Judges 3-5 Deborah

Thoughts

Judges 3

God leaves certain nations in the land to test Israel and teach future generations warfare:

• Five lords of the Philistines, Canaanites, Sidonians, Hivites in Lebanon.
• Instead of listening to God, they intermarry and serve gods.

Judge #1 Othniel

• God’s gives Israel into the hand of Cushan-rishathaim, king of Aram-naharaim, for 8 years.
• Israel cries out; God raises Othniel (Caleb’s nephew) as judge.
• The Spirit of the Lord is on Othniel and he defeats Cushan-rishathaim.
• The land has peace for 40 years.

Judge #2 Ehud

• Israel does evil again and God gives them into the hand of Eglon, king of Moab, allied with Ammon and Amalek.
• Israel serves Moab for 18 years.
• God raises Ehud, a left-handed Benjamite, as deliverer/judge. 
• Ehud brings tribute to Eglon, tricks him by saying he has a secret message, and kills him with a concealed double-edged sword.
• Peace for 80 years.

Judge #3 Shamgar

• Shamgar son of Anath kills 600 Philistines with an oxgoad (see below) and saves Israel.
• No extra details are given.

Judges 4

After Ehud’s death, Israel again does evil in the Lord’s sight, so he Lord gives them into the hand of Jabin, king of Canaan, who reigns in Hazor.

• Jabin’s army commander is Sisera, stationed in Harosheth-hagoyim.
• Sisera has 900 iron chariots and oppresses Israel cruelly for 20 years.

Deborah, a prophetess and judge, leads Israel from her place under the Palm of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel.

She summons Barak from Kedesh in Naphtali and instructs him:

• Take 10,000 men from Naphtali and Zebulun.
• Lead them to Mount Tabor.
• The Lord will draw Sisera to the Kishon River and deliver him into Barak’s hand.

Barak agrees, but only if Deborah will come with him. Deborah agrees to this but says the honor will go to a woman. Barak gathers Zebulun and Naphtali

Sisera hears that Barak has gone to Mount Tabor and gathers all 900 iron chariots and his troops to the Kishon River.

Deborah commands Barak to attack, assuring him the Lord has gone ahead, so Barak and his 10,000 men descend Mount Tabor.

The Lord throws Sisera’s army into confusion and Barak pursues them to Harosheth-hagoyim. Sisera abandons his chariot and flees on foot and all die. 

Sisera flees to the tent of Jael, wife of Heber. Jael invites him in and while he sleeps, Jael drives a tent peg through his temple, killing him.

Barak arrives and Jael shows him Sisera’s dead body. John Trapp has this colorful quote “Lo, there lay this proud worms’ meat sprawling, with his head fastened to the ground, as if it had been now listening to what was become of the soul.”

Judges 5

Deborah and Barak sing a song to praise the Lord

“The mountains gushed before the LORD, This Sinai, before the LORD God of Israel.” refers to Deuteronomy 33:2

Deborah recalls the time before her when Canaan oppressed Israel.

Deborah arose as “a mother in Israel” and her heart goes out to the leaders and people who willingly offered themselves.

Tribes

• Tribes that helped: Ephraim, Benjamin, Machir (Manasseh), Zebulun, Issachar.
• Others hesitated or stayed home: Reuben, Gilead (Gad), Dan, Asher.
• Zebulun and Naphtali are praised for risking their lives.

There is imagery of God using rain to reroute Sisera

• The heavens dropping water (5:4)
• The Kishon sweeping them away (5:21)

The city of Meroz is cursed for not coming to the Lord’s help while Jael is called “most blessed of women” for killing Sisera.

Sisera’s mother wonders where he is and her maidens try to comfort her.

The land had rest for 40 years.

Questions

Why do we need to know Ehud is left-handed?

What in the world did this look like: 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.

Why does Jael give Sisera milk when he asked for water?

Why does Judges 4 never say it rained when Judges 5 talks about it?

Application

I like how these chapters show God using unexpected heroes. God lifted up judges to help rule the land and used 2 different women to save the day. While Barak hesitated, Deborah led boldly, showing that she had her full trust in God. Jael also showed courage in defeating Sisera. We shouldn’t think that because we are not ‘great leaders’ that God cannot use us. And if we fel led by God, we should act boldly with courage like Deboarah and Jael. Small steps of faith lead to great victory.

Photo: Szepmuveszeti Museum, Budapest, Hungary.