Year One, July 2

Does Not the LORD Go Out Before You?1

Judges 4:1-23

1And the people of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the LORD after Ehud died. (That sentence, “The people of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord,” comes over and over again; so often that it seems to be the only thing in their history that never changes. If our biographies were written without leaving anything out, would words like these be said about us?) 2And the LORD sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor. The commander of his army was Sisera, who lived in Harosheth-hagoyim. 3Then the people of Israel cried out to the LORD for help, for he had 900 chariots of iron and he oppressed the people of Israel cruelly for twenty years. (When we read of Israel crying, we know that victory will come. Prayer has mercy running close behind it.)

4Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, was judging Israel at that time.

God uses all kinds of people for his work, including both males and females. In this case a man plays a very secondary part and two women share the honor for defeating Sisera and his army. One strikes the first blow, and the other the last. Although women are not called to go out into public preaching,2 or to fight in the open field like Barak, they can do much at home with the tent peg of one-on-one conversation, and outside of the home by encouraging the soldiers of the Lord.

5She used to sit under the palm of Deborah between Raman and Bethel in the hill country of Ephriam, and the people of Israel came up to her for judgement. 6She sent and summoned Barak the son of Abinoam from Kedesh-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 from the people of Naphtali and the people of Zebulun. 7And I will draw out Sisera, the general of Jabin’s army, to meet you by the river Kishon with his chariots and his troops, and I will give him into your hand’?”

The Lord leads his people with lightweight, easily broken strings. But he has deadly cords to pull his enemies wherever he wants to take them.

8“Barak said to her, “If you will go with me, I will go, but if you will not go with me, I will not go.” 9And 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 arose and went with Barak to Kedesh. (He did not have enough faith to lead the battle by himself. Therefore, even though he won the battle, Barak did not get the credit for the victory. We lose a lot when we depend on other people to help us. At the same time he showed he had a humble spirit by battling against General Sisera even after the prophetess told him most of the honor would go to someone else.)

10And  Barak called out Zebulun and Naphtali to Kedesh. And 10,000 men went up at his heels, and Deborah went up with him. (Many good people need only a call from some brave leader and they will join forces with them. God still has his ten thousands in our Israel. Oh for the right person at the right time! Or, more correctly speaking, Oh for the Lord’s own Spirit to call us to the combat!)

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

12When Sisera was told that Barak the son of Abinoam had gone up to Mount Tabor, 13Sisera called out all his chariots, 900 chariots of iron, and all the men who were with him, from Harosheth-hagoyim to the river Kishon.

Little did he dream, when he rode out in his egotistical pride, that he was being pulled to his own destruction. Some trust in horses, and some in chariots,3 but such weapons are useless against the Lord of hosts.

14And Deborah said to Barak, “Up! For this is the day in which the LORD has given Sisera into your hand. Does not the LORD go out before you?” So Barak went down from Mount Tabor with 10,000 men following him.

The words of Deborah sharpened the sword of Barak. Holy women often encourage the Lord’s ministers.

15aAnd the LORD routed Sisera and all his chariots and all his army before Barak by the edge of the sword. (The Lord won the battle. Barak was just the sword in his hand.) 16And Barak pursued the chariots and the army to Harosheth-hagoyim, and all the army of Sisera fell by the edge of the sword; not a man was left.

God’s sword never misses one who he intends to strike. This is fatal news for the unrepentant.

17But Sisera fled away 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. 18And Jael came out to meet Sisera and said to him, “Turn aside, my lord; turn aside to me; do not be afraid.” So he turned aside to her into the tent, and she covered him with a rug. 19And he said to her, “Please give me a little water to drink, for I am thirsty.” So she opened a skin of milk and gave him a drink and covered him. 20And he said to her, “Stand at the opening of the tent, and if any man comes and asks you, ‘Is anyone here?’ say, ‘No’ ”

Sisera’s instructions sound all too much like many in our time. People say, “Tell him I’m not home,” when they really are. Christians should not borrow lying habits from unbelievers.

21But Jael the wife of Heber took a tent peg, and took a hammer in her hand. Then she went softly to him and drove the peg into his temple until it went down into the ground while he was lying fast asleep from weariness. So he died.

This would have been a very wicked thing to do if her motive was to get wealthy or famous. However, in this case, she acted as the executioner of a man God had already condemned. Sisera was the great enemy of her adopted country and her actions should be praised. Jael understood that this man who had fled to her tent was the enemy of her God and of his people. She carried out her patriotic duty and had no pity on him.

22And behold, as Barak was pursuing Sisera, Jael went out to meet him and said to him, “Come, and I will show you the man whom you are seeking.” So he went in to her tent, and there lay Sisera dead, with the tent peg in his temple. (So the proud tyrant was disgraced as well as killed. Somewhere or other God has unknown agents he will use to crush error. He will give them the wisdom to drive a nail through the head of false teaching. Oh Lord, rise up and fight for your kingdom.)

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

^{_______________}

¹ Judges 4:14

² Spurgeon is speaking here of the Bible’s instruction that only qualified men should be preachers of the Gospel. He encouraged women to be active in ministry including one Mrs. Bartlett who taught a weekly class of over 600 women at the Metropolitan Tabernacle. “Spurgeon used often to say that his best deacon was a woman--alluding to Mrs. Bartlett.” (The Full Harvest, page 79) —editor

³ A reference to Psalm 20:7