Battlefield Records (Part A)

The apostles were not so quick to draw attention to themselves and blame or blame them, after having walked with Jesus for me that you bring any attention to yourself. After that Paul writes who is sufficient for these things.

Not that we are sufficient for ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God. Most except God that you can believe that you can embrace it. It's still going to be a tough going. Sometimes waiting for God. Following his lead. This is cross reference radio with our pastor and teacher. Rick asked Rick is the pastor of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville. Pastor Rick is currently teaching through the book of Judges, please stay with us after today's message to hear more information about cross reference radio, specifically how you can get a free copy of this teaching, but for now let's turn Pastor Rick in Judges chapter 5 as he begins a new message called battlefield record. We are in Judges chapter 5 Bibles, battlefield records, that's what we are going to center some of our attention on in this fifth chapter because in this song of Deborah.

She gives us more information about the battle that took place in chapter 4 when Gen. Cicero of the Canaanites came out to war against the people of God and were defeated. And so the writer shifts from the narrative of chapter 4 and now gives us this song poet: that's what I want about how the Jews defeated the Canaanites.

Now we have to remember that the Hebrew poetry is not exactly like our English poetry or Western civilizations. Poetry it has reoccurring themes it repeats itself.

It has outbursts of praise prayer within the song gives historical information goes all over the place and the personal pronouns in this poem of Deborah, the song of Deborah what you could be recited or are so you could sing it. That indicates the personal pronouns that she indeed is the author in these poems were given to the people so that they could remember their own history that they could celebrate it that they could learn from it that they could teach their children that they could better serve the Lord, though that's the ideal and is not much different today in the New Testament church. We tell our children Bible stories we give them songs we doing everything we can to equip them to arm them against all that's going to come against them from the world that doubt 11. The corruption of the world's ideas. You know mom and dad's tortured this blot we know better. Remember mom and dad's dorm compared to us, and all of a sudden all those Bible lessons all the time you spend in the children's ministry in the sanctuary begin to crack and show signs of defeat and outcomes.

The white flag many times well. We are working to keep that from happening just as many of the righteous Jews were working to keep it from happening.

So in those days the songs were used to celebrate and to train to equip to a child and the adult alike. There were also entertaining.

You need to know. Boredom can be a very dangerous things idle hands of the devil will idle hands are the tools of the devil. That's how it goes.

Today most of our entertainment is centered on centered on Gore and special-effects and almost history and not very trustworthy. In fact, with the Internet now and everybody is a historian, everybody is a philosopher every party is a scholar yet you had so much information coming at you who's telling the truth. You still have to do your research. You just can't trust what you hear aggressive to you watching now and listening to me well there's truth in that, because you've got the word of God before you as with where I'm going to be speaking from in just a moment and so this song.

Cheers along the heroes of the faith and it rebukes those who did not show up for duty. It includes also of course God's miraculous intervention on the battlefield, so we look at verse one.

Then Deborah and Bharat, the son of a been a lamb saying that day, saying when leaders lead in Israel, the people willingly offer themselves. Bless Yahweh well. Whenever this rhythm is absent this rhythm of the leaders and the people. The leaders leading in the people following that rhythm is absent, there is defeat in this unnecessary loss, even the world knows this, the Jews had that arc of the covenant and that are that chest that was under the mercy seat of God the mercy seat of God was over it all is without that there would be no word of God. It would be no provision of God, there would be no authority of God through his servants mercy seat, but those those items in the chest to writing the provision, the authority they were to teach the people then and there supposed to teach us. Now I think I fear many Christians could care less about the contents of the art or they speak about the word so many of them. They want the provisions, but when it comes to the authority that one day have to sign off on the other two they love. Not all Christians. Many fact to be a leader you have to make unpopular decisions and stick by them. Fact to be led. You have to follow unpopular decisions and stick by them. That decision that you make to follow or else nothing gets done right and wherever throughout history, the justices, this case is made throughout history amongst the righteous and the unrighteous alike. Wherever this is abandoned there's disaster.

David will write in his song, the God of Israel, said the rock of Israel spoke to me. He who rules over men must be just ruling in the fear of God, and he shall be like the light of the morning when the sun rises in the morning without clouds like the tender grass springing out of the earth by clear shining rain very poetic, very beautiful, very romantic, but to put it into action hold of the story because the critics will come up from sources that you never expected. Loyalty should mean something.

Leadership should me. These are not philosophies. When leaders lead in Israel when the people willingly offer themselves. Bless Yahweh that's what she wrote in her song very poetic and meaningful. Again, wherever leadership and loyalty are absent defeat and unnecessary loss are sure to follow, and under notes and added irritant when something is just so avoidable. We we have word that that's Dom that's stupid that's nonsense.

We should invest ourselves in avoiding and skipping the dumb steps as best we can.

Yes we make mistakes out of ignorance or other reason we make them, but this should not be what we practice, we may look at this verse we may say when Jesus is allowed to rein in the heart of the Christian and submit to his Lordship, blessed be the name of the Lord God is glorified all of this.

All of this in this one verse.

In contrast to those Jewish warriors that did not show up to make war because in this chapter we going to get the tribes that you know what, I'm not interested.

Verse three she sings hero Kings give Vero princes. I even I will sing to Yahweh. I will sing praise to Yahweh, God of Israel, software, system energy and the song of the poem everyone to take it is a poem if you don't know the tune is still beautiful but if you have a tune to go with it. It's a song in his hero Kings give Vero princes call to worship the somebody's a call into worship because through those somebody's everybody should get what is being said.

Verse four Yahweh when you went out from Sierra when you marched from the field of Edom, the earth trembled in the Evans board. The clouds also poured water mountains crushed four Yahweh, this Sinai before Yahweh God of Israel, she has no hesitation about mentioning the covenant name of the Lord and Mr. song beautiful. This is all about God. She saying what he has done. God wants to lead us on the battlefield. That's what Deborah saying and he did it and that's what the whole Bible is telling to the believers. God wants to lead on the battlefield wants to lead in preparation for the battlefield.

Good times and bad in peace and war so she gives the Jews a brief review of their marched through the wilderness and she is saying Yahweh was with us in the wilderness, our ancestors, and he was with our ancestors into the promised land known as Canaan and is with us now because we just beat the Canaanites, never left them and he will leave us if the leaders are led by godly leaders lead the people and the people will follow victory will be remembered in song she makes in verse four and five reference to the water in the rain the river. These are the instruments of creation, God will use in should get back to it in the song. This is what God used to defeat the Canaanites they never saw it come in at 900 chariots. They thought they were invincible said this is the time to use chariots. We have nothing to worry about.

They were wrong, because creation is in subjection to God you'll use it will, come to at verse six in the days of sham God son of Anna in the days of Hal highways were deserted and the travelers walked along the byways village life. Verse seven ceased its eastern Israel until I Deborah Rose arose a mother in Israel, mild degree of posting there.

It's okay Neumeier was notorious for. It wasn't the wrong kind of boasted was the sort of or a rejoice I Deborah rose up, God sent me.

That's what sin her song. Same with Nehemiah.

I was the man got appointed fact, the apostles were not so quick to draw attention to themselves, who can blame who could blame them, after having walked with Jesus hanging out you bring any attention to yourself.

After that, so Paul writes who is sufficient for these things. Not that we are sufficient for ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God, we have nothing to boast except God that you can believe that. And you can embrace it. It's still going to be a tough going.

Sometimes waiting for God.

Following his lead will versus six through eight. Describe the dreadful social conditions not because so much of corruption in society but because of the oppressive surrounding the people in the society.

J been king of Azores defeated in chapter 4, but even in sham guards day that gallant warrior who killed 600 men in a battle that means still roads the highways, the people had to watch themselves because they were oppressed was lawlessness, there was the threat of abuse from the ruling peoples of the Canaanites. God warned his people that these were the type of punishments that would come if they departed from following. Leviticus 26. For example, verse 22. I also send wild beast among you, which shall rob you of your children destroy your livestock and make you few in number, and your highways shall be desolate got a saying I will withdraw blessings if you withdraw from me. The problem of when we read in the Scripture that who has hardened his heart against the Lord and prospered is very serious verse.

The temptation to be resentful towards God is very easy just have to pile up enough to feed sort denials in your life you've covered enough stuff and don't get it, you begin to get a little bitter.

You see someone else who has what you want, you can lay your hands on it, you can become very resentful towards God is not careful. And then the next step is you harden yourself towards God and the Bible says you will prosper that will work. Don't do it. Just take your trust God live within your means, take up your cross and follow him. He says you know that so easy to say in early days. But as the decades rolled by gets a little tough.

God knows that he's able ministry. Even in those times God can minister when you are sure he's not ministering. He still ministering as he can and he does sounds like a contradiction, it is not verse eight. They chose new God's when there was war in the gates not to shield her spear was seen among 40,000 and Israel.

Now those who would sing the song they knew what these things meant that they didn't. The someone hidden they would inquiring get their answer they would meditate and figure it out, but here in verse eight. They chose new God's apostasy. Apostasy is in the house now the house of Israel idolatrous hearts, the, the idolatrous heart decides that it can make a better God then God Evian you know the God we have a revelation we can do better. It supposes this is the idolatrous heart in Micah's day. I love those Old Testament prophets as they got to the point they got to the truth he got to it right away and their opponents knew it tried to silence them for even told a Muskoka pre-somewhere else really don't want to hear English to scope corporate somewhere else as they said to him. Micah is prattling's gotta stop what he rises as if a man should walk in the fall spirit and speak alive saying I will prophesy to you of wine and drink.

Even he would be the prattle of these people the sarcasm packed in the back of a drug could come along your follow him, but a true prophet comes along, backs up what you say will know we can have him.

Paul had that same problem that region of Galatia. He marched into that Galatian region, a breed gave birth to churches everywhere. He said, look at what your following and look at listen what I have looked at listen they did and they said where we follow Christ. Paul went back did more things went back to Jerusalem reported these. He went back to Antioch in his absence, they began to mingle. What Paul said with falsities in other religions, so they begin to turn from it all together find it still going on in the book of Revelation in the first two chapters to churches that were infested with the balance in the Jezebels. Paul says I marvel that you are turning away so soon from him who called you grace. The grace of Christ to a different gospel now we have our youth, they go off again to the world of universities. The sudden mingling with the mighty watered-down Christians are abject atheists or whatever is out there that's not following the Scripture and the next thing you know that turning away to a different gospel.

So you we say to them am amazed you turning away so soon from him who called you in the grace of Christ to a different good news and then Paul adds, which is not another. There are some who trouble you and want to pervert the good news of Christ's. There are people that want to trouble you. It irritates them that you are impressed by God's word and that impression has left the image of Christ on you they want the image of Caesar on you of anybody but Christ. This got to surely be room for something else to impress you. When Jesus said give to God the things that belong to God and give the things that belong to Caesar to Caesar.

That's when they gave him according and he said whose images on whose impression is on it. We watch our youth and our children, our loved ones gobble up this junk and the fight is on in his bed to be better be fighting not giving up listening to them come back from the universities and pollute your mind is ill do it.

Someone learn something new.

They can't wait to share it. That's fine if it's good as it's been said bad news says wings well good news is still trying to find shoes.

Good news travels very slowly, it seems, but the bad news. Oh boy. Everybody knows the bad news right away says in verse eight. Then there was war in the gates because that's what apostasy brings.

They chose new God then there was war in the gates. That's how it reads in verse eight, and Deborah knew it. She was a prophet is the Spirit of God was operating in her and threw her and to her everybody that follow the Lord understood this as we do today.

Apostasy brings conflict. Conflict that you not prepare for that's the next clause not to shield her spear was seen among 40,000 and Israel.

There were weaponless sets question. I'm glad he's an ox goad the good have the blacksmith the apostasy cut off the blessings from God work prepare for conflict with God, work, prepare for conflict with men. Such was the condition of the people were chosen new God's such as a condition to those who go out and say you know what I'm tired of Christianity. It's hard. Jesus promised it would be hard. That's the whole thing about take up your cross. But he also promised it would be fruitful. My heart verse nine is with the rulers of Israel who offered themselves willingly with the people.

Bless Yahweh never says my love those men that stepped up. Thank you, Lord.

That's what she's saying in the song she was blessed to see the leaders join the struggle. When she spoke.

They could've said you know what.

So what five tribes, at least in any part of another tribe did just that and were not interested so the singer of the song Deborah song we today we would apply this to our heart we would say the same thing. My heart is with the rulers of Israel who offered themselves willingly.

My heart is with the leaders who got in the fight instead of against and why you doing that make any sense about doing the Medicare function again. Pre-doesn't mean that they're doing their own thing in different everybody else there, God's people, let them leave verse 10 she says in her song speak you will ride on white donkeys who sit and judge his attire walk along the road. This sum the lot of these Hebrew phrases are are idioms that are difficult to translate it. They don't work if you translate them literally and so that's why you have different translations you have different translators trying to get at the heart of it, and they may use different words with most of the time they come up with the same meaning just in the phrase in a different way to hear the overall meeting is those with the speak to you who ride on white donkeys were that was rare. I mean you you is a prized possession like having to know you write in limousines or something you know that was that the people who were well-to-do, the upper class. Generally, and leaders would often be part of that he says and who walk along the roads we have a contrasty of those writing white donkeys and style in these white keys donkeys. They were very big donkeys, goofy looking to us. In some ways their feet almost dragging on the ground as the road, but those who walk in royalties of the commoners in the middle class people so they had those writing writing white donkeys and you had those walking on the road without the white donkeys. It would sort of excess if you think about it. It's one of the first she will be riding a white donkey when she comes RA verse 11. Thanks.

Those of you who are hear the scream team. Thanks for helping out. Still quiet. RA verse 11. Far from the place far from the noise of the archers among the watering places there they shall recount the righteous acts of Yahweh, righteous acts for his villagers and Israel and the people of Yahweh show go down to the gates this far from the noise of the archers that's relatively easy you know in the safe zone. Your away from the combat and among the watering places.

They shall recount the righteous acts of Yahweh, the righteous acts of his villagers and Israel.

Well, the village life and around the watering hole where were the people gather and mingle and talking word would spread and then he says in the people of the Lord or of Yahweh show go down to the gates. That's the hub of the, the cities or even a village. The harbor where leaders of the city would would gather so the mighty acts of God would be discussed and would spread and it is so all part of the song of victory. Verse 12 Awake Way. Deborah awake, awake, sing a song arise bark and lead your captives away son of other known this just a little electric electricity in the song awake, awake, as you know, so you get to that point you every song got a partly not every song is simply just like through and through. The nurse songs you like and and many songs is that part that you really like and this would be one of them. I would think singing this because the repetition awake, awake, Deborah awake, awake singer song grocer managing into the song as you at the same time enjoying the meaning of the thanks for tuning in to cross reference radio for this study in the book of Judges cross reference radio is the teaching ministry pastor Rick Gaston of Calvary Chapel in Mechanicsville, Virginia. If you'd like more information about this ministry, we invite you to visit our website cross reference radio.com will find additional teachings from Pastor Rick available there, and we encourage you to subscribe to our podcast by doing so you will be notified of each new edition of cross reference radio. You can search for cross reference radio on your favorite podcast Work. Just follow the links and cross reference radio.com that's all the time we have for today.

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