Judges 5:12 - "Awake to Glorify God"

Judges 5:12

"Awake, awake, Deborah: awake, awake, utter a song: arise, Barak, and lead thy captivity captive, thou son of Abinoam."

This portion of God's inspired Word lifts our thoughts above the historical victory of Deborah and Barak to behold the sovereign workings of God’s Grace in Christ. The call to awake and arise is not a summons to human strength, but a testimony to the God Who quickens whom He will and Who alone stirs His people to praise and obedience. As Deborah sings of deliverance freely wrought by the LORD, we are reminded that every true awakening—whether of heart, voice, or service—is the fruit of His Sovereign Mercy and Grace in Christ Jesus. And as Barak is commanded to “lead thy captivity captive,” we see a shadow of Him Who would come to conquer sin, death, and the powers of darkness, and Who would lead "captivity captive" for the everlasting good of His redeemed.

Oh! How we need to reflect on the triumphs of the LORD Jesus in the salvation of His people, accomplished not by human might, but by Him as the Captain of our salvation (Hebrews 2:10). There is but one reason to live, and that is to glorify God. What is it to truly glorify God? It does take a Spiritual awakening. Whenever something is mentioned once in Scripture it is important, but when you see it repeated four times, it is vital. “Awake, awake, Deborah. Awake, awake, utter a song.”

Wakefulness to glorify God is a command. This is not, “if you will, Deborah, if you will just turn your talents over to Me.” God does not stand wringing His hands, softly begging men to let Him use their talents. The word here functions like a reveille in a military camp—a bugle, a trumpet call that rouses soldiers from sleep and sends them into action. When that reveille sounds, it is not a suggestion but a summons. The whole scene depicts an army that the LORD Himself raises and sends forth. In the end, it was not the personal strength of Deborah or Barak that obtained the victory; rather, it was the LORD Who defeated the enemy. The LORD fought from heaven. "They fought from heaven; the stars in their courses fought against Sisera. The river of Kishon swept them away, that ancient river” (Judges 5:20–21).

So this wakefulness is a command, but with the command comes the strength. When the LORD said to the man with the withered hand, “Stretch forth thine hand,” or when He cried, “Lazarus, come forth,” the command itself carried the Power. It was, “Awake, Lazarus.” In the same way, “Awake, awake, Deborah… arise, Barak,” is the LORD’s doing. He will cause His own to hear this call. If He does not awaken, we would sleep the sleep of death and wake up in eternal condemnation. Yet even our wanderings and falls do not take God by surprise. Like Jonah arriving at Nineveh not one minute too soon or too late, so everything that transpires, His hand is directing it all, tenderly leading His own to His Son, the LORD Jesus Christ.

Wakefulness to glorify God is also the work of God’s Spirit. “I sleep, but my heart waketh: it is the voice of my beloved that knocketh” (Song of Solomon 5:2). There is a propensity we all have to sleep, yet my heart waketh, where there is life. The spouse is sluggish and comfortable, “I have put off my coat; how shall I put it on? I have washed my feet; how shall I defile them?” (Song of Solomon 5:3). Yet the Beloved puts in His hand, and her bowels are moved for Him. Where there is life, there is response. She rises, she seeks Him, and under the accusations and smiting of men she answers only by setting forth her Beloved: “He is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend” (Song of Solomon 5:16). That is what we awake to—Christ altogether lovely, Christ all our Righteousness, all our Forgiveness, all our Glory, all our Affection.

Our LORD explains this awakening in His own words: “For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will” (John 5:21). “He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life… is passed from death unto life” (John 5:24). The hearing and believing prove that life is already given. That is why Deborah awoke to this charge, as well as Barak. “The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live” (John 5:25). It is not Christ going about pleading for decisions. The Father has given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as the Father has given Him (John 17:2). When the hour comes, His Word is effectual to awaken His own.

Finally, wakefulness to glorify God is essential because it is bound up with Christ leading captivity captive. Barak is a type of the LORD Jesus Christ, the Captain of the salvation of His people. “But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death… that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man. For… in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings” (Hebrews 2:9–10). He goes forth as the Representative, conquering on behalf of Israel, leading many sons to glory. “And you, being dead in your sins… hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us… nailing it to his cross; and having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it” (Colossians 2:13–15). That is “lead thy captivity captive” in its fullness. At the cross every enemy that held His people was spoiled; every sin was nailed there; every ordinance that condemned was taken out of the way. “Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men” (Ephesians 4:8). Psalm 68 had already sung it: “Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive: thou hast received gifts for men; yea, for the rebellious also, that the LORD God might dwell among them” (Psalm 68:18).

So when the trumpet sounds, “Awake, awake, Deborah… arise, Barak, and lead thy captivity captive,” it is Christ Himself in view—the One Who has tasted death, spoiled principalities and powers, ascended on high, and now, by His Spirit, awakens His people to utter a song and to march beneath the banner of the cross, counting all things but loss for His glory.