Judges 5 - Deborah and Barak's Song

LINK: Judges 5

BACKGROUND

War resulted when Israel chose to follow new gods (5:8; Deuteronomy 32:17). The victories of Judges 4 are recounted in this song. It was a praise proclamation of the powerful God of Israel to surrounding nations!

Here this, you kings! Listen, you rulers!
I will sing to the LORD, I will sing;
I will make music to the LORD, the God of Israel. (5:3) 

This was a victory hymn that was common from the 15th to 12th centuries B.C. in this Middle East. This hymn has a five-part pattern:

1) Heading (5:1)
2) Praise (5:2-11)
3) Mustering of the tribes (5:12-18)
4) Defeat of the enemy (5:19-30)
5) Concluding prayer of cursing and blessing (5:31)

The last verse calls for love of God rather than choosing to follow new gods:

So may all Your enemies perish, O LORD!
But may they who love You be like the sun
when it rises in its strength. (5:31)

The choice was pretty clear for Israel, and it is pretty clear for us: love the LORD above all else!

REFLECTION




The victories of God caused Deborah and Barak to break into song. It had been a long time since I have just lost myself in songs of praise; Teala (in the picture) invited me to come to her house last Sunday and just listen to music and praise. It was amazing. What a wonderful time.

APPLICATION 

God is winning battles on our behalf all around us, and we rarely stop and give him pure praise. Set aside pure praise time this week. Since I did this all afternoon Sunday, I have been trying to set aside time every day when I listen to music or sing without doing anything else but focusing on the One who is our warrior!

PRAYER

We sing a song of praise to You today, most high God. Amen.