Judges 5.
THE song of Deborah and Barak is first of all praise to God for the marvelous victory over Sisera and his army which He had given His people. God had caused the people to willingly offer themselves for the fight (verse 2); they had no weapons of warfare: not a shield or spear (verse 8), but they needed none when He was their dependence.
The roads had been unused and those who traveled went by crooked paths; the villages ceased (verses 6,7) because of the oppression of the king of Canaan. Surely the distress brought on Israel by their sins had been great.
Commencing in verse 14 to 22 The tribes of Israel are named, and their response or the lack of it, to the call of God for war against the oppressing enemy. Ephraim, Benjamin. Machir (in Manasseh), Zebulun, Issachar, Naphtali are commended, Zebulun and Naphtali most of all (verse 18).
Reuben abode among the sheepfolds: was it to hear the bleatings of the flocks? It may be that the tribe of Reuben had not suffered under the oppressor, the king of Canaan; however while they were not at ease (verses 15 and 16) about the call from Deborah and Barak, they did not go to the help of their brothers across the Jordan. Gilead (Gad) also stayed in his place, but, as we may judge, without the concern that the Reubenites had. Dan and Asher also kept on in their own affairs when the call to war against the enemy came. No mention is found of the tribes of Judah and Simeon in the extreme south.
In verse 23 Meroz, (whose location is uncertain but some think it was near the lake of Merom north of the sea of Galilee) is cursed of God because they came not to the war.
It is plain that in these verses we have God’s thoughts about those who stand in some relation to Him. Those who went out in the war for God, and took His side when the prophetess’s message came, form one class; while those who, though a good deal concerned about it, stayed at home, form another, and a third class were indifferent to the call of God. What will eternity show for us of this day, reader, when God’s records of all are opened?
There was a rich farmer once who took no thought but of his ease and his earthly gain and happiness, but in an hour he had not prepared for, the word came, “Thou fool; this night thy soul shall be required of thee.” Luke 12:2020But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? (Luke 12:20). See in this connection Matthew 6:19-2419Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: 20But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: 21For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. 22The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. 23But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness! 24No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. (Matthew 6:19‑24).
Verses 19, 21; the scene of the battle with Sisera’s army was in the northwest, near the Mediterranean Sea, and the river of Kishon is a mountain stream where later Elijah killed the prophets of Baal (1 Kings 18:4040And Elijah said unto them, Take the prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape. And they took them: and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and slew them there. (1 Kings 18:40)).
Verses 24-27. God had foretold that, since Barak was unwilling to take the leadership against Sisera without Deborah’s being associated with him, a woman should be the instrument of the Canaanite’s end (chapter 4, verse 9), and verse 31 classes Sisera as one of God’s enemies; not merely an enemy of Israel. Undoubtedly therefore, Jael was moved by the same fear as possessed Rahab the harlot of Jericho (Joshua 2) when she took a stand for God as against all-natural feeling. We are not told that God justified the means Jael took, —the apparent deceit she employed, but the end was according to His mind; His will was done. There are a number of similar instances in the Scriptures; none of them supply any justification for that which is contrary to the revealed mind of God.
ML 11/01/1925