18 Deborah Leads God’s People [Judges 4–5]
The Bible passage: [Judges 4–5]
The Story:
Once the Israelites settled into the Promised Land, the people were led by a series of leaders that were called Judges.
According to the book of Judges in the Bible, there were twelve judges that ruled over Israel. Their names were Othniel, Ehud, Shamgar, Deborah, Gideon, Tola, Jair, Jephthah, Ibzan, Elon, Abdon, and Samson. I will tell you the stories of three of these judges.
The people settled into a pattern: they would disobey God; things would get terrible; they would pray for help; God would send a judge that would get them out of trouble; they would follow God’s laws for a while; they would disobey God.
After Ehud died, the Israelites again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. The Lord allowed them to fall under the control of King Jabin of Canaan. The Israelites cried out to the Lord, because Jabin harshly oppressed them for twenty years.
A prophetess named Deborah was judging Israel at that time. The Israelites went to her to settle disputes.
Deborah summoned Barak, the commander of Israel’s army, and told him, “The Lord, the God of Israel, commands you to, ‘Deploy the troops on Mount Tabor. Then I will lure Sisera, commander of Jabin’s army, to fight against you, and I will hand him over to you.’”
Barak told her, “If you go with me, I will go. But if you do not go with me, I will not go.”
Deborah replied, “I will gladly go with you, but you won’t receive any honor from the victory. The Lord will cause Sisera to fall to a woman.”
Deborah went with Barak. Barak gathered ten thousand men to follow him, and Deborah also went with him.
It was reported to Sisera that Barak had gone up Mount Tabor. Sisera summoned all his troops and went out to fight Israel.
Deborah said to Barak, “Go! This is the day the Lord has handed Sisera over to you. The Lord is going with you?”
Barak came down from Mount Tabor with his ten thousand men following him.
The Lord threw Sisera and all his army into a panic. Sisera left his chariot and fled on foot. Barak pursued the chariots and the army, and the whole army of Sisera fell in the battle.
Meanwhile, Sisera fled on foot to the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, because there was peace between King Jabin and the family of Heber the Kenite. Jael went out to greet Sisera and said to him, “Come in with me. Don’t be afraid.” So he went into her tent, and she covered him with a blanket. He said to her, “Please give me a little water to drink.” She opened a container of milk, gave him a drink, and covered him again. Sisera said to her, “Stand at the entrance to the tent. If a man comes and asks if anyone is here, tell them, ‘No.’” While he was sleeping from exhaustion, Heber’s wife, Jael, took a tent peg, grabbed a hammer, and went silently to Sisera. She hammered the peg into his temple and drove it into the ground, and he died.
When Barak arrived in pursuit of Sisera, Jael went out to greet him and said to him, “Come and I will show you the man you are looking for.” So he went in with her, and there was Sisera lying dead with a tent peg through his temple!
That day God gave the Israelites the victory over King Jabin of Canaan. The power of the Israelites continued to increase against King Jabin of Canaan until they destroyed him, and the land had peace for forty years.
The Lessons:
- Barak wouldn’t follow God’s direction. He was afraid to go unless Deborah went with him.
- Fear is the enemy of faith.
- God will humble the proud.
Comments
Post a Comment