JUDGES CHAPTER 4, “The Story Of Deborah and Barak”

By

Jim Bomkamp

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1. INTRODUCTION

1.1. In our last study, we looked at chapter 3 of the book of Judges and the first three of the judges of Israel: Othniel, Ehud, and Shamgar.

1.1.1. In that study of chapter 3 and the first three judges raised up by the Lord, we noticed that each of these men were very different from each other. None of them though, perhaps with the exception of Othniel, were exceptional people in leadership qualities, natural talent, or station of life. This encouraged all of us that we do not have to have special abilities in the valuation of this world in order to be used greatly by the Lord. He can use regular people who simply give to Him what abilities, talents, and resources they do have.

1.1.2. We noticed though a few things that set apart these men from others and allowed them to be used greatly by the Lord:

1.1.2.1. They stepped out in faith to be used by the Lord.

1.1.2.2. They were courageous, stepped out, went against the flow and were different from everyone else, took a stand for the Lord, and did so regardless of the consequences, which could easily have caused the loss of their very lives.

1.1.2.3. They let the Lord use both their abilities as well as their limitations for His purposes.

1.1.3. We were reminded though that it was not because of any qualities of their own that these men were used greatly by the Lord, it was because the Lord chose them for His purposes as a deliverer, and because His Spirit worked mightily through their lives.

1.2. In our study today, we are going to look at chapter 4 and the only woman judge that the Lord raised up as a “deliverer” and a judge over the people of Israel.

1.2.1. In the book of Judges, I want to point out that not everyone who is a “deliverer” of tribes of the children of Israel is also mentioned as also being a “judge.” For instance:

1.2.1.1. In our last chapter Othniel and Ehud were mentioned as being “judges” of Israel, however Shamgar is just mentioned as being a man who with an oxgoad killed 600 Philistines. Shamgar is mentioned in the previous chapter after Ehud, yet we find in verse 1 of this chapter that it was after Ehud died that the children of Israel again turned away from the Lord and went into apostasy. Evidently then, Shamgar was not considered a “judge” of Israel.

1.2.1.2. In this chapter, Deborah is mentioned as being a “judge” but not Barak, however it was actually Barak, whom Deborah recruits, who was the commander of the army who rallied the people together to go and attack and conquer their oppressors.

1.2.2. In this chapter, we see the only example in all of the Bible of a woman whom the Lord called into a position of leadership over His people. Deborah is the only woman judge of Israel but also the only woman in all of the Bible placed in a position of leadership over God’s people.

1.2.3. Deborah is mentioned here as being a prophetess, and we see her also acting as a “judge” over God’s people. In verse 5 we read that she used to sit under a certain palm tree and the children of Israel would come to her for judgments. She evidently would not only give them sound wisdom for counsel, she would also perhaps have a prophetic word for them in regard to the future when they were seeking to discern the Lord’s will for their lives.

1.2.4. Though there are no other women in the scriptures who were called by God to be leaders over God’s people besides Deborah, there are a few women in the Bible who are prophetesses in the Bible:

1.2.4.1. Miriam, Moses’ and Aaron’s sister (Exod. 15:20).

1.2.4.2. Deborah (Judges 4:4).

1.2.4.3. Huldah, during the time of king Josiah (2 Kings 22:14-20).

1.2.4.4. Anna, the woman in the temple when Mary and Joseph brought in baby Jesus to be circumcised (Luke 2:36).

1.2.4.5. The four virgin daughters of Philip the evangelist, one of the first deacons (Acts 21:8-9).

1.2.5. So, today the Lord does give women in the church the gift of prophesy.

1.2.6. We don’t know much about Deborah except for the fact that she was the wife of Lappidoth (maybe it would be best to speak of him as being the husband of Deborah), she was a prophetess and a judge, and she was a mother in Israel.

1.2.7. Deborah was not an ambitious person and she did not promote herself into the position of a prophetess and a judge over Israel, rather she was a person who was reluctant to take on the position of leadership and even speaks of herself in Judges 5:7 with a tone of irony as, “a mother in Israel.” She was not trained as a soldier or in warfare and in our story we’ll see that in order to encourage Barak to go and to attack king Jabin that Deborah, because of her faith, was willing to go by Barak’s side right into the heart of battle.

1.2.8. It was the Lord who raised up and called Deborah and as the other judges of Israel she was willing to step out and be courageous even at the risk of her very life, in order that her people might be delivered.

1.2.9. I have asked myself as I consider this chapter why it was that the Lord raised up a woman to be the leader of His people, and I have come to some conclusions in that regard:

1.2.9.1. FIRST: There were no men who were willing to be a deliverer of God’s people.

1.2.9.1.1. This enemy may have been the fiercest of the ones that they faced during the time of the judges.

1.2.9.1.1.1. Jabin the king who reigned in Hazor along with his extremely capable and battle-hardened general Sisera had amassed a formidable army. They had the latest in war technology in their arsenal of weapons, chariots, and they had 900 of them. Contrastingly, Israel didn’t even have any kind of stockpile of weapons made of iron, not even simple swords and spears. Charioteers normally comprised a small percentage of an army’s total number, therefore Jabin must have had a very large army of soldiers at his disposal.

1.2.9.1.1.2. We will see later in this chapter that king Jabin during this era of the judges had become so powerful that he was actually now the king of Canaan.

1.2.9.1.2. The men in Israel, including their best combat general, Barak, were too afraid to rebel and attack the forces of Jabin.

1.2.9.1.3. Not trusting in the Lord nor knowing of the power of His might on behalf of His people, the men in Israel considered that in their own power they were no match for a huge army with 900 charioteers. They would be slaughtered in any battles on level ground in the open fields.

1.2.9.2. SECOND: As has happened all throughout history, if the men among His people are not willing to take their rightful position of leadership, then eventually He will use those who are willing to lead, even if they are women.

1.2.9.2.1. Studying the history of the church throughout the ages, you find over and over again that when men were not willing to assume positions of leadership that the Lord eventually would raise up a woman in that role.

1.2.9.2.2. Many men are appalled at the sight or thought of a woman in a position of leadership, however what they instead ought to be appalled at is not that a woman has taken a position of leadership abdicated by men, but that there are no men who are willing to be that leader. The shame was that Deborah had to judge Israel and that Jael had to kill general Sisera because there were no men willing to nail this guy. This ought to be a rebuke that we men should take to heart.

1.2.9.2.3. In the churches that I have been in the past 30 years of my Christian experience, I have seen over and over again that there are many more women who are serving than men, and many more women serving from godly motives than men. We men around the world need to retake our rightful place of servant leadership in the church today.

1.2.9.2.3.1. Men, we need you to be servant leaders in the church today? Are you a servant leader in the church?

1.2.9.2.4. In Christian homes, I have seen so many times that moms are the ones teaching their children more than dads. Moms read from the Bible to their kids more than dad. Moms conduct devotions for their kids more than dads. Moms teach and discipline their children more consistently and more often in bringing them up to be the people that God wants them to be. We men around the world need to retake our rightful place of servant leadership in the home today as well.

1.2.9.2.4.1. Christian husband and/or father, what kind of a spiritual leader are you in the home?

1.2.9.2.4.1.1. Do you initiate praying with your wife and/or having devotions with your wife?

1.2.9.2.4.1.2. Do you pray with your kids, read Bible stories with them, consistently give them godly discipline and counsel, etc.?

1.2.9.2.4.1.3. Do you make sure the kids have their own daily devotions?

1.2.9.2.4.1.4. Do you make sure the family plans on going and gets up out of bed every Sunday morning so that you can be sure that everyone goes to church?

1.2.9.2.4.1.5. Etc., etc.

1.2.9.2.5. Here we read in this chapter of Judges that with irony Deborah, a mother in Israel, has been raised up by the Lord to be a judge and deliverer of God’s people. Where were the men?

1.2.9.3. THIRD: I believe that God’s raising up of Deborah to be a judge and deliverer in Israel was done as a rebuke to the men of Israel.

1.2.9.3.1. You have to remember that Israel was a very patriarchal nation and to have a woman for a leader was something that must have caused much disdain and anguish among the men in Israel.

2. VS 4:1-3 - ”¹ Then the sons of Israel again did evil in the sight of the Lord, after Ehud died. ² And the Lord sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor; and the commander of his army was Sisera, who lived in Harosheth-hagoyim. ³ The sons of Israel cried to the Lord; for he had nine hundred iron chariots, and he oppressed the sons of Israel severely for twenty years.” - The children of Israel begin now for the third time the continuous cycle of falling away from the Lord and then being delivered

2.1. We see here that since the events of chapter 3 that Ehud had served as “judge” in Israel. After Ehud had initially delivered them from their enemies, the sons of Israel had served the Lord throughout the lifetime of Ehud. However, no sooner had Ehud passed away than the sons of Israel turned away from the Lord and began to ‘again do evil in the sight of the Lord.’

2.2. The children of Israel began worshipping the gods of the other nations, and thus the Lord ‘sold them into the hand of Jabin,’ the king who reigned at Hazor, and who would now be their oppressor for 20 long years.

2.3. Jabin amassed an incredibly formidable army which must have been very large if he had at his command 900 charioteers. Chariots represented the latest in Army weapons technology of that day.

2.4. Hazor was a city located in northern Israel in the territory allotted to the tribe of Naphtali. At the time of the conquest it was inhabited by a king named Jabin, and the Israelites killed king Jabin and destroyed the city by fire. Here, during the time of Deborah the Canaanites had rebuilt the city and appointed another king whose name was also Jabin.

3. VS 4:4-5 - ”⁴ Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, was judging Israel at that time. ⁵ She used to sit under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim; and the sons of Israel came up to her for judgment.” - We read that Deborah was serving as a judge in Israel at this time

3.1. Deborah was serving the Lord as a judge in the hill country of Ephraim, in the central area of Israel.

3.2. Since the men had abdicated their position of spiritual leadership over the Lord’s people, the Lord finally raised up this incredibly gifted woman Deborah to lead His people. People would come to her to settle civil matters and to receive her counsel. She would sometimes give them a prophetic word concerning their lives in the process.

4. VS 4:6-7 - ”⁶ Now she sent and summoned Barak the son of Abinoam from Kedesh-naphtali, and said to him, “Behold, the Lord, the God of Israel, has commanded, ‘Go and march to Mount Tabor, and take with you ten thousand men from the sons of Naphtali and from the sons of Zebulun. ⁷ ‘I will draw out to you Sisera, the commander of Jabin’s army, with his chariots and his many troops to the river Kishon, and I will give him into your hand.’ ”” - Deborah summons general Barak with a word from the Lord to go, attack and conquer their oppressor

4.1. In these verses, we see that Deborah is very bold and decisive. She has received a revelation and word from the Lord and based upon that she sends for Barak and then tells him exactly the steps that he is to take to attack king Jabin plus gives him a prophetic word from the Lord guaranteeing his success in the ensuing battle.

4.2. Deborah tells Barak to take 10,000 men from the sons of Naphtali and Zebulun and go up against Sisera and the army under his control.

4.3. It would make sense to enlist the men of Naphtali and Zebulun since Jabin ruled in Hazor which was located up in the north and in the territory allotted to the tribe of Naphtali.

5. VS 4:8-9 - ”⁸ Then Barak said to her, “If you will go with me, then I will go; but if you will not go with me, I will not go.” ⁹ She said, “I will surely go with you; nevertheless, the honor shall not be yours on the journey that you are about to take, for the Lord will sell Sisera into the hands of a woman.” Then Deborah arose and went with Barak to Kedesh.” - Barak agrees to go and to attack Sisera and his army, but only if Deborah is willing to go along with him

5.1. In Heb. 11:32, we read that Barak made it into the list in the “Hall of Faith” of God’s heroes of the Old Testament. So, though we may be a little critical of him here for requiring that Deborah come with him to go up and to attack Sisera and his mighty army, we must realize that he went up by faith in the Lord alone to give him the victory and because of that he was successful and used to deliver God’s people.

5.2. In reality, we do not know what Barak’s motives were for requiring Deborah to come along with him. For instance:

5.2.1. He may done this in case he would need another word from the Lord through Deborah.

5.2.1.1. However, this would then not reflect well on his faith for he had already been promised victory by the Lord.

5.2.2. He could have felt that he would have an easier time recruiting an army from Naphtali and Zebulun with Deborah with him.

5.2.2.1. However, again this wouldn’t speak well of his faith since the Lord wouldn’t have told him through Deborah to recruit from those tribes if he wouldn’t have been able to do so.

5.3. Evidently, the weakness of Barak’s faith was rewarded by his not receiving the honor for the battle and the Lord instead appointing a second woman in Jael to be the hero of the day and kill the great general Sisera.

5.4. We see that the Lord uses people who have even a weak faith, for He honors our faith. When we come to the Lord and lift up to Him the little bit of faith that we have He uses that faith and works through our life, and in the end he even increases our faith. Jesus is the One remember who will not extinguish the dimly lit wick but will encourage it, speaking metaphorically about that little bit of faith that we might have.

6. VS 4:10 - “¹⁰ Barak called Zebulun and Naphtali together to Kedesh, and ten thousand men went up with him; Deborah also went up with him.” - Barak calls the 10,000 warriors together

6.1. Barak, with Deborah by his side, was successful in calling together the 10,000 warriors from the tribes of Naphtali and Zebulun, which Deborah had given him commandment from the Lord to do.

7. VS 4:11-13 - “¹¹ Now Heber the Kenite had separated himself from the Kenites, from the sons 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. ¹² Then they told Sisera that Barak the son of Abinoam had gone up to Mount Tabor. ¹³ Sisera called together all his chariots, nine hundred iron chariots, and all the people who were with him, from Harosheth-hagoyim to the river Kishon.” - Heber the Kenite tells Sisera where he can find Barak

7.1. Heber was a descendant of Moses’ father-in-law. We saw in the book of Joshua that these descendants of Moses’ father-in-law were allowed to come and to live within the land of Canaan, however they were not Jewish proselytes but pagan worshippers.

7.2. We aren’t told why Heber told Sisera where he could find Barak.

7.2.1. The Kenites had had good relations prior to this time with king Jabin, and Heber might have had an internal conflict concerning where his allegiance and loyalty should reside, whether with Israel or king Jabin.

7.2.2. It could be that it was fear of Sisera and his army that led Heber to comply and to tell Sisera where he could find Barak.

7.2.3. It could be that Heber didn’t know that Barak was being called by the Lord to deliver Israel from her oppressors.

7.2.4. It could be that Sisera didn’t tell Heber his intentions regarding Barak when he found him.

7.3. Regardless of why Heber told Sisera where Barak was located, it was the Lord who caused Heber to tell Sisera where to find Barak, and He did so in order that Israel might be delivered from Jabin and Sisera and their army.

8. VS 4:14-16 - “¹⁴ Deborah said to Barak, “Arise! For this is the day in which the Lord has given Sisera into your hands; behold, the Lord has gone out before you.” So Barak went down from Mount Tabor with ten thousand men following him. ¹⁵ The Lord routed Sisera and all his chariots and all his army with the edge of the sword before Barak; and Sisera alighted from his chariot and fled away on foot. ¹⁶ But Barak pursued the chariots and the army as far as Harosheth-hagoyim, and all the army of Sisera fell by the edge of the sword; not even one was left.” - Deborah tells Barak to go and to attack Sisera, and he takes the army and routes Sisera’s army and kills them all

8.1. We find out in Judges 5:4 in the song of Deborah and Barak that the Lord caused it to rain bogging down the chariots in the mud and causing them to be a liability instead of an asset, and thus the children of Israel were able to destroy the army of Sisera on this day.

8.2. The men in Israel remained oppressed initially by king Jabin and his army because they looked at the possibility of defeating Jabin and Sisera and their armies by the power of their own might rather than realizing that the Lord would be the one who would fight for them against their enemies. When the Lord fought their battle it was a cinch to defeat their enemies.

8.2.1. How many times do we Christians today limit what we believe that the Lord can do because we are looking only at what we can do in our own strength and thinking that our strength is God’s limitation. If only we could perceive the great things that the Lord could do through our lives if we would just allow Him to do them through us.

8.3. We see here that when Sisera realized that his army was going to be defeated that he got off of his horse and began running for his life, fleeing capture and being put to death.

9. VS 4:17-24 - “¹⁷ Now 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. ¹⁸ Jael went out to meet Sisera, and said to him, “Turn aside, my master, turn aside to me! Do not be afraid.” And he turned aside to her into the tent, and she covered him with a rug. ¹⁹ He said to her, “Please give me a little water to drink, for I am thirsty.” So she opened a bottle of milk and gave him a drink; then she covered him. ²⁰ He said to her, “Stand in the doorway of the tent, and it shall be if anyone comes and inquires of you, and says, ‘Is there anyone here?’ that you shall say, ‘No.’ ” ²¹ But Jael, Heber’s wife, took a tent peg and seized a hammer in her hand, and went secretly to him and drove the peg into his temple, and it went through into the ground; for he was sound asleep and exhausted. So he died. ²² And behold, as Barak pursued Sisera, Jael came out to meet him and said to him, “Come, and I will show you the man whom you are seeking.” And he entered with her, and behold Sisera was lying dead with the tent peg in his temple. ²³ So God subdued on that day Jabin the king of Canaan before the sons of Israel. ²⁴ The hand of the sons of Israel pressed heavier and heavier upon Jabin the king of Canaan, until they had destroyed Jabin the king of Canaan.” - Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite puts general Sisera to death with a tent peg

9.1. Though Heber, Jael’s husband, initially told Sisera where he could find Barak, here we see that Jael evidently realizes that Sisera’s army has been defeated and that she will have to answer to the sons of Israel about telling Sisera where he could find them. Apparently, Jael realizes that she had better come out on the winner’s side after this battle. Therefore, Jael schemes concerning how she could put Sisera to death.

9.2. We see that Jael initiates the offer to have Sisera come and sleep inside of her tent, most likely already scheming to put him to death.

9.3. Jael next gives Sisera some warm milk to drink instead of water, knowing that Sisera would probably be more likely to fall asleep if he drank some warm milk than if he drank water.

9.4. Women in this day would be very strong and accurate with a hammer as they were the ones who would have to put up and take down tents. Therefore, Jael determines to wait until Sisera is fast asleep and then she drives a tent stake through his temple as he is sleeping.

9.5. We see here that just as was prophesied by Deborah, it was not Barak but a woman who was hailed after this battle, for Jael was the one who put mighty general Sisera to death, not Barak.

10. CONCLUSION:

10.1. Its great to see what the Lord did here through the life of this woman Deborah, a “judge” of the children of Israel, but in a sense it is a shame that she, a mother in Israel, had to do these things because none of the men would step up to the plate and by faith be used by God.

10.2. Men, today lets come before the Lord and together commit ourselves to be the spiritual leaders that we need to be both in the home and in the church. After all, this it is our calling to be spiritual leaders.

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