Judges 4-5: Deborah and Jael: God's Women of Mass Destruction
Introduction
Who is the hub of the family? Who provides the social lubrication? Who makes sure the birthdays aren’t forgotten? Or that Christmas is duly recognized? The wives and mothers.
Who’s left holding the baby, literally? When the bloke walks out, who is there for the kids? Who catches all the balls that have all been dropped? Who picks up the pieces after the disaster? Who sticky tapes the family together? Wives and mums.
Who is the last line of defence? Who will throw themselves in front of their children when all other defences fail? Mums.
Today we are going to see a woman who God raises up as a mother for Israel. When the leaders fail to the lead, Deborah steps up, under God, to do what the leaders should have done.
Indeed, chapters 4 and 5 of Judges come to us with a unique feminine perspective. We see things through Deborah’s eyes, and then through Jael’s eyes, and even through Sisera’s mother’s eyes.
Context
So far we’ve seen Israel’s spiraling cycle of sin outlined, in Judges chapter 2. The cycle is this. The people follow Yahweh until Joshua dies. When Joshua dies, they turn to other gods (see Judges 5:8). So God sends other nations to punish Israel. Then, they cry out to Yahweh, so he sends a judge. And they follow Yahweh until that judge dies. But after the judge dies, they get worse than they were before. So they are punished. So they cry out, so God sends another judge, who saves them. And they follow Yahweh until that judge dies. But then they get even worse. And the cycle continues, on and on through Judges. That is the pattern. And so far we’ve seen three judges.
Othniel, the Spirit-filled savior from the tribe of Judah. The archetypal Warrior-Judge who meets the enemy in battle. Then Ehud, the sinister minister, the left handed assassin from Benjamin. Then Shamgar, the foreigner who saves with a pointy stick.
The Crisis: Jabin and Sisera, Canaanites with Chariots (Judges 4:1-3)
After Ehud died, Israel did evil in the eyes of Yahweh. Actually, they added to their evil. They got worse.
And so God delivered Israel into the hands of twin villains, Jabin, king of Canaan, and Sisera, his general. And these enemies had technological supremacy. They had 900 iron chariots. For 20 years, Jabin and Sisera violently oppressed Israel. Previously, Egypt threated Israel with chariots. But God proved himself more powerful than chariots. So chariots should be no problem with God on your side. But when God becomes your enemy, Chariots are a problem. And God has become Israel’s enemy.
Deborah: A Working Woman, Wife, Mother (Judges 4:4-9; 5:7)
At this time, Yahweh provided Israel with Deborah, the first and only female judge. And she is very good at multi-tasking. She had to… probably because of the lack of male leadership.
Deborah is first of all said to be a ‘woman’. This is her distinctiveness in the book of Judges. Ehud was left handed. Barak was timid and weak. Samson had his fatal attraction. But Deborah is a woman, from the physically weaker sex.
Then Deborah is a prophetess. God gives her messages to pass on for Israel.
Then Deborah also is a wife. Her husband is Lappidoth. Whatever other jobs God gives her, her marriage cannot be ignored.
And finally, she was judging Israel at the time. Chapter 4 verse 5 makes it clear that of all the judges of Israel, Deborah is the only one described as actually judging between the people of Israel. Judges chapter 4 verse 5:
She held court under the Palm of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites came to her to have their disputes decided. (Judges 4:5 NIV)
Deborah is pictured as settling the disputes for Israel. She is a judge in the sense we understand it. It is not surprising that Deborah describes herself as a mother in Israel (Judges 5:7).
Now, in our political system, we have separation of powers. Judicial power is exercised by judges and courts. They decide between parties. Legislative power is exercised by parliaments. They make laws. Military and police power is exercised by the executive government. They execute and enforce laws.
And it seems that Deborah wanted to simply be a judge. She was happy to settle the cases of her people. A judge Judy in the hills of Ephraim. She didn’t want to execute and enforce the laws, just settle the disputes.
But there is some knife work that needs doing. And Deborah would much rather the soldiers do that work. Chapter 4 verse 6, Deborah calls in Barak of Naphtali. And as a prophetess, with the authority of Yahweh, she directs Barak to take 10,000 footsoldiers from Zebulun and Naphtali and leave the safety of the mountains. They are to march into a ravine with a dried up river in the dry season. And of course, from a military perspective, the 10,000 footsoldiers are at a disadvantage, for the chariots are free to roll on the dry plain. But Yahweh through his prophetess promises Barak, ‘I will lure Sisera …and give him into your hands’ (Judges 4:7).
God is setting Sisera a trap. Barak and his 10,000 are the bait. Sisera will be lured into the place where he thinks he has the military advantage. And then Yahweh, Israel’s secret weapon, will win the victory.
But sadly, Barak doesn’t seem to trust either Deborah’s word or God’s promise. Verse 8:
Barak said to her, ‘If you go with me, I will go, but if you don’t go with me, I won’t go’. (NIV)
‘I will only go if you hold my hand’. Or, ‘I will only go if you come as my insurance’. Maybe Barak thinks, ‘If Deborah goes with me, then she believes what she is telling me. That way, I can test whether she really is speaking the truth. Does she believe it herself?’
Or maybe he is even thinking, ‘Deborah can be my human shield against Yahweh’. ‘That way Yahweh will have to keep his word’.
There is wisdom in Barak’s request. But it is worldly wisdom. It is not the wisdom of faith.
Nevertheless, Deborah accepts Barak’s condition. She is prepared to walk onto the battlefield with Barak. She believes her own press and story. But there is a cost to Barak for his insurance policy, his worldly prudence. Verse 9:
‘Very well’, Deborah said, ‘I will go with you. But because of the way you are going about this, the honour will not be yours, for the LORD will hand Sisera over to a woman’. (Judges 4:9 NIV)
It is as if God is saying, ‘You want a woman as insurance? Well, then a woman will get the battlefield glory, not you. And the coming generations will sing songs about her, not about you.
This is a rebuke to Barak. Barak was meant to be a leader. And leaders are meant to lead. But sadly, it looks like Barak prefers to hide behind Deborah’s skirt.
The Trap is Sprung: Israel’s victory (Judges 4:13-16)
God sets the trap. And sure enough, the bait is too tempting for Sisera. Sisera hears of the movement of Deborah and Barak’s troops. He musters his 900 chariots, together with all his footsoldiers stationed with him. And Sisera goes to the dried up river valley, thinking that the battle is his for the taking, just as it has been for the last 20 years.
But this time, things are different, very different. Verse 14:
Then Deborah said to Barak, ‘Go! This is the day the LORD has given Sisera into your hands. Has not the LORD gone out ahead of you.’ (NIV)
Yahweh, the God of Israel has gone before to make Deborah and Barak’s victory certain. Yahweh goes ahead of his human soldiers to win the victory.
And it is the same with us. The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ goes ahead of us, And the sovereign God prepares the hearts of those he has chosen to receive the gospel. The victory belongs to God, who opens the heart, who makes blind eyes see and who prepares the ground for the gospel seed. And when we engage in our battle, by sharing the good news of Jesus Christ and his death and resurrection, we discover that, in some, God has already gone ahead, preparing hearts to receive the good news of Jesus. So verse 15:
At Barak’s advance, the LORD routed Sisera and all his chariots and army by the sword, and Sisera abandoned his chariot and fled on foot.
So much for the technological advantage of chariots. With Yahweh on your side, the chariots are death traps.
And with that same God, now known as Father, Son and Holy Spirit, if God go before us, the world, the flesh and the devil will flee before us. And the gospel as our secret weapon, the news that Jesus is King of the universe, and his death and resurrection proclaims him Lord will carry all before us.
And after God goes before the Israelites, all that remains of Sisera’s soldiers and chariots, is one man. Only one remains - Sisera himself, on the run.
Jael: The Sneaky Woman with a Tent Peg (Judges 4:17-22)
Sisera might have escaped the battlefield. He might have escaped Barak. But Sisera hasn’t escaped from Yahweh.
Now Sisera is on foot. And he flees to where he thinks he will receive a friendly welcome. He goes to the tents of Heber. Because he knows he has friends there.
And that is Sisera’s fatal mistake. We saw last week that God is prepared to use sinister Ehud to kill Eglon. And in this account, God is prepared to use sneaky Jael to nail Sisera.
The Kenite’s are Moses’ in-laws. Whether it is because Jael is more loyal to Israel than she is to Sisera, or simply because she is a survivor and can feel the winds of change blowing, Jael uses the opportunity to kill Sisera, the cruel enemy of God’s people.
The story is of a dreadful murder of an exhausted man in his sleep. But the book of Judges leaves no sympathy for Sisera. Just as so many Americans rejoiced when they heard Osama Bin Laden was killed, so the Israelites rejoiced when their oppressor and enemy of 20 years was dead.
Just as Yahweh lured Sisera into the plain, so Jael lured Sisera into her tent. Jael calls him Lord and bids him not to fear. He asked for a little water, and she gave him a milk shake and yoghurt. She tucks him in with a lovely warm blanket. And then, when he is fast asleep, she impales him through the head with a large iron tent peg.
Just as the seed of the woman will strike the serpents head, so the woman here strikes the head of the enemy of God’s people. And that was the beginning of the end of Jabin’s rule. In the end, he was cut off from the land, and troubled Israel no more. Ehud was sneaky as a left-hander. Jael was a sneaky woman. Both looked friendly and safe. But neither was. But both brought freedom for Israel. And freedom leads to singing.
Barak should have beaten Sisera in battle. But because of his only qualified obedience, the great victories God gave him remain overshadowed by Jael’s achievements. It is Jael’s cunning and treachery that is celebrated, not Barak’s valiant deeds.
Sisera’s Mum: Life on the Losing Side (Judges 5:28-31)
It is interesting that Deborah’s song focuses on the defeat in a particularly feminine way. Judges 5 verses 28 to 31 adopt the perspective of Sisera’s mother. What was she thinking as she waited for her son to return?
In verse 28, she cries shrilly, in a panic, ‘Why is he so late?’ And the irony of the wise princesses’ words is clear. ‘Oh, you know what the men are like. They are each choosing a girl or two as their sex slave. They are choosing colourful linen to bring back as loot.
Maybe such had happened over the past 20 years. But not any more. For Yahweh has heard his people and fought for them.
When the Leaders Lead (Judges 5:2, 9)
What can we take away from this story?
The first is a word for woman. Here is a heroine for you to emulate. Deborah. We can see the skill, determination and success of a godly woman. Deborah gave leadership and wisdom when others were failing. She carried her people with her. They came to her for judgment, such was the reputation of her discernment. And she did in wartime what the Proverbs 31 woman did in peacetime. She was a mother who provided for her people. Proverbs 31 verses 10 to 31:
10 A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies. 11 Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value. 12 She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life. 13 She selects wool and flax and works with eager hands. 14 She is like the merchant ships, bringing her food from afar. 15 She gets up while it is still dark; she provides food for her family and portions for her servant girls. 16 She considers a field and buys it; out of her earnings she plants a vineyard. 17 She sets about her work vigorously; her arms are strong for her tasks. 18 She sees that her trading is profitable, and her lamp does not go out at night. 19 In her hand she holds the distaff and grasps the spindle with her fingers. 20 She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy. 21 When it snows, she has no fear for her household; for all of them are clothed in scarlet. 22 She makes coverings for her bed; she is clothed in fine linen and purple. 23 Her husband is respected at the city gate, where he takes his seat among the elders of the land. 24 She makes linen garments and sells them, and supplies the merchants with sashes. 25 She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come. 26 She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue. 27 She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. 28 Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: 29 "Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all." 30 Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised. 31 Give her the reward she has earned, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate. (Proverbs 31:10-31 NIV)
I think this passage also is a warning to men. It’s an implicit warning for men to be men and lead. Notice how the men in the story are the weak characters. Barak will only go into battle protected by Deborah. Sisera foolishly put his faith in a friendly female.
There is a better way for men to act. Chapter 5 verse 2:
When the princes [more literally, leaders] in Israel take the lead, when the people willingly offer themselves, - praise the LORD. (NIV)
Again, chapter 5 verse 9:
My heart is with Israel’s princes [literally, leaders] with the willing volunteers among the people – praise the LORD! (NIV)
Men are made leaders and protectors. They are meant to be the initiators. But we live in a time of a crisis in male leadership. Men don’t know what it is to be a man any more. If you believed the stereotype, it’s manly to behave badly, to swear, to leer, to be brash and rude, to make conquests and move on.
Deborah wanted Barak and the leaders of Israel to take the lead and willingly offer themselves for service. But they only did so in a qualified way. They wanted to sure up their position before they offered their service. During Deborah’s time, there weren’t even any weapons among God’s people (Judges 5:8). That’s not taking responsibility for defense.
Only certain tribes offered themselves. Some came in for criticism. Zebulun and Naphtali willingly volunteered for war (Judges 5:18). But Reuben lounged between the sheep pens (Judges 5:15-16). Gilead settled safely on the other side of the Jordan (Judges 5:17). Dan and Asher stayed by their seaside retreats (Judges 5:17)
Gentlemen, we need to offer distinctively male leadership. It is leadership that takes the initiative in seeking to serve God’s people, and particularly our women and children. It fights when necessary. It does so to protect women, children and our people.
There is something that feels not quite right when we send our women into the SAS. I know it’s not politically correct to say it. And we will give it to them if they really want it. But do you really think we have ‘made it’ as a culture and a country because our women are now free to join the SAS, to kill and be killed by the Taliban? Isn’t there something in men doing the yucky jobs and protecting women?
On second thoughts, we do have a model man. We do have a captain who we can copy. Jesus Christ. Philippians 2:6-11:
6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7 but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death-- even death on a cross! 9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:6-11 NIV)
Here is our model man. And unlike Barak, he gets the glory – all of it. But whether men will stand up and do what they should, or whether they’ll leave it to their women to do, Deborah shows us one thing. God will save his people his way. And if the men don’t go and play their part, the women will, much to the men’s shame.
Let’s pray.
Translation
Judges 4-5 4:1And the sons of Israel again added to do the evil in eyes of YHWH, and Ehud died. 2 And YHWH sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor. And the chief of his army [was] Sisera, and he was dwelling in Harosheth of the nations. 3And the sons of Israel cried out to YHWH, because of [the] nine hundred chariots of iron belonging to him, and he oppressed the sons of Israel with violence twenty years.
4And Deborah, a woman, a prophetess, wife of Lappidoth, she [emph] was judging Israel at that time. 5And she [emph] [was] dwelling underneath the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel [house of God] in the hill country of Ephraim. And the sons of Israel came up to her for judgment.
6And she sent and she called Barak the son of Abinoam from Kedesh of Naphtali, and she said to him, ‘Has not YHWH the God of Israel commanded, ‘Go and draw in the hill country of Tabor and to take with you (s) ten thousand men from the sons of Naphtali and from the sons of Zebulun.7And I will draw to you (s) to the wadi [a valley that is dry except in the rainy season] Kishon, Sisera, chief of the army of Jabin and his chariotry and his crowd and I will put him in your (s) hand.’ 8And Barak said to her, ‘If you (fs) will go with me, also I will go, and if you will not go with me, I will not go.’ 9And she said, ‘I will certainly go with you (fs). Only, because [of] your way which you are walking, your glory will not be upon [you], because Yahweh will sell Sisera in the hand of a woman.’ And Deborah arose and she walked with Barak to Kedesh. 10And Barak called together Zebulun and Naphtali at Kedesh. And he went up [with] 10,000 men by his feet, and Deborah went up with him.
11And Heber the Kenite was separated from Cain from the sons of Hobab father in law of Moses and he stretched his tent[s] as far as the Terebinth in Zaanannim which is with Kedesh.12And [it was] declared to Sisera that Barak son of Abinoam went up the hill country of Tabor. 13And Sizera called together all his chariotry, nine hundred iron chariots, and all the people which was with him from Harosheth of the nations to the Wadi of Kishon. 14And then Deborah said to Barak, ‘Arise, because this is the day which Yahweh has given Sisera in your (s) hand. Has not Yahweh gone out before you?’’
And Barak went down from the hill country of Tabor, and 10,000 men after him. 15And Yahweh confused Sisera and all the chariotry and all the camp to the mouth of the sword before Barak, and Sisera went down from upon the chariot and he fled with his feet. 16And Barak pursued after the chariotry and after the camp as far as Harosheth of the nations, and all the camp of Sisera fell to the mouth of the sword. There was not left as many as one. 17And Sisera fled with his feet to the tent of Jael, woman/wife of Heber of the Kenites, for [there was] peace between Jabin King of Hazor and between the house of Heber the Kenite. 18And Jael went out to call Sisera and she said unto him, ‘Turn aside, my Lord, turn aside to me. Do not fear.’ And he turned aside to her, to her tent. And she covered him with a rug. 19And he said to her, ‘Please give me a drink [of] a little water, because I am thirsty.’ And she opened the skin of milk, and she watered him and she covered him. 20And he said to her, ‘Stand at the opening of the tent, and it be if a man will come and he ask you (fs) and says “is there [anyone] here?”, and you say, ‘there is not’.
21And Jael wife of Heber took a tent peg and she set the hammer in her hand and she came to him in secret and she thrust the peg in his temple and it went down in the earth and he was [sleeping] and was exhausted and he died. 22And, look, Barak [was] pursuing Sisera, and Jael went out to call him, and she said to him, ‘Come and I will show you (ms) the man which [you] are seeking’,
And he came to her, and, look, Sisera had fallen dead, and a peg in his temple. 23And God subdued on that day Jabin King of Canaan before the sons of Israel. 24And the hand of the sons of Israel walked to walk and severe upon Jabin King of Canaan until which they cut off Jabin King of Canaan.
5:1And Deborah sang, and Barak son of Abinoam on that day, saying:
‘2When the leaders (or loosed hair) lead (or are loosed) in Israel, bless Yahweh! 3Listen, Kings! Give ears, Rulers! I to Yahweh, I will sing, I will make music to Yahweh, the God of Israel. 4Yahweh, when you went out from Sier, when you marched from the field of Edom, the land/earth quaked, also the heavens dripped, also the dark clouds dripped water. 5[The] hills flowed from before the face of Yahweh, this Sinai from the face of Yahweh God of Israel.
6In the days of Shamgar son of Anath, in the days of Jael, paths and walking [of] pathways ceased; they were walking crooked pathways. 7Rural population[s] ceased in Israel. They ceased until which [time] I arose, Deborah, [until] which [time] I arose a mother in Israel.
8He was choosing new gods at that time. [There was] war [LXX: they waged war; MT: bread] [at the] gates. A shield and a spear did not appear among 40,000 in Israel. 9My heart to the leaders of Israel freely offering with the people. Bless Yahweh! 10[You] riders of yellowish-red donkeys, [you] sitters on garments and walking upon roads, consider! 11From the voice of the archers between drawing of waters there, they will recount [the] righteousnesses of Yahweh, [the] righteousnesses of the population in Israel at that time. The people of Yahweh will go down to [the city] gates .
12Awake, awake Deborah! Awake, awake! Speak/recite/sing a song! Arise, Barak! And take captive your captive, son of Abinoam. 13At that time [the] survivor of the nobels came down, the people of Yahweh came down to me with the mighty. 14From Ephraim, their root in the Amalekites. After you (ms) Benjamin with your people. From Machir they came down, prescribing, and from Zebulun pulling with a staff of a scribe. 15And my chiefs in Issachar [were] with Deborah, and [as was] Issachar thus [was] Barak, they were sent off in the valley by/with his feet.
By the streams of Reuben [there were] great prescriptions/statutes of heart. 16For what reason did you sit/dwell between the sheepfolds to hear whistlings of flocks? For the streams/divisions of Reuben [there were] great searchings of heart. 17Gilead settled in the beyond of the Jordan, and Dan, for what reason was he sojourning/remaining [at the] ships? Asher dwelt toward the coast of the sea and from his landing places he was settling. 18Zebulun [was] a people [who] despised his life to death and Naphtali upon the heights of the field. 19Kings came. They waged war at that time. They kings of Canaan waged war in Tanaach upon the waters of Megiddo. [But the] spoil of silver they did not take. 20From the heavens the stars waged war. From their highways/courses they waged war with Sisera. 21The wadi of Kishon swept them away, the wadi of ancientness, the wadi of Kishon. You (s) will march, my soul [with] strength. 22At that time the heels of the horse struck, from dashing, dashing, his mighty [steeds] 23’Curse Meroz’, says [the] angel of Yahweh. ‘Curse with cursing her dwellers, because they did not come to [the] help of Yahweh against the mighty.
24Jael be blessed from among the women, woman/wife of Heber of the Kenites, from women among the tent she is blessed. 25He asked for water, milk she gave, in a majestic bowl she brought him yoghurt. 26She stretched out her hand to the peg, and her right hand to the hammer of a worker, and she struck Sisera, she smashed his head, and she struck through and she passed through his temple. 27Between her feet he bowed down, he fell, he lay down, between her feet he bowed down, he fell, in which he bowed down, he fell, having been destroyed
28Behind the window the mother of Sisera looked down and she cried shrilly, behind the window lattice, ‘Why is his chariot delayed from coming? Why are the footsteps of his chariot slow in coming? 29The wise of her princesses answer, yes, even she returns her word to herself, 30’Are they not finding, dividing booty, a womb [or] wombs [per] head [of] man [as] booty, dyed fabric to Sisera [as] booty, dyed fabric, a variety of coloured dyed fabrics, a variety of colours for the back of the necks [as] booty. 31Thus may all your enemies of Yahweh perish. And the one loving him like the sun going out in his strength.
And the land was quiet forty years.