Deborah & Barak (With A Little Help From Jael) Series

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**POSSESSING THE PROMISES**

*Judges Series — Part 3*

**Deborah and Barak (With a Little Help from Jael)**

*Judges 4–5*

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**INTRODUCTION: THE STORY**

After Ehud — the left-handed assassin of King Eglon — Israel enjoyed 80 years of peace. It was the longest period of rest during the entire era of the judges.

And yet, predictably, they fell back into the cycle. Disobedience. Faithlessness. And this time they were sold into the hands of a Canaanite king named Jabin, who reigned in Hazor — a city the Israelites had previously destroyed under Joshua's leadership. The commander of Jabin's army was a man named Sisera, and his military calling card was 900 iron chariots.

This was the ancient equivalent of nuclear arms. Israel had nothing to compare to that kind of military strength. For 20 years they suffered under Jabin's oppression before they finally cried out to the Lord for help.

At that time, a woman was leading Israel. She was also a prophetess — a spokesperson for the Lord. Her name was Deborah, which means "honey bee." She held court under a palm tree where people came from all over to seek her wisdom and settle disputes. She was probably more of a judge in the traditional sense of the word than any other figure in this book — and it was quite a distinction, especially for a woman in that culture.

Led by the Lord, Deborah summoned a man named Barak and commissioned him to lead the battle against Sisera. She delivered this word from the Lord:

*"The LORD, the God of Israel, commands you: 'Go, take with you ten thousand men of Naphtali and Zebulun and lead the way to Mount Tabor. I will lure Sisera, the commander of Jabin's army, with his chariots and his troops to the Kishon River and give him into your hands.'"* (Judges 4:6–7)

Barak's response is telling. He agreed to go — but only if Deborah went with him. If you don't go, I don't go.

This could be interpreted as deep respect for Deborah's leadership and her relationship with God. But Deborah's response suggests she read it differently — as hesitation, doubt, a lack of faith. After all, this was not Deborah's idea. This was a direct command from the Lord. Why wasn't that enough?

She agreed to go, but delivered a pointed warning: the honor for the victory would not go to Barak. It would go to a woman.

Initially you would assume that meant Deborah herself. But God already had another woman in mind — one we haven't met yet.

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**THE BATTLE AND JAEL**

Ten thousand volunteers from the tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali gathered, and the battle went entirely Israel's way. Sisera's army was routed. Barak pursued the chariots all the way back to Sisera's headquarters.

Sisera himself, however, had slipped away. He abandoned his troops — a cowardly move — and fled to the camp of the Kenites, a non-Jewish people who had historical ties to Israel. Moses had married a Kenite woman, and the two peoples had enjoyed friendly relations in earlier days. More recently, the Kenites had also maintained friendly relations with Jabin. Sisera expected to find safety there.

A Kenite woman named Jael came out to meet him. She welcomed him in, offered him milk to drink, and gave him a place to rest. Sisera, clearly running from something, told her: if anyone comes by, don't tell them I'm here.

Then something moved Jael to act. Perhaps she had heard about the Israelite victory. Perhaps her instincts told her that a man desperate not to be found was a dangerous man. Perhaps forces beyond her own understanding were at work. Whatever the reason, she picked up a tent peg and a hammer — in the ancient Near East, women were responsible for setting up the tents, so this was not unfamiliar equipment — and while Sisera slept, she drove the peg through his temple.

When Barak came searching for Sisera, Jael went out to meet him. Deborah's prophecy had come true. The honor went not to Barak, but to a woman — and not even a Jewish woman.

Israel then enjoyed 40 years of peace. God had come through again. An unlikely heroine had sealed an unlikely victory.

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**THE SONG OF DEBORAH: WHAT IT TEACHES US**

Judges 4 gives us the hard facts of the story. Judges 5 gives us the emotional response — a song Deborah sang after the victory. It is in this song that we learn something deeper about possessing the promises of God.

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**LESSON #1: GOD IS PULLING THE STRINGS BEHIND THE SCENES**

Reading through Deborah's song, God receives all the glory. Barak, Jael, Deborah, and the fighting men are all praised — but the song makes unmistakably clear that God was leading this battle from start to finish.