In Judges 5, Deborah and Barak sing a song composed by Deborah. It recounts the victory God gave Israel, under their leadership, over their Canaanite enemies. God had told Deborah to enlist Barak as the commander of Israel’s army. God said He would defeat the Canaanites. All of Israel was to join in the fight and take part in the great victory. It would be a privilege to engage in the battle, knowing they were doing the work of the Lord. 

There were twelve tribes in Israel. Some responded to the summons of Deborah and Barak (v 12). These included Ephraim, Benjamin, Manasseh, and Zebulun. Some, perhaps the leaders of the tribe, also came from Issachar (vv 14-15). These Israelites all took part in the victory God gave His people. They saw God perform miracles (vv 20-21). 

However, other tribes did not heed the call to engage in the battle. Reuben, Gad, part of Manasseh, Dan, and Asher stayed home (vv 15-17). Dan, for example, stayed with his ships. This might mean that the Danites were more interested in making money in the fishing industry than in obeying the Lord. These tribes missed out on the blessings God gave His faithful people. 

The song gives an example of the blessings that followed obedience and the cursing that followed disobedience. A curse is pronounced on the city of Meroz because its inhabitants were part of those who disobeyed (v 23). Jael, a woman who killed the Canaanite commander, is called blessed (v 24). 

The song ends with another blessing on those who obey the Lord. Deborah wrote, “Let those who love Him be like the sun when it comes out in full strength” (v 31). Deborah may have had blessings in this life in mind. The obedient in Israel were blessed. But I cannot help but think of how the book of Daniel ends. He says that those who are faithful to the Lord will “shine like the brightness of the firmament” in the coming kingdom of God (Dan 12:2). 

We can learn two important lessons from the history of Israel recorded in Judges 5. One is that God rewards faithfulness. When His people obey Him, they will see Him do marvelous things. He will reward them in this life and the one to come. 

But another lesson is the importance of unity among God’s people. The period of the judges was a sad time in Israel’s history. One demonstration of the darkness of the times is that the nation of Israel did not come together to fight a common enemy. Some, like Dan, were focused on material wealth. Some were afraid. Some did not think God would do what He promised to do. 

The Lord desires His people to be unified today. The Church is a body. It is to function as a body. As believers, we have the privilege of seeing Him work through the Church. We are called to serve Him together. But we can sit on the sidelines, often for the same reasons some of the tribes did not fight in the days of Deborah. 

If we do, it is not only sad; we will miss out on the rewards God gives to His people who love Him.