October 17, 2021 · Judges 5:2–3

Deborah's Song

When the princes in Israel take the lead, when the people willingly offer themselves — praise the Lord! Hear this, you kings! Listen, you rulers! I, even I, will sing to the Lord; I will praise the Lord, the God of Israel, in song.

“Notice how she begins. She begins by leading the people in worshipping God. It's a really important thing to recognize, when you're talking about spiritual leadership: you lead because God has given you the word. You lead through God, and to God, always. You're not the centre of attention. Deborah is beginning by leading people to worship God, because that's what all good leaders in the Lord will do — always pointing to God. Because they recognize their own weakness. Our weakness actually makes the Lord look strong. As well, she says, "Hear this. Listen, you rulers." Praising God. By doing this — by writing the song, a praise to God, this prayer to God she's writing — it actually ensures that she will be known three thousand years later. Just think of how many people we know the names of from three thousand years ago. Not very many. Yet Deborah, by leading the people in worshipping God, is now someone whose name we know, and her example is something to inspire us. Then, as she continues: When you, Lord, went out from Seir, when you marched from the land of Edom, the earth shook, the heavens poured, the clouds poured down water. The mountains quaked before the Lord, the One of Sinai, before the Lord, the God of Israel. (Judges 5:4–5) So now she's talking about the fact that God is getting up for the battlefield, to win their freedom from oppression, and most of what she's doing here is to remember who is doing this. This is Yahweh. This is a God who could do anything. He walks down, and the mountains start quaking. This is a great sign, as God approaches the battlefield with Israel. Who else could win, if the Lord is with them?”