Judg 5:15-16 | KingComments | STEP | ( ) It is possible that in the life of Deborah there was also a period of lukewarmness, that the condition of God’s people did not concern her that much. She has come to the awareness that things have to be different in her life. She has called herself to sing a song. It may be that a war song is meant here, to indicate that she is again combative. Only after she has spoken to herself and acknowledged that she had to wake up first, she addresses Barak. Sometimes we have to wake ourselves up and speak to ourselves to realize that we are not doing well. It is possible that we have been snoozed by all the pleasant things of life. Then there is no spiritual activity anymore, we are busy with our social and material interests. We’re in the meetings, but we’re not really involved. We read in the Bible, but it doesn’t really touch us. Then we should not continue to snooze, but it is time to wake up and open our eyes to the things that are really important. If someone is in such a phase, let him speak to himself and do it differently, motivated by God’s love for Him and His people. Then he will again be engaged and can awaken others to become active and fight, like Deborah does with Barak. She urges him to arise and take away his captives. What is sung here to Barak is also attributed to the LORD ( ) and to Christ ( ). Barak is here a picture of Christ. ( ) The expression “the survivors” indicates that the period of oppression took its toll. Many have fallen in battle. What remains is not a great number of people. “The survivors” are also “the people of the LORD”. All the people of the LORD are men who have escaped the enemy. The whole people that are still there, a remnant, are in their existence a testimony of God’s grace. For all have sinned and departed from Him, didn’t they? The fact that there are still people left is only due to His grace. The same will apply to Israel in the future. For their sins they will come in a great tribulation. The Lord Jesus says: “Unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved” ( ). But even then a remnant will be saved and that will be “all Israel”, which “will be saved” ( ). ( ) Ephraim and Benjamin, the two tribes living in the south, are mentioned first. Machir belongs to the half tribe of Manasseh which lives in the land ( ). Zebulun is also mentioned in and praised for his courage. Together with Naphtali, Zebulun responded to Barak’s call in Judges 4 ( ), perhaps because of their connection with Deborah. Ephraim has set a good example. They come from the area of the Amalekites who are a picture of the flesh. In Ephraim we see people here who do not give in to the lusts of the flesh, but want to work for the interests of God and His people. The good example stimulates to follow good: Benjamin followed Ephraim to fight with him. From Machir, Manasseh, the commanders have joined the fighters. They felt it was their responsibility. “Those who wield the staff of office” from Zebulun are especially mentioned. These are the officers who note the names of volunteers. They are recruiters. These people do their best to involve others in the battle. They don’t think they can do it alone. We can learn from this that we need each other in battle. ( ) Issachar is also a tribe that has dedicated itself to the battle. Both the name of Deborah and Barak are linked to this tribe in this verse. The princes of Issachar shared the conviction of Deborah. They were “with Deborah”. As to Barak, this tribe had a stimulating effect: “As Issachar, so Barak.” We are allowed to sustain people who have a good view of what God’s Word says and we will be an incentive for others. ( ) After praising some tribes who have worked for the interests of God’s people, Deborah talks about some other tribes who have failed. What she says about it is instructive for us. Reuben did think about giving his time and powers to the battle. Yet it did not become practice. What was the hindrance? Reuben has a lot of cattle. The herds of Reuben have also prevented him from taking possession of his part of the land ( ). He was satisfied with the wilderness side of the Jordan. Now he has been appealed to join his brothers and fight the enemy with them. He has thought and considered – that is said of him twice! – and he hasn’t done it. He has come to the conclusion that his own affairs are more important than those of God. We also can have our considerations about participating in the fight for God’s people against the enemy. Again and again such opportunities arise. You will be asked to participate in tract distribution, street evangelism, or other spiritual activities. It takes time and effort. Every time something like this comes to us, it is a decisive moment in which it will become clear how we set our priorities. Are we seeking after our own interests or those of Jesus Christ ( )? There are Christians who really want to serve the Lord. They are full of good intentions and even sometimes have good ideas, but at the decisive moment they quit. The things of life, their own interests, are the deciding factors. This is Reuben. ( ) Gilead loved his rest. Imagine getting tired! Nice in your easy chair, your favorite program before your eyes that you wouldn’t want to miss for any saved sinner or restored brother. The tribe of Dan was too busy doing business. They had a large company with international contacts. The business and profit were more important than the fight for the brothers and the inheritance of the LORD. Asher did not do anything at all. He hung around in idleness, lying on the beach baking in the sun and was not worried about anything. If he had been there long enough, you could find him behind a drink on the terrace to have fun watching the people passing by. ( ) What a contrast Zebulun and Naphtali form with the aforementioned tribes! They are the true victors who overcome by not loving their lives, but by denying it even until death (cf. ; ). They love God more than themselves, and they prove it by putting their lives at risk. We too can do this when we see how God loved us. This love is clearly visible in what the Lord Jesus did on the cross. If we see this, can anything else be expected of us? “We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren” ( ). Paul is such a person who responds to God’s love with a life in which he gives up himself to serve others. In Acts 20 he bears witness to this: “But I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself, so that I may finish my course and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God” ( ). He says of another servant that “he came close to death for the work of Christ” ( ). Where can such men and women be found today? Do we want to be one of them?

‏ Judges 5:15-16

4. The Role of the Individual Tribes

(Jdg 5:12) It is possible that in the life of Deborah there was also a period of lukewarmness, that the condition of God’s people did not concern her that much. She has come to the awareness that things have to be different in her life. She has called herself to sing a song. It may be that a war song is meant here, to indicate that she is again combative. Only after she has spoken to herself and acknowledged that she had to wake up first, she addresses Barak.

Sometimes we have to wake ourselves up and speak to ourselves to realize that we are not doing well. It is possible that we have been snoozed by all the pleasant things of life. Then there is no spiritual activity anymore, we are busy with our social and material interests. We’re in the meetings, but we’re not really involved. We read in the Bible, but it doesn’t really touch us. Then we should not continue to snooze, but it is time to wake up and open our eyes to the things that are really important.

If someone is in such a phase, let him speak to himself and do it differently, motivated by God’s love for Him and His people. Then he will again be engaged and can awaken others to become active and fight, like Deborah does with Barak. She urges him to arise and take away his captives. What is sung here to Barak is also attributed to the LORD (Psa 68:18) and to Christ (Eph 4:8). Barak is here a picture of Christ.

(Jdg 5:13) The expression “the survivors” indicates that the period of oppression took its toll. Many have fallen in battle. What remains is not a great number of people. “The survivors” are also “the people of the LORD”. All the people of the LORD are men who have escaped the enemy. The whole people that are still there, a remnant, are in their existence a testimony of God’s grace. For all have sinned and departed from Him, didn’t they? The fact that there are still people left is only due to His grace.

The same will apply to Israel in the future. For their sins they will come in a great tribulation. The Lord Jesus says: “Unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved” (Mt 24:22). But even then a remnant will be saved and that will be “all Israel”, which “will be saved” (Rom 11:26).

(Jdg 5:14) Ephraim and Benjamin, the two tribes living in the south, are mentioned first. Machir belongs to the half tribe of Manasseh which lives in the land (Jos 13:30-31). Zebulun is also mentioned in Jdg 5:18 and praised for his courage. Together with Naphtali, Zebulun responded to Barak’s call in Judges 4 (Jdg 4:10), perhaps because of their connection with Deborah.

Ephraim has set a good example. They come from the area of the Amalekites who are a picture of the flesh. In Ephraim we see people here who do not give in to the lusts of the flesh, but want to work for the interests of God and His people. The good example stimulates to follow good: Benjamin followed Ephraim to fight with him.

From Machir, Manasseh, the commanders have joined the fighters. They felt it was their responsibility. “Those who wield the staff of office” from Zebulun are especially mentioned. These are the officers who note the names of volunteers. They are recruiters. These people do their best to involve others in the battle. They don’t think they can do it alone. We can learn from this that we need each other in battle.

(Jdg 5:15a) Issachar is also a tribe that has dedicated itself to the battle. Both the name of Deborah and Barak are linked to this tribe in this verse. The princes of Issachar shared the conviction of Deborah. They were “with Deborah”. As to Barak, this tribe had a stimulating effect: “As Issachar, so Barak.” We are allowed to sustain people who have a good view of what God’s Word says and we will be an incentive for others.

(Jdg 5:15b-16) After praising some tribes who have worked for the interests of God’s people, Deborah talks about some other tribes who have failed. What she says about it is instructive for us. Reuben did think about giving his time and powers to the battle. Yet it did not become practice.

What was the hindrance? Reuben has a lot of cattle. The herds of Reuben have also prevented him from taking possession of his part of the land (Num 32:1). He was satisfied with the wilderness side of the Jordan. Now he has been appealed to join his brothers and fight the enemy with them. He has thought and considered – that is said of him twice! – and he hasn’t done it. He has come to the conclusion that his own affairs are more important than those of God.

We also can have our considerations about participating in the fight for God’s people against the enemy. Again and again such opportunities arise. You will be asked to participate in tract distribution, street evangelism, or other spiritual activities. It takes time and effort. Every time something like this comes to us, it is a decisive moment in which it will become clear how we set our priorities. Are we seeking after our own interests or those of Jesus Christ (Phil 2:21)? There are Christians who really want to serve the Lord. They are full of good intentions and even sometimes have good ideas, but at the decisive moment they quit. The things of life, their own interests, are the deciding factors. This is Reuben.

(Jdg 5:17) Gilead loved his rest. Imagine getting tired! Nice in your easy chair, your favorite program before your eyes that you wouldn’t want to miss for any saved sinner or restored brother.

The tribe of Dan was too busy doing business. They had a large company with international contacts. The business and profit were more important than the fight for the brothers and the inheritance of the LORD.

Asher did not do anything at all. He hung around in idleness, lying on the beach baking in the sun and was not worried about anything. If he had been there long enough, you could find him behind a drink on the terrace to have fun watching the people passing by.

(Jdg 5:18) What a contrast Zebulun and Naphtali form with the aforementioned tribes! They are the true victors who overcome by not loving their lives, but by denying it even until death (cf. Rev 12:11; Lk 14:26). They love God more than themselves, and they prove it by putting their lives at risk.

We too can do this when we see how God loved us. This love is clearly visible in what the Lord Jesus did on the cross. If we see this, can anything else be expected of us? “We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren” (1Jn 3:16).

Paul is such a person who responds to God’s love with a life in which he gives up himself to serve others. In Acts 20 he bears witness to this: “But I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself, so that I may finish my course and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God” (Acts 20:24). He says of another servant that “he came close to death for the work of Christ” (Phil 2:30). Where can such men and women be found today? Do we want to be one of them?