Judges 4 - Deborah, Barak and Jael
Judges 4
As I sit with Judges 4, I kept coming back to a question I wrote down from the previous chapter.
Does quality rest depend on leadership?
Often, Judges says the nation of Israel had years of rest while there was a judge. The next line says something similar to - once again, Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord.
The main characters in Judges 4 are Deborah, Barak and Jael. Two women and one man. I feel it is important to make a note about Deborah. The text says Deborah is a prophetess but not a priest. This distinction shows she does not hold spiritual authority over Israel. The text also states that Deborah was judge over Israel, which meant she was a political leader. Political leaders should pay attention to what God has to say to them and communicate what God says to others when appropriate.
Barak was a military leader who lacked courage, struggled with fear, or had another issue. Either way, he did not confidently lead Israel into battle as instructed. As a result, he missed his blessing.
Jael was in the right place at the right time, so God could accomplish his mission through her.
Every person influences another person. Each of us leads in some fashion. If we are a parent or grandparent, we lead another generation. If we teach a class or Bible study, we lead a group of people. If we serve in church leadership, we lead a congregation. Some careers require us to lead others also.
Seven questions to ask yourself about the leadership you offer?
How does my leadership help other people rest in God’s presence? If the nation of Israel rested under the leadership of the Judges, then those I lead should God’s presence and find rest while I am with them.
Am I a courageous leader or a fearful leader? Barak agreed to go into battle, only if he didn’t have to lead alone. Including my years at McDonalds, I have been studying leadership for almost thirty years. I have learned many principles along the way, but one has stuck for decades. I was spending time with a former military leader who told me sometimes leaders have to take the hill and count casualties later. The courageous leader understands that some people are not going to follow. The fearful leader needs every person to follow in order to make a decision.
Does my leadership look to another person or God’s voice? The Bible is filled with leadership principles and we find many of them in non-Christian leadership books. Most of my greatest leadership successes have come when I stop long enough to hear God’s voice in the situation. Leaders that do not pray together cannot make decisions based on God’s voice.
Does my leadership seek to steal glory from God? The trap of taking credit and stealing glory is easy to fall into. Do your best to avoid the trap.
Do my words attempt to deceive others? The entire interaction between Jael and Sisera (vv. 18-21) is filled with deception. Each person had an agenda they wanted to accomplish. Neither was truthful with the other person. Both wanted to lead the other person into his own agenda. We are able to communicate in a way that does the same things. Be careful that we do not deceive another person.
Do I look busy without engaging in my mission? Barak took his army all over the country, engaged in battle and had some successes. His mission was to take out Sisera, which he did not do. Christians are really good at being busy without actually accomplishing anything for the kingdom of God.
Do I allow people to accomplish my mission without me? Barak’s mission was accomplished by another person. Once Jael killed Sisera, she found Barak and shared the news with him.