Judges 5:12-21 ~ a people who risked their lives to the death; Naphtali, too, on the heights of the field.

Judges 5:12-21

“Awake, awake, Deborah!
Awake, awake, break out in a song!
Arise, Barak, lead away your captives,
O son of Abinoam.

13 Then down marched the remnant of the noble;
the people of the Lord marched down for me against the mighty.
14 From Ephraim their root they marched down into the valley,
following you, Benjamin, with your kinsmen;
from Machir marched down the commanders,
and from Zebulun those who bear the lieutenant's ^{[commander's]} staff;

15 the princes of Issachar came with Deborah,
and Issachar faithful to Barak;
into the valley they rushed at his heels.
Among the clans of Reuben
there were great searchings of heart.

16 Why did you sit still among the sheepfolds,
to hear the whistling for the flocks?
Among the clans of Reuben
there were great searchings of heart.

17 Gilead stayed beyond the Jordan;
and Dan, why did he stay with the ships?
Asher sat still at the coast of the sea,
staying by his landings.

18 Zebulun is a people who risked their lives to the death;
Naphtali, too, on the heights of the field.
19 “The kings came, they fought;
then fought the kings of Canaan,
at Taanach, by the waters of Megiddo;
they got no spoils of silver.

20 From heaven the stars fought,
from their courses they fought against Sisera.
21 The torrent Kishon swept them away,
the ancient torrent, the torrent Kishon.
March on, my soul, with might!



Bob Uecker says, "On TV the people can see it. On radio you've got to create it." Well that's just a bit offsides, however the quote works for: Do you remember the Biblical story for the namesake of the USA President Barrack Obama? Daborah‎, a prophetess of God, the fourth Judge Israel, counselor, warrior, and the wife of Lapidoth, in the Book of Judges chapters 4 and 5.

Judges 4:7-9
And I will draw out Sisera, the general of Jabin's army, to meet you by the river Kishon with his chariots and his troops, and I will give him into your hand’?” 8 Barak said to her, “If you will go with me, I will go, but if you will not go with me, I will not go.” 9 And she said, “I will surely go with you. Nevertheless, the road on which you are going will not lead to your glory, for the Lord will sell Sisera into the hand of a woman.” Then Deborah arose and went with Barak to Kedesh.

This woman knew of what she spoke.

Deborah, if we paraphrase, was telling Barak the battle was his. She was vividly saying "Draw a Line in the Sand." This was not a casual day. This was a day Franklin Delano Roosevelt would say, ""a date which will live in infamy."

So often we come to crossroads in our lives and we are hardly aware of the date. How, since miracles do not usually occur with a trumpet blast, are we to know. Deliberation. We know in HIM we live, move and have our being. That is how we know. Deliberation. We are intimately seen, known and loved by God. John, who met HIM in Jesus Christ the LORD, says God is summed up in one word, LOVE.

How will we not be caught entertaining a day of the Lord unaware? We let that line be drawn in the sand. Where do we stand? Are we proud of where we stand?


1 Corinthians 16:13
Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong.

Hebrews 2:1
Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it.

Why did you sit still among the sheepfolds,
to hear the whistling for the flocks?
why did he stay with the ships?
sat still at the coast of the sea,
staying by his landings.
The torrent Kishon swept them away,
the ancient torrent, the torrent Kishon.

Hebrews 12:1-14
Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, 13 and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed. 14 Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.

1 Corinthians 15:57
But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Romans 8:37
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

Marched the remnant of the noble

The people of the Lord marched

Following You

Those who bear the staff -
for You are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me (Palm 23)

The princes of Issachar came with Deborah,
and Issachar faithful

Psalm 47:9
The nobles of the nations assemble as the people of the God of Abraham, for the kings of the earth belong to God; he is greatly exalted.

A people who risked their lives to the death

Hebrews 11:32-38
And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets— 33 who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight.

On the heights of the field

Psalm 18:33
He made my feet like the feet of a deer and set me secure on the heights.

The kings came, they fought;
then fought the kings of Canaan,
at Taanach, by the waters of Megiddo;
they got no spoils of silver.

2 Kings 5:16
The prophet answered, "As surely as the LORD lives, whom I serve, I will not accept a thing." And even though Naaman urged him, he refused.

From heaven the stars fought,
from their courses they fought

Isaiah 40:26
Lift up your eyes on high and see: who created these? He who brings out their host by number, calling them all by name, by the greatness of his might, and because he is strong in power not one is missing.

Hebrews 12
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.



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