 Again, the title of our sermon is the Workman's Hammer. We're in part two, Judges Chapter 4. It's a joy to be back in the Book of Judges. Last Lord's Day, we began our exposition of Judges Chapter 4, and the account of Deborah, Barak, and Ja'el, the one that we're calling the Workman's Hammer from Judges Chapter 4. The Lord had given the nation of Israel, now peace under Ehud the judge, if you remember that account from Chapter 3, and Moab subdued under the hand of Israel, under Ehud the judge, and the land had peace for 80 years. However, in Chapter 4, verse 1 now when Ehud was dead, the Bible says the children of Israel again did evil on the side of the Lord. As we began to unpack this passage last week, we look first at the first of four headings, namely point one, the need of the people, the need of the people, and we talked about how that word again, in Chapter 4, verse 1, just leaps off the page at us, the people of Israel, the children of Israel again did evil on the side of the Lord. And we see once more that when the external restraint of the judge is removed, the people then revert back to their sin in rebellion, right? You remove the external restraint, and the people are right back into their sin. And in that condition, we see the utter hopelessness of man to make any real, lasting, thorough, moral reformation. Just not going to happen apart from God's Spirit. It's not going to happen apart from a mighty work of God in the heart of the sinner. We are, as the theologians would say, totally depraved. Every aspect, every faculty corrupted through sin, and it is hopeless to overcome that condition apart from a work of God. The fallen heart is inextricably enslaved to sin. That's the testimony of Scripture. The fallen heart enslaved to sin. So there can be no lasting heart holiness, no real heart holiness, apart from a sovereign and saving work of God. The real bondage then, if you think about that, the real bondage that the Israelites are in, the real oppression that they're under is not really merely an oppression under the Moabites, or in this case, the oppression of Jaban King of Canaan. The real bondage that the Israelites are in is oppression to their sin, is enslavement to their sin, is this repetitive pattern that continues to play out on the pages of judges dealing with their sin and rebellion against God. Their sin and rebellion continues to place them under the righteous wrath and judgment of God. All the nations are in his hands. They're like dust on the scales. So if the Lord wanted to wipe out the Moabites or wipe out the Canaanites in a moment, he could certainly do that. The Lord is using them, it's the tip of the spear so to speak, in his judgment against the sin of Israel. The law of God is not able to produce the heart transformation that we need. We see the law of God represented under the rule of the judge as the judge is raised up, the judge is governing Israel, enforcing the law you could say, applying the law to the people, but when that external strain is removed, they go right back to their sin. External restraints, the law of God cannot produce internal heart holiness. We don't need a mere moral transformation, we need a heart transformation, we need a new heart. And what the law, what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending another judge? No, by sending his own son in the likeness of sinful flesh on account of sin. So after the rescue then that the Lord provides under ehood and after the rest that the Israelites enjoyed under the judge, we see the people once again relapse in the sin and rebellion, which is as promised, now followed by retribution, that rescue, that rest, followed by relapse, followed by retribution, God's retributive justice. Look at verse two. So then, the Lord sold them into the hand of Jabin, king of Canaan who reigned in Hazor. Jabin, the word Jabin likely an imperial title or a dynastic title like Pharaoh, or like Caesar, right? There were many Jabens. And if you've read through the book of Joshua, this title may be one that you remember if you read through there, you might have remembered hearing this before. Turn back with me to Joshua chapter 11, just a few pages to the left. Joshua chapter 11. And listen to this from Joshua chapter 11, beginning in verse one. It's interesting, we've run into Jabin, the king of the Canaanites before. Joshua 11 verse one. I came to pass when Jabin, king of Hazor, same name, same title, that imperial or dynastic title, and the same location, Hazor. Came to pass when Jabin, king of Hazor heard these things, that he sent to Jobab, king of Madan, to the king of Shimran, to the king of Akshvah, and to the kings who were from the north in the mountains in the plain south of Chinaroth, in the lowland and in the heights of Dor on the west, to the Canaanites in the east and in the west, the Amorite, the Hittite, the Parasite, the Jebusite in the mountains, and the Hivite below Hermon in the land of Mizpah. And so they went out, they and all their armies with them, as many people as the sand that is on the seashore in multitude with very many horses and chariots. And when all these kings had met together, they came and camped together at the waters of Merim to fight against Israel. Boy it's a who's who of Canaanite or Israelite enemies. They're all gathered together and they're gathered together under Jabin. Jabin's topping the list, king of Hazor, the king over the Canaanites. What happens here to the army and what happens to Jabin from Canaan? Look down at verse 10. So Joshua at verse 10 turned back at that time and he took Hazor and he struck its king, that's King Jabin, right? He struck its king with the sword for Hazor was formerly the head of all those kingdoms and they struck all the people who were in it at the edge of the sword, utterly destroying them. There was none left breathing and then he burned Hazor with fire. So all the cities of those kings and all their kings, Joshua took and struck with the edge of the sword. He utterly destroyed them as Moses, the servant of the Lord had commanded. But as for the cities that stood on their mounds, Israel burned none of them except Hazor only, which Joshua burned. And all the spoil of these cities and the livestock, the children of Israel took his booty for themselves, but they struck every man with the edge of the sword until they had destroyed them and they left none breathing. As the Lord had commanded Moses, his servant, so Moses commanded Joshua and so Joshua did. He left nothing undone of all that the Lord had commanded Moses. Now Joshua, faithful in his day, faithful to the command of Moses, faithful to the command of God to put the Canaanites under the band. And that's exactly what we see in Joshua chapter 11. So what do we see then, considering that now, Joshua had victory over Jabin, king of the Canaanites, king of Hazor. He burned Hazor to the ground and cast out. Not one was left breathing. What do we see then when we go back to Judges chapter four? What is this that we encounter here back in Judges chapter four? So what we see here is the fruit of this new generation's failure to obey God. We see the fruit of their failure. The tragedy they bring on themselves is due their neglect of those things which God has commanded. They neglect duties commanded by God and now they're faced with the same enemy all over again. The Israelites, if you remember, after Joshua takes the land in conquest, that first, that emancipation generation or the inheritance generation goes into the land of Canaan and they take the land under conquest. But as Judges reminds us, they fail to drive out all the Canaanites. And after failing to drive out the Canaanites, the Canaanites then it appears from Judges chapter four, regroup, they rebuild the city, they put another Jabin in place. It's like plug and play in Canaan, right? They put another Jabin in place and now they become the means then that God uses to punish Israel for her sins. It's a tragic, a tragic story, especially of such a great victory under Joshua to now come into Judges chapter four and to fight this enemy all over again to be put under such harsh oppression under the enemy that was driven out at one time. Now not only are the Canaanites back under Jabin, but the Canaanites are stronger than they've ever been. There's been a tremendous strengthening to this army as we'll see. You can think about this, Cancha, on a personal level, right on a personal level. We see this tragedy play out in the history of the nation. What about you or I on a personal level? You go to battle against that sin. You make an effort to set up fences and to cut off influences and as the Lord Jesus Christ would ask us to do, a pluck out your eye and to cut off your hand. Anything that causes you to sin, you labor, you strive against that sin. The diligence, praying, working against it. And it's like the Lord says, the demon leaves the heart of that one. That one sweeps it clean, clears it out. A demon looking for a place to live comes back with seven of his buddies, finds the place swept out and clean. And the last state of that one is worse than the first. We have to ensure that nothing gets in through the eye gate, that nothing gets in through the ear gate that would bring that tragedy back upon us. We have to run every last Canaanite sin out of our hearts and minds and give no quarter to the enemy. We have to fight and keep fighting and make sure that that enemy is dead and buried, right? Otherwise it can come back stronger than before. If we presume upon God or if we assume, we become presumptuous in our battle with sin and we think to ourselves, no, I can entertain that or I can entertain that or I'm okay in this area over here and we don't take action to ensure that that area is shored up, that we're fighting strong and that can be a chink in the armor that the enemy uses to take hold again. Here the Canaanites are back, they're back stronger than before. The commander of this army, Jabin's army, was Cicera. And Cicera dwelt in Harisheth Hagoyim. Look at verse three. The Lord has sold them into the hand of Jabin of Canaan who reigned in Hazor. And in verse three, the children of Israel then cried out to the Lord. This is a horrible circumstance that they're in. Causes them great misery. Children of Israel cried out to the Lord for Jabin had 900 chariots of iron and for 20 years he had harshly oppressed the children of Israel. I want you to notice a couple of things about verse three. Joshua had swept the place clean so to speak, right? In Joshua chapter 11. And now that demon, Canaanite, has returned. He brings with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself in the state of Israel is worse now than at the first. Canaanites don't merely regroup in verse three. The Canaanites are stronger than they've ever been. And if you think about it with me, iron chariots would have been like the Blitzkrieg tanks of Germany in World War II, right, this new advanced technology. They mowed over anything in their path, armies couldn't stand before iron chariots and iron chariots would have just decimated any army that stood before them. And Jabin had 900 of them, 900 iron chariots. Israel you could say was under an iron fist. Israel was under a rod of iron, this wicked grip of this wicked king. And apart from it, it shows it highlights in verse three really what's necessary. What's necessary is going to be a miraculous deliverance. No matter what the Israelites would have done for themselves, they couldn't have conquered Jabin king of Canaan, not with 900 chariots, right? Apart from a miraculous deliverance, this text highlights just how hopeless the condition was of the people. We find that in our own lives. Apart from a miraculous intervention of Almighty God in grace and in mercy, we are hopeless against our own sin. We see that pattern repeated in the nation of Israel through the book of the judges, right? Time and time and time again, they're right back to their sin, they're right back to the rebellion. What do they need? They need God providing a full and final deliverance. They need a change of heart, they need a transformation, they need the spirit of God to make them a new in Christ. Here they need a miraculous deliverance. They are hopeless without it, 900 iron chariots. And notice now, this is the first time that Israel's oppression has been described as harsh. Harsh, the word is host cut, refers to violent force, refers to violence, speaks to intensity. Their harsh oppression was intense, exceedingly intense. There's an indication of this intensity in chapter five. Look at chapter five, the song of Deborah. Look down at verse 28. This is their song of celebration. And Deborah, Berek, was singing this song. And look at what she sings in verse 28. The mother of Cicera, a Cicera is the leader of Jabin's army, we know that Cicera in this account is killed by Giel. The mother of Cicera, she's looking through the window, so to speak, she's crying out through the lattice. Why is this chariot so long and coming? Why tarries the clatter of his chariots? Her wisest ladies answered her. Yes, she answered herself. Are they not finding and dividing the spoil to every man, a girl or two? I think with me there, the word for girl or the word there for maiden is rahem. It means womb. To every man, a womb or two. This was an insult. It was a pejorative that the Canaanites used against Israelite women. This is what they thought of Israelite women. No doubt, Deborah sees a bit of talionic justice in the fact that Cicera is dead at the hands of a woman by this point. But notice the men were dividing the spoil, a womb or two, for every man. It's a speaking here of the rape of the Canaanites. The Canaanites raping Israelite women, the spoils of war. They were pillaging, plundering, raping Israelite women. This is the kind of harsh treatment, exceedingly violent, exceedingly intense, harsh treatment that the Israelites were under when under Jabin King of Canaan and the Canaanites. This is the kind of treatment they suffered, right? And they were under this horrible oppression for 20 years, 20 years. Now notice the pattern, 20 years in verse three. Chapter three, verse eight, they served Kushan, Rishithaim for eight years. In chapter three, verse 14, they then served Eglon King of Moab, 18 years. And now in chapter four, verse three, they're harshly oppressed by Jabin for 20 years. What do we see in the pattern? The pattern is increasing, isn't it? It's getting more and more harsh. God's judgment ramping up with the people of Israel reverting back now each time the judge dies as in chapter two, verse 19, reverting, behaving even more corruptly than their fathers. With their behavior, their conduct ramping up, we also see the Lord ramping up his judgments against them. Isn't that as the Lord often does? He ramps up his judgment against them. The chastisements against them are increased. It says though, if you think about it with me, it says though the Israelites are lulled into a false sense of security under the judge. They somehow think that they're in peace. They're under a false sense of peace, a false sense of safety during the rest that the judge gives to the people. And then when the judge dies, that restraint is removed. They foolishly return to their wallowing in the mire, right, as a dog returns to his vomit. They increasingly, after the judge dies, they increasingly stiffen their necks against God. And what does God do? God increasingly turns up the heat. You know, we may believe that we're at peace in the midst of our sin. If you find yourself in an unrepentant pattern of sin, you haven't dealt with that thing, the way that the Lord would have you deal with it. You haven't dealt with it in faithfulness. You haven't cut off and plucked out. You haven't done what is necessary to close the ear gate and to close the eye gate. You haven't taken decisive action against it, as Hebrews says. You haven't strived against that sin to the point of bloodshed. You've not done that. Not only is it liable to be the case, that having somewhat swept clean, that you're going to be overrun by that thing even more seriously than at first, but it's also likely that you'll face the increasing chastisements of God against your sin. God increasingly here turns up the heat. We may think at a time of peace, we may think in a time of arrest where things aren't bad, right? Things are going okay. And we sort of lull ourselves into a sense of security in this sin. And we're not actively engaged in fighting against it. We may think that no harm's gonna come to us. Everything's okay, right? Everything's okay. That false prophet of a heart in your chest seduces you like the false prophets of Israel, prophesying peace, peace. When there is no peace, says the Lord God. You may enjoy a time of rest in your sin. You may enjoy a period of peace in your rebellion. It's what caused Jeremiah to cry out to God. Why does the way of the wicked prosper? It caused Jeremiah to cry out, why does the way of the wicked prosper? If you remember, it causes the psalmist to cry out. Psalm 73, why do the wicked seem to prosper? They're not prospering. Why are those happy who deal so treacherously? Jeremiah asks, we cannot make the foolish error, the foolish mistake of confusing God's forbearance with tolerance. We can't make the mistake of thinking that because God is patient, God is tolerant. Don't confuse his patience with safety. We have to mortify the flesh, mortify that sin. The Puritan, Richard Rogers, commenting on this passage said this. He said, when all things seem quiet and peaceable to us, and when we think that we are safe on every side so that no hurt can befall us, yet if the Lord has a controversy with us, he doth in marvelous manner raise up some great trouble against us. That's a polite way of saying the Lord has controversy with us when he's got to deal with us according to our sin. When the Lord has to deal with us according to our neglect, when he has to deal with us according to our lack of will to fight against that sin, the Lord will raise up some great trouble against us. He says, yay, and that is it, we're out of the very sparks of our former afflictions which were thought to have been quenched long ago and he brings forth a fire and a flame as it were to burn and to consume us. Concerning the day of the Lord, Paul tells the Thessalonians that when many say peace and safety, sudden destruction comes upon them. If you remember that text in 1 Thessalonians chapter five, many say peace and safety and then sudden destruction comes upon them as labor pains upon a pregnant woman and they shall not escape. There's a sense in which God's justice is magnified in the way in which the peaceful, proud or the unholy bold are cast down in a moment. There's a way in which God's justice is exalted, his justice is magnified. It's seen as coming like a flood up on the wicked. There's a sense in which his justice is glorified in the way that the peaceful, proud, the peaceful wicked, the restful sinner is cast down in a moment. They say peace and safety and then sudden destruction comes upon them. They shall not escape. They lay down their head to sleep, believing themselves to be safe on every side. They have a nice glass of warm milk and cover up and in bed and then God's uncompromising justice delivers a tent peg through their skull in a moment if you are continuing an unrepentant sin, if you've not turned from sin to trust Christ alone, then your undoing may come in a moment. You may think to yourself, peace and safety all around. While you continue to harbor this sin, don't think for a moment that you are at peace until you're found in Christ. God's judgment can come in a moment. Paul says that those of us in Christ should watch and be sober. That's the admonition to the Christian, right? That's the work of the Christian, watch and be sober. Paul says, putting on the breastplate of faith and love and putting on the helmet of the hope of salvation, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, the helmet of the hope of salvation. Well, the children of Israel here are under the judgment of God in Judges chapter four. That particular judgment happens to have a name. Its name is Jabin, King of Canaan. And so the children of Israel, verse three, then cry out to the Lord for deliverance. They pray and the Lord gracious and merciful, again gracious and merciful with the children of Israel, he hears their prayer. He's attentive to their prayer while the nations would trust in iron chariots, the Israelites, the people of God trust in the Lord their God, right? And so what does God do then? He raises up a hero. Now in point one, we consider the need of the people. Look with me at point two on your notes and let's now consider the command of the Lord. The command of the Lord, point two, verse four. Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth was judging Israel at that time. Now as we'll see in the text, Deborah's a strong leader. Deborah is a faithful leader. She's a woman of great faith. And what do we find her doing in Israel in verse four? This is interesting. Deborah is essentially sitting in the seat of Moses as it were. She, Deborah, the prophetess is judging Israel. Verse five, she would sit under the palm tree of Deborah judging between Rama and Bethel and the mountains of Ephraim. And the children of Israel came up to her for judgment. But Deborah was such an important figure, they named a palm tree after her. This is the palm tree of Deborah. It's a nice palm tree, I'm sure. She was sitting under the palm tree and the people sitting essentially in the seat of Moses judging the people, the people would come up to her for judgment. The Deborah, we can see from verses four and five clearly described as a faithful leader. Someone God uses mightily. Now, not taking anything away from Deborah. Deborah is a faithful, Godly woman judging Israel. But this is amazing that Deborah is sitting in the seat of Moses judging Israel. To say the least, the Israelites, 3,500 years ago, the Israelites would not have been too accustomed to women in positions of leadership. Now that may insult modern day sensibilities and we're happy to do that. We're gonna stick to the Bible in what we think and believe. But about 3,500 years ago is way too early for I am woman, hear me roar, right? That wasn't taking place back then. There's an old saying that Jewish men would wake up each day and pray. They'd pray this, bless our God for not making me a gentile, a slave or a woman. So here we have a very extraordinary circumstance. There's a woman described as a prophetess judging Israel. That's an amazing fact from Judges chapter four. Now, to set the context for that. Keep that thought in your mind. To set the context for that. The Bible gives us some contrast in chapter four. Enter stage left, Baruch verse six. So then Deborah sent and called for Baruch, the son of Abinolim from Kedesh in Naftali. Now, there seems to be a great effort on the part of many commentators to protect the reputation of Baruch here in Judges chapter four. But there are some obvious challenges with that effort to protect Baruch's reputation here. Now first, notice that it's Deborah sitting in the seat judging Israel and not Baruch. They're not sitting under the palm tree of Baruch. They're sitting under the palm tree of Deborah. Notice second that Deborah then repeats a command of God that obviously Baruch has heard before. And it seems to be a command that Baruch should have already acted upon. Look at verse six. So Deborah sent and called for Baruch, the son of Abinolim from Kedesh in Naftali and said to him, has not the Lord God of Israel commanded? In other words, hasn't he already commanded you, Baruch? Go and deploy troops at Mount Tabor. Take with you 10,000 men, the sons of Naftali and the sons of Zebulun. And against you, I will deploy Cicera, the commander of Jabin's army with his chariots and his multitude of the river Kishan and I will deliver him into your hand. That command has already gone out to Baruch and here we find it's not been done, right? It's not been done. But third now, notice how Baruch answers Deborah, verse eight. So Baruch then says to her, if you will go with me, then I will go. But if you will not go with me, I will not go. And there's no way around it. That sounds a little faithless, doesn't it? Here's the word of God. Baruch should have said, amen, God, praise you for delivering him into our hands. We'll go right now. But that's not what he did. That's not what he did. Baruch delays obedience to the Lord's command and then Baruch declines leadership. Deborah will only go if you go with us. Baruch is unwilling to carry it out unless he has some reassurance from Deborah here. Now, granted, he's going up against 900 chariots, iron chariots, but what are iron chariots to God? Has it not already been established that God can wipe them out in a moment? He destroys the entire army of Pharaoh burying them in the Red Sea, right? He tears down the walls of Jericho. Listen, these folks have story after story after story from their history of the mighty victory of God. And what does Baruch do here? Baruch doubts. Thousands of them are his dust on the scales. So then, Baruch is rebuked for his unbelief. Look at verse nine. So Deborah said, verse nine, I'll surely go with you. She's a faithful woman, right? A faithful leader. I'll surely go with you. Nevertheless, there will be no glory for you in the journey you are taking for the Lord will sell Cicera into the hand of a woman. This is scandalous. It's astonishing. Far more unusual than Ehud, right? The assassin, the left-handed assassin, far more scandalous, far more unusual than Shamgar, the Gentile, the unusual instrument and the usual way that God delivered his people. Here, the Lord is going to sell the Lord's enemies into the hand of a woman. Baruch appears to be doubting, right? Baruch appears to be faithless. He appears to be indecisive, weak, fearful. Ultimately, the Lord rebukes him through the testimony of Deborah, a woman who is judging Israel. But one of the reasons that Baruch is defended against some well-deserved critique in the book of Judges is because Baruch is mentioned somewhere else in the Bible. Where else is Baruch mentioned? That Baruch is found in the Hall of Faith in Hebrews 11. That's interesting, isn't it? It's not Deborah that's found in the Hall of Faith. It's not Gael that's found in the Hall of Faith. You have other women that are found in the Hall of Faith. The author of Hebrews in chapter 11, verse 32 says this, and what more shall I say? I'm wearing the Hall of Faith, talking about the great exploits of men and women who put their faith and trust in the one true and living God. What more shall I say for the time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Baruch, Samson, and Jephthah? Now think about that company that Baruch is into. Gideon was fearful. Samson was morally compromised. Jephthah's judgment is highly questionable. And then here's Baruch, right? What more shall I say for the time will fail to tell of Gideon and Baruch and Samson and Jephthah also of David and Samuel and the prophets? Who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens, women received their dead, raised the life again. Not Deborah, not Gile, Baruch. Notice there are other women there. Rahab is there. Now you go back a few verses and Sarah is there, doubting Sarah is there. And here we find Baruch. What you find in the Hall of Faith is that it's not necessarily great faith on display in the Hall. In that interesting, it's not necessarily great faith that's on display in the Hall, but rather a great God who does great things through sometimes weak faith and even failing faith. In other words, God is the champion of the Hall of Faith, right? God is the champion of Israel at the time of the judges. It's not gonna be Baruch. In its sense, it's not gonna be Deborah. And what does the Lord do to demonstrate his great victory? He gives the Israelites victory at the hand of Jael, a woman, the wife of Hebra the Kenite in her tent, giving Cicera a little milk to drink, lie down, rest your head, right? It's amazing. God is the champion of the Hall of Faith. Now what's going on here in Judges 4 between Baruch and Deborah? Baruch is a picture. Baruch is an example, he's an illustration of the continued decline of the nation of Israel. Baruch becomes a testimony as it were. No matter how this might offend modern misplaced sensibilities, the reason that God raises up Deborah as a prophetess and the reason that God raises up Jael as the true hero of the story is because strong and faithful men in the nation of Israel were nowhere to be found. Now in contrast with the way in which God has ordinarily chosen to lead his people, direct his people through strong and faithful male leadership, male headship, in the absence of faithful male leadership, God raises up strong and faithful women in rebuke. Do you see? I think that's what's going on in Judges 4 here with Baruch. Now there are examples of strong and faithful women all over the pages of scripture, right? All over the pages of scripture, examples of godly women. It has nothing to do whatsoever with a value in the eyes of God. Nothing to do with value has everything to do with what God has said should be, right? God has appointed male leadership in the home. God has appointed male leadership in the nation of Israel at this time. God has appointed male leadership in the church. Paul says in 1 Corinthians chapter 11, verse three, but I want you to know that the head of every man is Christ, the head of woman is man and the head of Christ is God. That can't be said any clear and you can't argue the text, right? However, in the void or in the vacuum left behind in the absence of faithful godly men, the Lord will raise up faithful women. The Lord may raise up faithful women to judge as he did with Deborah or, or in the absence of faithful men in the vacuum left behind by a failure of men to take responsibility for leadership as they should faithless, unbelieving, unscrupulous women will seize power. It's one of the two, right? Think of the dominating Jezebel. Think of the dominating murderous queen of Israel, Athaliah or think of the irrational or domineering rule of a woman in the home when the man doesn't take responsibility for leading as he should. Think of the heartbroken, godly, faithful woman when the man fails to lead as he should in his home. Think of the heartbreak. What a godly, faithful woman desires is godly, faithful leadership, headship as the Lord has designed. The Lord has wired us that way. He has instructed us that way. He calls men, he calls you to take responsibility for your household. He calls you to take responsibility for leadership in your home. He calls you to take responsibility for the spiritual well-being of your home, the spiritual temperature in your home, right? Often when a man fails to lead in the home, it puts the woman in the position of having to bear the load of leadership. And this will cause great grief in the heart of a faithful, godly woman. You've seen faithful, godly women just wither over time under the failure of a godless, leaderless husband when men fail to take responsibility for leadership in the church. Women will assume those roles. When you see women in positions of leadership in the church, just like in Israel, it's an indication that there is something wrong. There's a problem, very wrong. Men, you must take responsibility. Men, you must lead in faith. Leadership, it's a practical, applicable task that's been laid in your lap. You are to lead. You are to serve him in faith. You're to serve him trusting his word. You are to lead faithfully in the godly way, no matter how many chariots or kings this world would bring against you. You're to take responsibility and serve the Lord in faith. Here, it's just an example, one example of what it looks like when that failure takes place. And we see it, don't we? As a part of the decline of Israel, as Israel continues to revert back, behaving more corruptly than their fathers before them, we see God turning up the heat on his retributive justice, giving them more and more severe chastisements for their sin. And we see a further and further decline in the moral and spiritual well-being of the nation. It's a downward spiral, and this is yet one more indication of it. We wanna honor the Lord in our homes, don't we men? Ladies, don't we? We wanna honor the Lord in our church to be faithful. Has nothing to do, right? Has nothing to do with value. Men and women equal on the side of God in that respect. There is neither male nor female, slave nor free, barbarians, hippies and slave are free, right? We have equal value in the eyes of God. Has everything to do with the way that God has said that things should be done, everything to do with the way that God blesses leadership in the home, leadership in the church, and we're to be faithful in that endeavor. They're up against a, what would to them be an unbeatable foe, but the Lord is gonna have his victory. And we're gonna see that next week. All praise, honor and glory to the one who fights our battles for us, amen? Let's pray. Father in heaven, what we thank you, we praise you, and you are the one who goes before us. Lord, help us to trust in you. Help us not to look at the iron chariots of this world arrayed against us. And help us just in faith, obey your word. Help us to be faithful and obeying your word in our home. Help us to be faithful to obeying your word in our church. No matter what the world says, or no matter the ignorance of the wise in this world, no matter what our culture would want to impose, help us Lord, just to be faithful to you, just to be faithful to your word and help us to trust you alone in it, knowing Lord that your ways are right and true and good, and you will bless faithfulness. Help us Lord, strengthen us to that end. Help us to see it clearly. Help us not to be weak and doubting and fearful, but help us to be bold in our Lord and to subdue kingdoms as it were by faith and trust in you, the champion of faith. We praise you and thank you for these many blessings Lord. Thank you for your faithful leadership in Jesus' name we pray, amen.