Observation:
(1) All the other judges will lead Israel to fight, with the exception of Deborah, who was a woman.
3:31 After Ehud came Shamgar son of Anath; he killed six hundred Philistines with an oxgoad and, like Ehud, delivered Israel.
She summoned Barak to fight.
v.6b She said to him, “Is it not true that the LORD God of Israel is commanding you?
She assured Barak that God will hand the enemies over to him
4:7 I will bring Sisera, the general of Jabin’s army, to you at the Kishon River, along with his chariots and huge army. I will hand him over to you.
However, Barak did not consider the presence of the Land to be something he can rely on.
4:8 Barak said to her, “If you go with me, I will go. But if you do not go with me, I will not go.”
Barak was not confident to fight. Perhaps it was because he was not the judge that was ordained by God. He will not go without her presence.
4:9 She said, “I will indeed go with you. But you will not gain fame on the expedition you are undertaking, for the LORD will turn Sisera over to a woman.”
The fame or honor of Barak would be turned over to a woman because of his request of companion by Deborah.
Reflection: It was not natural for women to lead. Deborah could not lead the fighting. The man she called out to help was not confident without her. At the end the glory of winning the battle was turned away to another person.
People always quote Deborah as a counter argument for male leadership in the Bible. At least we can say, female leadership was not the norm and created more issues.
(2) At the end of the day, the One who won the war was not Deborah non Barak. It as the LORD Himself.
a. 4:15-16 The LORD routed Sisera, all his chariotry, and all his army with the edge of the sword...Sisera’s whole army died by the edge of the sword; not even one survived!
b. Sisera, the general of the army trusted the peace treaty his king had with Jael's husband. He had put down all his guard when she killed him in his sleep v.17-21.
(BKC) Jael apparently did not share her husband’s allegiance to King Jabin, for as soon as Sisera was fast asleep, she took a tent peg and with a hammer … drove it through his temple into the ground (cf. 5:26), an unusual breach of Near-Eastern hospitality! Since Bedouin women had the task of pitching the tents, she was an expert with the implements she used.
The author made it very clearly that it was not Barak who killed Sisera.
4:22a Now Barak was chasing Sisera. Jael went out to welcome him. She said to him, “Come here and I will show you the man you are searching for.”
4:23 That day God humiliated King Jabin of Canaan before the Israelites.
Reflection: Twice the Scriptures made it clear that it was God who fought and won the war. It was not clear why Jael turned her allegiance, but the conclusion in v.23 said it was God Who humiliated King Jabin. It was not our might that we are successful. It was not us who can "win" people's souls, but the work of the Holy Spirit. Praise God for what He did in VBC in the last 2 weeks. All the children in my class said they wanted to receive Jesus as their Savior. Some are more clear than others when I have individual time with them. Please continue to pray for them.
Audrey
Comments