and I fit into it in these final days. The sword of the Lord is the Word of God, and the war that is taking place is a spiritual battle. The battlefield is in our minds, while the weapons are fought with words and ideas that come right from the Word of God. Satan is an expert in tripping people up with the Word of God. He distorts it, and adds a word to and takes a word away until what Satan wants you to believe is a lie.)
9 My heart is toward the governors of Israel,
That offered themselves willingly among the People.
Bless ye the LORD.
10 Speak, ye that ride on white asses,
Ye that sit in judgment,
And walk by the way.
(In the times when there was no Judge sitting over Israel, these governors and leaders on their white asses would walk or drift off into other directions. There was no spiritual backbone within any of them, for they were political in nature.
What we see today is that the church houses are becoming "Beth-avens" like in the days of the judges. They are becoming "houses of emptiness", where the Word of God is not taught. True Christians make a difference, because they are the salt of the earth, they wheel the sword of the Lord, and that cuts, corrects, reshapes, and changes the minds and souls of men and women.)
11 They that are delivered from the noise of archers in the places of drawing water,
(I.e. where the women were found. See 4:4,17; 5:7,30. Cp. Gen. 24:11. Ex.2:15-19.)
There shall they rehearse the righteous acts of the LORD,
Even the righteous acts toward the inhabitants of his villages in Israel:
Then shall the People of the LORD go down to the gates.
(Translate v.11 thus: Instead of the shouting of the archers among the wells, there they laud the righteous acts of the Lord, the righteous acts of His rule over Israel. Then the People of Yahaveh hastened to the gates.)
12-18. Contrasted Conduct of Tribes.
12-15-. Warriors.
-15-17. Absentees.
18. Warriors.
12 Awake, awake, Deborah:
Awake, awake, utter a song:
Arise, Barak, and lead thy captivity captive, thou son of Abinoam.
(When we are held captive by Christ, we are held by His love and His Spirit that guides and comforts us in times of trouble. That is the reason that you make any effort at all to bring someone to the knowledge of Christ. If you have tasted of God love to you, His love within you makes you want to share it with others. Once you have the knowledge and power to lead someone captive for Jesus Christ, then arise and get on with what needs to be done.
It isn't you that does the saving, but it is you that plants the seed, Once you have planted the seed then the Spirit of God does the work to make that seed grow in the mind of the person. Once Deborah planted the seed of what God revealed to her in the mind of Barak, it was Deborah that did the leading to direct Barak, and from that leading came the captivity to God and the destruction of the enemy.)
13 Then He made him that remaineth have dominion over the nobles among the people:
The LORD made me have dominion over the mighty.
(Some codices and the Sept. divide the two lines thus: Then came down a remnant of the nobles,
And the Peoples of the Lord came down with me against the mighty ones.
God chose Deborah and placed her over Barak and his army, and then when the battle was over, God received all the glory for the victory.)
14 Out of Ephraim was there a root of them against Amalek;
After thee, Benjamin, among thy people;
Out of Machir came down governors,
And out of Zebulun they that handle the pen of the writer.
(A rod used in numbering. Lev.27:32. Ezek.20:37. Nowhere else rendered pen. Writer, Heb. sâphar, translated scribe. Cp. 2 Kings 25:19. 2 Chron. 26:11.)
15 And the princes of Issachar were with Deborah;
Even Issachar, and also Barak:
He was sent on foot into the valley.
For the divisions of Reuben there were great thoughts of heart.
(The sons of Issachar didn't slack off but were right there by Barak's side as Barak went charging down off mount Tabor and into the valley. They were after those nine hundred chariots and Sisera. These "divisions" of Reuben meant they were divided in thought about the battle that was to take place, and they stayed at home where it was safe. They were the ones that spoke out against the war, and had no faith in God or God's protection. Reuben's people were the war protestors, but not Issachar and Zebulun, for they stuck right by Ephraim and Manasseh's side.)
16 Why abodest thou among the sheepfolds,
To hear the bleatings of the flocks?
For the divisions of Reuben
There were great searchings of heart.
(This song is beautiful and it hits the nail right on the head. Deborah is asking Reuben, "Why are you out there with the sheep day dreaming when there is a war to be fought?" Deborah was asking, "Are you afraid?" They ran to the bleatings of their flocks and the safety of their sheep, rather then making a stand and facing their enemies. This is exactly what was happening, Reuben would not make a stand and commit themselves to the work of the Lord, when God said its time to take on Jabin and the Canaanites. Then Reuben said, "Not me brother, I have to go and sheer the sheep." In their mind they were comfortable with what they had, so why take a chance and loose it.
If things are bad and the times are tough, it is because we have allowed them to become that way. We have followed the same path as Reuben's people, and would rather run as a coward, than make a stand to say, "Not any more." It is time to make a difference right were you are, for the wrath of God is hot by what is happening today. It will continue to boil over until that final day of this earth age of the flesh when Jesus shall return and make all things right.)
17 Gilead abode beyond Jordan:
And why did Dan remain in ships?
Asher continued on the sea shore,
And abode in his breaches.
(Reuben stayed in Gilead beyond the Jordan with his sheep, and Dan remained in his ships making money jointly with the Kenites in their trade and commerce, and they also didn't come and help in the battle. The tribe of Asher stayed in their little houses by the sea shore, and continued in the safety behind his brothers. While all these other tribes were out making their money, and using their excuses to keep from facing the enemy because of their fear of the enemy.)
18 Zebulun and Naphtali were a people that jeoparded their lives unto the death in the high places of the field.
(Deborah is singing the praises of Zebulun and Naphtali, for they were the ones that put their lives on the line in the field of battle, while others would run in fear and go out to make their money and tend to their sheep while the war was fought.)
19 The kings came and fought,
Then fought the kings of Canaan
In Taanach by the waters of Megiddo;
They took no gain of money.
(There is prophecy in this verse also. The battle that shall take place in Megiddo is what we call the battle of Armageddon, the final battle of this earth age. There are two battles fought on that final day of this earth age, "Armageddon" and "Hammon-gog". "Armageddon" means the "gathering place of the crowd", which shall be in Jerusalem. That is where Satan will be in his role of "instead of Christ", or "the Antichrist" and rule from. It is from Jerusalem that the crowd of the nation's leaders of the earth shall gather to worship Satan, and it from Jerusalem that Jesus Christ shall destroy those that have given themselves over to Satan. God's elect are to keep their watchful eye on Jerusalem, and become aware as the events of our generation are taking place.
"Hammon-gog", on the other hand is the battle that shall take place at this same time, when Russia and all her allies come against the nations of the House of Israel. She shall come against us going to her east [our west], and the battle many feel will take place in Alaska. This battle is described in Ezekiel chapters 38 and 39, and it is God that does the destroying in both of these battles, just like He gave the victory in the war that Deborah fought, by using natural forces. God is calling out His people who will take a stand in these latter days. Though God's elect will take a stand and not bow to Satan, most of those that call themselves "Christians" today, will be just like the people of Reuben, and Dan were in Deborah's day, they will gladly give in to Satan, because they really don't care who is in charge. As long as they can have their jobs, and live in safety to do the things that they want to do, they just don't care. It is all part of their prosperity doctrine, for as long as someone gives them what they want, they will do anything for that person.)
20 They fought from heaven;
(Cp. Josh. 10:11.)
The stars in their courses fought against Sisera.
(The way that Deborah and her forces had their victory, is the same way that God will give victory on the day of battle of Armageddon and Hammon-gog, when Satan's forces are crushed. This is how the battle is won. "They fought from heaven; " The "stars" or "angelic forces" from heaven fought against Sisera. The angels fought against a army of flesh men, with Sisera's army was made up of men in flesh bodies. The "stars" are the "sons of God", and those sons of God from the heavens fought against Sisera. God takes care of His own, for before the men of Deborah's army could reach the chariots, the floods from heaven came, and the angelic forces had neutralized the enemy.
Just as God came to the defense of Israel on the day of Deborah's battle, so also it is God that will do the fighting and disarming of His enemies on the final battles of this earth age. God makes this very clear in Ezekiel 39:1-8 when He tells us exactly what He is going to do to eliminate the enemies of Israel.)
21 The river of Kishon swept them away,
(Swollen by the heavy rains, v.4.)
That ancient river, the river Kishon.
O my soul, thou hast trodden down strength.
(God used natural forces to wipe away the horses of His enemies.)
22 Then were the horsehoofs broken
By the means of the pransings, the pransings of their mighty ones.
(This loses much in the translation of the King James Bible. The James Moffatt Bible translation shows that these horsehoofs are not pransings as in a show parade, but in the thunder of the flight in terror as they are running from a battle. When the horsemen of the cavalry saw that the strength of their chariots was taken from them, and that God's power was not something that they could contend with, they ran in terror.)
23-27. Contrasted Succor for Israel.
23-. Curse.
-23. Reason.
24. Blessing.
25-27. Reason.
23 'Curse ye Meroz,' said the angel of the LORD,
'Curse ye bitterly the inhabitants thereof;
Because they came not to the help of the LORD,
To the help of the LORD against the mighty.'
(This is the Lord God Himself saying "Curse you Meroz". "Meroz" are the different places in the land of Palestine that are considered an outcast by God. God cursed them bitterly for their refusal to take an active part in the battle and or give support to His judge Deborah. God is cursing all those that will not take an active role in helping Him. It is important to make a stand for God where ever you are: To know the Word of God, and what is to take place, and become an active member in the army of God.)
24 Blessed above women shall Jael
(Cp. Luke 1:28, "among". See 4:4,17; 5:7,11,30.
God blessed Jael above all women because she took a stand and made a difference.)
The wife of Heber the Kenite be,
("Kenite" refers to geographical location. He was not of Kenite blood.)
Blessed shall she be above women in the tent.
25 He asked water, and she gave him milk;
She brought forth butter in a lordly dish.
(Like the old poem goes; "Come into my parlor, said the spider to the fly, and let me show you a good time." She deceived the enemy to the point of having the victory. God led Sisera to her, and God helped her do what she did.)
26 She put her hand to the nail,
And her right hand to the workmen's hammer;
And with the hammer she smote Sisera, she smote off his head,
When she had pierced and stricken through his temples.
27 At her feet he bowed, he fell, he lay down:
At her feet he bowed, he fell:
Where he bowed, there he fell down dead.
(This was the mighty Sisera, the general of the mightiest forces of the day that bowed and fell to under that rug and went to sleep under the protection of Jael. He gave himself over completely to Jael, the sweet farm lady that gave him the buttermilk and heaped the coals of kindness in his mind while he was awake, so that she could perform the righteous act of God, when he was asleep. The instant that he bowed to her completely in sleep, was the moment that he was destroyed. Jael was the wife a Midianite priest, the offspring of Abraham doing an act for God. This ends the song concerning Israel, and those that dared to take a stand and make a difference. God blessed those that did it His way, and cursed those that were indifferent to the Word that He gave to Deborah.
It is time you make a stand and let God know that you can be counted upon with what ever the gifts that He puts into your hands to fight in the spiritual warfare that is coming. So now we will see what happened in the other camp, the camp of Sisera.)
28 The mother of Sisera looked out at a window, and cried through the lattice,
'Why is his chariot so long in coming?
Why tarry the wheels of his chariots?'
(We know why the chariots of Sisera are not coming, because he is lying dead in the tent of Jael. We also know why the 900 chariots of his army are not coming, because they are bogged down in the mud, and their chariot drivers are lying dead at the hands of Deborah's army.)
29 Her wise ladies answered her,
Yea, she returned answer to herself,
(Those ladies of her council are telling her that the men are just having a good time, and in her mind that is what she is thinking also. Don't worry about him mother, he will be home soon. She took the words of comfort, but still went back to the thought like only a mother can worry.)
30 'Have they not sped? have they not divided the prey;
To every man a damsel or two;
To Sisera a prey of divers colours,
A prey of divers colours of needlework,
Of divers colours of needlework on both sides,
Meet for the necks of them that take the spoil?'
(These ladies of council are giving a picture of the joys of victory after the battle, and they are saying that this is why Sisera is so late in coming home after the battle. Yes, general Sisera had a couple of "damsels" to his credit, Deborah and Jael, and both worked together in fulfilling the work of the Lord.
Friend, the bad ones don't always win, and this one never got away with anything, even though it took eighteen years before the Israelites came to the point of turning back to God and trusting in Him. Those that do wickedly only think that they are getting away with something. Someone did dare to make a difference and allowed God to lead them, and there names were Deborah and Jael. Deborah listened to God and led the troops into battle, and Jael did the clean-up on the big one that got away, and fled from the battle. These two women did more then all the men of that day, for all the men were looking for a way out of facing the enemy.)
31 So let all thine enemies perish, O LORD:
But let them that love Him be as the sun when he goeth forth in his might."
(There is a time coming very shortly when all the enemies of God shall be destroyed, and yet those that love the Lord will be bless by God. Are you looking forward to that day, or are you dreading it, for at our Lord Jesus Christ's return will be a time of rewards and blessings. However, while we live in these flesh bodies God will give His protection to those that love Him. This is asking, which is it, is the sun with you and do your have a bright and shining day, or does it seem like everything you do is wiped out by the storms of life?
God is letting it be known that all of His enemies will perish, and if you are on His side, then your enemies are God's enemies. Are you trusting in the Lord, or do you have the cursings of God.)
And the land had rest forty years.
1265-1225 B.C.
(This is the number for probation in Biblical numerics. Israel followed God during the time of Deborah's rule over them as their judge, then after she died, the Israelites returned right back into the condition that they were before.)