A. Blessing God for the deliverance He brings through His leaders

a. Leaders have a specific job to do in their leading; those who follow them have a specific job to do in following. When all are doing their jobs, God's work is done

a. God won the victory for Israel over Sisera by sending a great rain; here, Deborah recalls a time when God did the same thing on behalf of Israel in the days of the Exodus (Deuteronomy 33:2)

b. It is good for us to remember that God's goodness to us didn't just start today; He has been good to us for a long, long, time

a. Not only was life hard under their oppressors, but they also confiscated all weapons so the Israelite's couldn't fight (Not a shield or spear was seen among forty thousand in Israel)

b. In the same way, Satan doesn't only want to oppress you, he wants to disarm you - getting you to lay down the full armor of God that belongs to you in Jesus Christ (Ephesians 6:12-18)

B. The victory remembered

a. The song asks the civic leaders, Deborah, and Barak, to all tell the villagers in Israel the great things that God has done

b. We should never hide our light under a bushel (Matthew 5:15-16), but tell others of the great things God has done and is doing. Many need to wake up and sing a song of praise to the Lord!

a. Deborah praises the tribes that helped, notably Ephraim, West Manasseh, Benjamin, Zebulun, Issachar, and Naphtali

b. Deborah points out Reuben, the tribe that thought about it (the divisions of Reuben have great searchings of heart)

c. Deborah chides the tribes that were of no help: East Manasseh, Dan, Asher

a. The battle was fought from the heavens in the sense that God sent rain that made the Canaanite chariots of no use; the torrent of Kishon swept them away