“And the people of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord after Ehud died. And the Lord sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor. The commander of his army was Sisera, who lived in Harosheth-hagoyim. Then the people of Israel cried out to the Lord for help, for he had 900 chariots of iron and he oppressed the people of Israel cruelly for twenty years.
Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, was judging Israel at that time. She used to sit under the palm of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the people of Israel came up to her for judgment. She sent and summoned Barak the son of Abinoam from Kedesh-naphtali and said to him, “Has not the Lord, the God of Israel, commanded you, ‘Go, gather your men at Mount Tabor, taking 10,000 from the people of Naphtali and the people of Zebulun. And I will draw out Sisera, the general of Jabin’s army, to meet you by the river Kishon with his chariots and his troops, and I will give him into your hand’?” Barak said to her, “If you will go with me, I will go, but if you will not go with me, I will not go.” And she said, “I will surely go with you. Nevertheless, the road on which you are going will not lead to your glory, for the Lord will sell Sisera into the hand of a woman.” Then Deborah arose and went with Barak to Kedesh. And Barak called out Zebulun and Naphtali to Kedesh. And 10,000 men went up at his heels, and Deborah went up with him.
Now Heber the Kenite had separated from the Kenites, the descendants of Hobab the father-in-law of Moses, and had pitched his tent as far away as the oak in Zaanannim, which is near Kedesh.
When Sisera was told that Barak the son of Abinoam had gone up to Mount Tabor, Sisera called out all his chariots, 900 chariots of iron, and all the men who were with him, from Harosheth-hagoyim to the river Kishon. And Deborah said to Barak, “Up! For this is the day in which the Lord has given Sisera into your hand. Does not the Lord go out before you?” So Barak went down from Mount Tabor with 10,000 men following him. And the Lord routed Sisera and all his chariots and all his army before Barak by the edge of the sword. And Sisera got down from his chariot and fled away on foot. And Barak pursued the chariots and the army to Harosheth-hagoyim, and all the army of Sisera fell by the edge of the sword; not a man was left.
But Sisera fled away on foot to the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, for there was peace between Jabin the king of Hazor and the house of Heber the Kenite. And Jael came out to meet Sisera and said to him, “Turn aside, my lord; turn aside to me; do not be afraid.” So he turned aside to her into the tent, and she covered him with a rug. And he said to her, “Please give me a little water to drink, for I am thirsty.” So she opened a skin of milk and gave him a drink and covered him. And he said to her, “Stand at the opening of the tent, and if any man comes and asks you, ‘Is anyone here?’ say, ‘No.’” But Jael the wife of Heber took a tent peg, and took a hammer in her hand. Then she went softly to him and drove the peg into his temple until it went down into the ground while he was lying fast asleep from weariness. So he died. And behold, as Barak was pursuing Sisera, Jael went out to meet him and said to him, “Come, and I will show you the man whom you are seeking.” So he went in to her tent, and there lay Sisera dead, with the tent peg in his temple.
So on that day God subdued Jabin the king of Canaan before the people of Israel. And the hand of the people of Israel pressed harder and harder against Jabin the king of Canaan, until they destroyed Jabin king of Canaan.” ESV
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The Israelites turned away from God again and were given over to a ruler, Jabin, who is described as cruel and oppressive. Jabin (thought to be a dynastic name since it is used also to name the King of Hazor in Joshua 11) was King over Canaan and gave control of a large fighting force to his commander, Sisera. According to the text, King Jabin and most likely Sisera had been tormenting the Israelites for 20 years.
Deborah, one of God’s people, was acting as judge during this time. Deborah’s two roles within the people of God were prophetess and judge.
Prophetess: this word in Hebrew has four meanings in the OT (one is attributed to Miriam the sister of Moses who was endowed with the gift of song, one is for Huldah who relayed a message from God, one is for Noadiah who was a false prophetess, and the last one is for the wife of Isaiah the prophet). Since nothing is known about her husband, Lapidoth, it can be inferred that he was not a prophet so the fourth definition is most likely not applicable here and Deborah served as a judge of Israel per God’s instructions, so I believe it is safe to say she was not a false prophetess. Deborah, we know, did relay a message from God to Barak and she sang the song of Deborah and Barak in Judges 5, so I believe that she is a manner of prophetess like Miriam and Huldah.
Judge: a judge of Israel was a law giver, a governor over Israel who decided the outcome of controversy and executed judgement when needed.
Neither of these roles were those of spiritual leadership as some today claim.
Deborah sent for Barak, a descendant of Naphtali, to inform him that God had heard the cries of Israel and was going to deliver Sisera into his hand. Barak responded that he would only go if Deborah went with him. We do not know for certain why Barak responded the way he did. He could have been afraid, after 20 years of oppression, of confronting Sisera and felt that having God’s judge by his side would abate some of that fear or maybe that it would secure their victory. Whatever the reason, Barak’s faith and trust in God seems to be lacking. Deborah responds with a great insult during these times. “I will surely go with you. Nevertheless, the road on which you are going will not lead to your glory, for the Lord will sell Sisera into the hand of a woman.” Glory in battle was a big thing for men at this time and Deborah was letting Barak know that the glory would not be his… but a woman’s. This was during an age when women were looked down upon by men and societies. Here we see an example of negative consequences when we misplace our faith and trust in something/one other than God.
Once the pursuit began, Deborah had to urge Barak to act. Sisera’s entire company was defeated by the men of Naphtali and Zebulun except for Sisera himself. As Deborah had said, Sisera was not delivered into the hand of Barak, but Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite. Sisera acted on the peace that was between Heber and Jabin and sought refuge with Heber’s wife but God can and will use anyone to further His will. When Sisera’s guard was down, Jael drove a tent peg into his temple and killed him. She then met Barak outside and delivered Sisera’s body to him.
A couple of things to note from Judges 5 is that Barak was given no glory or honor in Deborah’s song. Judges 5 ends with encouragement and a promise for those who love/obey God.
“May all Your enemies perish in this way, Lord;
But may those who love (honor/obey) Him be like the rising of the sun in its might (glory/honor)…” NASB
Important lessons I take away from Judges 4…
- When God has called us to do something, we do it without excuses or compromises. God has a plan.
- I am not talking about “new revelations,” but the commands we are given throughout the NT.
- God is faithful, even when we are not. He is merciful.
- Sisera was not delivered into Barak’s hand, but Barak did lead the men of Naphtali and Zebulun to defeat the army of Sisera. Barak was not wholly unsuccessful.
- God will use whoever He wills to further His plan.
- Heber the Kenite had separated from his people and lived alone with Jael. Their tent was away from everything and everyone, allowing Sisera to seek refuge there and ultimately find his demise.
- Jael was a woman, a wife of a Kenite who was given an opportunity and used what she had to do the Lord’s will. She was no leader, but a woman who knew her role.
- Deborah sought no glory for herself.
- When she told Barak that a woman would receive the glory over him, she was not talking about herself, but Jael. Deborah did God’s will for His sake and the sake of His people, not for herself.
- We are no more special than the person next to us.
- If we refuse to do God’s will, it will hinder our relationship with Him, but He will use someone else. His will will always prevail.
- God’s plan was for Sisera to fall. He had chosen Barak first but when Barak showed his lack of faith, God chose Jael to complete His plan for Sisera.
So, let us be like Deborah who sought God’s glory above her own.
Let us be like Jael who used an opportunity that God gave her to save others and further His will.