Politically there was no central government or authority. There was no strong, permanent leadership like that which Joshua had provided.  The judges came up, they died  and everything bad started all over again. 

Spiritually idolatry lurked around every corner and was often the order of the day.  It was a time of great instability, the tribes had settled in their allotted areas but there was a steady cycle of war and peace with different Canaanite nations. There was a recurring problem with idolatry as the people tried to serve Yahweh and the local Canaanite gods at the same time. The constant refrain in Judges is that: “there was no King in Israel: everyone did what was right in his own eyes”. 

At that time in Israel, a “judge” was almost never a person who passed judgment on certain cases, or who acted in the most common sense of the word. They might have exercised some judicial function, but their primary task was to be a military leader. Usually, the Israelites were free from oppression as long as the judge lived. 

Note that these leaders were called by God, sustained by God, and helped by God. They always faced insurmountable obstacles, but God worked everything out. 

We are told about Israel being delivered by more than a dozen people, the prominent ones being Othniel (3:7-11), Ehud (3:12-31), Deborah (chapter 4-5), Gideon (chapters 6-8), Jephthah (10:6-12:7), and Samson (chapters 13-16).  But there were others we know little about such as Shamgar (4:31), Tola (10:1-2), Jair (10:3-5), Ibzan (12:8-10), Elon (12:11-12), and Abdon (12:13-15). 

In today’s lesson we study the deliverance brought through Deborah, but before her the painful pattern of sin, judgment, and relief, was already well established. We are told of Othniel and Ehud who delivered Israel from their tormentors but the people returned to their evil ways as soon as those judges died.   

The ‘raising-up’ of a woman to be a judge was a commentary on the times, for women were not normally judges. To show the dreadful situation of the nation in even more stark reality, the woman actually went to war with the troops. 

In this situation God called on a woman to wage war.  Note he did not call on men to be the Judge this time.  Everything was flipped around.  How bad can things get!  Women are not supposed to go to war, they are supposed to be calling on men to defend them and their children, men are supposed to be brave and protect their families.  These were not normal times.  

Remember now that we are dealing with people in the Covenant who have disregarded God and disregarded their oath.  The Commandments of God and the desires of God meant little.  They were attracted by the freedom and liberty offered by the pagan gods, and they ‘drank deeply’. 

Now it is easy to rally around and do right when there is strong leadership.  Godly, visible leadership always helps and when older, mature believers are in control, things generally would go better. So the weakness and absence of godly leadership resulted in Israel going through three to four centuries of decline, disunity and moral compromise. 

The New Testament warns against false teachers, false leaders, leadership without integrity and leadership that does not follow the truths and principles of God.

When necessary God allowed and deliberately brought very painful oppression to those in the Covenant, in order to force the people to come back to him, not to rely on the flesh and on those outside of God for security. 

Of course, these lessons are very important for us, for we like Israel are dealing with a God who loves those in the Covenant and will not allow them to go their own way.  He will allow oppression and bondage, often for a long time, so that people would experience life without His constant guidance and then cry out to Him. 

Note that God used different oppressors at different times, showing that he can use a multitude of people and things to get our attention and get us back into line.  Those whom He loves He chastens and this chastening produces the peaceable fruits of righteousness, for those who are his children. 

We should note carefully that the history lesson we study in chapter four is told in prose and then repeated in poetry with additional details in chapter five.   

When we compare the two accounts, we see that the battle fought at the foot of Mount Tabor was not just an ordinary battle, but was one fourth by spiritual forces involving the Lord God himself.  

We can learn from this that seemingly ordinary events are not necessarily ordinary, for they are really spiritual realities behind everything that happens. 

We should be mindful that every wicked thing done to the people of God, behind every institution or organization which has destructive purposes, is the hand of our enemy Satan.  So taken together chapters four and five gives us an insight as to what is really happening around us.

THE TEXT

Verse 1-3.   These verses provide the setting for the story of Deborah and Barak. The Israelites were once again in rebellion against God, indulging in idol worship and other disgusting Canaanite practices. This followed the death of their latest deliverer Ehud, whom God had mercifully raised up to rescue them from Canaanite oppression.  

Eighty years of peace was not enough to anchor their minds on God. As long as the leaders lived they managed to restrain every move toward idolatry and they kept the people close to God, but as soon as they were gone, they slid downward.  It appears that they were more afraid of the godly leaders that they were afraid of God.  

On this occasion their tormentors were King Jabin of Canaan and his general Sisera. Here Israel was under the direct discipline of God, as we read that God had sold them into the hands of King Jabin.  

The turning away from God by the people, is directly connected to the death of Ehud on the one hand and the deliverance of Israel into the power of Jabin on the other and clearly shows that when Ehud was alive, he kept the people from idolatry and defended them against their enemies. 

Note that under Joshua, Israel triumphed over all armies and Sisera’s army, his nine hundred chariots of iron notwithstanding, would have been defeated by Israel, had they been faithful to the Covenant. Previously God delivered the enemies of Israel into their hands, under His judgment, they are delivered into the hands of their enemies. 

Note that this enemy Jabin king of Hazor, (the name was apparently a title of the king) had been previously destroyed. Joshua 11 records that Joshua had defeated the grandfather of the current “Jabin” though he and his allies had military power;“even as the sand that is upon the sea shore in multitude, with horses and chariots many”.   

Israel then had no need to fear their enemies.  All they had to do was to obey God and remain under his protection  but they did not. The cycle began: first apostasy, then painful bondage, then supplication to God. 

We know what the pain of Israel was when they were dominated by Jabin, the current king of Canaan and Sisera, his general.  In chapter 5, verses 6-8, we are told of the utter defeat of the people of God, and the degrading situation in which Israel lived. 

Open farming had been destroyed.  The villages were abandoned. The peasantry did not exist anymore.  There was no commerce, no trading, and normal travel, for the highways were almost completely deserted.  The people had to travel by hidden by-ways and through the forests in order to get from one place to the other. 

The military situation was so bad, that the judge mentioned in chapter three named Shamgar, had to use an ox goad, which is just a sharp stick, to kill six hundred Philistines; he had no better weapon. 

We are then told that Israel had no weapons at all, just a few wooden clubs, (Chapter 5:8).  This is explained by the fact that though iron working had been introduced from some distant Greek areas of the Mediterranean, apparently, Israel had been so weakened that they were forbidden to develop an iron working industry.  The Philistines had a monopoly on the making of iron.  So Israel had to go up to Harosheth, the name means “smiths of the Gentiles” (4: 13) to get their plowshares or other such implements made or sharpened, but they certainly could not turn these into weapons, and hence Deborah’s chilling statement in 5:8. Armies without iron weapons were at a great disadvantage. 

So these were dark days, days of immense pain and suffering and the leaders and people of Israel were fearful of their future.  The people were overwhelmed. Commerce was dead, farming was dead, travel was severely limited and there were no weapons that one could use to defend oneself against the superior armaments of the Canaanites.

Verse 4.   That was the setting in Israel and there was no one to deliver them from their terrible oppression. 

Note also that one of the deliverers of Israel does not even appear to be an Israelite but a ‘stranger’, for his name Shamgar, was not a Jewish name.  He is called a deliverer but not a judge. Then Jael, who figures prominently in our story also had a non- Israelite name, and on top of that was a woman, certainly not a military figure. 

A clear sign of the times, there was now an amazing woman, Deborah, a prophetess, who is named as the ‘judge’ in Israel

(Isaiah 3:12). Prophetess meaning one on whom the Spirit of God descended, and who was the instrument of conveying to the Israelites the knowledge of the divine will, in things sacred and civil. 

These are not normal times, but in all the shifting circumstances and changes, God remains the same, ever faithful and true to his promises.  God responds to the cries of the Israelites and will do his work of liberation through Deborah the prophetess. 

Deborah means ‘bee’ and she busily employed herself in the service of God and her countrymen, as prophetess and judge. She did not judged as a sovereign or under civil authority but as a prophetess, as God’s mouth to the people, particularly in those matters pertaining to God. 

Note that she had four different functions.  She is described as first a prophetess, telling people what God thinks, then second, a judge, calling the people back to truth and justice.  Third, she is “a mother in Israel” (chapter 5), which means that she is one who nourished children and fourth, she was a wife, so she knew about relationships and how this had to be managed between men and women. 

Some translate the term ‘wife of Lapidoth’ as a ‘woman of Lapidoth’.

Verse 5.   …she dwelt…means her house was shaded by a palm tree or she sat to judge the people under a palm tree, which became known as the ‘palm tree of Deborah’.  In deference to her modesty or given the climate of the times, she did not sit in the usual place, "the gate".

 (See Ruth 4:1-2; Prov 22:22). These were, you remember, very unusual and dangerous times.  

The expression "came up" is not merely a reference to the higher elevation of Mount Ephraim but gives eminence to the place of justice as a spiritual height as in Deut 17:8. Apparently the Israelites came up to her for judgment from all over and this speaks to the high regard she held among the people. 

It is important to note though what was happening.  Bethel was quite some distance away from the land of Naphtali and Zebulun which is at the center of our story.  Ephraim is fifty miles to the south of this area, and to get from there to Bethel where Deborah was, the people had to pass Shiloh, the spiritual center of Israel where the Ark, the Tabernacle and the priest were.   

There was no help in that “spiritual center”, no leadership, no righteous priesthood and so the people found out about Deborah as a woman of the Word of God, and they came to her.   

Some might very well ask at this stage, What is a woman doing leading?  Things were really bad and there were apparently very few men willing to listen to the instructions of God. 

The New Testament teaches that God grants the gift of prophecy to women and they are instructed to practice it appropriately.  See 1 Corinthians 11: 5.  There are several other prophetesses mention in the Bible such as Miriam (Exodus 15:20), Huldah (2 Kings 22:14), Anna (Luke 2:36), and Phillip’s four daughters (Acts 21:8-9). 

1 Corinthians 11:5 tells us that a woman who is prophesying must do so with her head covered, so as not to bring dishonor on the head.  The covering of the head by women was a sign of obvious submission to male leadership in the church, as also evidenced by the wearing of a veil. 

It is clear that a woman was to use her gift and be guided by the established order, just like anyone else, including the leaders in the church. 

Deborah would not usurp the leadership of Barak, but would certainly rebuke him for his fears, and prophesy that his impressive military actions would count for less than he would expect. 

Note also that they Bible does not hesitate to praise women for their heroic actions and their leadership, taking the initiative when required.  We only have to read the story in 9:53-57, when a woman acted at Thebez, throwing a millstone on Abimelech’s head when he was terrorizing the place. We also read about the wise woman of Tekoa. 

There is no doubt that women can be and are greatly used by God.  The issue is not one of male superiority or female inferiority but one of God ordained  headship, final accountability.  Remember that Jesus was under the headship and authority of His Father, according to John 5:19, without being inferior in any way, according to John 1:1 and 10:30. 

In this regard we can look at this issue in light of

-God's ordained order (1 Corinthians 11:3),

-Gods order of creation (1 Corinthians 11:8-9)

-the presence of the watching angels (1 Corinthians 11:10), and

-in light of the nature of the fall. (1Timothy 2:14)

Verse 6-7.   We are told that Deborah the prophetess, sent and called for Barak, who lived in Kadesh, some eight miles from Hazor, the power center where the enemies of Israel were.  He certainly seem to have been living in the center of the oppression.   

It is suggested that the name of the place in which he lived was a holy site.  In that case though he was living in the center of oppression he knew, the Lord but was either powerless, or simply afraid to act. 

This was not where the armies hostile to Israel were stationed however.  They were at the foot of Mount Carmel thirty miles southwest of Hazor, near the banks of the Kishon River, and sitting on the flat rich farmland of Israel, ideally suited for chariot operations.

The name Barak means ‘lightning’ and he might already have had a reputation as a warrior. 

Deborah speaks of God as Yahweh, the covenant keeping God of Israel, to remind the Israelites in the time of their calamity, that God would be faithful regarding the mercies he had promised to their fathers in His covenant. This title would also call to mind His past acts of mercy toward them in Egypt, at the Red Sea, in the wilderness, and in the conquest of Canaan. It was a title of hope and comfort. 

Deborah’s question which is sometimes translated as a statement, suggests that Barak might had already received some indication, that he should engage Sisera and his forces or that God had already commanded him to do as Deborah was now instructing. One writer notes:

If so, the spirit of prophesy in Deborah confirms the spirit of a soldier in Barak  

Deborah must have wielded some authority in God’s name, to summon Barak and then commission him to raise an army.  But note that she was summoning a man who every day saw the power of the enemy king, his large army, his allies and his chariots of iron and he was probably trying to forget the difficult situation. 

Note that even in the worst of times God has his people who are looking to Him and waiting on Him to fulfill his promises.

(See Simeon and Anna). 

Barak finally shows up however and Deborah gives him marching instructions.  He was told by Deborah, a prophetess, a woman who was certainly not a military genius, that he was to position himself and his army, drawn from specific tribal areas, in a particular way. 

Note that the maneuver she instructed that he go up to Mount Tabor with ten thousand men, while another party would go down to the river Kishon and draw Jabin and his nine hundred chariot plus foot soldiers army to the river, does not appear to be sound military strategy. 

Barak is really to provoke Sisera to attack this thirty thousand man Israelite army foolishly assembling on the flat lands, making it easy for him to destroy them with his mobile iron chariots.  It seems that when Sisera attacks one group, Barak would sweep down from the mountain and hit his army unexpectedly. (Read chapter 5). 

The trek to Mount Tabor would bring Barak and his forces close to the tribes of Benjamin and Ephraim and we learn in chapter five that other tribes, though not all, joined in the battle against Sisera and his forces. 

Mount Tabor rose out of a plain (Esdraelon ) and the movement of such a large force of men across the plain would not go un-noticed and would be sure to reach the ear of King Jabin and his general Sisera. Barak knew that to obey Deborah would certainly lead to armed conflict with Sisera. 

Note that this proposal of Deborah was not sound military strategy. 

Here were two armies about to fight, one with forty thousand men, with no shields all weapons, dominated for twenty years, no ability or experience in fighting, led by a commander who only had twenty years of defeat behind him, probably to be accompanied by a female judge with no military experience. On the other side, Sisera with nine hundred iron chariots, lots of well armed soldiers with iron weapons, military strategists and the confidence of ruling over a dispirited people. 

The chariots would have an advantage on the plains, and when the Israelite army was there, and Barak’s men joined them it would be a bloodbath, Sisera felt.   

So Deborah confidently affirmed to Barak that God would deliver his enemies into his hands.  This was certainly a woman of God, who knew the mind of God, and who was dedicated to following his instruction without fear or favour. 

It is to be noted that the brook or stream Kishon meanders lazily through the plain of Esdraelon on its way to the Sea of Galilee; but near its source it can suddenly become a dangerous torrent and overflow its banks in early spring, after rain or the melting of snow.  The ground on the banks of the Kishon would then become an impassable morass, and severely limit the mobility of chariots. Sisera must have known this and if it was the rainy season, he would not have deployed his chariots in such a dangerous location. This indicates that it was an unexpected and untimely rain that turned the battle into the advantage of the Israelites. It was through her gift of prophecy that Deborah knew this and set in motion the events that led to the great victory.  

Deborah delivered the full message from God to Barak. God will draw Sisera out to battle and He, God would deliver Sisera and his army into the hands of Barak. She gave him an express promise of success. 

In fixing the place of battle where Sisera would move his army, Deborah gave Barak something he could check off, which when it happened would strengthen his faith that the rest of her prophecy would also be fulfilled.

Verse 8.   In one sense, Barak was rightly concerned about King Jabin’s army under the command of Sisera, for it was indeed  a formidable force. They had  nine hundred chariots with iron-rimmed wheels, a mechanized division as it were. But on the other hand there was the assurance from God through Deborah. Barak ‘s faith wavered and he would only go if Deborah consented to go along with him. Some excuse Barak saying he knew the presence of the prophetess would embolden his soldiers, in the face of such a strong enemy. 

Then again other leaders have also expressed a reluctance to deliver Israel from trouble.  Moses was at first unwilling to lead Israel out of Egypt, and Gideon also conveniently considered himself to be the least worthy to undertake the assignment. Barak as a good soldier recognized the great difficulty and danger of the mission and needed the assurance that the presence of Deborah would provide. 

Barak was clearly very impressed with Deborah, whom he must have perceived as a true prophetess and thus one through whom God spoke. If Deborah was with him, he would literally have God’s voice in his ear, advising and directing the battle. Nevertheless we can see fear and lack of trust in the power of God in this man.  The fact that based on reason his apprehension makes sense doesn't make it right.  This man, like many other men since his day, and living nowadays, should rightly be rebuked.

Verse 9-10.   Deborah, a remarkable person in every respect, agreed to go with Barak, but as a rebuke for his lack of faith, her going would possibly damage his reputation as a soldier.  Still every one knew that Barak was courageous and that this situation was an impossible one. 

He certainly was willing to fight the war, but he was uncertain of the role that God had obviously wanted of him. 

If men say they are in leadership and that God wants them to be leaders, they have no right to behave like Barak. 

The defeat of Sisera would be taken out of his hand; for God was going to deliver Sisera into the hands of a woman and this was one battle Barak would not be talking about.  Still Barak preferred the peace of mind that came with Deborah than his reputation or any medal. 

Women soldiers were not yet ‘invented’ in Israel but these were not normal times and Deborah’s courage and willingness is a sharp contrast to Barak’s timidity. 

Barak probably thought the woman must be Deborah. The prophecy was only explained by its fulfillment. Her presence as a prophetess would give a divine sanction to Barak's attempt to rally the tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali. To Barak himself it would be a pledge of her truth and sincerity 

Barak raised the army from Naphtali and Benjamin as Deborah had commanded, though chapter five indicates he had volunteers from some of the other tribes.

…at his feet…means his army was strictly infantry for he had no chariots or the soldiers were willingly at his command.

Verse 12 – 13.  

Sure enough Sisera was informed by some confederates of the movement of  Barak’s forces and immediately mobilized his troops. He had nine hundred chariots and a multitude of Philistines and other soldiers.

He deployed his forces at the river Kishon, where he no doubt imagined that his superior force of nine hundred chariots and support troops would make short work of the Israelites.  Sisera advanced up the valley, moving his troops along the dry river bed

Verse 14.   It was for just such a situation that Barak insisted on the presence of Deborah, she delivers the word from God to attack. Any battlefield commander with the knowledge that God had gone out before him and had delivered the enemy into his hand would have been embolden, regardless of the enemy. Assured that God was in the lead, Barak and his forces swept down from Mount Tabor to attack Sisera’s forces.

In every undertaking it is good to be satisfied that God is in the lead and that we are rightly about our duty under his direction.

Verse 15.   God himself is said to have discomfited the enemy forces. We would not know the details of how God defeated this enemy except for the details of chapter 5.

They were overcome by some demoralising and crippling dread that put them in an unaccountable confusion and so they were destroyed  to a man, except for Sisera. Chapter 5:19-21 suggests that some divine intervention with the River Kishon played a part in the destruction of  Sisera’a army.

Ironically, Sisera abandoned his chariot and fled on foot to escape the slaughter. His chariots were supposed to have given him an unassailable advantage over the Israelite foot soldiers but instead seemed to have facilitated their defeat. The chariots of iron were not merely useless, bogged down in the mud; but the charioteers, trapped in their mired vehicles were an easy prey to Barak's men.

No weapon formed against the people of God can prevail, when God leads the charge.

Verse 16.   Barak’s victorious soldiers pursued the remnant of the enemies to Sisera’s headquarters at Harosheth and completely wiped out that army.

This astounding victory could not have been foreseen and it was  nothing short of a Divine intervention on behalf of God’s people. The covenant keeping God planned and orchestrated the engagement, to once again deliver his people from oppression according to his covenant promises.

The rest of the chapter details yet another providential element in the story of Deborah, Barak and Sisera. God had promised to deliver Sisera into the hand of a woman and that is dramatically recorded in the remaining verses. 

CONCLUSION

God did it.  He planned the battle, he gave the instructions through his agent, he controlled the forces of nature, and he decided who would get the honor because of weakness in the male leadership.

Note that the prophetess Deborah encouraged Barak, and she encouraged all of Israel.

She stands out as a woman of the Word, and she called the men to knowledge and obedience to the Word of God.

Her important role was as a “mother in Israel”.  God gave her the opportunity and as a mother she had a tremendous impact on her times and on her people.  This role was as important as everything else that she ever did.

It is interesting to note too that when the book of Hebrews tells us of the roll call of heroes of faith several judges are mentioned and included there is Barak.  So we know that his faith, though not as it should be, was very strong, and was commendable.  He was prepared, despite any weakness, to put his life on the line. 

The fact that Deborah had told him he would not get the honor of killing Sisera did not stop him from doing his work, destroying the armies of Jabin, and pursuing Sisera make sure that he was finished off.

It is noteworthy that Hebrews 11 does not mention Deborah.  She certainly had great faith, but her role and place in history was not only to be a leader, but more importantly to have, in her own words the role to be a “mother in Israel”.

She saw herself as not only helping her people with wisdom and truth, but standing behind Barak, calling on him to stand up like a man, encouraging him, telling him about the ministry that God had given him, and standing behind him, letting him take the credit.

So we point out to the women of the faith that they must be like Deborah, a “mother in Israel”.  That is their role.

That is a great ministry, one that people of God can never ever do without.  The congregation of God would collapse and suffer great, irreparable loss if this great ministry that women have is not carried out in our lives.

The women of God must understand that they are needed, and they must not resist the example of Deborah. So their job is often to tell the men:

 “Arise!  For this is the day in which the Lord has given your enemies into your hands.  The Lord has gone on before you”.

This was the turning point in Israel.  It will be the turning point in our lives if the women do what they ought to do.

All of God’s promises will be fulfilled, both those of blessings and those of cursings. God can and will get his people’s attention with stiff discipline.

The consequences of sin are far reaching, unpredictable and attack all that God has constituted. Though not in our text but related to the battle, in chapter five we read that some of the tribes did not care to help their brothers fight their common enemy.