Sermon Notes

  1. Israel’s evil brings  oppression (4:1-3)
  2. The Lord raises up  and  (4:4-10)
  3. Israel is  (4:11-24)
    1. On the  field (v. 11-16)
    2. In a  (v. 17-22)
    3. Victory belongs to the  (4:23-24)

Going Deeper

  1. How does Israel do evil in the sight of the Lord (4:1; 5:8)? What idols do you find yourself following or trusting? How will you turn from those idols this week?
  2. How was Deborah a different kind of judge (4:4-5)? What was Barak like as a judge?
  3. Deborah and Barak follow in the example of Miriam and Moses (Exodus 14-15). How are they similar (Judges 4-5)? How are they different?
  4. How has God called you to “go” (4:6, 14)? Read Matthew 28:19-20. How will you obey the Great Commission this week?
  5. The Lord manipulates Sisera to do His bidding (4:7, 13). Commentator Daniel Block says “the enemy is portrayed as a puppet controlled by the hands of God.” Read Exodus 14. How does God manipulate Pharaoh? Read Ezekiel 38-39. How does God manipulate Gog? What does this tell us about God’s control over evil rulers in the world?
  6. Read Exodus 14:21-28 and Judges 5:20-22. How are these incidents similar? What do we learn about God?
  7. “The gruesome nature of [Eglon’s and Sisera’s] deaths point us back to Genesis 3:15, in which God promises that he will one day crush the head of the Serpent and achieve final victory for his people. Even the name Sisera sounds like the hissing of a serpent.” -Miles Van PeltIn what way does Jesus finally fulfill the words of Genesis 3:15 (see Colossians 2:13-15).
  8. Read Judges 5:28-30. Why should we not feel sorry for Sisera or his mother? Should we take revenge into our own hands (Rom. 12:19-21)?
  9. The Lord always wins. How does this truth help you when you suffer or when things go badly in your life? Read Isaiah 43:11-13.