The best stories are the ones that catch us by surprise. We
love a good twist in the tale. When Neo takes the red pill and wakes up from
the Matrix. When Melody Song reveals her shocking secret identity on Doctor
Who. When Anakin Skywalker embraces the dark side and becomes Darth... (oh
wait, maybe that last one wasn’t such a big surprise after all!)
Judges Chapter 4 is about God saving Israel in a surprising
and unexpected way. In this passage, he uses two women - one, a prophetess and
the other, a housewife - to bring salvation to the nation of Israel. Yet, it is
important to see that God does this for his own glory. He uses extraordinary
circumstances, even foolish situations, so that we will not boast in our own
ability and strength, but in the God’s power to save.
The problem
After Ehud
died, the Israelites once again did evil in the eyes of the LORD. So the LORD
sold them into the hands of Jabin, a king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor. The
commander of his army was Sisera, who lived in Harosheth Haggoyim. Because he
had nine hundred iron chariots and had cruelly oppressed the Israelites for
twenty years, they cried to the LORD for help.
Judges
1:1-3
Every good story needs a bad guy.
Lex Luthor. Voldemort. Megatron. Someone formidable. Someone menacing. The
Israelites were oppressed for twenty years, verse 3 tells us, under the rule of
Jabin, King of Canaan. But the real villian of Judges 4 is a five-star military
general by the name of Sisera. Verse 3 tells us that Sisera commanded a vast
army of nine hundred chariots - the ancient equivalent of German Panzer tanks.
The Israelites were helpless in the face of the Canaanites’ advanced weaponry
and military prowess.
Having said that, Israel had a much bigger problem:
themselves.
Verse 1 begins by describing how the people of Israel “did
evil in the eyes of the LORD”. As a result, God “sold them into the hands of
Jabin”. The root of the problem had nothing to do with the Canaanites’ nine
hundred chariots but with the Israelites’ own constant, repeated, foolish
rebellion against God. Last week, we read of Ehud, the left-handed judge raised
up by God to save the nation from yet another foreign superpower. When Ehud
died however, the people sank back into their old ways - rebelling against God
and practicing evil in his sight.
Again, they call out to God for help. Again, God responds
with mercy and faithfulness.
Deborah
Deborah, a prophetess, the
wife of Lappidoth, was leading Israel at that time. 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. 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 the way to Mount Tabor. I will lure Sisera, the commander of
Jabin’s army, with his chariots and his troops to the Kishon River and give him
into your hands.’”
Judges 4:4-7
There are twelve judges featured in the book of Judges.
Deborah is the only female judge. Unlike most of the other male judges - or
indeed, the other men, in general found in this book - it is striking that
nothing negative is said whatsoever about Deborah’s character or her leadership
capabilities. Her authority is recognised by the Israelites who “came to her to
have their disputes decided”. When she summons Barak, the chief military
commander in Israel, he complies. Verse 1 reads: she was “leading Israel”, a
phrase the footnotes in my NIV bible states can be also translated as “judging
Israel”. Meaning: she was a judge, chosen by God and used by God to lead the
nation back to God.
Yet we must not forget that Deborah was first introduced to
us as a prophetess and a wife.
As a prophetess, her job was to speak God’s word. When she
calls Barak to meet her, it wasn’t to pull rank. She was delivering a message
from God himself. “The LORD, the God of Israel, commands you,” she says. Not “I
command you”. Furthermore, we should not misunderstand verse 7. When it says
there, “I will lure Sisera... to the Kishon River,” these are not Deborah’s
words but God’s. Deborah was nowhere near the Kishon River (as evident in verse
10, where Deborah is found alongside Barak).
Also, Deborah was married. We’re not sure if she had kids,
but if so (and this was very possible) she may even have been a mom! What we do
know for sure was that she had a husband, a man called Lappidoth (whom I can
only assume she lovingly addressed as “Lappy” at home). She had a home, a
husband, a family - and here, the bible thinks it important enough for us to
know all of that about this woman.
So Debbie the judge, the mum and the prophetess, summons
Barak and tells him that God will give Sisera into his hands. Barak, whose name
means “lightning” in Hebrew, is to call on the tribes of Naphtali and Zebulun
for help, gathering ten thousand men for the fight. So the picture we have here
is that of a seasoned army general, gathering a massive number of troops,
assured by God that he will win the victory against a powerful foreign nation
armed with the latest in technological weaponry.
Yet in front of this woman, Barak wimps out.
No glory
Barak said to her, “If you go
with me, I will go; but if you don’t go with me, I won’t go.” “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.” So Deborah went with Barak to Kedesh, where he summoned Zebulun and
Naphtali. Ten thousand men followed him, and Deborah also went with him.
Judges 4:8-10
Barak insists that Deborah tags along. “If you go with me, I
will go; but if you don’t go with me, I won’t go.” In part, this may be a
recognition of God’s presence with Deborah, a presence that Barak thinks he
needs to have with him in order to win the battle. After all, Moses said
something very similar to God in Exodus 33 - a sign of Moses’ humility and
utter dependence on God. Deborah agrees to the request but she adds, “Because
of the way you are going about this, the honour (The ESV uses the word “glory”)
will not be yours.” God had given Barak the promise of his word, but Barak
wanted instead the presence of a woman. Because of this, Barak would win the
victory, but the glory of the battle would go to another. “The LORD will hand
Sisera over to a woman,” Deborah foretells.
So in verse 10 we have a picture of a massive number of
troops - ten thousand men assembled, ready for battle, led by the great General
Barak. But also, one woman by his side. “Deborah also went with him”. She did
prophesy that “a woman” would get the glory. Barak perhaps thought Deborah was
referring to herself, and wanted to keep this woman close by.
All of a sudden, we are introduced to a seemingly random new
character in the story - a man called Heber.
Now Heber the Kenite had left
the other Kenites, the descendants of Hobab, Moses’ brother-in-law, and pitched
his tent by the great tree in Zaanannim near Kedesh.
Judges 4:11
We last met the Kenites in Judges Chapter 1 where they had
settled down south in Judah. They were Moses’ in-laws. For some reason, Heber
the Kenite decided not to stay with his tribe, but moved up north instead,
pitching his tent near Kedesh, which was Barak’s hometown. But just as quickly
as we are introduced to Heber the Kenite, the camera swiftly zooms back to the
action.
Has not the LORD gone ahead of you?
When they told Sisera that
Barak son of Abinoam had gone up to Mount Tabor, Sisera gathered together his
nine hundred iron chariots and all the men with him, from Harosheth Haggoyim to
the Kishon River.
Then Deborah said to Barak,
“Go! This is the day the LORD has given Sisera into your hands. Has not the
LORD gone ahead of you?” So Barak went down Mount Tabor, followed by ten
thousand men. 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. But
Barak pursued the chariots and army as far as Harosheth Haggoyim. All the
troops of Sisera fell by the sword; not a man was left.
Judges 4:12-16
Sisera hears of Barak’s troop movements and assembles the
entire Panzer division, all nine hundred of his iron armored chariots, leading
them into battle up Mount Tabor. Except in order to ascend this mountain, he
passes through the Kishon River.
Something happens at the Kishon River. Something peculiarly
which causes Deborah turn to Barak and say, “Go! This is the day the LORD has
given Sisera into your hands.” adding these curious words, “Has not the LORD
gone ahead of you?” What did she mean? What did she see?
We find the answer in Judges 5, a song which Deborah sang to
commemorate the battle and the eventual victory Israel saw later that day.
From the heavens the stars
fought,
from their courses they fought
against Sisera.
The river Kishon swept them
away,
the age-old river, the river
Kishon.
March on, my soul; be strong!
Judges 5:20-21
The chariots were “swept away” by the river Kishon. It may
simply have been that their wheels got stuck crossing the river bed, making
them sitting ducks (Notice in Judges 4:15, Sisera “abandoning” his chariot). Or
that a waters overcame the horses and a sudden rise in the levels drowned the
Canaanite army as they crossed the river, not unlike what happened at the Red
Sea with the Egyptians forces in Exodus 14. What Deborah does tell us clearly
is that this was God’s doing. “From the heavens the stars fought... they fought
against Sisera.” Or as she says to Barak here in Judges 4:14, “Has not the LORD
gone ahead of you?”
Barak advanced against Sisera, followed by the his ten
thousand troops, down Mount Tabor. Yet Judges adds, “At Barak’s advance, the
LORD routed Sisera and all his chariots.” The battle was decisively won. “All
the troops of Sisera fell by the sword; not a man was left.”
But the story hasn’t ended. Sisera gets away. And Barak is
hot in pursuit of his prize.
Desperate housewife
Sisera, however, fled on foot
to the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, because there were friendly
relations between Jabin king of Hazor and the clan of Heber the Kenite. Jael
went out to meet Sisera and said to him, “Come, my lord, come right in. Don’t
be afraid.” So he entered her tent, and she put a covering over him. “I’m
thirsty,” he said. “Please give me some water.” She opened a skin of milk, gave
him a drink, and covered him up. “Stand in the doorway of the tent,” he told
her. “If someone comes by and asks you, ‘Is anyone here?’ say ‘No.’” But Jael,
Heber’s wife, picked up a tent peg and a hammer and went quietly to him while
he lay fast asleep, exhausted. She drove the peg through his temple into the
ground, and he died.
Judges 4:17-21
Sisera flees the battle and seeks refuge in Heber’s home. It
turns out that Heber is an ally, “there were friendly relations” between the
Canaanite King Jabin and his family. Still, instead of hiding out in Heber’s
garage, Sisera goes to the tent of Jael, Heber’s wife. We are not told why.
Maybe he thought no one would look in a woman’s tent. Clearly he didn’t think
Jael was a threat. She was so warm and welcoming, “Come, my lord, come right
in,” she said. “Don’t be afraid,” probably implying that this five-star general
was rather freaked out by the sudden defeat of his entire army.
“I’m thirsty,” Sisera says. He might as well as have added,
“Mommy.” Like Sheldon from Big Bang Theory asking his neighbour Penny to sing
Soft Kitty every time he falls sick.
“Soft Kitty, warm kitty,
little ball of fur.
Happy kitty, sleepy kitty, purr purr purr.”
Jael offers him milk instead. How sweet. And notice how she
keeps covering him up. Big strong menacing general Sisera comes into her tent,
and Auntie Jael goes, “Come here sweety. Have a lie down. Did that big bully
Barak smash all your shiny new tanks? Awww, you poor thing!” It’s ironic how
Sisera tells Jael not to let anyone know he is hiding in her tent. Verse 20
literally reads, “If a man comes and asks, ‘Is there a man here?’ You say,
‘There is none.’” There is no man in this tent - a woman, yes, and a scared
kid, maybe. But no man.
Sisera drinks his milk like a good little boy. Nice auntie
Jill pulls the Star Wars sheets over him and kisses him good night. Then
KeBAAAMMM!!!! He’s dead!
It’s like switching the channel in the middle of a CBBC
kid’s programme to a late-night horror movie. In a split second, the sweet
innocent house-wife turns into a serial killer! Jael takes a tent peg and
hammer and “drove the peg through his temple into the ground”. As if to state
the obvious, the author adds, “and he died.” Duh!
Meanwhile, Barak rides in with the cavalry, a little too
late.
Barak came by in pursuit of
Sisera, and Jael went out to meet him. “Come,” she said, “I will show you the
man you’re looking for.” So he went in with her, and there lay Sisera with the
tent peg through his temple—dead.
Judges 4:22
Deborah’s words were fulfilled. The victory may have been
Barak’s, the battle won by the celebrated army general. But the glory went to a
housewife.
But in actual fact, the glory went to God.
To God be the glory
On that day God subdued Jabin,
the Canaanite king, before the Israelites. And the hand of the Israelites grew
stronger and stronger against Jabin, the Canaanite king, until they destroyed
him.
Judges 4:23-24
As if to say “Oh, and by the way, God took care of King
Jabin.” It is mentioned almost in passing. The whole chapter was focussed on
this one battle - on Deborah, Barak, Sisera, Jael and the nine hundred
chariots, not to mention the ten thousand men. But God took care of the problem
in an instant, “On that day”. Almost to drive home the point: God doesn’t need
to use a general like Barak. God doesn’t see Sisera and his tanks as a threat.
But he uses people like Barak and he confronts his people Israel with seemingly
insurmountable forces like Sisera (remembering it was God who gave Israel into
the hands of the Canaan) to show them - and to remind us of - his glory. He is
God.
Come to think of it, the whole of Judges Chapter 4 is filled
with twists and turns. Deborah the female judge. Barak the hesitant military
commander. The nine-hundred tanks defeated by a bit of water. The five-star
general assassinated by a housewife. The subjugation of an enemy king mentioned
not on the front page, but in small print near the classifieds.
And the question is: Why does God do this? Why does God save
like this?
For the message of the cross
is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is
the power of God.
1 Corinthians 1:18
The death of Jesus on the cross is foolish. It doesn’t make
sense. It is weak, illogical, nonsensical even. How can a peasant dying on the
cross two thousand years be relevant to my life today, much less, promise me
eternal life, forgiveness of sin, release from the judgement of hell and bring
me into a relationship with God?
It is foolishness - says the bible - to those who are
perishing. But to us who are being saved it is power - the power of God! Why
does God save through this strange and peculiar message of the cross - this
message called the gospel? So that we will trust in him and not in our own
abilities and strength.
Brothers, think of what you
were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not
many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish
things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world
to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised
things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no
one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who
has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and
redemption.
1 Corinthians 1:26-30
You see, Judges 4 is not about impressive women. Nor is it
about irresponsible men. That’s not the main message of the book or the bible.
You don’t become a Christian by cleaning up your act, by becoming a successful
career-mom or even by defeating the forces of evil, but only by trusting in the
message of the cross - that Jesus Christ died for your sins on the cross as
your substitute. When you come to Jesus, you cannot boast of your intellect,
your A-level’s results or your XBOX achievement score. None of that impresses
God.
The Christian’s only boast is Jesus. He is our wisdom: Our
righteousness, holiness and redemption. Earlier on Deborah says to Barak, “This
road you are on will lead not your glory - but to the glory of another.” The
Christian hears this and says, “Hallelujah!” We thank God because this road
leads us to Jesus.
Yet at the same time, all the glory that Jesus deserves as
God’s Son, especially seen in his obedience on the cross, all that comes to us
when we trust in him. He is our wisdom. Our righteousness. Our
holiness. Our salvation.
Jesus is our glory.
In Christ alone will I glory
Though I could pride myself in
battles won
For I’ve been blessed beyond
measure
And by His strength alone I’ll
overcome
Oh, I could stop and count
successes like diamonds in my hands
But those trophies could not
equal to the grace by which I stand
In Christ alone
I place my trust
And find my glory in the power
of the cross
In every victory
Let it be said of me
My source of strength
My source of hope
Is Christ alone
(“In Christ Alone”, Brian
Littrell)
