The Book Of JUDGES
Judges 21:25 "In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes."
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The Song of Deborah
This chapter is not only a song of praise for God’s deliverance of His chosen people, but also a picture of daily life for Israel at this time. Verse 2: It was never God’s desire that His people live in such misery and unrest. Their apostasy, rebellion, and general disobedience had brought upon themselves the LORD's chastisement. Yet God did not hesitate to avenge Israel when they finally repented and cried unto Him for deliverance. It was only when Barak and his army “willingly offered themselves” to God for His service that God did a mighty work on their behalf. This was the root of Israel’s problem: consistent rebellion and unwillingness to submit themselves to the Lord to do His will daily! This is the key to having a close and personal walk with God. We must willingly surrender ourselves to Him every day and do what He commands us. Israel’s sin was that of pride. They chose to do what they wanted to do, not what God had commanded them in His law. Because of this, they forfeited God’s blessings as well as His divine protection from their enemies. Verses 3-5: Deborah sings of God’s mighty deliverance, echoing the same poetic language that characterized the song of Moses (Deuteronomy 32) as well as that used by David in his psalms many generations later. It’s possible, in fact, that David was referencing this passage when he wrote Psalm 68:8. Verse 5 is a reference to God’s first appearance to Israel at Mount Sinai. (Exodus 19:18) Verses 6-11: Shamgar is a contemporary of Deborah, Barak, and Jael. It’s possible that Deborah summoned Shamgar and gave him his mission from God the same way she summoned Barak. During this time the main roads are unsafe because of Israel’s enemies. Thieves attack unsuspecting travelers, and because of this the people use alternate routes to get where they need to go. (v.6) Villages, too, are unsafe because there is no central, stable government in Israel. Small towns and villages are vulnerable to raids by Israel’s enemies, and this, in combination with the lack of godly male leadership, has caused severe disruption in the daily life of Israel. (v.7) Because the nation has turned away from God in favor of worshiping the false gods of the Canaanites, God punishes His people by allowing their enemies to attack them, and there are no godly men among the Israelites willing to go fight their enemies. (v.8) Verse 9 echoes and reaffirms the statement in verse 2. God uses those who willingly surrender themselves to Him for His service and divine plan. The city gates (v.11) is where Deborah and Barak muster “…the people of the LORD…”. In the ANE the gates of a city are where all the important men, primarily the elders and rulers, gather. Therefore this is the logical place one would go to summon the warriors of every tribe. Verses 12-18: This section details how Deborah and Barak summon the men to battle, though not all of the tribes respond to Deborah’s call. “Machir” (v.14) is referring to Manasseh, and “…the pen of the writer…” (v.14) refers to the recruiting staff held by the tribe of Zebulun. This is a staff held by the leaders of a military unit, according to the Moody Bible Commentary. Ephraim, Benjamin, Manasseh, Zebulun, Naphtali, and Issachar all answer the summons. Reuben, Gad, Asher, and Dan, however, refuse to join their brethren in war. Verses 19-23: This section describes the battle at the river Kishon. Taanach is “…on the southern edge of the Jezreel Valley, about 25 miles southwest of the Sea of Galilee. The Kishon River runs through the swampy lowlands to the north of the city.” (The Moody Bible Commentary) Verse 20 is poetic language that refers to God’s divine power against Sisera and his army. God used the natural elements, such as the Kishon River, to sweep away Israel’s enemies. Verse 22 is almost certainly poetic sarcasm, for it would be impossible for Sisera’s horses to be galloping and prancing when they and the chariots are mired in swampy marshlands. It’s also very likely that God causes an unexpected and torrential downpour at the start of the battle. This would have caused the river to overflow its banks, thus turning the tide of battle in Israel’s favor. The name “Meroz” in verse 23 clearly references a place, possibly a city or a village in or near Taanach. Deborah curses its people because they refused to aid the Israelites. Verses 24-27: This passage is a retelling of verses 17-24 of chapter 4. In addition to the milk Jael also gave Sisera some butter (v.25) and probably some bread to go with it. This helps explain why he was so quick to fall asleep afterwards. The weariness of battle combined with the heaviness of a full meal lulled him into a deep sleep. After driving the stake through his temples, Jael cut off Sisera’s head, another detail omitted from the account in the previous chapter. Verses 28-30: Deborah imagines the pain and longing that Sisera’s mother experienced as she waited desperately and vainly for her son’s return. Her maidens try to comfort her with the explanation that Sisera is delayed because he and his men are indulging in the spoils of victory, part of which includes raping the Israelite women. (v.30) This section is not meant to illicit sympathy for Sisera’s mother, but rather to serve as a dramatic flourish to the climax of Deborah’s song. While the Israelites are rejoicing in their victory, the enemies of God are left alone, destitute, and mourning the loss of their kinsman and children. Verse 31: Deborah gives a final note of praise to the LORD, comparing His children to the sun when it rises on a new day. God gives strength and victory to those that love Him and obey His commandments. Israel once again has peace and rest from her enemies for forty years.
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Verses 1-3: It doesn’t take long for the current generation at the time of Ehud’s death to fall back into sin and rebellion against God. (Judges 2:19) They “…again did evil in the sight of the LORD…” (v.1) and so this time God uses King Jabin of Hazor to punish Israel. The captain of Jabin’s army is Sisera of Harosheth. (v.2) The fact that he has “…nine hundred chariots of iron…” (v.3) confirms his military might, and he successfully conquers Israel. The oppression and rule of King Jabin lasts twenty years. (v.3)
Judge #4: Deborah (Issachar) Verses 4-10: Deborah’s presence as a judge of Israel at this time shows how far God’s chosen people had fallen from His divine plan for the nation in the promised land. From the very beginning God designed men to be the rulers of both the nation and their individual families. When Adam and Eve brought the curse of sin upon themselves and the world, God declared to Eve that Adam, in the role of her husband, would be her spiritual authority and that she, as his wife, was to submit to his leadership. (Genesis 3:16) When it came time to bring the Israelites out of Egypt, God called a man, Moses, to lead His chosen people. He commanded Moses to number the tribes according to the men who were twenty years of age or older. (Numbers 1:1-4) Only the males of the tribe of Levi could serve as priests in the tabernacle. (Numbers 3:9-10) God Himself is referred to in scripture as male, not female. Even in the New Testament church age, God commands the men to be the spiritual leaders of their homes and for the wives to submit to the authority of their husbands. (Ephesians 5:22-23, 1 Peter 3:5-6) Women are forbidden from having any office of leadership in the church that would place them in authority over the men. (1 Timothy 2: 9-12) Therefore, the fact that Deborah is in a position of leadership over the nation here in the era of the Judges proves just how far and how deeply the Israelites had fallen into sin and strayed from God’s commandments of the Law of Moses. The men of Israel have abdicated their rightful positions as spiritual leaders, and there are none worthy of being called by God at this time to be a judge. This same scenario will occur much later during the era of the kings, prior to the Babylonian invasion and captivity. (Isaiah 3:12) And, sadly, we today are witnessing this as well. America, as a nation, has fallen so far from God’s grace and His blessings because of our sin that we celebrate sodomy and transgenderism and feminism as “progress” and as “good”. In fact, those three things have utterly destroyed what God designed as the foundation of society: the family. God’s design has always been one man, one woman, married for life, and the man is the spiritual leader of his home as well as the leader of the nation. The men are to be the warriors, the defenders, the protectors, and the leaders of society. The women’s place is in the home as the nurturers, caregivers, and keepers of the children and the home. A woman has no business being a senator, a president, a soldier, or any other occupation where she is tasked with leading, fighting, and/or defending a community, city, or a nation. That is not her God given role and honor. She is the “weaker vessel” and needs the protection, nurturing, and leadership of her husband and other God-ordained male authority. (1 Peter 3:7) When God’s design is ignored in favor of man’s foolishness, this is the result. Men no longer step up and lead, and the women and children rebel against all authority. That is exactly what is happening here in Judges, and, as a consequence, God chooses a woman to communicate His will to the nation. To put it simply, Deborah is the exception that proves the rule. The utter dearth of brave, godly men who will lead the Israelites into battle is further illustrated by Barak, the soldier Deborah summons in verse 6. Her question to him implies that she had already given him the LORD's message but that he had not yet obeyed the command! She summons him again and repeats what God had already commanded him to do: take ten thousand soldiers of the tribes of Naphtali and Zebulun and confront Jabin’s army at the Kishon river. (v.6-7) Barak’s response to this is astounding, and it stands in sharp contrast to that of Caleb’s request of Joshua several generations earlier. (Joshua 14:12) Barak demonstrates a shocking lack of faith in God and His power to give the victory to His chosen people! Rather than rely on God alone, Barak pleads with Deborah to go with Him into battle. (v.8) If she refuses then he won’t obey the LORD's command! Deborah’s response further confirms the author’s point in this passage. She tells Barak she will go with him, but that he would have no honor in the coming victory. (v.9) In fact, the name of the LORD would be even more magnified because the victory over Sisera would belong to a woman! In the culture of the ANE at this time, a woman in any position of power – especially that of a military commander – was unheard of. From the moment God cast Adam and Eve out of the garden of Eden, mankind has always been a patriarchal society, even to our present day. As I explained earlier, that means the men are the leaders, protectors, and defenders, and the women remain at home to bear children, care for and nurture them, and keep up the home. They are to be submissive to the authority of their husbands and the male leadership of their tribe, community, nation, etc. This was especially true in the ANE, as we can clearly see this illustrated throughout scripture, starting with Genesis 12 when God called Abraham to leave his people and set out for the promised land. Therefore, the fact that Deborah must now go with Barak to the battlefield because he’s unwilling to man up and accept his God given, masculine role as leader and commander of the Lord’s army speaks volumes about the appalling state of Israel at this time! Only when Deborah acquiesces to his request does he then gather his army and start marching to the Kishon river. (v.10) Verses 11-16: Heber, a Kenite, has defected from the nation of Israel, and he dispatches a messenger to Sisera that an Israelite army is on its way to confront him. (v.11-12) The specific reference to nine hundred chariots of iron in verse 13 emphasizes the power and might of Sisera’s army. Harosheth of the Gentiles (v.13, 16) is a “…city in the north of the land of Canaan on the west coast of the lake Merom.” (Brown-Driver-Briggs Bible dictionary.) Deborah encourages Barak by reminding him that the Lord has promised him the victory and Barak obeys. (v.14) God keeps His word, and though the Israelites are successful in destroying Sisera’s army, Sisera himself manages to escape. (v.15-16) Verses 17-24: Sisera flees to the tent of Heber’s wife, Jael, and she welcomes him with open arms. (v.17-18) He is weary from battle and thirsty too, so she gives him milk to drink. (v.19) It’s very likely that the milk acted as a sedative in addition to being a thirst quencher. Sisera asks Jael to protect him by lying to anyone who might come looking for him. (v.20) After this he falls asleep. Jael then drives a tent spike through his skull. (v.21) Sometime later, when Barak shows up looking for Sisera, Jael invites him into her tent to show him the body of the Canaanite captain. (v.22) As Deborah had prophesied, the final victory went to Jael, a woman, instead of Barak. God punished him for his lack of faith which is a form of disobedience. God’s original plan was for Barak to step up and lead the army without Deborah as well as being the one to kill Sisera. But because of his disobedience, the Lord gave the victory to a woman instead, emphasizing once more just how badly and deeply Israel had strayed from God. The Israelites, by the hand of God, eventually defeat King Jabin, and are granted another period of prosperity and rest. (v.23-24) |
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