Judges 4-5

After being led into the promise land, the Israelites had a pattern to life. Now, to be honest, they followed this pattern when they were in the wilderness with Moses. But after Joshua finally led them into the promise land, and died, they became complacent. They would obey God for a time, and live according to His ways, then, in their complacency, they would forget about Him, and begin to follow the God’s of the nations around them. In response to their disobedience, God would allow them to be oppressed and tormented by wicked people, rulers. After about 20 years, give or take, the people would tire of being oppressed, and finally cry out to God in repentance. God would raise up a person to save them from their oppressors, and themselves. And they would live in peace again, for time. Wash, rinse, repeat. To be honest, I don’t think the Church has learned her lesson. The Church has won some great victories. We have reached peoples who had never before heard the Gospel, even though sometimes we have to be led kicking and screaming. Eventually, though, the Church comes to her senses, and cries out to God for forgiveness, and God sends revival. One thing we know from this cycle is this:

Bottom Line: When God’s people cry out to Him, and repent, He will save them.

We are introduced to Deborah at a time when the Israelites are under the rule of King Jabin of Hazor, a Caananite king. The commander of Jabin’s army was Sisera, and he had been ruthlessly tormenting and oppressing the Israelites for about 20 years. And the Israelites have finaly had enough of the torment, and oppression, and have finally cried out to God.

Deborah was either married to a torch maker, made torches, or both. Verse 4 says that she was the wife of Lappidoth. Lappidoth is the Hebrew word for torch, and it was a very unusual name. It could also be translated that she was a woman of torches. AKA “Torch lady.” It is said that she convinced her husband to supply the lamps for the temple at Shiloh, and that they burned bright like torches. Her own name was a play on the Hebrew word for “she spoke.” And her name meant “a bee.”

1) God uses whomever He desires; Even people we don’t think He should.

In a culture that often treated women as second class citizens, God chose a woman named Deborah to lead and judge His people. When she spoke, the people listened. She held court under the Palm of Deborah, in the hill country of Ephraim, between Ramah and Bethel.

One would have expected that God would use Barak to lead his people. And God did use Barak, in a mighty way. But to me, Barak is a supporting character in all of this. When Deborah told Barak that God had commanded him to meet Sisera in Battle, Barak agreed, but added his own terms and conditions. He would only go if Deborah went too.

God also used Jael. He used her to both destroy Israel’s enemy, and also to take the glory that normally would have been gone to Barak.

2) Don’t hesitate when God commands. Be ready to act when the time comes.

In some translations, verse 6 and 7 is Deborah asking Barak a question. And the way it reads makes me wonder if they hadn’t had this conversation before. Deborah says to Barak, “Hey! Didn’t God tell you gather your men together at Mount Tabor, to prepare to meet Sisera and Jabin’s army by the Kishon River, so I can deliver them into your hands?” Barak hesitates. His response was classic. “Sure. Tell you what, I will only go if you go with me.” Typical person. God tells him to do something, to rescue his people, and he puts conditions on God. Deborah agrees, but warns that since she is going, Barak will not get the glory; A woman will get credit for Sisera’s defeat.

Sure enough, when Sisera, who had been tormenting the Israelites heard that Barak had gathered his troops at Mount Tabor, he gathered his own troops, and chariots and went out to meet Barak in battle. And Deborah gave the order to Barak, “Get up. Today the Lord will give Sisera into your hand.” As the two armies met in battle, it began to rain, and Sisera’s chariots became lodged in the mud, and his men didn’t know what to do. Barak and his men had a decisive victory. And Sisera, fearing for his own life, and with Barak in pursuit, left his chariot and fled to the home of someone he thought was a friend.

Jael’s husband, Heber, had pitched his tents near Kedesh. He and his family were on friendly terms with King Jabin. So Sisera runs into Jael’s tent. Jael invited him in, and covered him with a blanket. That’s some pretty good hospitality from your friend’s wife. Then, when he asks for some water because he is thirsty, she gives him some milk, and covers him again. And he tells her that if anyone comes looking she is to say that no one else is there. The Bible doesn’t say why, but as soon as Sisera was asleep, Jael creeps over with a tent peg and a hammer. I can only speculate that there was some reason, but to do what she did next I think would require some serious anger, and emotion. Jael takes the tent peg, and using the hammer, drives peg through his temple and into the ground. We can only speculate as to what all had taken place, either at that time, or previously, but that sounds pretty personal to me. And when Barak came by, Jael says, “Hey. Come here. I’ll take you to the man you are looking for.” And Barak finds Sisera in Jael’s tent, dead, with a tent peg driven through his temple, and into the ground. And from that day, Jabin’s grip over Israel was broken, until they finally destroyed him.

Barak hesitated. And he added his own terms and conditions to God’s command. And although he had led his army to a decisive victory, with the Lord’s help, he did not defeat Sisera.

Jael, saw her opportunity to act. The time had come for her to take action, and she did. Remember Deborah’s prophesy? Since she had to lead Barak, the glory that would have been his went to a woman.

3) Give God the glory.

The final verses of chapter 4 gives the ultimate praise and glory to God.

So on that day Israel saw God defeat Jabin, the Canaanite king. And from that time on Israel became stronger and stronger against King Jabin until they finally destroyed him. (Judges 4:23-24, NLT)

Deborah’s song, in chapter 5 gives the glory for the victory to God. In it the deeds When God delivers us, we are to give Him the glory. We might have the wisdom and ability to judge, and to hear God when He speaks, like Deborah. We might have skill, and cunning for battle, like Barak. We may have the courage to act in the moment, like Jael did. But who gave each of them the ability, and the strength? Who sends the rains at just the right time to route the enemy? We might be able to solve the toughest math problems, or win the hardest fought legal battles. We may even know the answers to some of life’s greatest mysteries. But, how did we get those abilities? Where did the knowledge and skill come from? Sure, hard work and determination on our part; but ultimately who gave us the ability to train, and to learn? Who sends us help at just the right moment? When others may be praising us, we need to make sure that we are directing all the praise to God.

Bottom Line: When God’s people call on Him, He will save.