FHBC Sermon Notes

Picking up in verse two of Judges chapter 5.
After the overview and verse 1 last week we continue this week.  What we are seeing here a demonstration and a foreshadowing of the cross in this fashion.  God is the complete the victor. He has won over every foe.  As my son Elias always is asking? "Are the good guys winning?"  And the answer here is a resounding YES! In this passage this is a description of the military victory, but then it is also a foreshadowing of the final victory at the cross.

V. 1-3 - Bless the Lord, give Him Praise. God is the subject and theme of all our worship. What will glorify Him, that is our only question.  v. 2 In light of the fact that the leaders took the lead, and the people offered themselves willingly bless the Lord! Bless him because we obeyed essentially. When we obey God we are placing ourselves under his authority. We are saying HE is RIGHT.  This is a picture of what Paul calls the "living sacrifice".  God be praised!

Note the question of audience here. There are three audiences: 1) God himself, 2) The people of Israel and 3) the kings and princes (those that have been conquered), in a sense the world.

V. 4-5 God is greater than Baal.  God is the one whom all creation recognizes and fears. The mountains quake, the earth trembles, the heavens dropped, the clouds dropped water. God is the one who sends the rains. This is all light of the Canaanite gods, who were mostly weather gods. This is a direct stab at that. Particularly in light of the way this victory happened.

All of creation bows before God, with one exception for the moment. That exception is mankind. We have rejected him and pursued our own ways. We will be brought to account in time. The exception in this age is the children of God, whom the Spirit has convicted, and whom Christ has saved from our own desires by taking our punishment, and dying condemned crucified in our place.

That is what chapters and 4 and 5 are about. Israel had made themselves Canaanites, but God is pursuing them to return them to himself. It is a love story in which God is running after his adulterous wife. He does this for his glory. To demonstrate his character. A character that brings us joy always.

Amen!