The Song of Deborah – The Battle -Judges 5:19-23

“Kings came, they fought; the king of Canaan fought at Taanach by the waters of Megiddo, but they carried off no silver, no plunder.

From the heavens the stars fought, from their courses they bough against Sisera.

The river Kishon swept them away, the age-old river, the river Kishon. March on, my soul; be strong! Then thunder of horses’ hoofs-galloping, galloping go his mighty steeds.

‘Curse Meroz,’ said the angel of the Lord. ‘Curse its people bitterly, because they did not come to help the Lord, to help the Lord against the mighty.”

1. The Interpreter’s Bible, Volume II, Abingdon-Cokesbury Press, New York, text note Judges 5:3-31, (5) the battle (vv.19-23)

Deborah – 10 Key Points for Bible Study 06/28/2014

From our lesson of Deborah (Judges 4-5), here are some important points. The points do not directly answer the questions on pages 63-66 of the text, but may help you in our discussion at the Saturday Bible Study 06/28/2014.

1. The Judges were God’s chosen to lead the Israelites during the period from the death of Joshua to the establishment of the monarchy starting with King Saul.(2, page 323)

2. Judges not only held court of mediation(Judges 4:5), but they were also God’s moral conscience and military leadership in a land inhabited by multiple nations (Judges 3:12-15; 4:1-3, 6-7).

3. Deborah was a prophetess and Judge (Judges 4:4) known for her faithfulness in following God (Judges 4:4) and her charismatic leadership of Israel (1, page 712).

4. Deborah held court to settle disputes in the hill country of Ephraim (Judges 4:5).

5. The Israelites did evil in God’s sight and were punished through captivity by Jabin, a king of Canaan. The commander of the Canaanite army was Sisera with nine hundred chariots. After twenty years of captivity and oppression the Israelites cried to the Lord for liberation (Judges 4:1-3).

6. Following God’s instructions, Deborah sent for Barak to carry out a plan she had for the defeat of Sisera’s troops at the Kishon River (Judges 4:6-7).

7. Barak refused to go to war without Deborah, and she consented (Judges 4:8-10).

8. Despite Heber the Kenite’s warning to Sisera (Judges 4:11-13), the Lord provided a victory for Deborah and Barak (Judges 4:14-16) by flooding the Kishon River and eliminating the effectiveness of the chariots (Judges 5:20-21).

9. Sisera, in fleeing on foot (Judges 4:17) upon the total annihilation of his army (Judges 4:16), took refuge in the tent of Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite. Jael offered Sisera sanctuary through drink and a hiding place (4:18-20)., but as soon as he fell asleep she drove a tent-peg through him temple killing him (4:21-22).

10. Deborah and Barak sang praises to the Lord for Him giving them the victory (Judges 5).

1. The Interpreter’s Bible, Volume II, Abingdon-Cokesbury Press, New York.

2. The NIV Study Bible, Zondervan, 1995.

3. Jean E Syswerda, Women of the Bible, Zondervan, 1999.

Women of the Bible, Deborah – June 28, 2014

Deborah is our sixth study in our series from Women of the Bible, 52 Bible Studies for Individuals and Groups by Jean E Syswerda. The study of Deborah is found on page 63. The Bible Study small group will be held on June 28, 2014, 4:00-6:00 p.m.

If you have not received your books for the study, please see Glenda. Remember that all materials are free as they are gifts to you from students participating in Homewords Small Group Bible Study Ministry.

For information contact Glenda at 727-542-4683 .

The Song of Miriam – Exodus 15:19-21

When Pharaoh’s horses, chariots and horsemen went into the sea, the Lord brought the waters of the sea back over them, but the Israelites walked through on dry ground. Then Miriam the prophetess, Aaron’s sister, took a tambourine in her hand, and all the women followed her, with tambourines and dancing. Miriam sang to them:

“Sing to the Lord,

for he is highly exalted.

The horse and the rider

he has hurled into the sea”

Miriam – 10 Key Points for Bible Study 06/21/2014

From our lesson of Miriam (Exodus 2:1-10; 15:20-21; Numbers 12:1-15), here are some important points. The points do not directly answer the questions on pages 55-58 of the text, but may help you in our discussion at the Saturday Bible Study 06/21/2014.

1. The birth mother of Mirian was Jochebed, her Father was Amram. Miriam’s brothers were Aaron and Moses (Exodus 6:20)(Numbers 26:59).

2. Upon Moses’ birth, Jochebed hid him for three months then put him into a floating basket among the reeds of the Nile River. (Exodus 2:1-4). Miriam, Moses’ sister, kept watch to see what would happen to him (Exodus 2:5).

3. When Pharaoh’s daughter found the baby and observed he was Hebrew (Exodus 2:5-6), Miriam offered to find a Hebrew woman to take care of the baby (Exodus 2:7).

4. Mariam went back to Jochebed and brought her to Pharaoh’s Daughter who arranged for the care of the baby until the child grew older (Exodus 2:8-9).

5. After the Israelites crossed the Red Sea and the Pharaoh’s army drowned (Exodus 13:18; 14:29-31), Miriam led the Israelite women in dancing and she sang Praises to the Lord (Exodus 15:19-21).

6. Miriam is considered a prophetess, as she was one through which God spoke His word, to the Israelites (Exodus 15:20; Numbers 12:2).

7. Miriam conspired with Aaron to oppose Moses, due to his choosing a Cushite wife (Numbers 12:1) and exhibited jealousy toward Moses when God gave His prophetic Spirit to the seventy elders (Numbers 12:2).

8. God expressed His anger toward Miriam and Aaron (Numbers 12:5-8).

9. Miriam was struck with leprosy as a punishment for her actions and Aaron asked Moses to ask God for mercy to cure her and not do the same to him (Numbers 12: 5-15).

10. God, in proclaiming His judgment of captivity on the people of Samaria and Judah, used the example of His goodness by pointing out He sent Mariam as one of the of the chosen to lead the Israelites out of Egypt (Micah 6:4).

1. The NIV Study Bible, Zondervan, 1995.

2. Jean E Syswerda, Women of the Bible, Zondervan, 1999.

Women of the Bible, Miriam – June 21, 2014

Miriam is our fifth study in our series from Women of the Bible, 52 Bible Studies for Individuals and Groups by Jean E Syswerda. The study of Miriam is found on page 55. The Bible Study Small Group will be held on June 21, 2014, 4:00-6:00 p.m.

For information contact Glenda at 727-542-4683 .

The Mothers of Moses: Jochebed and Pharaoh’s Daughter – 10 Key Points for Bible Study 06/07/2014

From our lesson of The Mothers of Moses: Jochebed and Pharaoh’s Daughter, (Exodus 2:1-10; Hebrews 11:23), here are some important points. The points do not directly answer the questions on pages 53-54 of the text, but may help you in our discussion at the Saturday Bible Study 06/07/2014.

1. The birth mother of Moses was Jochebed, his Father was Amram. Moses’ brother was Aaron (Exodus 6:20) and their sister (Exodus 2:4) was Miriam (Exodus 15:20).

2. The name for Pharaoh’s Daughter is not given in Scripture. The NIV Study Bible footnote for Exodus 2:5 identifies her as “Perhaps the famous 18th-dynasty princess who later became Queen Hatshepsut”(1), and Josephus in Book II, chapter IV,#5 identifies her as Thermuthis (3). For this lesson we’ll stick with name not known.

3. The new king declared that there were too many Israelites in Egypt (Exodus 1:8-10), so he oppressed them with forced labor (Exodus 1:11) and gave orders for every Israelite boy born to the thrown into the Nile (Exodus 1:22).

4. The number of Israelites had grown from 70 (Genesis 46:26-27)(Genesis 46:8-25) to 600,000 men (Exodus 12:37). The count of seventy in Genesis didn’t include the mothers of Jacob’s sons. The count in Exodus didn’t include the women and children.

5. Upon the birth of a son, Jochebed hid him for three months then put him into a floating basket among the reeds of the Nile river. (Exodus 2:1-4)

6. Mariam, the boy’s sister, kept watch to see what would happen to him (Exodus 2:5).

7. Pharaoh’s daughter found the baby and observed he was Hebrew (Exodus 2:5-6).

8. The sister (Miriam) offered to find a Hebrew woman to take care of the baby (Exodus 2:7).

9. Mariam got Jochebed and brought her to Pharaoh’s Daughter who arranged for the care of the baby until the child grew older (Exodus 2:8-9). When he was old enough, the boy was returned to Pharaoh’s daughter and she named him Moses (Exodus 2:10).

10. In the New Testament, the writer of Hebrews gives examples of faith by using Moses’ parents putting him into the basket on the Nile river (Hebrews 11:23) and much of his life (Hebrews 22:24-29). Also, Luke uses the story of Stephen’s defense to the Sanhedrin, which was centered around constant rejection of Moses, as an example of the rejection and crucifixion of Jesus Christ ( Acts 7:1-53).

1. The NIV Study Bible, Zondervan, 1995.

2. Jean E Syswerda, Women of the Bible, Zondervan, 1999.

3. Whiston, William (translator), The Works of Josephus, Hendrickson Publishers, Peabody, MA, 1985

The Mothers of Moses: Jochebed and Pharaoh’s Daughter – June 7, 2014

The Mothers of Moses: Jochebed and Pharaoh’s Daughter is our fourth study in our series from Women of the Bible, 52 Bible Studies for Individuals and Groups by Jean E Syswerda. The study of The Mothers of Moses: Jochebed and Pharaoh’s Daughter is found on page 50. The Bible Study Small Group will be held on June 7, 2014, 4:00-6:00 p.m.

For information contact Glenda at 727-542-4683 .