Victory By Design - Dr. Anita Phillips

Summary

Podcast Summary: "Victory By Design" — Dr. Anita Phillips

ONE | A Potter's House Church
Date: November 24, 2025
Speaker: Dr. Anita Phillips

---

Episode Overview

This episode features Dr. Anita Phillips delivering a powerful message titled “Victory By Design.” Anchored in the biblical story of Deborah from Judges 4 and 5, the teaching explores how God brings about victory in unconventional ways, the importance of seeking His strategies over relying on conventional strength, and the lessons we can draw from Deborah’s and Jael’s unique roles as women of courage and obedience. Dr. Phillips examines how victory comes not simply by might, but by alignment with God's word, His timing, and the willingness to share both glory and responsibility.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Context: Judges, Kings, Prophets, and the Uniqueness of Deborah

• Background of Judges:
  • Judges were temporary, God-appointed deliverers before Israel demanded kings (03:26).
  • There are 12 judges, symbolizing divine government (06:15).
• Leadership Design:
  • God never intended centralized monarchy; He desired to rule as their King through chosen human leaders (03:29).
  • “Sometimes God will give you what you asked for.” (03:26)
• Deborah’s Unmatched Authority:
  • Only judge who was also a prophet and military leader: triune authority—spiritual, judicial, and military (07:02).
  • Only judge with no recorded moral failure (07:23).
  • Led victory via strategy, not direct combat (07:55).
  • Mobilized various tribes and shared power (08:05).
  • Only judge commemorated with a song of victory (08:21).

2. Deborah’s Strategy & the Power of Obedience

• Oppression and the Call for Help:
  • Israel endured 20 years of harsh rule before finally crying out (09:32).
  • “Please don’t wait so long… Call God soon.” (09:38, 09:48)
• Deborah’s Judging Location:
  • Sat under a palm tree, symbolizing flexibility, strength, clarity, deep roots, wide perspective, and adaptability (11:19).
  • “She had a mind that worked well in a hard season... but didn’t become hardened.” (11:36)
• Command to Barak:
  • Barak (military leader) is summoned and instructed based on God’s word (13:15).
  • He insists Deborah comes with him, valuing God’s voice above military might (13:15–13:52).
  • “If you will go with me, then I will go.” (13:16)

3. The Value of God’s Word Over Weapons

• Preparation for Battle:
  • Israel had no weapons; their only resource was God’s word (13:54).
  • “If I have the word of the Lord, I have the only weapon that I need.” (13:52)
• Fighting from ‘High Ground’:
  • God instructs them to fight from Mount Tabor—a physically and spiritually elevated place (16:08).
  • “Fight from where God said to fight… not your strong place.” (16:13)
  • High ground symbolizes forgiveness, peace, love, and heart posture—standing above anger and fear (16:46–17:41).
  • “When they go low, we go high. High ground is forgiveness.” (16:46)

4. God’s Timing & Trust in His Strategy

• Going in God’s Timing:
  • They only moved when God gave the word; moving too soon or from the wrong posture would have been disastrous (18:48).
  • Clarity comes from spiritual “high ground,” which allows receptiveness to God’s swift instruction (18:51).
• Divine Intervention – The Storm:
  • God sends a sudden storm, causing Sisera’s iron chariots to be stuck in mud. Israel, previously unarmed, overran them with their own reclaimed weapons (19:01–21:12).
  • “If God gives you a word and no weapons... God must be about to show up and do some fighting himself.” (19:44)
  • “A clean heart, a pure heart is high ground for you. It will keep you out of the flood.” (20:13)

5. Finishing the Battle: Jael’s Unexpected Role

• The Incomplete Victory:
  • Deborah challenges them not to leave the root cause untouched; Sisera (the general) escapes (22:18).
  • “Do not have an incomplete victory... You gotta go all the way and get the thing that started this.” (22:18, 22:30)
• Jael’s Triumph:
  • Sisera seeks refuge with Jael, wife of a traitor; she lulls Sisera to sleep and kills him, fulfilling Deborah’s prophecy (24:02–25:51).
  • “You can still be a warrior in your soft girl era.” (25:34)
  • “He ain’t getting out of here from me.” (27:13)
• God Uses the Unexpected:
  • Although the prophecy referenced a woman, it was Jael, not Deborah, who delivered the final blow, challenging assumptions (28:04–28:53).
  • “Sometimes God sends an unexpected person to have His will worked out.” (28:11)
• Holding God’s Word With Absolute Value:
  • Don’t force your own interpretation of the promise—it’s God’s absolute value, not your version (29:04–29:38).

6. Living on High Ground & Spiritual Takeaways

• Jael’s High Ground:
  • Despite her circumstances (living with a betrayer), Jael did not let her environment corrupt her heart (30:03).
  • “Don’t let any circumstance or relationship get you off of high ground.” (30:03)
• Summary of Victory By Design:
  • When you have no weapons, rely on four things: a word, a where, a when, and the willingness to trust that God will use unexpected solutions for victory (30:50–31:21).
  • “God’s strategy will get you going, but rigid execution of His word will be your win.” (31:39)

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On discerning God’s voice:
  “As you mature in your walk with the Lord, you will be able to discern better and better the distinction between His voice and yours.” (04:45)
• On leadership and humility:
  “She is the only judge with no recorded moral failure. Deborah never forgot to walk righteously before God.” (07:23)
• On partnership:
  “Barak said to her, ‘If you will go with me, then I will go...’ When God speaks a word, do not go without that word with you.” (13:16–13:20)
• On seeking high ground:
  “When you have a word and no weapon, go to high ground, check your heart...” (17:26)
• On fighting God’s way:
  “They needed to be flexible at that time and hear God.” (11:36)
• On unexpected deliverance:
  “She went softly to him and drove the peg in his temple... Baby, you might not be able to get away from the people that ain't doing right, but you better keep doing right.” (25:34–26:15)
• On executing God’s plan:
  “God’s strategy will get you going, but rigid execution of His word will be your win.” (31:39)
• On humility and non-ownership of victory:
  “Let us remember that we are not, we are not in charge of this. Help us to lay down our main character energy. You are the main character.” (34:25)

---

Important Timestamps & Segments

• Deborah’s Introduction and Uniqueness: 06:35–08:49
• Barak Relies on Deborah’s Presence: 13:15–13:52
• Significance of the Palm Tree: 11:19–11:53
• Preparation for Battle, Importance of High Ground: 16:08–17:50
• God’s Storm/Turning the Battle: 19:01–21:12
• Sisera’s Escape and Jael’s Role: 22:18–25:51
• On Unexpected Victory, Interpreting Prophecy: 28:04–29:38
• Spiritual Application & Prayer: 32:07–36:53

---

Conclusion & Application

Dr. Anita Phillips uses Deborah’s story as both inspiration and instruction, emphasizing that true victory comes by design—God’s design, not human might. She reminds listeners to:

• Seek God’s word over worldly weapons
• Be flexible and rooted, like the palm tree
• Obey God’s timing and location—fight from “high ground”
• Accept that God may use unexpected people and means
• Value humility, sharing glory, and focusing on God’s main story, not our own

Through Deborah and Jael, Dr. Phillips calls the community to win battles God’s way—by trusting His word, His timing, and yielding to His strategy, even when it doesn’t fit human expectations.

---

Recommended for: Anyone facing adversity, leaders seeking godly strategy, and those learning to discern God’s voice and methods for breakthrough.

Transcript

[A]

Foreign.

[B]

Hey, good people, this is Torre Roberts. Blessings to you and welcome to the ONE Podcast. I'm excited that you're here. ONE is a community of dynamic and vibrant thought leaders, preachers, teachers, and just a community of wonderful people all together. And we're excited to bring you this weekly podcast from our services from One in la. If you haven't been to one, I encourage you to check it out. You can go to one the Word one O N E online and find out all about the service times and all about the teachers and all the philanthropic things that we have going. I believe you're going to be blessed to be a part of it. And speaking of being blessed, we're getting ready to get into a teaching right now that I believe is going to bless you. So tune in, enjoy, and I'll be back with you at the end.

[A]

Any winners in the house? I'm a winner. Glory to God. I'm gonna read a few scriptures and I'm gonna let you sit down. Judges, chapter five, verse six. I will do my once and for all disclaimer for all mispronounced names and tribes, because there are a lot in this message.

[C]

Amen.

[A]

I can be excellent and not perfect. So can you. Hey, you can go home now.

[D]

Right there.

[C]

Jesus.

[A]

Judges, chapter 5, verses 6. In the days of Shamgar, son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the highways were deserted and the travelers walked along byways. Village life ceased.

[C]

It ceased in Israel.

[A]

Until I, Deborah, arose, arose a mother. In Israel, they choose new gods. Then there was war in the gates. Not a shield or spear was seen among 40,000 in Israel. My heart is with the rulers of Israel who offered themselves willingly with the people. Bless the Lord. And I'm going to skip down to verse 31.

[D]

Thus let all your enemies perish, O.

[A]

Lord, but let those who love him.

[C]

Be like the sun when it comes.

[A]

Out in full strength.

[C]

So the land had rest for 40 years.

[A]

May the Lord add a blessing to the reading of his Word. Amen. Grab your seats. We we're talking about a judge today. Some of you have heard of the Book of Judges. A judge was a unique leader in Israel. It was God's original plan for how his chosen people would be led. God did not originally intend and never intended for Israel to have a king. Kings can be problematic. God knew it. So his original decree was no kings. Because kings get out of hand. One person struggles to carry that much power. They were kings, led generations, and they were a centralized power source. That was not God's original plan. But the children of Israel saw other nations had kings, and so they was.

[D]

Like, well, we want a king too.

[A]

And sometimes God will give you what you asked for. But anyway, that's another message. And so a king was a permanent ruler who will govern a nation generation after generation. They didn't have kings originally.

[D]

They did have prophets.

[A]

A prophet is someone who hears God clearly and speaks God's words to the people. They do that by revelation, and they have to be bold in delivering what God said. It is an incredibly weighty and terrifying office. When God first began to use me.

[C]

In that vein, I used to pray God, if I said anything that wasn't you, forgive me. And wipe it from their memory.

[D]

Because to say to someone God said.

[C]

Is a big deal, and I don't.

[A]

Want to hurt anybody. Some of you need to be careful. Some of you know when God has spoken to, you know, without a shadow of a doubt. But. But sometimes you rush to that and then you'll be hanging on to a God said that.

[D]

He ain't say, so be careful. I'm not saying don't believe he spoke to you.

[A]

And I'm not saying jump off the word. The first chance is hard, but be careful that as you mature in your walk with the Lord, you will be able to discern better and better the distinction between his voice and yours.

[C]

Jesus. That's not the message either.

[A]

So there were kings and there were prophets and there were military leaders, those.

[D]

Who went out and led the battles into war. We had those people.

[A]

But God ordained judges originally to lead Israel. A judge was a temporary deliverer. God called the judge into position when Israel was in trouble and needed guidance that he felt was best taken care of through a human form.

[D]

The goal was to have Judges, but.

[A]

He was our king, ruling over generations forever and ever. Not a human dynasty, but Judges were called to intervene when Israel was in trouble. Now in the Book of Judges, we see Israel doing well, and then they start chasing after other gods and they start acting up and they forget who they are, and they forget who God is. Then they get in trouble, and then God will bring a judge to deliver them. And then they would have a period of peace. And after 40 years or 60 years, they start acting up again, get back in trouble. God would send a judge. He never didn't send them deliverance. And in the Book of Judges, there are traditionally in the book of judges, 12 judges.

[D]

What is 12?

[A]

The number of divine government. 12 is a divine government number. There were 12 disciples. We see the number 12 in the heavenlies. 12 is a number of divine government. So there were 12 judges. And today we're going to talk about one of those 12 judges and the battle she won, the victory that she won.

[C]

And her name is Deborah.

[D]

Deborah was a bad.

[C]

Judge.

[A]

So few people have really gotten into.

[C]

The depths of Deborah's story other than.

[A]

To say she was the only woman judge. That there was a woman judge. That is not what made her so amazing. In all the judges, this is what made her extra amazing.

[D]

She was the only judge who was.

[A]

Also a prophet and a military leader. She had spiritual authority, she had the judicial authority, and she had military authority. No other judge was also a prophet.

[D]

So she's functioning in a triune gift.

[A]

She was multi hyphenate.

[D]

Like so many of us. She had all these gifts to balance.

[A]

But she used them for the glory of God. She is the only judge with no recorded moral failure. Deborah never forgot to walk righteously before God. Every other judge blew it. And we spent a lot of time.

[D]

Looking at the kings too.

[A]

David, we make the story about, oh well, he wasn't perfect and Solomon, but here is a leader in Israel who.

[D]

Never had a moral failure.

[A]

Deborah.

[D]

Deborah was the only judge who delivered victory through strategy, not combat.

[A]

And we're about to get into that.

[D]

She was the only judge who shared.

[A]

Power in military command. She didn't make it all about herself. She was the only judge who successfully mobilized multiple different tribes of Israel to work together.

[C]

And she's the only judge memorialized with a song in the book of Judges.

[A]

The entire chapter of Judges from fifth chapter of Judges is a song of.

[C]

Worship for the victory that God got through her leadership.

[A]

She was the baddest judge of them all.

[C]

And she was a mother in Israel.

[A]

Let's get into her story so we can see how we too can get.

[C]

Victory by the design of God.

[A]

When Judges 4, verse 1, when Ehud was dead, Ehud was a previous judge. The children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the Lord. So the Lord sold them into the hand of Jabin, king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor. The commander of his army was Sisera, who dwelt in good Lord Harosheth, Hagoyim. And the 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. Now stop here because this is important for us to remember. Because the children of Israel were in trouble for 20 years before they finally.

[C]

Said help to God, please don't wait so long.

[D]

Yes.

[A]

You got yourself in this position. Yes. Some of these consequences are from something you did. But that doesn't mean you need to stay there trying to figure out how to get out of it for yourself.

[D]

Call God soon.

[A]

So when they finally called, he sent Deborah, this prophetess. Now here's something that else that's really important. The Israelites had been oppressed so long by Jabin's armies and the head of his army and Sisera, that they had no weapons. Israel didn't have any weapons. So even if they wanted to fight, what was they gonna do? Verse 4. Now, Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappadoth, was judging Israel at the time. And he doesn't mean judging like you in trouble and you in trouble. No, she was a judicial head. She mediated, she gave instructions, she solved problems, she governed. Now, Deborah was a prophetess, the wife of Lapdoth was judging Israel at the time. And she would sit under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the mountains of Ephraim, and the children of Israel came up to her for judgment. She is the only judge that sat in a specific place. And the children of Israel came to where she was. She was underneath a palm tree. That matters. Trees are very significant in Scripture. Every time God places a character under a tree, that tree can teach us something. We are called to be trees, trees planted by rivers of living water. The neurons in our brain are little trees. So it also speaks to how we think. She is sitting under a palm tree. Palm trees are flexible but strong. They can bend without breaking.

[D]

They adapt to what needs to be done without changing their source or who they are.

[A]

They don't break. There's no branching on a palm tree.

[D]

It goes straight up. Clarity, focus.

[A]

I'm not thinking about it this way. Then think about it that way and.

[D]

Then think about it that way, straight up.

[A]

There's a clarity, a focus in that palm tree. They are incredibly productive in dry places. So she had a mind that worked well in a hard season. It worked well in hard seasons, but it didn't become hardened.

[C]

That flexibility.

[A]

And they have a very wide root network. Palm trees are straight up, smaller heads, but their roots run very wide. And so she's able to apply wisdom by thinking about things widely. The palm tree was really important. She needed to be flexible at that time and to hear God. Let's go back to the chapter, verse 6. Then she sent and called for Barak, the son of Abinuam from Kadesh in Naphtali, and said to him, has not the Lord God of Israel commanded, go and deploy troops at Mount Tabor. Take with you 10,000 men of the sons of Naphtali and of the sons of Zebulun. And against you I will deploy Sisera. He is the commander of Jabin's army with his chariots and his multitude at the river Kishon. And I will deliver him into your hand. She said, this is what God has said. So now I just told you they've been oppressed for 20 years. They have no weapons of their own. And it says she's telling them to take 10,000 soldiers and go out to Mount Tabor, because there they are going to be confronted by Sisera and 900 iron chariots. And God said, he will deliver them into Israel's hand. Barak said to her, he didn't say, this sounds crazy.

[D]

He just said, if you will go.

[A]

With me, then I will go.

[D]

But if you will not go with me, I will not go. When God speaks a word, do not go without that word with you. He said, oh, no, no, no. You are giving us the voice of God. The voice must travel. And so he didn't get big like.

[A]

Well, I'm in charge of the military. I'm going to go be the man. I'm going to go out here and make it happen.

[D]

He said, if you go with us.

[A]

I might get in trouble out there. I'm going to face an army with weapons, and I don't have any.

[D]

But if I have the word of.

[A]

The Lord, I have the only weapon that I need.

[D]

So he lays down ego. He is wise. He said, I will go if you go with me. Now Deborah stayed under that tree. She did not generally move, but she.

[A]

Agreed because she knew he was using wisdom. So in verse nine says, so she said, I will surely go with you. Nevertheless, there will be no glory for.

[C]

You in the journey you are taking.

[A]

For the Lord will sell Sisera into.

[C]

The hand of a woman.

[A]

Then Deborah arose and went with Barak to Kadesh.

[C]

Will you do it if nobody ever sees it?

[A]

Will you do it if nobody ever knows it?

[D]

Will you do it when nobody's looking? Will you walk as God called you to walk, where nobody is seeing you, nobody is praising you? When the victory might come out and you weren't included, your name wasn't on the memorial list and your picture wasn't in the paper. Will you do what God said to do? What if the guidance that you have, God commands you to share it with someone else, and they go and go forth? But if God told you to give it Then give it. Will you do it for his glory, not mine? Will you let God bring you through.

[A]

Something and not have to tell every detail all the time just to show.

[D]

Off about what he did for you? Will you go glory free?

[A]

I have to believe there was a reason she said this to him, that.

[D]

Maybe somewhere in there, Barack had a.

[A]

Little thing and she wanted to let.

[D]

Him know, yeah, I'll go with you. But not to back you up so.

[A]

You can show off, I will go with you.

[D]

And God's gonna get the glory, and he's gonna deliver all of this into.

[C]

The hands of a woman.

[A]

A woman.

[C]

A vulnerable place, a place where power.

[A]

Is assumed to not reside.

[C]

Will you let God move in that space?

[A]

Oh, my God. Verse 10. And Barak called Zebulon and Naphtali to Kadesh, and he went up with 10,000 men under his command. And Deborah went up with him. The fact that they went to Mount.

[C]

Tabor is the next point I want.

[A]

You to have go and deploy at Mount Tabor. You must fight the battle from the.

[C]

Place God said fight it from.

[A]

You must fight from where God said fight. We tend to fight from our strong place, but fight from where he said to fight. Mount Tabor was in highly elevated position, and that is the land that they went to. This is a translation God told me today. To your heart.

[C]

Where on the ground are you standing?

[A]

The soil of your heart. They went to high ground. When you don't have a weapon and you have a word from the Lord.

[D]

You must fight from high ground.

[A]

Honey, they say when they go low, we go high. High ground is forgiveness. Oh, yeah.

[D]

Peace is on high ground. Love is on high ground. Long suffering is on high ground. You don't get to run out of there and use your own force to try to fight. You try to fight from your anger, but what if you fought from your peace, you try to fight from your wrath. But what if you fought from your joy because you feel like there's power there?

[A]

Because when you think about love and.

[D]

Peace, it doesn't feel. And so it's hard for you to.

[A]

Imagine fighting from that posture.

[D]

But Here you have 10,000 men without.

[A]

A single weapon on their way to.

[C]

High ground to fight. When you have a word and no weapon, go to high ground, Check your heart, because your anger will burn loud and burn out, and you will find.

[A]

Yourself still facing an enemy you cannot defeat. But to stand on the high ground, it puts you in the winning position.

[C]

See, the 900 chariots were down in the valley.

[A]

They were a distance away from the children of Israel. So them being on high ground meant they were above them. It also means they could look down and see. And we can get a little nervous when we see how bad things look. 900 iron chariots plus a full artillery of weapons. And they up there looking down, little bit like the children of Israel at.

[C]

The edge of the Red Sea.

[A]

I got nowhere to go, no way to defend myself, and here come a whole army of people. But what happens? They not only went to where God said to fight, but they went when he said. She said, upon this day, do not.

[C]

Move until he tells you when you.

[A]

Got no weapons, but you do have a word.

[C]

Go to high ground, get your heart right, and do not move until the moment he tells you to move. And that's why you have to be.

[A]

In a high ground state, because it's hard for me to hear a quick.

[C]

Direction like go now.

[A]

When I'm all frustrated and upset and all the noise is in my emotional space.

[C]

Your heart's gotta be your high ground.

[A]

And so they go up on God's timing and they look down in the valley. So here's what happens now. You have to read chapter five to see this. But in chapter four, it simply says that God routed that army. He routed the army, which means he threw them into a complete panic and confusion. And he did it by sending a storm into the valley. In chapter five, it explains that all of a sudden, out of nowhere, a storm comes up and completely rains down on this arm. And so now the wheels of their chariots are stuck in the mud.

[D]

So they are watching what was coming.

[A]

To take them out. Get stuck in the mud by a storm that God sent.

[D]

If God gives you a word and no weapons, and you're standing on high ground, God must be about to show.

[A]

Up and do some fighting himself.

[D]

I wish you would stop looking at how dangerous it is. I wish you would stop letting the enemy take away your confidence. Hebrews says, do not cast away your confidence. Confidence. I'mma watch until God moves for me. God sent a storm out of nowhere.

[A]

Oh, but if they had been down in the valley, they'd have been caught in it too.

[D]

Oh, see, that's why you don't fight.

[A]

From where they fight. A clean heart, a pure heart is.

[D]

High ground for you. It will keep you out of the flood. It will keep you out of the mud. It will keep you from being mistaken for and destroyed with the enemy.

[C]

He sent a storm into the valley.

[A]

And that storm threw them into such a panic that the children of Israel were able to run down there, snatch.

[D]

Their swords from them that they had dropped, lost, got out of hand, and started whooping them with their weapons. Israel is out here with not a sword. Can you imagine being in the army?

[A]

And then the leader says, come on.

[D]

We all going to war.

[A]

And you like no sword, no shield?

[D]

No, we have nothing.

[A]

Because when you've been living in enemy territory for 20 years, the first thing he's going to do is strip you of your weapons. And the last thing he's going to do is let you have them back. Don't bring your strength to where the enemy is.

[C]

He will strip you.

[A]

And he sends them up there. And now they are able to snatch the weapons of the enemy and to fight the enemy with their own weapons. They turned the situation back on them. And so Barak is out here, and them men are slaying everybody.

[C]

But Sisera, the leader of the army, got away.

[A]

And so he goes off running. Now this is the good part. Oh, my goodness. Let's go to judges 4:17. You got your parts, your weapon. No weapon, but you got a word? Go where God says to go. Fight from high ground. Go when he says to go. Be in his timing. Wait for him to show up, and then snatch the enemy's sword and fight him. But Sisera, the leader got away. Do not have an incomplete victory. Who cares if they kill all 900 of his soldiers? But the leader got away. The leader will reproduce. You gotta go all the way and get the thing that started this.

[D]

That might be something in your heart.

[A]

That needs to be excised.

[D]

It might be a sin in your.

[A]

Life that needs to be crucified.

[D]

Whatever created this chaos in the first place, do not let the real issue go.

[A]

It will reproduce if you do. All right, anyway, let's get back here. Judges 4:17. However, Sisera had fled on foot to the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber the kenite. For there was peace between Jabin, king of Hazor, and the house of Heber the kenite. Now hear this. The kenite, this guy, what was his name? Heber. Heber is related to Moses, father in law. Ah, yeah. It's always somebody in the family. He's related to Moses, father in law.

[C]

And.

[D]

And their people had traditionally been allies.

[A]

With Israel for obvious reasons. They was cousins by marriage, second cousins on your father's side that moved in. You know, they was related.

[D]

But this one person in the camp.

[A]

Decided he would rather run with Canaan, the people in the land of Canaan, than with Israel. And so this one Person defected, a.

[D]

Family member, that one family member that say they with you.

[A]

That friend that's supposed to be with.

[D]

You, that boss that said they would have your back, but they defected.

[A]

And they are actually in line with Jabin and his armies, who they're fighting in the first place. And so when Sisera fled, he knew there was a traitor in this man.

[C]

So he went to his house, because.

[A]

That'S what it means when it says there was peace between Jab and King of Hazor and the house of Heber, the Kenite. And so he went. But, man, that guy was married to a woman named Jael. Verse 18. Jael went out to meet Sisera.

[C]

That sound like a black name, don't it?

[A]

Jael? It probably. That's why I'm saying it that way, and it's probably wrong, but I'm going to call her a sister. This sister went out to meet Sisera and said to him, turn aside, my Lord, turn aside to me, do not fear. And when he had turned aside with her into the tent, she covered him with a blanket so he feels like he's safe.

[D]

He goes.

[A]

She comes out and says, come on into the house. You know, my husband, he not with the Israelites for real. You know that. He really with y', all, and you're safe here. So she invites him to the house. He says, you can hide here. And she covers him with a blanket. In verse 19. Then he said to her, please give.

[C]

Me a little water to drink, for I am thirsty.

[A]

So she opened a jug of milk, gave him a drink and covered him. And he said to her, stand at the door of the tent. And if any man comes and inquires of you and says, is there any man here? You shall say, no, water don't make.

[C]

You sleepy.

[A]

Milk does. And so he goes and lays down, tells her, if anybody comes looking for me, if they say, is there any man in here? You tell him, no. And then in verse 21, Jael Haber's wife took a tent peg and a hammer in her hand, and she went softly to him. Honey, you can still be a warrior in your soft girl era. She went softly to him and drove the peg in his temple, and it went down into the ground because he was knocked out.

[D]

Now this man, I want you to see this.

[A]

This man is laying down.

[D]

This tent peg is so long.

[A]

She came in there real smooth.

[D]

She bent down and put that nail.

[A]

On his temple and that thing so.

[D]

Hard it went through his head and nailed it to the ground. The killer was this woman in this tent, married to a man who had said, I have left God. But she said, I have not left God. Baby, you might not be able to get away from the people that ain't doing right, but you better keep doing right. You don't know why God has you in the position that he has you. Was she in the army? No. Did Deborah communicate with her?

[A]

No.

[D]

But when she had a chance to be a warrior for God. Baby, I'm just waiting for God to give me a chance to sneak up on the devil. I don't have to get the credit later. I just want him to know, keep messing with me, keep trying me, keep lying to me.

[A]

Cause.

[D]

When I get, I'm gonna nail your head to the ground. Jael wiped out Sisera in one blow.

[A]

And was still in her soft girl era. I would like to say to the.

[D]

Men of God who are looking for.

[A]

A wife, a woman of God.

[D]

I know you've been in Proverbs 31, but maybe you wanna get in judges. Cause maybe, just maybe, if you looking for just Proverbs 31, I'm not your girl. Because if the devil come in our.

[A]

House.

[D]

He ain't getting out of here from me. My God. My God.

[A]

In a world full of Proverbs 31, be judged is 4, 20.

[D]

My God.

[A]

I got to finish this message. I'm late. I got to finish this message.

[C]

This is so critical because Deborah is running this movement.

[A]

She has given the prophetic word of the Lord. It was a strategy, not just an attack. They had no weapons. She has led Israel with no weapons of their own to wipe out the army. But she told Barack that this army would be ultimately delivered by the hand of a woman.

[C]

But it wasn't her hand. Again, sometimes God sends an unexpected person.

[A]

To have his will worked out. You cannot be so committed. She heard God say, Israel will be.

[C]

Delivered into the hand of a woman.

[A]

But anybody probably would have assumed she was that woman. And another way that we mess up is that we'll hear something for God. But we interpret it our way. And we can't imagine how we could have got it wrong. That's so obvious. Israel be delivered into the hand of a woman. The woman is a judge.

[D]

It must be Deborah. And you can just so quick interpret what you heard so that you're expecting it to turn out one way. Meantime, God is way over here about to wipe somebody out. So when God speaks to you, you.

[C]

Hold that word in an absolute fashion for my math. My.

[A]

Any other math nerds in here?

[C]

I might be by Myself.

[A]

But there are these bars that you.

[C]

Can put around a number called absolute value.

[A]

So whether this number is negative 5 or positive, it don't matter. As long as these bars are around here. The absolute value cannot change. When God speaks, speaks a word to you, put it in absolute value bars. Do not let it change in any way. Don't let it get smaller. Don't exaggerate something. Don't attach it to what you think.

[D]

And if it doesn't seem like it's coming to pass, check to see where you got it wrong. But keep God's word in absolute value.

[C]

Jael was the woman. I don't know what she must have been going through, but for whatever reason, God didn't see fit for her to have left that situation. She was living with a betrayer, but she never let her heart be colored by the space that she was in. Jael also fought from high ground.

[A]

Don't let any place, circumstance or relationship get you off of high ground. You don't have no weapons in anyway. You are in a battle that you are not equipped for.

[D]

You got a word, you got a wear you gotta win.

[C]

And you got a God that will deliver you every time. I'm done.

[A]

Stand to your feet. I gotta let you out of here.

[D]

Man, oh, man.

[C]

That Deborah.

[D]

Somebody said that Jael.

[A]

Listen, listen. Some brothers about to update their dating app. What I'm looking for, let me tell you. Let me get this judges in here. Let me get this judges chapter four sister in here. Because she ain't playing with nobody.

[C]

I love this story. I love this story because Deborah teaches all of us, male and female, how important it is when I don't have weapons to have a word, a where, a when, and to know that God will move, that he will supply and cover me, that he will confuse my enemy and he will send unexpected people to finish off the battle. Honey, I don't care who killed him.

[A]

He dead. He dead. He dead. It was different when we saw David go and recover all. They had weapons.

[C]

They went into a fight, but this was a strategy. That flexible tree represented how her mind worked that strategy.

[A]

But jael lived in a region that.

[C]

Was populated with oak trees. Sturdy, strong. She needed to be unbendable. God's strategy will get you going, but rigid execution of his word will be your win. Amen. Hallelujah.

[A]

Hallelujah. Anybody ready to win this week?

[D]

Father, thank you. Even if you think you have a.

[A]

Weapon, lay it down.

[C]

Go to high ground.

[A]

Jesus, Father, show us where we are missing.

[C]

High ground. Give us clean Hearts, show us where.

[A]

We are missing it, where we are.

[C]

Wrong, where we have not fully forgiven.

[A]

Where we are nursing anger as an energy source.

[C]

Instead of following your word and your worship, let us be like Deborah, that we're listening for your word, that we.

[A]

Are willing to go where we may not traditionally be expected. She went into the battlefield where women were not seen. God, you may be calling us to places where we don't traditionally go, but.

[C]

Father, with your word, we'll leave our comfort zone and go stand where you told us to stand. We will wait for you in confidence. God, deliver us the part of us that panics until we know exactly what you're going to do.

[A]

God, there are so many under the sound of my voice who you have shown victories time after time, but they.

[D]

Are ready, able and desiring to have the opportunity to go through something and have a victory, where they stood strong the whole time, where they did not cast away their confidence, where no matter what, what they saw, they continued to say, if God before me, who can be against me? They waited for the storm that you would send and their hands were ready.

[A]

To fight when you gave them a weapon.

[C]

God, let us be those. Teach us to walk in relationship. Deborah led in relationship. She shared power. She wasn't hoarding the power and Barack.

[A]

Didn'T hoard the glory.

[C]

And both of them were blessed by a woman they did not expect. God, let us just be open to your thing getting done.

[A]

Let us remember that we are not, we are not in charge of this. Help us to lay down our main character energy. You are the main character.

[D]

All of us are supporting roles. All of us have the chance to play a little bit of an effort in the story that you are writing in eternity. God, help us to remember.

[A]

Make the.

[C]

Main thing the main thing, the main character. The main character that yes, victory feels good to us, but ultimately it is.

[A]

Yours and it will teach us more.

[C]

About who you are. And that's all we want. Father, seal this word in their hearts and let it be activated at the moment they need it.

[A]

Some are going to be in a.

[C]

Battle this week with loneliness.

[A]

They may be in this holiday season. It doesn't look like they wished it.

[C]

Would look, but God, when fear tries to creep in and accompany loneliness, let them whisk themselves to high ground knowing.

[A]

That they are never alone because of.

[C]

Jesus and that you are always with them.

[A]

God, there'll be some who are in the presence of betraying family members in this season. Father, it is not the person that's the problem is what the enemy is doing through them. But God where they would have been triggered and collapsed. Let this be the year that they.

[C]

Sneak up on the devil and remember.

[A]

The weapons of their warfare are not carnal and that they will drive a nail through the head of what has abused them.

[C]

It will not be able to war with them again.

[A]

So with the trepidation that they have going home, let them return victorious because.

[C]

You have changed everything.

[A]

Thank you God.

[C]

Let families who gather tell stories of.

[A]

The victories you have wrought in their.

[C]

Families, in their mothers and father's lives.

[A]

In their grandmothers and great grandfather's lives and aunts and uncles lives.

[D]

Let us not gossip and be ridiculous. Let us turn our mouths towards the generations victories that have been won. Let us remind each other of what we're called to do. That we will disperse strengthened.

[A]

That you.

[C]

Are the God who always wins in Jesus name. Now we're leaving this place, but not your presence. Keep us safe as we go until we come back in again. Hey family.

[B]

Well, I pray that you were just as blessed by this teaching as I was. I'm just so grateful again to be a part of a dynamic community full of love, full of revelation and wisdom. One has been a movement that's been blessing people for over two decades and I'm so glad that you got an opportunity to experience it. I also have a podcast called the called it's right here on wherever you're listening to this Spotify or Apple or wherever you're listening to this podcast. You can just look up the call T H E C A L L E D with myself, Ture Roberts. This is designed for entrepreneurs, leaders and business people. It's a weekly podcast and it will bless you. But hey, I enjoyed having you here. Meet us here the in next week, check out the call. Much blessings to you. We'll catch you next time.