THE BARAK'S SPIRIT

TEXT: JUDGES 4:8-9

'And Barak said unto her, If thou wilt go with me, then I will go: but if thou wilt not go with me, then I will not go./And she said, I will surely go with thee: notwithstanding the journey that thou takest shall not be for thine honour; for the Lord shall sell Sisera into the hand of a woman. And Deborah arose, and went with Barak to Kedesh.'

The carnal man likes not for the glory or praise due to him, be accorded to another; in every work or duty done by man, he eyes his honour and glory. It is a show of victory over the lower nature, for a man not to eye his praise in holy duties, but the growth of the admiration of God amongst men. It argues an unclean deposit of the fallen nature in a saints to not desire to perform a duty for the benefit of the church simply because the honour would not come to him. Barak cares not who gets the honour in the promised victory against Sisera and his host, provided Israel would be set free from her oppression. This is the spirit of an Israelite indeed: to love Jerusalem above personal glory and honour. To a true Zionite, the peace of the Zion comes before his honour and glory. Brothers, do we seek the glory of the church or our's in all of our holy duties? If we indeed do, who does the work or get the glory would not count with us, but rather, whether the work is done. If we have the mind of Barak, the good of the church would be all that matters to us; he who truly desires to see the church prospers, minds not if he sinks so that the church
emerges, like the branch of the tree did to the submerged axe's head amongst Elisha's disciples. Every man ever used of God to bring His church into a definite experience or certain line of divine understanding, loved the church more than himself. The honour of the Church militant and ecumenical, must be preferred before any thing here on earth, yes, even before our comforts. Works of eternal consequence or benefit, cannot be rewarded with things temporal or sublunary: it is blasphemy to consider earthly things as reward for divine duty. Praise and applause of men are short-lived and must not be looked for as rewards for anything done for eternal purpose.

Brother, in essence I agree in what you are saying but you could have used someone other then Barak.

Barak was a impotent wishy washy man that needed a woman to hold his hand because he was too fearful!

Barak was a impotent wishy washy man that needed a woman to hold his hand because he was too fearful!

Comment:

Barak was exactly the man God could choose and use.

1 Cor. 1:27-29 ”“
but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, so that no man may boast before God……… "Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

Just like Moses:

Ex. 4:10-12 ”“
Then Moses said to the Lord, "Please, Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither recently nor in time past, nor since You have spoken to Your servant; for I am slow of speech and slow of tongue.” The Lord said to him, "Who has made man’s mouth? Or who makes him mute or deaf, or seeing or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now then go, and I, even I, will be with your mouth, and teach you what you are to say.”

2 Cor. 12:9 ”“
And He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.

Barak was a impotent wishy washy man that needed a woman to hold his hand because he was too fearful!

Comment:

Barak was God’s choice.

Rom. 6:20 ”“
On the contrary, who are you, O man, who answers back to God?

Isa. 55:8-9 ”“
"For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord.
"For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways
And My thoughts than your thoughts.”

Rom. 11:33-34 (ISV) ”“
O how deep are God's riches, and wisdom, and knowledge! How unfathomable are his decisions and unexplainable are his ways!
Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has become his adviser?

Barak cares not who gets the honour in the promised victory against Sisera and his host………

Amen. Barak did not care that he would not get the honour.

Barak died to self-glory and God gave the victory, to Him be the glory.

Ps. 115:1
Not to us, O Lord, not to us,
But to Your name give glory
Because of Your lovingkindness, because of Your truth.

Judges 4:14-16 --
Deborah said to Barak, "Arise! For this is the day in which the Lord has given Sisera into your hands; behold, the Lord has gone out before you.” So Barak went down from Mount Tabor with ten thousand men following him. The Lord routed Sisera and all his chariots and all his army with the edge of the sword before Barak; and Sisera alighted from his chariot and fled away on foot. But Barak pursued the chariots and the army as far as Harosheth-hagoyim, and all the army of Sisera fell by the edge of the sword; not even one was left.

Judges 5 --
1 Then Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam sang on that day, saying………
2 "Hear, O kings; give ear, O rulers!
I””to the Lord, I will sing,
I will sing praise to the Lord, the God of Israel………
31 "Thus let all Your enemies perish, O Lord;
But let those who love Him be like the rising of the sun in its might.”
And the land was undisturbed for forty years.

BARAK, AN EXAMPLE OF FAITH

Heb. 11 ”“

1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

2 For by it the men of old gained approval.

6 And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.

32 And what more shall I say? For time will fail me if I tell of Gideon, BARAK, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets, 33 who by faith conquered kingdoms, performed acts of righteousness, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, from weakness were made strong, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight.

NOTE: Highlight in caps.

The message for us:

Heb. 12:1-2:
Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

I agree that Barak is a hero, otherwise he would not be listed in Heb 11 as sister Jade rightly pointed out.

He listened to prophetic guidance, had no problem with God using a women, he had the guts to fight battle against all the odds. After the victory, the prophetic spirit that came over Deborah also came over him and they sung a beautiful poetic duett.

He hung into Deborahs faith rather than going out in personal faith in God. Still, it is a wonderful example how someones (Deborah's) faith can lift up someone elses (Barak's) faith.

He hung into Deborahs faith rather than going out in personal faith in God.

MY VIEW

Judges 4:6-10 ”“
Now she (Deborah) sent and summoned Barak the son of Abinoam from Kedesh-naphtali, and said to him, "Behold, the Lord, the God of Israel, has commanded, ‘Go and march to Mount Tabor, and take with you ten thousand men from the sons of Naphtali and from the sons of Zebulun. I will draw out to you Sisera, the commander of Jabin’s army, with his chariots and his many troops to the river Kishon, and I will give him into your hand.’” Then Barak said to her, "If you will go with me, then I will go; but if you will not go with me, I will not go.” She said, "I will surely go with you; nevertheless, the honor shall not be yours on the journey that you are about to take, for the Lord will sell Sisera into the hands of a woman.” Then Deborah arose and went with Barak to Kedesh. Barak called Zebulun and Naphtali together to Kedesh, and ten thousand men went up with him; Deborah also went up with him.

Comment:

The issue is really Barak’s lack of self-confidence.

Barak had no self-confidence to do what God had commanded so he told Deborah that he would go only if Deborah went with him. He had no faith in himself. So Deborah went with him. Deborah had a position of authority as she was a prophetess and was judging Israel at that time.

It is right to have NO self-confidence. Our confidence should be in God alone.

Judges 4:13-16 ”“
Sisera called together all his chariots, nine hundred iron chariots, and all the people who were with him, from Harosheth-hagoyim to the river Kishon.
Deborah said to Barak, "Arise! For this is the day in which the Lord has given Sisera into your hands; behold, the Lord has gone out before you.”
So Barak went down from Mount Tabor with ten thousand men following him. The Lord routed Sisera and all his chariots and all his army with the edge of the sword before Barak; and Sisera alighted from his chariot and fled away on foot. But Barak pursued the chariots and the army as far as Harosheth-hagoyim, and all the army of Sisera fell by the edge of the sword; not even one was left.

Comment:

Note: "behold, the Lord has gone out before you.”

The situation changed.

Barak no longer looked at self but fixed his gaze on a mighty Saviour. Lack of self-confidence gave way to faith in an all-powerful and faithful God, a faith so commendable he was mentioned in Heb. 11 together with David and Samuel and the prophets.

…………he had the guts to fight battle against all the odds.

Comment:

He didn’t have the guts to fight the battle against all the odds. He saw the Lord before him and trusted in the power and faithfulness of the Lord to fight the battle for him and to be his strength and power and victory.

Still, it is a wonderful example how someones (Deborah's) faith can lift up someone elses (Barak's) faith.

Comment:

The Lord Jesus alone is the author and perfecter of faith (Heb. 12:2).

I do not think that Deborah’s faith lifted Barak’s faith. Then it would be Deborah and not Barak who should be mentioned in Heb. 11.

I would say that Barak’s faith soared when he saw the Lord before him (v.14). Only such a faith merits a mention in Heb. 11. For Heb. 12:2 tells us to fix our eyes on Jesus.

Deborah was not mentioned in Judges 4:14-16 so I would say that she was not there to support Barak in the battle. In that battle the Lord only was Barak’s shield and bulwark. There was no one else to trust but the Lord.