Text: John 15:5 ” “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.”

This topic is derived from a lesson learnt in the Barak & Deborah story shown in Judges 4:1-end.

Characters in the story:

  • God
  • Israelites (God’s Children)
  • Jabin (Canaanite King)
  • Sisera (Canaanite Chief Army Officer)
  • Barak  (Israelite Army Commander)
  • Deborah  (Israelite Judge & Prophetess)

What did the Israelites do?

  • They intermingled with strange gods and intermarried with foreign women (Judges 4:1; 3:5-6)

What did God do?

  • He punished them in the hands of Jabin (4:2)

For how long did they suffer under Jabin?

  • 20 years (4:3)

How could the Israelites be redeemed?

  • Through their return to God (4:3). 

Who were the 2 possible liberators of Israel? 

  • Deborah & Barak

What power did Barak have?

  • Military might

What power did Deborah have?

  • Spiritual might (a prophetess – vs. 4)

From the conversation between Deborah & Barak,  what can we learn?

  • Recognized the need for humility: Barak recognized that (4:6-10); acknowledgment of God
  • Barak obeyed without query; the power of God is not gender-specific.
  • Diligence is crucial to leadership (Deborah was judge, wife, prophetess)
  • Barak acknowledged that his military Power without God is useless (vs. 8)
  • This reminds us of Moses’ attempt to fight for the Israelites using his own strength, he couldn’t do it (Exo. 2:11-15), until God became involved (Exo. 3:1-12)
  • When God is involved, there is revelation (4:14)
  • When God is involved, He helps put our enemies to flight (4:15-16).
  • When God is involved, battle is easily won (Sisera was killed by Jael who was not even involved in the battle – 4:17-24).

Prayers:

  • Lord, raise a Deborah (the spiritually sharp,  knowledgeable, inclined) for me and my household – who will always tell us your mind. 
  • Raise Deborah’s for our nations- who will always tell us the mind of God, to help deliver us from oppression. 
  • Lord, raise me up as the Deborah of my household, community and the nations.