March 18: Tough women!

Judges chapters 4 and 5

Judges 4:1-24

Amplified Bible (AMP)

4 But after Ehud died the Israelites again did evil in the sight of the Lord.

² So the Lord sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor. The commander of his army was Sisera, who dwelt in Harosheth-hagoiim [fortress or city of the nations].

³ Then the Israelites cried to the Lord, for [Jabin] had 900 chariots of iron and had severely oppressed the Israelites for twenty years.

⁴ Now Deborah, a ^[a]prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, judged Israel at that time.

⁵ She sat under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites came up to her for judgment.

⁶ And she sent and called Barak son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali and said to him, Has not the Lord, the God of Israel, commanded [you], Go, gather your men at Mount Tabor, taking 10,000 men from the tribes of Naphtali and Zebulun?

⁷ And I will draw out Sisera, the general of Jabin’s army, to meet you at the river Kishon with his chariots and his multitude, and I will deliver him into your hand?

⁸ And 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 And she said, I will surely go with you; nevertheless, the trip you take will not be for your glory, for the Lord will sell Sisera into the hand of a woman. And Deborah arose and went with Barak to Kedesh. [Fulfilled in Judg. 4:22.]

¹⁰ And Barak called Zebulun and Naphtali to Kedesh, and he went up with 10,000 men at his heels, and Deborah went up with him.

¹¹ Now Heber the Kenite, of the descendants of Hobab, the father-in-law of Moses, had separated from the Kenites and encamped as far away as the oak in Zaanannim, which is near Kedesh.

¹² When it was told Sisera that Barak son of Abinoam had gone up to Mount Tabor,

¹³ Sisera gathered together all his chariots, even 900 chariots of iron, and all the men who were with him from Harosheth-hagoiim to the river Kishon.

¹⁴ And Deborah said to Barak, Up! For this is the day when the Lord has given Sisera into your hand. Is not the Lord gone out before you? So Barak went down from Mount Tabor with 10,000 men following him.

¹⁵ And the Lord confused and terrified Sisera and all his chariot drivers and all his army before Barak with the sword. And Sisera alighted from his chariot and fled on foot.

¹⁶ But Barak pursued after the chariots and the army to Harosheth-hagoiim, and all the army of Sisera fell by the sword; not a man was left.

¹⁷ But Sisera fled 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 And Jael went out to meet Sisera and said to him, Turn aside, my lord, turn aside to me; have no fear. So he turned aside to her into the tent, and she covered him with a rug.

¹⁹ And he said to her, Give me, I pray you, a little water to drink for I am thirsty. And she opened a skin of milk and gave him a drink and covered him.

²⁰ And he said to her, Stand at the door of the tent, and if any man comes and asks you, Is there any man here? Tell him, No.

²¹ But Jael, Heber’s wife, took a tent pin and a hammer in her hand and went softly to him and drove the pin through his temple and into the ground; for he was in a deep sleep from weariness. 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 you seek. And when he came into her tent, behold, Sisera lay dead, and the tent pin was in his temples.

²³ So God subdued on that day Jabin king of Canaan before the Israelites.

²⁴ And the hand of the Israelites bore more and more upon Jabin king of Canaan until they had destroyed [him].

Footnotes:

1. Judges 4:4 According to Num. 11:25, the prophetic gift has its source in the “Spirit of the Lord.” The prophet is a spokesman of God and for God. Miriam was the first prophetess who praised God before all the people (Exod. 15:20). Deborah was not like Miriam, the sister of such men as Moses and Aaron. The objective Spirit of her God elevates her above her people, above heroes before and after her. Not only the ecstasy of enthusiasm, but also the calm wisdom of that Spirit Who informs the law dwells in her. Of no judge until Samuel [the last of the major judges] is it expressly said that he was a “prophet.” Of none until him can it be said that he was possessed of the popular authority necessary for the office of judge. The position of Deborah in Israel is therefore a twofold testimony: it proves the relaxation of spiritual and manly energy, and, secondly, the undying might of divine truth, as delivered by Moses, comes brilliantly to view. History shows many instances where in times of distress, when men despaired, women arose and saved their nation; but in all such cases there must be an unextinguished spark of the old fire in the people themselves. Israel, formerly encouraged by the great exploit of a left-handed man—Ehud (Judg. 3:15), is now quickened by the glowing word of a noble woman (J.P. Lange, A Commentary).

Amplified Bible (AMP)

Brenda Barnes describes exactly what what happened in this shocking account.  Please carefully note the copyright paragraph following her detailed description. She is an amazing writer and I just had to share her insight. 

The Book of Judges, Chapters 4 and 5

This entire story is found in the Book of Judges in the Old Testament of The Holy Bible. Chapters 4 and 5 contain the story and the Song of Deborah. I encourage you to read it for yourself. It is a short but powerful account of God's Divine plan.

This is a fascinating story and shows how God works for the good of His people always. When the outcome seems doomed, God's perfect plan saves us. That is still true today as He never changes.

Deborah-Prophetess, Judge and

Warrior

Twelve hundred years before Christ, Israel lived a chaotic and burdened existence. The people had turned from God and He abandoned them to the consequences of their actions. The Midianites ruled over Israel and were very cruel to the people who were so afraid that they made secret hiding places in the mountains for sanctuary. When the people planted gardens, their enemies came and deliberately destroyed all the crops, leaving nothing and even killed or stole all the animals. The Israelites were starving to death and had no resources to sustain them in times of trial. Out of forty thousand men, not one sword could be found.

The ruler was King Jabin and he delegated power to his first commander Sisera who was very harsh and unfair to the Iraelites. He had great power and riches in his position and his regiment consisted of nine hundred iron chariots. Each chariot was pulled by up to ten horses and carried a driver and four archers.

The wheels had metal blades on them and they spun as the chariot moved and became a saw of sorts. When a person was in the way or targeted for destruction in war, the knives cut them into shreds as the wheels ran over the body. There were pockets built into the sides which held extra bows and arrows making it a veritable war cart.

In addition, there were about 100,000 men with the commander and they were well trained fighting soldiers. Few people were brave, or reckless, enough to fight against Sisera and his army. But one person was not frightened but strong and in faith that the Lord God Jehovah would lead her to victory. Yes, this was a woman and such a thing was a first for Israel and showed that God is no respecter of persons. He will use anyone willing to listen, follow and have faith.

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In the year 1200-1240 BC, a woman named Deborah lived and judged Israel. A judge was not the same as in our times. Deborah had a position of authority and was highly respected and was the only woman to ever hold the position of judge. This was the office of a man. However when no man stepped up to fulfill his obligation, God anointed Deborah to lead. She ruled for about forty years and is considered to have done a remarkable job.

In matters concerning disputes her word was final. She lived in a valley between Ramah and Bethel and sat under a palm tree to conduct “court.” A woman was not allowed to be alone with a man so Deborah sat in a public place to avoid any notion of impropriety. In addition to acting a judge (one of only five in the history of Israel) Deborah was a prophetess and taught the Torah to people who came to her seeking knowledge and instruction.

Israel was spiritually ruled by God alone and all of the leaders were under injunction to abide by the Law given to Moses directly from God. Moses had also established rules and regulations during the trek across the desert. Without an established manner of dealing with problems, chaos would have destroyed the people. Deborah was knowledgeable of these Laws and was not afraid to bring forth good judgment to uphold them for the glory of the Lord. As a judge, Deborah received communication from God for the people of Israel. It is interesting to note that the people accepted her position without question. Apparently they knew a judge was appointed by Divine assignment and Deborah’s gender was not an issue.

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At this time, Jabin intended to destroy and annihilate the Israelites. They were considered undesired invaders and Jabin intended to exterminate them and thereby restore power to Canaan. But Deborah had faith in God and His promise of victory. The Israelites were frightened and knew their only chance of survival was to fight and defeat Jabin’s champion, Sisera. So Deborah had a plan.

She called a prominent military leader to her. This was Barak and she told him exactly what he was to do. But Barak was not convinced and refused to go into battle. One can hardly blame him. He had only a few undernourished foot soldiers that were virtually weaponless. Sisera had those fearsome chariots and 100,000 well armed men. Barak felt he had no chance of winning and that he and his men would die. He did not turn to God for guidance as Deborah had done but allowed fear and uncertainty to overcome him.

Judge Deborah was filled with the courage of the Lord however and she must have been a splendid sight when she proclaimed victory over the hateful oppressors. Her experience as a judge and prophetess would have given her confidence and an eloquent speaking voice. So she imparted to Barak exactly where he and his men were to go and when at Mount Tabor to fight King Jabin.

Barak refused to go unless she went also. This is most inappropriate in a military figure and a man before a woman. Barak refused to take action on his own accord and in his own might. So Deborah, a woman, a wife, and most likely a mother went to war. She clearly made it known the honor of winning the battle would be given to a woman though. Judges 4:9: “And she said, 'I will surely go with you; nevertheless, the road on which you are going will not lead to your glory, for the Lord will sell Sisera into the hand of a woman.' Then Deborah got up and went with Barak to Kedesh.”

Barak also would have known Deborah heard directly from God and he would have more faith and bravery if she were present as a reminder that this was a holy war. Perhaps he just needed that backup. Certainly in his position, Barak had fought before and was a brave and heroic figure. Once assured of Deborah’s presence, he gathered his troops and stepped up to his responsibilities.

There were ten thousand men from Naphtali and Zebulon who came to fight against the King and Sisera. This seems like a lot but remember they were unarmed except for the motley weapons they could quickly make or find. The enemy had 900 war chariots, spears, javelins, knives and other weapons. The chariots would roll over the foot soldiers, leaving devastation and bloody destruction in their wake.

But the Lord God Jehovah had promised victory and release from the evil oppressors. So God sent a torrential rain that grounded the wheels of the chariots in mud so they were stuck fast. The Israelite soldiers killed every one of Sisera’s men, leaving not one alive. But Sisera abandoned his troops and climbed off his own chariot and fled for his life.

In reading the story in the Bible, one sees Sisera ran away in the opposite direction of the fight and led his men to fend for themselves. He ran from Mount Tabor all the way to a camp where Heber the Kenite lived. This could have been a journey that took two days. Certainly, Sisera intended to get as far as possible from the angry Israelites.

Jael-An Unlikely Heroine

First, here is some background information. A man named Heber lived near an area called Kadesh. He had left his people and pitched camp separately. We don’t really know why. His people were ironworkers. Perhaps, he supplied the Canaanites with chariot wheels and the like. We do know from the Biblical account that he had a friendly alliance with Jabin. So Sisera felt he would be taken in and given sanctuary at Heber’s camp and that the Israelites would not come there to look for him.

In these tribal days of the Israelites, polygamy was rampant and most men of substance had multiple wives. Each woman had her own tent where she lived and raised her children, also receiving her husband when he desired to visit her. This kept rivalry and jealousy to a minimum and respected the emotions of the women.

So when Sisera reached Heber’s camp, he came upon Jael’s tent. She was Heber’s wife and she must have seen him approaching because she went out to meet him and invited Sisera into her tent. He must have been a tired and dirty mess at this point. He had to be exhausted and famished also. So when Jael went out to meet him he left good sense and propriety behind. Men were never allowed in the homes of the women and especially were not left alone with them.

Jael knew that Sisera was running away apparently because she told him not to be afraid and for him to “Come right in.” He asked for a drink of water because he was thirsty. But Jael gave him milk and covered him up. His weariness, the milk and warm blanket made Sisera drowsy so he told her to keep watch while he slept. If anyone asked her “Is anyone in there?” she was to say no.

But Jael, for reasons unknown, had no intentions of sheltering this evil man. Once he was fast asleep she took a tent peg (approximately 7-12 inches long) and a hammer crept up to the fierce warrior and killed him! Jael, a “weak” and defenseless woman used a hammer to drive the peg into Sisera’s temple, through his head and out the other side securing it into the ground. Sisera died instantly.

This was a terrible and bloody act of desperation and bravery. Had Sisera woke up, he would have killed her without remorse. Just about this time, Barak came into the camp and Jael went out to meet him. She told him she would take him to the man he was seeking. And he also entered her tent to find Sisera dead on the ground where he had died at Jael’s feet. Imagine Barak’s surprise when he realized the woman who was given honor in victory was not even Deborah. It was Jael all the while. Deborah would have known this because of Divine revelation. But Barak was afraid to go into battle without a woman by his side and then was deprived of killing his greatest opponent because a woman did it for him.

The Israelite’s continued to fight against King Jabin and defeated him entirely. He and his evil reign were completely destroyed.

Interesting Information

• Both of these women were average wives and probably mothers. But God used them mightily. His directive for a woman to be obedient and subject to her husband is not intended to remove her from service but her spiritual gifts are increased through her natural life.
• Jael means "Mountain Goat"
• Deborah means "Bee"
• Barak means ‘lightning’--President Obama's name is not the same. It comes from the Arabic 'Barack', which is like the Hebrew word 'Baruch', or 'blessed'
• Jabin means "insight"
• Sisera might mean the equivalent of our current term "Hawk-Eye"
• Heber means "companion" or "associate"

PLEASE READ THIS COPYRIGHT NOTICE

All photographs and text on this site are protected under United States and international copyright laws (© Brenda Barnes) with all rights reserved (due credit is given to any legally used photos from other sources). Any form of unauthorized reproduction, including downloading, saving, printing or manipulating these images in any manner is a direct violation of these copyright laws.

Ok I will have to say this is my favorite story in the Bible. Why? It gives me hope that with God's supernatural strength, I can do anything. Deborah inspires me because of her wisdom and courage. But Jael's story is shocking. Way more shocking than Deborah's. Why? Because she was seemingly ordinary. She was just one of Heber's wives who became very proficient at driving tent pegs. Anyone can learn how to do something like this. It doesn't take wisdom. It is a learned skill. This mundane, ordinary skill was used by God to destroy a very evil man!!! 

"Jesus, I am just an ordinary woman who loves to study Your word. I so want to be used like these women were used. Many of Your people are in bondage. Your people have an enemy. The enemy of our soul. And the enemy of many many souls we encounter every day! They have no hope of deliverance. But if I selflessly sacrifice my abilities to Your kingdom, You will empower me to destroy the enemy!!! I give myself completely to You Oh God! Remove any selfish ambition from me! I give myself to You for the furtherance of Your Gospel! I can do ALL things through You who strengthens me! To You be the Glory! In the Precious name of Jesus I pray this, AMEN."

Luke 4:18

Amplified Bible (AMP)

¹⁸ The Spirit of the Lord [is] upon Me, because He has anointed Me [the Anointed One, the Messiah] to preach the good news (the Gospel) to the poor; He has sent Me to announce release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to send forth as delivered those who are oppressed [who are downtrodden, bruised, crushed, and broken down by calamity],