Title: Praise the Lord
Contents
* Judges 5:1-13 Praise God
(1~2) What should not stop in the mouths of believers is thanksgiving and praise to God. Deborah and Barak gave thanks and praised “on this day”, the day that God gave victory and liberation to the children of Is through Deborah and Barak.
First, I thanked Is's 'head (Pharah, leading as a leader)' and the people in God for what they did. There is no hope for a nation that lacks reliable leadership. Of course, wars do not overcome crisis situations properly. Therefore, God's work of restoring the leadership of the leaders deserved thanks.
Second, the people’s ‘joyful devotion (Nadab)’ was a condition of gratitude. ‘Nadab’ refers to the act of being willing to volunteer for war or other kind of duty, or to voluntarily give money to the temple.
It is impossible by human influence to make people willing to engage in work that puts their safety and life as collateral. In the end, we can see that God's providence was behind all of this.
*Thanksgiving and praise never cease to flow from our mouths, and we must give thanks for the faithful leaders of faith and devoted servants of the Lord.
(4) The purpose of singing this hymn is to make all the kings and rulers of the world realize that the Lord God of Is is the true God (3). They fear God and should not cross over Is. Furthermore, the meaning behind this hymn is that Baal, which the Canaanites worship, is nothing but an idol.
In verses 4-5, Deborah and Barak describe a God of majesty that no one dares to surpass, a God of superior military power. It expresses that the manifestation of God itself is impossible without the trembling and vibration of the creatures (5).
Traditionally in Canaan, ‘rain’ was associated with Baal and symbolized abundance. However, Deborah and Barak make it clear that the rain comes by the action of God, not the power of Baal. *Jehovah is the leader of our lives, the owner of blessings, and the owner of agriculture
But we should note that Deborah and Barak saved Is from the oppression of Canaanite King Jabin, so perhaps they deserve praise. But they never say they did it. They say that God has done it all. That's why they say, "Praise the Lord." The only person to be praised is Jehovah. And they promise that they will sing and sing praises to the Lord.
They had no desire to brag about their work. Although it is true that they fought the battle themselves, they humbly confessed that it was God who defeated Sisera and Jabin. When they opened their mouths, they testified that God is great. It is confessed that when Jehovah moves, ‘the earth shakes and the heavens leak, and the clouds will send water.’ What Deborah and Barak were interested in was praise to God.
*Everyone! Let us learn from Deborah and Barak. Don't I try to show off and brag when I get the chance? It's just the 'Cross I'm proud of'. My pride is only the great love of Jehovah God. My pride is only the walk and work of the Holy Spirit.
Deborah goes on to describe Is's situation when she was called to judge and serve idols. At that time, Is could not go on the main road as she wanted because of foreign enemies, and only walked on the trail (6). It was not easy to buy and sell things, so it was impossible to live.
This is a word that tells of a withdrawn psychological state and a deprived economic situation. It is also said that ‘Gwanwon (Perazoon)’ ceased to exist in Is (7). Perazoun refers primarily to farmers or people living in villages. It describes a time when the name Is existed but had to endure shame and humiliation as if it did not exist.
At that time, God appointed Deborah, not a military hero, but a woman who could be seen as weak, as the leader. By appointing women as leaders, God wanted to show that the fate of Is is not in the individual strength of man.
Also, Deborah never brags about herself. He knows that it is possible only through the power of Jehovah, not through his own strength or ability. Because the leader of Is is only a person who is willing to serve the people, the people should praise the Lord, not his leader.
He also made Deborah become the 'mother of Is' to know in detail what the virtues of leaders should be. A leader should be like a caring, caring, and nurturing mother, not someone who rules, exploits, and dominates.
*The leaders of our nation should pray so that many such leaders can come out.
Deborah tells everyone to make known the LORD, and to recite the righteous works of the LORD everywhere. Deborah encourages them to tell in detail how righteously God ruled Is. This is the natural attitude and mission of those who serve God.
Everyone! Am I making known Jehovah God to people everywhere? What kind of praise can I give to God? I earnestly hope that the fruits of praise to Jehovah will be more abundant in my life and in your lives.
(12) Faith does not begin with ‘what I believe’, but ‘what God has done’. Salvation also begins with ‘what God has done for us’, not ‘what I have done’.
Therefore, the first things that come out of the mouth of those who enter the faith are praise and thanksgiving. After that, reflection on one's life that has been lived in ignoring God's grace follows.
In verse 12, Deborah and Barak, the two men who know the most deeply about God's grace for liberation from the power of Jabin, king of Canaan, are encouraged to sing praises more loudly.
Repeat 'Awake (Ur)' twice to Deborah. 'Ur' is not a word to describe drowsiness or waking from sleep, it means 'get up to act' To Barak, the word ‘rise (Kum)’ is repeated, and ‘Kum’ was used to describe the time when God ‘rised up’ (3:9,15) for the salvation of Is.
Praise means singing the works of God in this way and acting like Him.