SMALL GROUP QUESTIONSSERMON TITLE: Profiles in Leadership: Deborah the Judge

Series Title: Profiles in Leadership #2Preacher: Ron Oldenkamp

Judges 3:31-4:16

August 11, 2019

Sermon Theme/Concept:Deborah, the fourth of Israel’s judges, is a portrait of leadership as courage. Her confidence as a leader is grounded in a deep relationship with the Lord, and enabled by good communication with him. Deborah also models for us the leadership characteristics of good delegation and encouragement, as well as coming alongside those she is leading.

Application: Since God holds us in His hands, we are to be bold and courageous for his kingdom mission work!

Ice Breaker:Besides your mother or your wife (if you are married), whom have you met that you consider to be a courageous woman, someone you admire for her leadership qualities, a role model to follow? Why?

Reflections on the Sermon:Looking back over your notes from the sermon, what aspects of Debora’s leadership stood out to you? What do you think about Barak’s character as Deborah’s commander of her army?

Scripture Passage: Judges 3:31-4:16

Background/Context:Judges may be one of the saddest books of the Bible. We see what happens when society repeatedly does “evil in the eyes of the Lord,” a phrase that appears seven times in the book. The cycle starts with 1) God having saved Israel from an oppressor; 2) the rescued Israelites are relieved, but soon go back to doing what is “evil in the eyes of the Lord”; 3) God allows a foreign power to oppress them again; 4) they cry out to God for help; 5) God raises up a judge from among the Israelites; and, 6) the judge rescues Israel with God’s help. This passage tells the story of Deborah, beginning the cycle in Judges 3:31.

Read this passage as a group:Judges 3:31-4:16 (NIV84)

Shamgar

3 31 After Ehud came Shamgar son of Anath, who struck down six hundred Philistines with an oxgoad. He too saved Israel.

Deborah

4 1 After Ehud died, the Israelites once again did evil in the eyes of the LORD. 2 So the LORD sold them into the hands of Jabin, a king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor. The commander of his army was Sisera, who lived in Harosheth Haggoyim. 3 Because he had nine hundred iron chariots and had cruelly oppressed the Israelites for twenty years, they cried to the LORD for help.

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4 Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, was leading Israel at that time. 5 She held court under the Palm of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites came to her to have their disputes decided. 6 She sent for Barak son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali and said to him, “The LORD, the God of Israel, commands you: ‘Go, take with you ten thousand men of Naphtali and Zebulun and lead the way to Mount Tabor. 7 I will lure Sisera, the commander of Jabin’s army, with his chariots and his troops to the Kishon River and give him into your hands.’ ”

8 Barak said to her, “If you go with me, I will go; but if you don’t go with me, I won’t go.” 9 “Very well,” Deborah said, “I will go with you. But because of the way you are going about

this, the honor will not be yours, for the LORD will hand Sisera over to a woman.” So Deborah went with Barak to Kedesh, 10 where he summoned Zebulun and Naphtali. Ten thousand men followed him, and Deborah also went with him.

11 Now Heber the Kenite had left the other Kenites, the descendants of Hobab, Moses’ brother-in-law, and pitched his tent by the great tree in Zaanannim near Kedesh.

12 When they told Sisera that Barak son of Abinoam had gone up to Mount Tabor, 13 Sisera gathered together his nine hundred iron chariots and all the men with him, from Harosheth Haggoyim to the Kishon River.

14 Then Deborah said to Barak, “Go! This is the day the LORD has given Sisera into your hands. Has not the LORD gone ahead of you?” So Barak went down Mount Tabor, followed by ten thousand men. 15 At Barak’s advance, the LORD routed Sisera and all his chariots and army by the sword, and Sisera abandoned his chariot and fled on foot. 16 But Barak pursued the chariots and army as far as Harosheth Haggoyim. All the troops of Sisera fell by the sword; not a man was left.

Breaking Down the Scripture: 1. Why did God sell the Israelites into the hands of Jabin, a

Canaan king?2. Who was the oppressor? Why did the Israelites cry to the

Lord for help?3. What were Deborah’s four roles as described in verses 4-5?4. Where did Deborah get her plan to rescue Israel?5. Why did Deborah send for Barak when he lived so far away

from where she ruled? See Figure 1.6. Why did Barak want Deborah to go with him? What does

that say about Barak? About Deborah?7. What was Debora’s prophesy in verse 14?8. Who routed Sisera and his army and chariots? How many

troops of Sisera died?

Going Deeper:1. Find the verses in this week’s passage that trace the six-step cycle described in the

Background/Context section above.2. In which verses do you see evidence of Deborah’s role as prophetess? As a leader? As a judge?3. How do you think the Israelites felt about a woman judging and rescuing them?4. Given Deborah’s statement of who would be honored because she was going with Barak, who

would he naturally think would kill Sisera? Who killed Sisera in verse 21? Are you surprised?5. What do you think would have happened if Barak had agreed to fight without Deborah?

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Figure 1 - Battle Site.

6. What was Heber’s role the full story? See verse 17. What does this tell you about God’s ways and His involvement in human activities?

Taking Action:1. Which of Deborah’s leadership qualities might you ask God to further develop in you?2. What person or situation is oppressing you? Have you asked God to rescue you? Is God calling

you to rescue someone you know?3. How do you respond when God rescues you? Have you ever been on the six-step cycle? How did

you break the cycle?

Pray: That the group members would see Deborah as a role model and ask God to shape their

character after hers. That members would recognize a rescuer that God has sent to liberate them from their

oppressive situation. That members would seek and follow wisdom from godly leaders they know, both women and

men, rather than follow the world’s ways.

Other maps shown during the sermon:

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