The Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1912-1917, 1915-01-05
INTERNATIONAL
.SUNI(AYSC[UDCL,
LESSON
(By E. o. SELLERS. Acting Director OF
Sunday School Course
LESSON FOR JANUARY 10
DEBORAH AND BARAK DELIVER
ISRAEL.
LESSON TEXT-Judges 4:4-16.

| out of all their troubles.-Ps. S4:11 r. V.
There are two inspired accounts OF
this victory, one in prose (ch - and
one in poetry (J1dges 81. They pre-
sent different views Of the same
event Israel had been oppressed for
20 years under Jabin and Sisera, his
chief captain (4:2l though it seems
to have been that the northern tribes
of Naphtali, Asher and Zebulun, the
Galilee of Christ's day, were chiefly
| concerned
Mother i'm Israel.
|. Deborah's Call to Service, w. 49,
AS the people forsook God he forsook
them, and they became easy prey. le
we withdraw from his service we also
withdraw from his protection. AL
though Joshua had burned Hazor
(Joshua 11:1-1D, yet because of Is
rael's backsliding 1t is now strong
enough to become the ruler. 1t is so
with sin-allow 1t to exist and it will
conquer. When, however, Israel re-
pented and cried unto God ". 81 he
raised up a deliverer and in this case
it was a mother in Israel (ch. SGD
The word Deborah means bee" and
1t is suggested that "she answered
her name by her industry, sagacity
and usefulness to the public, her
sweetness to her friends and sharp
hess to her enemies" (Matthew Hen
ry). Her husbands name is givens
but none Of his achievements, From
her dwelling place at Jebus, as She
sat beneath palm tree she gave forth,
her wisdom and Judgment to the peo-
pie who brought their difficulties be-
fore her eek 1918; Deut. 17:S-12).
Judgment Of sin always precedes any
manifestation of grace q Cor. 1871,
32). Deborah, the judge, recognized
the gravity of the situation, for she
was not only Judge, but a prophecies.
by divine appointment QI Pet. 1:2D.
When she called Barak at once recog"
nized her note of authority ". 81.
| Deborah gave Barak explicit instruc-
ton and direction. In this chapter
only the two tribes most Interested
are mentioned (5:17, 1S).
Bold, Sagacious Leader.
II. Baraks Conquest of Slsera, w.
| 1915. Barak was a bold, sagacious
leader and chose one Of the worlds
best and most famous battleffelds, Es-
draelon Barak led his men to Mt.
Tabor, from which could be seen the.
| whole region where Sisera's armies
were spread out upon the plain. From
chapter it appears that some came
to the battle from the tribes Of
Manasseh and Issachar (5:14, 15) and
! that others were expected who failed
to obey the summons (5:15, 10. From
the slopes of Mt. Tabor Deborah and
Barak saw Sisera and his iron char
lots advancing across the plain One
of the descendants of Hobab, Moses
! brother-in-law Mum 24:22 r. V. m,
| and Judges 1:16) had revealed the
place of Barak's camp ". 1D. Heber
| should have been in the land of Judah
and Simeon and not in such close
proximity to the enemies of Israel.
| JOsephus says that when Barak saw
| Siseras army drawn up, and attempt
| ing to surround the mountain of his
encampment his heart failed him, and
he determined to retire to place OF
| greater safety. Deborah, however,
urged Barak to attempt the battle,
'for this is the day in which the Lord
hath delivered Sisera into thine
hand" The thing was as sure to be
! done as if it were done already. AS
we read verses II and u, together
with 5:17-19 it would look as though
| Sisera seemed to have the advantage
against Barak and his ten thousand
men Sisera did not, however, count
ugon Barak's powerful ally-God. "Is
| net Jehovah gone out before them? ?"
| Deborah had enthusiasm and zeal, but
needed Barak's action. She depended
upon the sure word of God and was
devoid of fear (Rom. 8:31) She knew
| that victory was certain, for God had
| said so (v. y. Her charge, up,
| Baraki" was a clarion call and served
to nerve the entire army of Israel
| Verse IS tells us who it was that won
| the battle that day (see also $40, 81;
Josh. 1910; Chron. 15:15-1D. Even
the stars fought against Sisera, mean
| ing that God turned the elements to the
| advantage of Israel's army. Showers
| of meteors have been recorded in this
| land in recent times and 5:21 tells Of
the floods of water that Swept away"
overthrow, the chariots of Sisera. The
word discounted" we are told,
scarcely suggests the sudden terror
! and confusion which fell upon Sisera's
| army Like all of Gods victories, it
was most complete. By this battle
| the resistance Of the Canaanites is
completely overthrow and the Israel
ties secured the complete ascendency
over the land. Sisera fed northward
| toward Hazor, the capital city, along
the same path followed by the Turks
| in 1893, when Napoleon and his allies
defeated their army on this came field.
Barak followed the main army and
| the chariots and thereby missed the
| chief prize. Sisera in his fight came
| to a settlement of the Kenites, which
| he thought he could trust, and turned
| into the tent Of Jael, the wife of He
ber Weary, he fell into deep sleep,
which gave Jael her opportunity.
| Taking hammer and a tent pin she
drove it through his temples into the
ground, completing the victory Of De-
borah and Barak, and fulfilling the
| prophecy of verse 9. We are told that
| fhe PedOuin tents of the women are