The Song of Deborah

This passage deals with the story of the victory in which the judge Deborah, following the word God had given, defeated Sisera, the commander of the Canaanite king Jabin. After winning the battle Deborah sings praise to God, but behind it lies a contrast with the army commander Barak, who obeyed God's command selectively and tried to look after his own safety. Barak tried to lean on Deborah's faith and go together with her, but in the end, because of his own lack of resolve, the credit for the victory was taken from him and went to another.

The sermon points to how Barak's selective obedience made him miss the chance of blessing. The blessing God gives comes with conditions and obedience, and an attitude that only looks forward to the result while avoiding the sacrifice along the way ends up losing the reward. It also stresses that, unlike the tribes that stayed out of the battle and guarded only their own comfort, God's blessing follows those who willingly sacrificed themselves for their people.

Deborah trusted God even amid fear and temptation and went forward boldly, and as a result God sent rain from heaven to confirm the victory. Sisera's mother and her ladies, on the other hand, held fast only to the world's power and logic, turned away from God's will, and met the tragedy of defeat. Why do we need to sacrifice ourselves right away and keep striving to the end in order to receive the reward God has prepared, and can we, like Deborah, overcome fear and live boldly, believing that God will work for us?