“Very well,’ Deborah said, ‘I will go with you. But because of the way you are going about this, the honor will not be yours, for the LORD will hand Sisera over to a woman.’ So Deborah went with Barak to Kedesh.”
~ Judges 4:9
Hi James and Ellen,
Is your dad or your ma the head of your home? Who would you like to be the head of your home – your dad or your ma? Who do you think should be the head of your home – your dad or your ma? Do you think that a kid should be the head of his or her home? God sees your dad and ma together as one entity. Your dad and your ma are to be as one the decision makers in your home. A kid is to never be the head of a home. If a guy is married and has a kid or kids, the guy has a God ordered mandate to make sure that his home is a safe haven for whoever is living in his home. A guy who is married is to hold the responsibility umbrella over his wife and over his kid or kids. A guy who is married is to do all that he can do to care for and to protect his wife and his kid or kids. A guy who is married sometimes does not do a very good job of taking care of and protecting his family. A guy who is married sometimes does not do a very good job of assuming responsibility for his family. A guy who is married will sometimes let his wife hold the family responsibility umbrella. Do you think that a gal should be in a leader position over guys? A lot of gals are in leader positions today over guys but . . . do you remember if God allowed any gals to be leaders of His specially chosen guys, gals and kids – the Israelite people group guys, gals and kids? After God had Joshua lead His specially chosen guys, gals and kids into the land that He had promised Abraham that his extended family would always have as their very own land to live in if . . . leaders who were called judges over the next 350 or so years stepped up to lead His specially chosen guys in confrontations against marauding armies sent by neighboring people groups of guys and gals. These judges did their best to lead God’s specially chosen guys and gals but . . . God’s specially chosen guys and gals lived in a land area that had enemy countries bordering it. Also a wicked people group of guys and gals called the Canaanites ended being allowed to keep their homes in the land that God had given to His specially chosen guys and gals to always to have as their very own land to live in if . . . the Canaanite people group’s guys had tricked God’s specially chosen guys into not exterminating every guy, gal and kid in their people group. God one day gave His specially chosen guys and gals to the Canaanite guys to rule over. Why do you think that God did this? God’s specially chosen guys and gals had turned to resorting to doing evil by worshipping inanimate gods made of wood, stone and metal instead of doing what was right by worshipping only God so . . .
Judges 4 is part of the life narrative of one of the judges who was impressed on by God to lead His specially chosen guys and gals. When you think of a judge, do you think of a guy or do you think of a gal? Do you know what a judge does? A judge makes decisions on what is right and what is wrong. A judge settles disputes that are between guys and gals. The judges who are written about in the Judges Book stood out as leaders. The judges that are written about in the Judges Book at times led guys who God had specially chosen for Himself against invading neighboring people group’s guys and armies. Today’s chapter is about a gal judge who was a prophetess. Deborah was a judge and a prophetess who lived in the Ephraim tribal clan land area. After no guy would stand up to take on holding the responsibility umbrella of being a judge for the guys and gals who God had specially chosen for Himself, Deborah was defaulted into becoming a judge. A guy could have become the judge instead of Deborah. The guy’s name was Barak. Deborah wanted Barak to take on being the judge to lead out in the fight against the Canaanite guys. Deborah asked Barak to lead 10,000 men against the Canaanite people group’s guys. The Canaanites guys and gals had for twenty years been really mean to God’s specially chosen guys and gals. God’s specially chosen guys and gals finally decided to ask God for His help against the Canaanite guys and gals. God had been ready to help His specially chosen guys and gals; God’s specially chosen guys and gals just had to ask Him first for His help. Sisera was the leader of the Canaanite people group’s guys. Sisera was a very bad dude. Sisera had 900 iron chariots at his disposal which he used to keep God specially chosen guys from rebelling against his fellow Canaanites guys. Barak refused to do what Deborah asked him to do even after Deborah told Barak that God wanted him to be the leader of the 10,000 guys as the guys fought against the Canaanite guys. Deborah communicates not being pleased about Barak’s attitude. Deborah tells Barak in verse 9 “‘Very well,’ Deborah said, ‘I will go with you. But because of the way you are going about this, the honor will not be yours, for the LORD will hand Sisera over to a woman.’ So Deborah went with Barak to Kedesh.” Deborah was the only gal judge.
Barak was a coward about taking on a leader responsibility. Barak was willing to let a gal – Deborah, take on the leader responsibility for something that Deborah wanted him to take the responsibility to do. Even though gals are just as capable as guys in leading other guys and gals . . . a gal has been created by God to have a guy care for her and protect her. Gals are created by God to want guys to care for them and protect them. If a gal senses that there is not a guy willing to care for her or protect her, the gal will assume the leader responsibility. Barak lost a blessing when he refused to lead God’s specially chosen guys against an enemy of God – the Canaanite people group guys. Barak lost a blessing when he was not the one who got to kill Sisera. Sisera was killed by Jael – a gal, who drove a stake through Sisera’s head while Sisera was sleeping in her tent. Your grandmaa has always wanted and has always let your grandpaa be the head of her home and with her kids. Guys must always shoulder the responsibility function.
Judges 4 (156)