Judges
Week 9 — The God Who Raises Deliverers
-
Israel’s _________________________ under oppression.
1 After Ehud died, once again the people of Israel committed evil in the eyes of the Lord. 2 So the Lord sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, who ruled in Hazor. The commander of his army was Sisera, who lived in Harosheth Haggoyim. 3 Again the people of Israel called out to the Lord, because Jabin had nine hundred iron chariots. He brutally oppressed [לָחַץ (lā·cḥǎṣ)] the people of Israel for twenty years. (Jdg 4:1–3)
1 When Jabin king of Hazor heard what had happened, he sent word to [all the kings] … 4 They came out—they and all their divisions with them—a people as numerous as the sand on the seashore, together with very many horses and chariots. 5 All these kings gathered together. They came and camped together at the Waters of Merom to wage war against Israel. 11 The Israelites struck down every living thing that was in Hazor with the edge of the sword, devoting them to destruction. He left nothing breathing, and Hazor he burned with fire. 12 Joshua captured all the cities of these kings and all their kings. He struck them with the edge of the sword. He devoted them to destruction just as Moses, the servant of the Lord, had commanded. (Jos 11:1a, 4-5, 11–12)
EHV Study Bible: The dynastic name Jabin has been found in a text from Hazor.
4 Deborah, a woman, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth [לַפִּידוֹת (lap-pē-dōt)], was judging Israel at that time. 5 She would sit under the Palm Tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the people of Israel would come to her for judgment [מִשְׁפָּט (mes-pot)].” (Jdg 4:4–5)
Prophetess mentioned in Scripture:
-
Miriam the sister of Moses in Exodus 15
-
Huldah (hōl-dah) in 2 Kings 22:14
-
Noadiah (nō-a-dī-ah) in Nehemiah 6:14
-
Isaiah’s wife (we never know her name) is called a prophetess in Isaiah 8:3
-
Anna in Luke 2:36
Chad Bird: I wish we knew more. I wish we had some more details about exactly what a prophetess did. We can assume, there is no reason not to assume, that they did the same thing the prophets did. They were the mouth pieces of God.
EHV Study Bible: … a description of Deborah as a firebrand of a woman. If that is the case, this sentence four times mentions that Deborah was a woman.
Tim Keller: Enter "Deborah, a prophetess" (v 4). As a prophetess, she preaches and teaches the word of God (we see her doing this in verse 6: "The Lord, the God of Israel, commands you..."). And she is "leading Israel" (v 4)—"she held court." This is not a queen's court; rather, it is an actual courtroom, where Israelites would come to have their "disputes decided" (v 5). Clearly, she was recognized as a wise counselor and judge, and people came to her to settle all sorts of social, legal and relational cases.
-
The LORD raises up his _________________.
6 She sent for Barak son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali. She said to him, “The Lord, the God of Israel, has commanded, ‘Go and march [מָשַׁךְ (mā·šaḵ)] to Mount Tabor, and take with you ten thousand men from Naphtali and Zebulun. 7 I will lure [מָשַׁךְ (mā·šaḵ)] Sisera, commander of the army of Jabin, to you at the stream Kishon along with his chariots and his horde, and I will give him into your hand.’ ” (Jdg 4:6–7)
8 But Barak said to her, “If you go with me, I will go, but if you do not go with me, I will not go.” 9 She answered, “All right. I will go with you, but because [כִּי (kē)] of the way you are going about it, the honor will not be yours. [כִּי (kē) here but not translated] The Lord will sell Sisera into the hand of a woman.” Then Deborah got up and went with Barak to Kedesh. (Jdg 4:8–9)
I will go with you but because/indeed it will not be your honor on the way which you are going, because/indeed into the hand of a woman the LORD will sell Sisera.
And 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. (Jdg 4:9, ESV)
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.” Deborah got up and went with Barak to Kedesh. (Jdg 4:9, NET)
“I will gladly go with you,” she said, “but you will receive no honor on the road you are about to take, because the Lord will sell Sisera to a woman.” So Deborah got up and went with Barak to Kedesh. (Jdg 4:9, CSB)
She said, “I will surely go with you; nevertheless, the honor shall not be yours on the journey that you are about to take, for the Lord will sell Sisera into the hands of a woman.” Then Deborah arose and went with Barak to Kedesh. (Jdg 4:9, NASB1995)
Tim Keller: His (Barak’s) desire to take Deborah with him is not disobedience, but done out of a recognition that Deborah is a godly woman who speaks God's words. Why wouldn't he want her with him?!
So the Lord sent Jerubbaal, Bedan (probably means Barak), Jephthah, and Samuel, and he delivered you out of the hand of your enemies on every side, and you lived in safety. (1 Sa 12:11)
And what more should I say? There would not be enough time for me to continue to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets. (Heb 11:32)
Points to Ponder
- What is one thing that stood out for you from this week’s message?
- Judges 4:1-3. Israel’s cry for help comes only after twenty years of oppression. Why do you think God sometimes allows his people to suffer so long before sending deliverance? What does that do to our view of his patience, justice, or discipline?
- Judges 4:4–5. Deborah is sitting under a palm tree as God’s judge over Israel. Why do you think God chose to place his authority in such an ordinary, non-military setting — rather than on a battlefield, throne, or temple? What does that say about how God defines leadership differently than we do? What does this mean for you in your daily life?
- This story puts human weakness, obedience, and unexpected leadership on display — yet God still moves his plan forward. How does this tension give us hope when the church (or our own lives) feels messy and imperfect? Be open, what is God through his Word pushing you to do that you are hesitant to do?
Read: Judges 4-5
