C.A.C SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON For April 5th, 2020. God In the Administration of Man. Unit Two: THROUGH THE JUDGES / LESSON SIX / PART 2
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C.A.C SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON.
God In the Administration of Man.
Unit Two: THROUGH THE JUDGES / LESSON SIX / PART 2
April 5th, 2020.
II. DEBORAH THE STRONG WOMAN (4:1-23)
Deborah was a person in God’s redemptive plan for His people, and she faithfully played her role. She did not only come in the flow of God’s word, but herself spoke God’s word.
A. BLESSED WITH THE RIGHT QUALITY (vv. 1ff)
Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, was judging Israel at that time (v. 4).
i. vv. 1_4: God kept punishing His people to bring them back to Himself. That is a loving Father (cf. Psa. 106:39-43; Heb. 12:2ff). People who always forget God, their Maker, are in for serious trouble and damnable affliction (Eccl. 12:1ff; Rom. 1:28). As they cried unto Him, He chose to move this time around through the ministry of a woman, Deborah.
ii. vv. 4,5: Who was Deborah, and why did God choose her? Deborah was a prophetess. Was she married? Yes, and yet she could do such great exploit for God — commitment, availability, sensitivity and submission. God helped her to be responsible, both at home and at work. She was of the tribe of Ephraim, and the only female judge. Ask God to equip you with the character to succeed in leadership.
iii. vv. 5-7: She was privileged to keep hearing from God (cf. Deut. 29:29; Psa. 25:14), and bold enough to work on what she heard. Was she rude? No. She knew God and courageously depended on Him (Heb. 10:35).
iv. 6-9: God knew, without fail, who would translate His plans into immediate actions. Hence, He decided to go through Deborah and not the obviously timid Barak. Courage in God is a key to one’s usability (Jos. 1:8; 2 Tim. 1:7).
v. Understanding the fact that God would do whatever He says is her belief and trust. Her life was a wonderful illustration of the power that womanhood has to influence society. Her great influence is the fact that made Israel come to her for counsel and judgment.
B. BECOMES A LEADER WITH GREAT EXPLOITS (vv. 10-23)
Then Deborah said to Barak, “Up! For this is the day in which the Lord has delivered Sisera into your hand. Has not the Lord gone out before you?” So Barak went down from Mount Tabor with ten thousand men following him (Judges 4:14).
i. vv. 10-13: What a mighty God we serve! He had promised, And I will call out Sisera (v. 7; NLTB). He exactly that in vv. 12,13.
ii. God would move when He wanted without calling any committee. Only godly and sensitive leaders would notice that. God helped Deborah not to miss any of His wonderful steps to victory in this regard (Exod. 15:1ff; 2 Chr. 20-29; Psalm 135)
iii. v. 14: Barak went at the command of God through Deborah, i.e God led him through her. Thank God for these leaders who followed His unstoppable move to letter. If you can’t follow His moves, you can’t be part of His programme.
iv. vv. 15-16: Yahweh in action. Thank God Barak quickly recognised this and lashes on it. Are you sensitive to the moves of God as a leader?
v. vv. 17-20: God’s Word cannot but be fulfilled (Num. 23:19). He had strategically located the woman, Jael, to fulfill v. 9. Why do you query God when He sends you on a mission? Do you know better than the One who knows the end from the beginning, even the Administrator of the universe?
vi. vv. 21-23: Eventually, God gave victory to His people according to His words through Deborah (v. 6; cf. 1 Chr. 7:14; Psa. 81 :13-16), and put in their mouth the song of victory (5:1ff). That will be your lot as much as you are ready to follow His leading.
vii. Deborah was a strong woman used by God to exercise strategic leadership among His people. This is beautiful and important for us to see. This great woman called Barak to the battle against Sisera and challenged him. She neither belittled him, nor tried to take, or usurp his place. In her loyalty, she clearly respected and embraced God’s ordained roles.
LESSON DERIVED
1. When you go according to God’s instructions, you are not going alone; He is solidly with you.
2. Godly leaders don’t follow their human strengths or leadership prowess; they rely on the insurmountable power of the Almighty God.
QUESTIONS
1. What qualifies the man/woman that God uses?
2. Enumerate the ways God chose to bring victory to His people in this lesson.
SUGGESTED ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS
ANSWER TO QUESTION 1:
i. Refers to division I A.
ii. The fact remains that no one is qualified by his own making. God, from the intents, knows what everyone could do.
iii. It is God who calls and qualifies the called.
iv. God Himself gives enablement and many other things it may involve to answer His call.
v. Deborah was a woman who loved the Lord.
vi. She was right with the people she led, not lordship it over the likes of Barak.
viii. She was courageous enough to speak the mind of God, even when the situation seemed difficult.
ix. She had the backing of God working for her.
x. If you are called, do not see it as right but a privilege to serve God.
ANSWER TO QUESTION 2:
i. God’s people showed remorse as they acknowledge their waywardness and repented.
ii. The good Lord has been faithful to His covenant over the people, Israel. He accepted them back as His people He needed to rescue.
iii. God has His people eternally prepared for the redemptive purpose.
iv. God graciously brought out Ehud and Deborah as leaders, irrespective of those things that would have worked against them, to carry out the task of salvaging the people.
v. God strategically gave them instructions and directives that they ought to follow.
vi. On the side of the enemies, God intentionally allowed them to grow ego that would cost them their lives.
vii. God has never been slow in action not to have handed the enemies over to His people.
viii. Even when the enemies tried to escape, God was already putting in place tactics to get them down — the case of Sisera.
ix. Eventually, He received the praise and glory from His people for the exploits.
LIFE APPLICATION
The children of Israel are a picture of what we see in our churchs. We see people who will follow God for a while, and when there is a spiritual void in their lives, they turn away from God and seek their own ways. Perhaps, it is the death of a special loved one or loss of job, and the so called believer’s weak foundation is gone. It is sad when we base out faith on those around us and not on the Lord. Sometimes, it happens when a preachers leaves a church. The people (his loyalists). Sometimes scatter and follow him where he goes. This should not be. Our faith should be in God who gives salvation, and not in any man (Heb. 12:1-3).
We need to be very careful! Like Israel, the old enemies from the past will rise up when you least expect them. That sin you thought was conquered, will defeat you, if you give it another opportunity (Eph. 4:27)! You aren’t safe until you get home to glory and are delivered from this flesh (Rom. 7:14-25; 1 Cor. 10:12).
CONCLUSION
Most people in our time never learn their lesson either. People call on the Lord so that He will deliver them from their problems while they fail to deal with the root of their problems, which is their sins. If we really want to be delivered from the oppression effects of evil and the harsh whip of censure, we must deal honestly with our sins before the Lord. Our goal should not just be to escape from our problems. It should be to be found pleasing to the Lord. Our goal should not just be to have an easier time in life; it should be to be right with the Lord in every area of our lives. If we will ever learn to seek the Lord’s will above all things, we could be spared a lot of the hardships we are forced to face in life.
DEVOTIONAL BIBLE READINGS FOR WEEK TWO
Mon. Mar. 30: They Accused God Wrongly (Psa. 60:1-2)
Tue. Mar. 31: They Shared Their Bitter Experience (Psa. 60:3)
Wed. April 1: They Appear For God’s Help (Psa. 60:4-5)
Thur. April 2: They Hear God’s Voice (Psa. 60:6-7)
Fri. April 3: They See Moab and Edom (Psa. 60:8-10)
Sat. April 4: They Find God Trustworthy (Psa. 60:11-12)