My heart is toward the governors of Israel, that offered themselves willingly among the people. Bless ye the LORD.
My heart is drawn to the leaders of Israel who freely gave themselves among the people, and for that willing leadership joined with the willing self-offering of the people all are called to bless the Lord. Faithful leaders who willingly devote themselves to the work are regarded with divine favor, and a heart that stands with them rightly calls others to praise God for them, as was shown when they went forward toward the battle ready to help when needed. All glory for deliverance belongs to God for His wonderful works, for honor and power belong to Him and not to men or their idols. God uses women in public service to His glory, and a woman openly blessing the Lord and commending willing leaders shows that the command for women to keep silence does not forbid bearing testimony for Christ and proclaiming His truth in womanly Christian ways, so women may take a public part in meetings when done in proper order. This sets the pattern for God's people to offer themselves willingly in holy array in the day of His power, when leaders and believers unite in practical missionary service such as the Harvest Ingathering, which awakens enthusiasm and zeal in every church.
Song Words and Setting
The heart is turned toward the governors of Israel who offered themselves willingly among the people, and with that affection is joined the call to bless the LORD. Willing leadership taking the lead and the people's willing self-offering in response are cause for praise to God. Their concern was shown by going with Deborah toward the battle, ready to help when needed.
The verse stands in Deborah's sublime and impassioned triumphant victory song, sung with Barak. The passage Judges 5:1-13 presents Deborah as prophetess and judge who arose as a mother in Israel. It is one of Israel's own songs, with words and music composed to memorialize a great event in national life and expressing individual and national life, not copied or borrowed from the surrounding nations.
The song celebrates Israel's triumph in faith over Sisera and his iron chariots and his army. It recounts Jael's role in deliverance from Jabin after twenty years of oppression. It recalls the exhibitions of divine power and majesty at Sinai, sets before Israel their helpless and distressed condition under oppression, and retells the history of their deliverance. That deliverance effectually subdued the Canaanites and gave the land forty years peace, yet prosperity did not bring Israel nearer to God.
The song is the earliest poetry of Israel, risen among the Galilean hills when Barak of Naphtali triumphed over the Canaanites. It shows the intellectual vigor and mental freshness and force of the Galilean people. It belongs to the composite record of Judges 3-17 of backsliding from God followed by suffering, oppression, captivity and servitude, then returning to God with forgiveness and deliverance. That record shows the perversity and unbelief of the people amid the moral surroundings and demoralizing influences of the tribes left in the land, and the long-suffering goodness of God in using the best He has, those willing to be used.
Divine Glory and Prophecy
The heart turned toward willing governors is part of a sublime and impassioned song celebrating Israel's triumph over Sisera, in which all glory for deliverance belongs to God. The call to bless the Lord is a call to praise Him for His wonderful works, for honor and power belong to God and not to men or to their idols. Kings and princes of surrounding nations are called to hear what God wrought for Israel and to take warning not to harm them. The song recalls the awful exhibitions of divine power and majesty at Sinai, sets before Israel their helpless and distressed condition under oppression, and retells the history of their deliverance. That deliverance effectually subdued the Canaanites and gave the land peace forty years, yet prosperity did not bring Israel nearer to God.
The song about the battle of Megiddo serves as an object lesson connected with the sixth and seventh plagues. It belongs to the account of Barak's victory over the Canaanites, one of the great victories associated with Megiddo. Megiddo is the Old Testament battlefield where Israel fought the enemies of God's people. The victory of Barak and Deborah recorded in Judges 5 is that through which the Israelites first gained possession of the plain of Jezreel.
Leadership Women and Mission
The heart is turned toward the governors of Israel because they offered themselves willingly among the people, and that willing leadership joined by the people's willing response is cause to bless the Lord. The Lord regards with favor faithful leaders who willingly give themselves to the work, and Deborah's supporting heart calls the people to bless Him for them. Their concern was shown by going with Deborah toward the battle, ready to help when needed.
The verse belongs to the account of Deborah the prophetess who helped Barak, showing that God used women in public service to His glory in Israel. A woman could thus serve publicly in Israel and bear a testimony for God. That a woman publicly blessed the LORD and commended the willing leaders of Israel among the people proves that the command for women to keep silence in the churches does not forbid bearing testimony for Christ, helping in His work, and proclaiming His truth in womanly Christian ways. Women may therefore take a public part in meetings when done in proper order and appearance.
The same willing leadership and willing self-offering sets the pattern for God's people offering themselves willingly in holy array in the day of His power in the Harvest Ingathering for missions. When leaders take the lead and the people offer themselves willingly, Jehovah is to be blessed. This applies to united willing effort in missionary work when conference presidents, committees, union officials, church officers, and visiting ministers and workers join with believers in practical service. Such leadership and willing response arouses enthusiasm and home missionary zeal in every church and isolated company of believers.
My heart is drawn to the leaders of Israel who freely gave themselves among the people, and for that willing leadership joined with the willing self-offering of the people all are called to bless the Lord. Faithful leaders who willingly devote themselves to the work are regarded with divine favor, and a heart that stands with them rightly calls others to praise God for them, as was shown when they went forward toward the battle ready to help when needed. All glory for deliverance belongs to God for His wonderful works, for honor and power belong to Him and not to men or their idols. God uses women in public service to His glory, and a woman openly blessing the Lord and commending willing leaders shows that the command for women to keep silence does not forbid bearing testimony for Christ and proclaiming His truth in womanly Christian ways, so women may take a public part in meetings when done in proper order. This sets the pattern for God's people to offer themselves willingly in holy array in the day of His power, when leaders and believers unite in practical missionary service such as the Harvest Ingathering, which awakens enthusiasm and zeal in every church.
Song Words and Setting
The heart is turned toward the governors of Israel who offered themselves willingly among the people, and with that affection is joined the call to bless the LORD. Willing leadership taking the lead and the people's willing self-offering in response are cause for praise to God. Their concern was shown by going with Deborah toward the battle, ready to help when needed.
The verse stands in Deborah's sublime and impassioned triumphant victory song, sung with Barak. The passage Judges 5:1-13 presents Deborah as prophetess and judge who arose as a mother in Israel. It is one of Israel's own songs, with words and music composed to memorialize a great event in national life and expressing individual and national life, not copied or borrowed from the surrounding nations.
The song celebrates Israel's triumph in faith over Sisera and his iron chariots and his army. It recounts Jael's role in deliverance from Jabin after twenty years of oppression. It recalls the exhibitions of divine power and majesty at Sinai, sets before Israel their helpless and distressed condition under oppression, and retells the history of their deliverance. That deliverance effectually subdued the Canaanites and gave the land forty years peace, yet prosperity did not bring Israel nearer to God.
The song is the earliest poetry of Israel, risen among the Galilean hills when Barak of Naphtali triumphed over the Canaanites. It shows the intellectual vigor and mental freshness and force of the Galilean people. It belongs to the composite record of Judges 3-17 of backsliding from God followed by suffering, oppression, captivity and servitude, then returning to God with forgiveness and deliverance. That record shows the perversity and unbelief of the people amid the moral surroundings and demoralizing influences of the tribes left in the land, and the long-suffering goodness of God in using the best He has, those willing to be used.
Divine Glory and Prophecy
The heart turned toward willing governors is part of a sublime and impassioned song celebrating Israel's triumph over Sisera, in which all glory for deliverance belongs to God. The call to bless the Lord is a call to praise Him for His wonderful works, for honor and power belong to God and not to men or to their idols. Kings and princes of surrounding nations are called to hear what God wrought for Israel and to take warning not to harm them. The song recalls the awful exhibitions of divine power and majesty at Sinai, sets before Israel their helpless and distressed condition under oppression, and retells the history of their deliverance. That deliverance effectually subdued the Canaanites and gave the land peace forty years, yet prosperity did not bring Israel nearer to God.
The song about the battle of Megiddo serves as an object lesson connected with the sixth and seventh plagues. It belongs to the account of Barak's victory over the Canaanites, one of the great victories associated with Megiddo. Megiddo is the Old Testament battlefield where Israel fought the enemies of God's people. The victory of Barak and Deborah recorded in Judges 5 is that through which the Israelites first gained possession of the plain of Jezreel.
Leadership Women and Mission
The heart is turned toward the governors of Israel because they offered themselves willingly among the people, and that willing leadership joined by the people's willing response is cause to bless the Lord. The Lord regards with favor faithful leaders who willingly give themselves to the work, and Deborah's supporting heart calls the people to bless Him for them. Their concern was shown by going with Deborah toward the battle, ready to help when needed.
The verse belongs to the account of Deborah the prophetess who helped Barak, showing that God used women in public service to His glory in Israel. A woman could thus serve publicly in Israel and bear a testimony for God. That a woman publicly blessed the LORD and commended the willing leaders of Israel among the people proves that the command for women to keep silence in the churches does not forbid bearing testimony for Christ, helping in His work, and proclaiming His truth in womanly Christian ways. Women may therefore take a public part in meetings when done in proper order and appearance.
The same willing leadership and willing self-offering sets the pattern for God's people offering themselves willingly in holy array in the day of His power in the Harvest Ingathering for missions. When leaders take the lead and the people offer themselves willingly, Jehovah is to be blessed. This applies to united willing effort in missionary work when conference presidents, committees, union officials, church officers, and visiting ministers and workers join with believers in practical service. Such leadership and willing response arouses enthusiasm and home missionary zeal in every church and isolated company of believers.