St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1938-07-15

GOLDEN TEXT-Who knoweth wheth.
er thou art come to the kingdom for such
time as this?-Esther Ala.
PRIMARY TOPIC = Why Deborah
Sang.
JUNIOR ToPIc-Why Deborah Sang.
INTERMEDIATE AND SENIOR
| TOPIC-Ready for Emergencies.
YOUNG PEOPLE AND ADULT
TOPIC-Emergency Leadership.
Every man did that which was
right in his own eyes" Such is the
divine summary of what was wrong
in Israel during the period of the
judges (Judg. 21:25). ''There was
no king in Israel" no competent
and inspiring leadership. The people
lived according to the whims of the
day, and, as always, humanity left
to itself drifted to lower and lower
levels. This was true morally and
spiritually and ultimately political
~, for they came repeatedly into
bondage to other nations and were
only delivered as God raised up
judges to lead them to repentance
and victory, as well as to rule over
them.
I. A People in Disorder (vv. 1-3.
Any people that forgets God and
begins to live after the dictates Of
the flesh will at length come to the
place where some strong man with
"chariots of iron" will rule over
them. We, in America, look at the
other nations of the world, viewing
their plight with sympathy but ever
assuring ourselves that sit can't
happen here" We ought to arouse
ourselves and face the facts lest
our own land, happy in its posses
sion of Gods great blessings of
life, liberty, and the pursuit of
happiness" abuse those privileges,
neglect the worship of God, spurn
the leadership He gives us, and be-
come 'lovers of pleasure more than
lovers of God; having a form of
goodness, but denying the power
thereof III Tim. ga, 81. If we do
not awake and repent the Lord may
have to "sell'' us, as He did Israel,
into the hands of the oppressor.
II. A Leader Called of God wv.
4-9).
God always has His man ready
for the hour of need-only in this
case His man was a woman. Glori-
Gus indeed is the record of faithful
and capable womanhood in annals
of Gods work on earth. Deborah
was a woman of unique gifts-a
poetess, a prophecies, and withal
''the wife of Lapidoth," evidently a
woman who cared well for her own
household.
Brains and natural ability are
much needed, especially in a time
such as ours when few there are
who even care to think for them
selves and few who have any desire
to develop native ability except for
the purpose of making money"
But true leadership calls for more
than talent and intelligence; it calls
for a burning in the soul, a divine
zeal, the urge of God in the heart.
Deborah had this fiery touch upon
her life. Barak, while undoubtedly
a man of ability, evidently did not
have it. Many excuses have been
offered for the weakness indicated
in verse eight. It has been said
that he was cautious, or that he
wanted to give the place of honor
to Deborah as the leader of her
people. These suggestions may be
true, but somehow one has the feel
ing that what he really lacked was
the flaming heart" May God give
it to us, that in our much doing of
His work the divine fire may warm
and inspire us!
III. A Divine Victory wv. 12-1D.
God gave Deborah and Barak a
great victory, but note that it was
God and not man who brought about
the defeat of Jabin (Judg. Ais, 2S).
It was a complete victory and the
enemies of Israel troubled them no
more for many a day.
DR.. Wilbur M. Smith aptly points
out that we should look upon these
conflicts in the book of Judges as
certainly symbols of the great con-
f1ict that every Christian knows as
he wrestles, not with flesh and blood,
but against principalities and pow
ers, against the world-rulers of
darkness and spiritual wickedness
in heavenly places. Victory is
certain only when the Lord is with
US and only when we walk in His
will and contend against evil in
His power. We are more than con-
querors, but only through the Lord
Jesus Christ" (Peloubet's Select
Notes..
In closing this lesson the writer
of these notes wishes to recognize
the blessing of God in enabling him
to complete two years of this serv-
ice to Him and to His people. He
also wishes to thank those readers
in every state of the Union and in
a number of foreign countries who
have written to him words of appre-
citation, encouragement and counsel.