DEBORAH

Judges 4:1-24 / Keywords 4:4

Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, was leading Israel at that time.

Deborah

4:1 Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord, now that Ehud was dead. 2 So the Lord sold them into the hands of Jabin king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor. Sisera, the commander of his army, was based in Harosheth Haggoyim. 3 Because he had nine hundred chariots fitted with iron and had cruelly oppressed the Israelites for twenty years, they cried to the Lord for help.

4 Now Deborah, a prophet, the wife of Lappidoth, was leading[a] Israel at that time. 5 She held court under the Palm of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites went up to her to have their disputes decided. 6 She sent for Barak son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali and said to him, “The Lord, the God of Israel, commands you: ‘Go, take with you ten thousand men of Naphtali and Zebulun and lead them up to Mount Tabor. 7 I will lead Sisera, the commander of Jabin’s army, with his chariots and his troops to the Kishon River and give him into your hands.’”

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.”

9 “Certainly I will go with you,” said Deborah. “But because of the course you are taking, the honor will not be yours, for the Lord will deliver Sisera into the hands of a woman.” So Deborah went with Barak to Kedesh. 10 There Barak summoned Zebulun and Naphtali, and ten thousand men went up under his command. Deborah also went up with him.

11 Now Heber the Kenite had left the other Kenites, the descendants of Hobab, Moses’ brother-in-law,[b] and pitched his tent by the great tree in Zaanannim near Kedesh.

12 When they told Sisera that Barak son of Abinoam had gone up to Mount Tabor, 13 Sisera summoned from Harosheth Haggoyim to the Kishon River all his men and his nine hundred chariots fitted with iron.

Footnotes

a. Judges 4:4 Traditionally judging

b. Judges 4:11 Or father-in-law

1. As soon as the previous judge, Ehud, died, Israel once again fell into sin. Because of their evil doing, the Lord gave them into the hands of Jabin, king of Canaan. For 20 years, the Israelites suffered under Jabin’s commander, Sisera, and Israel finally repented and cried out to the Lord for help. Leading Israel at that time was Deborah. Deborah was unique in that she was a woman. In fact, she was the only woman who led Israel in the time of the Judges. She told Barak to take an army of 10,000 men and lead them against the army of Sisera at Mount Tabor. Barak agreed, but only if Deborah went with him. Deborah said she would go, but the honor of the victory would go to a woman. 

2. On the battlefield, Deborah encouraged Barak with the words, “Has not the Lord gone ahead of you?” Israel routed Sisera’s army and his 900 iron chariots. Sisera was the only survivor of that battle. He fled to the tent of Jael, wife of Heber. He thought he was safe there and went to sleep. Jael took a tent peg and hammered it through his temple. Deborah trusted in the Lord. When this one woman trusted in the Lord, a great victory was achieved. 

Prayer Lord, raise up strong leaders, male and female, who trust you and will lead this nation to you. 

One Word Trust in the Lord