63 – Deborah and Barak
Judges 4:1 – 5:31
After Ehud died, Israel once again sinned against God. So the Lord sold them to a Canaanite king. This king ruled over them for twenty years. He was harsh and cruel. His army had 900 iron chariots, and his commander’s name was Sisera.
The person who judged Israel at the time was a prophet named Deborah. When the people had problems among themselves, they went to a place called the “Palm Tree of Deborah.” She would sit there and hear their complaints and then settle their disagreements.
One day she called for a man named Barak and said to him, “The Lord has a message for you. He says, ‘Take 10,000 men and go to Mount Tabor. I’ll cause Sisera to come to you with his chariots and his army. He’ll come to fight you, but I’ll give him to you.’ ”
Barak said to Deborah, “I’ll go and do as the Lord says, but only if you go with me. If you don’t go, I won’t go.”
She said, “I’ll go with you, but if I do, you won’t get the credit for killing Sisera. The Lord will give that honor to a woman.” Barak agreed, so Deborah went with him.
Barak gathered 10,000 men and went up Mount Tabor. Sisera heard about this, so he took his 900 chariots and his army and headed toward Mount Tabor. Deborah said to Barak, “Now’s the time! Take your men and attack Sisera.”
So Barak moved his men down the mountain and attacked the Canaanite army. The Lord was with him, and caused Sisera’s men to be confused. They turned and ran. When Sisera saw this, he left his chariot and tried to escape on foot. Barak chased the army until every man was killed.
Sisera ran until he came to the tent of Jael. Her husband was in alliance with the Canaanite king. She saw Sisera coming, so she went out and said, “Come in here, and you’ll be safe.”
He went in and she hid him under a rug. He said, “Please, give me water to drink.” She gave him milk, and he sat up and drank it. He said, “Stand at the door of the tent. If anyone asks if there is a man in here, tell them ‘No.’ ”
She then covered him again, and since he was exhausted, he fell into a deep sleep.
Jael went and got a tent peg and a hammer. She quietly knelt down next to Sisera and put the tent peg on the temple of his head. Then with solid blows, she nailed it through his head and into the ground.
Soon Barak came by her tent in search of Sisera. She went out and said, “Come and I’ll show you the man you’re looking for.” Barak went into her tent and saw Sisera lying dead on the floor with a tent peg through his temple.
Israel continued to fight the Canaanite king until they were victorious. Then they lived in peace for forty years.
